Chotto, San Francisco

Sample Menu

• Raw bar: Hokkaido scallops, sea urchin, shiso, olive oil, and soy sauce
• Small plate: bacon mochi—chewy rice balls wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon
• Grilled seafood: sautéed calamari strips with yuzu-ponzu butter sauce
• Charcoal-grilled meats: kakuni—pork belly with sweet miso mustard

About the Concept

• Chotto is an izakaya, which literally translates to “sit-down sake shop.”
• Expect a pub-like atmosphere and a menu focused on small plates and drinks.
• Chotto’s spin on the izakaya renders ingredients from local farms, ranches, and fish markets through the lens of Japanese preparations and cooking methods.

About the Name: Chotto is a Japanese diminutive that can mean anything from “just a little bit” to “for a moment,” but here, it’s an invitation to have a little something to eat and a little something to drink.

Sake and Shochu: The sake menu dwarfs the beer and wine selection, featuring glasses and carafes of sake with poetic monikers such as “mirror of truth,” “cabin in the snow,” and “tears of dawn.” There’s also a selection of shochu, a vodka-like liquor made from sweet potatoes, barley, or sugar.

When to Go: Visit on the weekends to sample fresh fish from Japan’s Tsukiji market, which is express delivered by plane rather than lobbed by hand across the Pacific.

Vocab Lesson
Uni: sea-urchin roe.
Hamachi: young yellowtail, popular in sushi.