This is a unique and exquisite omakase experience, as it's not for sushi/sashimi or seafood (although they do have those), but everything wagu beef. Even their desserts are made with beef fat rather than regular boring butter. Everything from the quality of the food and the service is top notch. And of course their wagu from Hokkaido just tastes like something out of this world, so you have to try it. They also have a wide selection of Japanese whiskey to complement your snow beef feast. It's pricy, but worth every single penny.
This is better than any Michelin Restaurant experience in SF I ever had! I believe GOZU will have their stars pretty soon and this is the best time to go before they did.We did a random walk in test for their "flexibility" at 5 pm (I can't guarantee it's this easy in the future) , the staff is super friendly and accommodating . We got a great seat. Owner and chef Marc Zimmerman is so humble and amiable cooking with other chefs in front of us. The whole experience is like watching a cooking show. I love Marc's 0 waste concept for the food, it's very respectful.Every single staff in GOZU is professional and attentive, if any guests needs anything they appear magically.The first time I went to GOZU was in Whiskey lounge joining a group of friends for whiskeys and order À la carte. And I know I am going back at the moment when I had their snow beef.As everyone else is describing, the food is Mouth-watering, and present like art. You won't get it anywhere else because it's "snow beef" aka snow-aged wagyu comes from Niigata in western Japan. The prized beef is aged for 30 days in a yukimoro, a storehouse covered with snow.The last time I had similar experience was in Kobe, Japan, and not even exquisite like the experience in GOZU.Flexibility, food quality, vibe, great people...Perfect in every way!
overall, everything was what i expected - great dishes, top notch service, and a fine dining ambiance. nice to try for sf restaurant week and worth it considering the quality of wagyu used but, i wouldn’t get the supplement again and some dishes were a miss.- all the servers were knowledgeable about each dish and very attentive, alway filling up our water glasses as soon as they were half empty. they were friendly but prompt, expected in a fine dining establishment- loved being located at the bar and watching the chefs prepare each dish. you can tell that great detail is placed on everything they make.first course- wagyu tartare tube: flavorful and fatty, kinda reminded me of an elevated lumpia- trout roe crosade: one of the best dishes of the night. the daikon cream combo with trout roe was perfect.- wagyu tongue and suppon aspic: a miss for me. the gelatinous texture kinda threw me off and it felt like a dish more to showcase creativity than focusing on flavor.second course- wagyu sando supplement: i wish this sandwich was bigger, it was nearly perfect! the toasted bread with fatty wagyu was nothing like i’ve had before. however, it was def not worth $50 for the small piece.third courseassortment of wagyu sides: the snow beef, wagyu broth, and rice with wagyu furikake were the highlights! adding the two salts to the beef elevated the fattiness and flavor. they also used one of the rarest beefs, only being sold to a few places in the world. the broth was really concentrated and complemented the other dishes well. the rice had a perfect umami flavor with the furikake, it was perfectly warm and great to eat in between bites of the beef. the other veggie sides were also good to cleanse the palatedesserthoney lemon cake with burnt honey and elderflower: loved the burnt honey bits, tasted like toffee. nice creaminess from the cake and the honey drizzle added some sweetness. wish the elderflower flavor was more pronounced
Feb2022: always amazing always original! Chef Marc and the team continue to deliver a consistently 5 star experience! Continues to be my go to recommendation for an epicurean evening of delight, enjoy!Update: years later Chef Marc and the team continue to deliver an amazing epicurean experience! Delicious food, despite having come at least a half dozen times over the last year plus, the dishes continue to be creative and original! Thrilled to see the team back in full swing post COVID! Would highly recommend!!!Original: Chef from Alexander's steakhouse (when the food was delicious) excellent tasting menu with a great option for a non-alcoholic pairing, great for a dry-January or teetotalers. Creative and tasty ensembles. Modern atmosphere with bar seating and an open kitchen. Unisex bathrooms complete with deluxe totos! The reservation system allows you to conveniently preorder everything and the service staff is ready upon your arrival. They also have a unique house account available for ongoing use. Will definitely be coming back and certainly recommend!
Incredible. The combination of food, wine and whisky was a revelation, perhaps even poetic. The staff charming and congenial. The music...oh the music....twas a rapturous. A+ would recommend. Drink the Ichiro's Malt and Grain Limited Edition, it's divine.
The tasting menu was very interesting with different flavors and textures. Overall, I enjoyed it and its worth the money. There were plates that were amazing and some that I could do without. The presentation was perfect and the whiskey collection was heavenly.If I were to go back, I would do the whiskey lounge and order a la cart.
Outstanding experience. Easily the best overall tasting atmosphere I have been in. Each dish was meticulously prepared and plated. On top of that, each course was excellent. I ate every last bite. The venue is intimate, modern and simple.
The food, service, and experience were good but not worth the total price in my opinion. 5 stars if it was half the price. The sommelier was a highlight, he chose a sake for me which was unlike any I had tried before and I loved it.
Delicate food. The wagyu is very juicy. I also love the kitchenwares. Overall good experience. Minus one star for some too salty dishes and too sweet candies. (I personally prefer light and subtle flavors)
Delicious and very creative Japanese steakhouse. The Wagyu tea is truly amazing! You’d better come hungry ?