Nojo Ramen
| Address: | 231 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-896-4587 |
| Site: | nojosf.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | Closed 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 11:30AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
JE
Jerome Fried
SUPERB EXAMPLE OF IZAKAYA IN SF _____________________________________________________________ Nojo is on my Best of SF list, even for being as young a restaurant as they are. Situated in Hayes Valley, around the corner from the Opera House, Nojo is a modern take on Japanese Izakaya cuisine. All of the dishes are prepared in a kitchen in plain view of the restaurant, which is modernly decorated in step with the neighborhood. The atmosphere is somewhat loud, mainly due to the group-oriented nature of the dining space. The chef/owners are in attendance at all times, constantly checking on the food cooking process, the product, as well as the diners opinions. Very friendly and passionate about what they do - really good, simple Japanese pub grub. The best feature of this restaurant, however, is the exotic side of the menu, which includes things like chicken heart, liver, and other uniquely Nojo dishes. Of course, the standard chicken on a stick is available for the feint of heart, but for a foodie, the menu is a challenge. In particular, they serve PORK JOWEL on a stick - which is like a blast of concentrated bacon, in a bite. In a word - amazing, and a must try. Also recently featured on the menu (as of the date of this review) - FRIED PIG TAIL. Needless to say, this had my NAME written all over it. If I liked the pork jowel, I *loved* the fried pig tails. The best way to describe this dish is to liken it to a bacon lollipop. Concentrated bacon flavor on a bone. Another amazing dish, and one well worth trying. Overall, I give this place a five-out-of-five stars. Amazing food, amazing passion, amazing service = an amazing experience, and one not to be missed while in SF.
T
t jason anderson
Ive been to Nojo a variety of times for full dinners, lighter snacks, just dessert and drinks, and occasionally even for second dinner. It has never disappointed and I am always eager to dine at Nojo, especially as the menu changes frequently and Ive never had a dish I didnt like. The aesthetics of place are quite minimalist which melds very well with the food and the overall atmosphere. The palette of just a few materials translates in a mellow experience that allows you to focus on the lovely food and sake. If you are going to Nojo for the first time, I highly recommend aiming for a seat at the bar and watching Greg Dunmore grill up some perfect yakitori to compliment the other izakaya dishes. Dont be shy, the waitstaff and the chefs can usually direct you towards some exquisite dishes that you might be a bit too tame to try on your own! The best recommendation I can offer is from my visiting friends from New York, who came to meet me for a few nibbles after they had already eaten dinner with another friend. I ordered a number of skewers (including chicken liver, skin and hearts, as well as beef tongue, bacon wrapped mochi and pork jowl). Soon after our Chawanmushi arrived along with a few other other non-stick plates. After a few little nibbles, my skinny NYC friends couldnt say no, and they ended up turning the nibbles invitation into a glorious second dinner or savory dessert. Truly a high compliment from these visiting foodies from the east coast!
K
K Lee
This is our favorite place to eat before attending the symphony (across the street) or a show on Market Street (a couple of blocks away). Nojo does not take reservations and gets very crowded after 6pm. We never have trouble getting a table if we come at 5pm, even on weekends. That gives us plenty of time for dinner before the show. Chicken ramen is less fatty than the pork ramen served at most Japanese restaurants, but still very flavorful. Whole chicken leg is very tender. Veggies are fresh and flavorful. Noodles are chewy, just like I like them. Great for a cold day in San Francisco (which is most days year round). We usually split a bowl of ramen between 2 of us so we can try 2 or 3 side dishes as well. Weve tried several different fish dishes and they have all been excellent. Tako fries were disappointing since they dont have any real tako (octopus) in them. We didnt try the chicken side dishes since we already had a big juicy piece of chicken in our ramen.
CA
Catherine Linn
I have a soft spot for this place in my heart. One of my best friends and I have been coming here for a while now and they are so wonderful to us each time. Since their menu changes seasonally, this dish may no longer be on the menu, but my favorite thing there for a while was the avocado and sesame salad, topped with shredded seaweed. You also have to get one of their crispy rice balls (I like the spam one, but my friend prefers the plain one). Id also recommend the mushroom tempura (there are some lemon slices in there too that bring the whole thing together) and any other fresh and delicious appetizer thats currently on their menu. But most importantly, you should get black sesame ice cream with persimmons and homemade peanut brittle to finish your meal. SO GOOD.
KI
Kit Lau
When one demands $18.5 for a bowl of ramen, it better be mind blowing. Because thats almost 2.5x what it should cost. While Nojo has a creative take on what a Japanese Californian style ramen should be, the broth was too rich for my taste (pun intended). Rich is good, but too rich means pounding down 4 glasses of water and when asked if they give refills to $4 ice teas and the answer is no — this made me a little salty (more pun intended). Noodles were of excellent quality and had the perfect chewiness and tenderness. Props for giving me actual intact crab leg on the crab and avocado salad, and excellent fresh skin on the gyozas. Chicken fritters were also very good — super juicy and tasty. But the main course left me feeling rather disappointed.
SO
Sophia Yuen
Sometimes I wonder how I can spending half an hour debating whether I want to buy a $10 shirt and I dont hesitate at all when dropping $18.50 on a bowl of ramen. My sister wanted to come here because of their half chicken yeah, it looked instagram worthy, but was it good? Hell yeah it was! I got the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce and its one of those dishes where you just dont want to share. The ramen was cooked perfectly, the broth was flavorful - not to salty and a little on the thicker side (which I enjoy), and the chicken leg was cooked perfectly, seasoned well, and falls of the bone. I finished the bowl feeling completely satisfied. Overall, probably my top ramen spot right now and so worth the price tag.
SA
Samantha Berg
Came here on a rainy evening with a girlfriend. She had been once before, Id never been. We both ordered the spicy miso tan tan ramen with an egg. Kinda funny, the egg came on the side, instead of in the soup, but the soup was perfect for the rainy evening - spicy, not overly salty, comforting, hearty, delicious. We also shared a bottle of sake, which was a light, sweet complement to the soup. My only complaint is the price - while the ramen was good, it wasnt exactly $17 worth of good, nor was the egg on the side worth an additional $1.50. You can buy a carton of eggs for less. At $36 after tax and tip, it felt like more of a splurge than it deserved, but Ill likely return.
