San Francisco: Izakaya Rintaro

Izakaya Rintaro | 82 14th Street

415.589.7022 | www.izakayarintaro.com My good and fellow SF native friend, Giuli, was in town from New York and wanted to have Japanese for dinner at a place we both haven’t been to. I immediately thought of Rintaro. Timing couldn’t have been better for some Japanese. If you’re watching HBO’s Girls, the last episode had Shoshanna give us a glimpse of what it’s like to live and eat in Japan. I was sold and was craving anything Japanese, food that is.

When we arrived at Rintaro, the exterior of the place looked like it used to be a garage of some sort. We weren’t sure what to expect. As you enter, we were greeted with a beautiful zen like space. Like I could throw a party here. It’s a gem.

Exterior | Zen garden

At most Japanese restaurants, you are greeted with Irasshaimase as you walk through the door. It’s such a beautiful word that means welcome. In the case of Rintaro, I felt transported as if I was in Japan. I’ve been to Japan but never past Narita airport to only change planes on the way to the Philippines.

Rintaro’s interior is freakin amazing. It’s super chic with lots of wood. I really felt like I was in Japan. I even asked Giuli, who’s been to Japan, if the restaurants are similar to Rintaro’s. She said yes, the look and feel, the food, everything about it, was very Japan. Rintaro is tapas style. Meant to share with everyone at the table. Giuli’s brother, Lorenzo, and his friend, Elana, joined us for dinner.

Interior

To entice our appetites we ordered a couple of Japanese beers, Suiyoubi No Neko “Wednesday’s Cat” and Koshihikari Echigo Rice Ale. Both beers were delicious and complimented the food.

Suiyoubi No Neko “Wednesday’s Cat” | Koshihikari Echigo Rice Ale

Beer pour

When you think Japanese food, you think sushi but that wasn’t the case at Rintaro’s. They truly had a variety. We did start with their sashimi, Hotate Sashimi and Mebcachi Maguro. Both tasted so fresh and delicious. I wanted more!

Hotate Sahimi Diver Scallops | Fresh Grated Wasabi | Meyer Lemon

Mebachi Maguro Big Eye Tuna Sashimi | Grated Half Moon Bay Wasabi

Rintaro features pasture-raised Riverdog Farm Chicken Yakitori on their menu. The Yakitori are split into four categories: Standards, Vegetables, Odd Bits and Deluxe. We tried the King Trumpet and New Potato under Vegetables and Liver and Skin under Odd Bits. These skewers were perfectly cooked and juicy. I would have these again.

Yakitori Odd Bits - Liver & Skin | Vegetables - King Trumpet

Yakitori Vegetables - New Potato

For some fried foods, we had the Chizu Tori Katsu and Ebi Kuriimu Korokke. The Chizu Tori Katsu is fried chicken and cheese with Acme panko. Hot damn! So crispy and cheesy! I would come back just for this! The Ebi Kuriimu Korokke is a croquette stuffed with wild white shrimp and béchamel. It’s fried with Acme panko as well. It’s good but I still prefer the Chizu Tori Katsu.

Ebi Kuriimu Korokke Wild White Shrimp | Strauss Bechamel Croquettes | Snowy Cabbage

Chiizu Tori Katsu Riverdog Farm Chicken | Cowgirl Wagon Wheel Cheese | Snowy Cabbage

To throw in some vegetables, we ordered Shungiku Kamo Sarada. The salad was fresh and packed a punch with the juicy duck and kumquats. Nice palate cleanser right before the final dishes.

Shungiku Kamo Sarada Star Route Chrysanthemum Greens | Wild Arugula | Grilled Sonoma Duck | Ume Farm Kumquats

In Japan, traditionally, they have a final dish. At Rintaro’s, they offered Natto Don and Teuchi Udon. Natto Don is fermented soybean served over rice. This is not for everyone. Most are turned off by its weird texture and smell. I didn’t mind it but it wasn’t my favorite thing. Teuchi Udon serves hand-rolled udon with two fishes broth, green onions and nori. We added an egg, carrots, and gobo kakiage. This was the final dish I ate and it did not disappoint. The broth was so light and flavorful. A must have!

Natto Don Rice | Sebastopol Megumi Natto | Rintaro Umeboshi | Hot Mustard | Toasted Nori

Teuchi Udon Rintaro Hand-Rolled Udon | Two Fishes Broth | Greek Onion | Nori | Kaki Farm Hot Spring Egg | Carrot |

Gobo Kakaige

Overall, I enjoyed everything we ordered. The ambiance was cool and hip. I would come back for sure and try all the other things we didn’t get. I recommend this place for any occasion.

#japanese #udon #sashimi #sanfrancisco #izakaya #rintaro #yakitori #romeeats