Izakaya Yuzuki quietly opened last night in the space across from Tartine, at 18th and Guerrero, formerly home to Craig’s Place and Ebb & Flow. Owner Yuko Hayashi promised this would be an old-school, traditional, Tokyo-style izakaya, and she’s hired a Japanese chef, Takahashi Saito, who cut his teeth in the kitchens of Ame and Nojo. As discussed yesterday the menu features a lot of use of koji, a mold fermented on rice also known as A. oryzae, which is an essential ingredient in making miso and soy sauce.
Via Tablehopper, you can check out the full menu here. And as you can see from our slideshow, the decor has been kept pretty simple and bare, with a few vegetables drawn on the main wall. Since izakayas are traditionally drinking establishments, this is all the better since there is less to potentially break or stain whilst drunk.
Sidenote: The other end of the same block, at 18th and Dolores, will be home to a second izakaya from the Namu team called Namu Gaji (or possibly just Gaji) within a few months.
Izakaya Yuzuki - 598 Guerrero Street at 18th - Open Monday through Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Closed Sundays.
Earlier: Izakaya Yuzuki Debuts Tonight at 18th and Guerrero
18th Street Block to Be Bookended By Izakayas Come Late Fall
