Halu Restaurant
| Address: | 312 8th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-221-9165 |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | Closed 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–11PM 5–11PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 25
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Jennie Lin
So glad that this is my neighborhood spot. I am selfishly reluctant to review it, as it may bring more customers into their small space... Halu is not your traditional Japanese place. It brands itself as an izakaya, so no sushi here today (or tomorrow.) The menu has your classic yakitori selection, as well as a nice list of larger carb-happy entrees (ramen and donburis) to round things out. Their ramen soup base has meat in it, so no vegetarian-friendly ramen options: youll have to stick with yakitori. The decor is cluttered with Beatles paraphernalia, and I dont mean that in a bad way. Ive been to Halu over a dozen times and am always spotting something new ("was that John poster always here?" "Hm, Im not sure...") The space is small and seats can get filled up quickly, even on weeknights. Large groups will have a difficult time. Its worth the wait, though: put your name down, go around the corner to Steins on Clement for a beer, and wait for them to call you. A word of caution: its a small space with a small operation. Sometimes they will close on random days. Best to check their Twitter account to see if theyre open.
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Wayne Willyard
Halu captures my attention. At first sight it looks like a cross between a teenagers room from the 60s with walls completely covered in Beatles merch and my apartment in Japan with a wide variety of empty beer bottles lining the counter. Ive been coming here for about 6 years now and have never...not once been let down. The food is great. They originally hooked me with their butter corn ramen and upsold me on the gyuu-niku. They also have potato salad like my host mom from Japan used to make - such Mayo filled bliss. From their extensive yakitori to their amazing ramen you cannot go wrong. If by chance you do not like the food, they play Beatles music non-stop so at least youll have something to tap your foot to. Arigatou, Halu crew.
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Matt Young
Review as of 01/14/2017: Worst hole in the wall restaurant I have ever encountered in San Francisco. Seating is extremely crammed and food is over-priced. Here are some examples. 4 pieces of tofu will run you $8.50. 2 small chicken skewers of kid size will run about $9.00. 4 small pieces of over-cooked goza will cost about $8.00. Worst of all, a basic bowl of ramen with just noodles, broth and chicken is about $15. Add another $2 if you want extra items like onions, bean sprouts, etc. in the soap. When seated, you are basically elbow to elbow with your neighbors. Stay away from this place unless you are extremely hungry or desperate.
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Victoria P.
Im still on the hunt for okonomiyaki in the city. The one at Halu is a combination of beef, seafood, and chicken. I wish they stated that on their menu because I try not to eat beef, but I shouldve asked. Besides, it was really good and filling! It really should be shared with two people. Because I ate the entire thing, I didnt have room for anything else. I know I need to come back on the days they have their specials. The restaurant is intimate (seriously, a lot of couples dined here), with awesome Beatles memorabilia, and even better music. Its nice to see places like this in my neighborhood.
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Jenn W
I love Halu! This hole in the wall 70s (mostly Beatles) themed izakaya rocks. The service is great - people are friendly and helpful and the foods delicious. I love ordering the okonomiyaki and many of the skewers. The ramen is decent, but I mostly go for the small plates. They also have a great selection of booze :) Just remember, its a hole in the wall and sometimes can be hard to find a seat.
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Zak Stern
The kushi katsu at this place is hard to replicate in the US. The salmon and scallops are especially delicious. The only reason it doesnt get five stars is because the service is hit or miss. Ive ordered things that never came out and have had to adjust the bill twice. The atmosphere is pretty cool with all the Beatles music and paraphernalia.
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Adamme Kearney
Service and Beatles atmosphere is great. Tried the chashu and thought it was pretty good. Not too thick of broth, and corn and ginger are good. Sprouts made were a little bitter I think. They also use thin noodles. We also tried the homemade gyoza which are really good. They fold a square wrap so the shape is unique.
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Karisma Rodriguez
Love this place for its quirk! A Japanese restaurant where every inch of the place is covered with Beatles memorabilia? Amazing. Their umeshu (plum wine) is also tasty and their okonomiyaki tastes pretty authentic (I lived in Japan for a year). Their skewer meats are really great too.
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Marty Strauss
Wonderful little Japanese Izakaya in the middle of San Francisco. Friends and I all had the Chashu-men (classic ramen with pork). The noodles were nicely thin and chewy (closer to Hakata-style) and the pork was nicely done as well. Great selection of cocktails and beer, too.
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Dave Meservey
The raw squid tapa is amazing. There are about 20 seats in the whole place so not good for groups but a fantastic place to surprise a date. A strange but intriguing combination of Japan meets the Beatles. Hole in the wall that youll be talking about when you leave.
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Garrett Morimoto
The food is okay and personally, a bit overpriced. The ambience is quaint and cozy, but dont think the food and drinks are worth the wait. Wasnt a huge fan of the service and the many hints to eat and leave.
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A Private User
Loved the Beatlemaniac vibe, with a menu specializing in skewered stuff and ramen. -1 for forgetting one of my orders though. Food isnt super-great, but its just a nice small charming place.
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Sam Fung
Totally over rated and the long waiting line is not worth it. The ramen was quite below my expectation. The chashu was horrible, tasted like a piece of pork just boiled to cooked.
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Tiffany Taylor
Yummy yakitori and friendly staff. サンフランシスコで好きな焼き鳥屋です！
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Christian Bogus
I should go there more often, their ramen is sooo good. Had my first Okonomiyaki there, liked it too! Of course, XKCD #958 applies, so maybe I should give lesser points :-)
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Syd X
Japanese izakaya with Beatles kitsch all over the walls and very good food. Its a hidden gem. Gets very busy though. Not a great date spot. Too noisy.
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Hansol Lee
Great place. Nice atmosphere and good food. Ramen is just not bad, but yakitori is so good. The karaage is yummy and good sidefood for atsukan sake.
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Jeremy Gordon
Great food at this tiny izakaya-style spot in the Richmond. The yakitori and okonomiyaki are favorites. Beatles old-rock decor appreciated.
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A Private User
I crave the Erichan special. Skip the ramen. Also, it gets extremely crowded so I wouldnt go too hungry. You could wait for a while.
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Zach Benton
One of my favorite restaurants ever. Has reinvigorated my love of Japanese food, with a Beatles twist. What more could I ask for?
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Jay Goldberg
The chicken karage was low quality, just gristle and bone, would avoid. pork charashi on the other hand was better than most.
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Tiffany Liu
this is a great place for ramen -- the soup base has so much flavor! and they have bacon wrapped mochi -- a must try!
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lisa wong
Our fav are the stuff mushroom, pork cheek, beef belly, chicken skin, and beef tongue. Will definitely come back.
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橋本登志美
Best sumi yakitori in San Francisco, highly recommend this place. Reminds me of eating yakitori in Japan!
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Otto Chompff
Wow! Great service, super fun atmosphere and amazing ramen. My favorite place for ramen and 60s rock.
