Atypical Brunch Experience at Yuzuki Japanese Eatery in SF's Misison District

Forget typical brunch items like pancakes and omelettes the next time you go out to eat. Yuzuki Japanese Eatery - an izakaya in the trendy Mission District that specializes in shareable, small Japanese plates - has revolutionized the way we conceive brunch when it launched brunch service last summer. While Yuzuki's limited brunch menu focuses on items like udon and soba instead of grilled skewers and rice pot, you will still indulge in the same delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine made with fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients.

Wagyu Udon ($23)

Yuzuki's simple brunch menu is categorized into noodles (udon or soba) and sushi. You get a choice between udon or soba with all noodle entrees, which also come with a side of vegetables and topping choices that range from chicken and egg to lightly fried shrimp and vegetables. I would recommend the Wagyu Udon ($23). Served in a bowl of warm, flavorful broth are a generous portion of soft, chewy udon noodles and six tender pieces of wagyu beef topped with scallions. 

Kaisen Chirashi ($28)

The Kaisen Chrashi ($28) has eight different varieties of fresh sashimi and seafood, such as tuna, mackerel, lump Dungeness crab meat, and salmon roe. The salmon has an extremely rich, buttery taste that just melts in your mouth, while the scallop provides the perfectly chewy, juicy, and plump texture. The Kaisen Chirashi also comes with a side of clear soup with mushroom and seaweed.

Fusion Japanese and Korean Food from a Food Court

Because we arrived at home in Seoul a little later than usual, Mom and I decided to go to a food court at a mall nearby for a quick dinner. I am the most indecisive person when it comes to choosing what I want to eat, so a place like a food court, where I have to choose from a variety of cuisines and dishes, is the worst place for me. In the end, Mom ordered the fish roe rice and udon set menu, while I decided on the chili seafood omurice (fried rice wrapped in egg).

Mom's dish came out 10 minutes prior to mine, so we shared the food. I loved the fish roe rice, which is basically bibimbop with minced kimchi, vegetables, and fish roe in a hot stone pot. Instead of using chili paste, though, we only needed the kimchi for flavors. So delicious! I also love when the rice hardens and becomes crispy at the bottom of the hot pot. The udon didn't taste anything special, but I am not a huge fan of udon in the first place. The tempura, which I didn't eat (I don't eat fried food anymore!), was very greasy, according to Mom.

Finally the big TV screen indicated that my omurice is ready so I went to pick it up. The wait was certainly not worth it because the sauce was extremely, EXTREMELY sweet to the point where I had to wipe it off. It tasted like an awful combination of ketchup and sugar. Yuck.

Also since the sauce was literally surrounding the omurice, it was overwhelming and shielded all the taste of the rice and the egg. The fried rice was lacking in flavor and I regretted getting this meal for sure. Well, at least now I know what NOT to get :p