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Izakaya Sozai, comforting Japanese tapas in the Sunset

Dina Brooks' photo
SF Restaurant Examiner
Tonkotsu ramen ($8) with an extra boiled egg half. Rich, creamy broth with lots of green onions. There was a thick piece of pork and we would have preferred a couple of thinner slices instead.Tofu steak with assorted mushrooms ($7.50). Three soft tofu cubes in a slightly sweet sauce topped with lots of mushrooms, scallions and shredded nori. Really good.Hamachi carpaccio ($12) with jalapeno and a mustard miso vinaigrette. So good, love the heat!9 photosView the full slideshow »
Skewered pork belly and duck with port sauce were specials that night; tsukune or chicken meatballs $5.50. The pork belly was a bit bland, the duck was a hit with our four year old daughter, and our son couldn't get enough of the chicken meatballs. They are addicting little bite-sized morsels.

  Go hungry and make sure you have reservations

When Ritsu Otsuka (formerly at Blowfish To Die For) and his wife SueMee took over the Sozai space at the corner of Irving and 16th, I was doubtful that they could match the quality and variety of izakaya style food and sake that former owners Gil and Mari offered.  As it turns out, Ritsu has successfully created a delicious array of small plates.  While the sake list is not as extensive as Gil’s, (he and Mari now co-own Nombe with Rick Balla in the Mission) there are still some good ones to pair with the food.

Apparently, this is Ritsu's first restaurant venture, and by the looks of it, he is doing incredibly well. The tiny 30+ seat eatery was packed by 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night and there were people who walked in while we were eating and waited for a table for a solid hour.

There were two servers/hostesses who circulated throughout the compact dining room in a friendly and efficient manner, and our slew of dishes came out remarkably fast considering how busy they were. All of the items were good, but some standouts included the skewered mini chicken meatballs (my son must have wolfed down at least 24 of them), hamachi carpaccio with jalapeno (it reminded me of the spicy hamachi teradito I used to order when Pres a Vi was around), tofu steak with assorted mushrooms and crispy, salty hamachi kama.  Take a look at the slideshow below to see everything we tried.

The only potential downside, aside from being tough to maneuver in its small confines, is that feasting here can be pricey because as izakaya style fare goes, portions are petite.  The four of us devoured dish after dish plus my husband and I indulged in a little sake and beer and our bill totalled $188 plus change before gratuity. That said, since this place is so convenient for us and the food is enjoyable, I am sure we will return often.   And, we’ll definitely make sure we have reservations!

For more info:  Izakaya Sozai.  1500 Irving Street at 16th Avenue.  415.742.5122.


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, SF Restaurant Examiner

Dina is a UC-Berkeley graduate with journalism and restaurant research experience. She is a former corporate meeting and event planner turned gastronomic explorer in her native San Francisco. Contact her at grubalicioussf@gmail.com.

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