Service was slow. Reservation was at 1.30pm, seated around 2pm ish and food only came around 3pm. Despite the wait, the kitchen ran out of ingredients and swopped the eggs in the crab and pear salad for cheese, which completely threw off the flavor of the dish considering the more subtle flavors it was supposed to impart. The Cornish hen was dry and the whole dish was completely unseasoned and bland. The only part of the dish with taste was the boiled cabbage due to its natural sweetness. we had to ask for salt from our waitress. But that did not remedy an underseasoned roast much though it did become a little more palatable. Post roasting on a partially cold dish (i.e. no longer piping hot but warm), any finishing salt just rolls right off. That being said I believe the right techniques are there (at least the chicken skin was browned and crispy) but a step or two was skipped probably due to a mistake in the kitchen. Other friends in my group who ordered the Japanese breakfast enjoyed the salmon and miso soup so that was a plus. I rarely give such reviews but I do hope the place can improve its operations given the price point and some dishes that were well executed.

After seeing all the hype about Cassava on Bay Area Eats, I was excited to try their restaurant week menu for date night! The meal started off okay as the ‘end of summer’ salad left something to be desired (figs were really flavorless and bland) and the salmon and avocado crudo felt very mundane. However, we opted to order the supplemental octopus and that was phenomenal. The octopus was wonderfully seasoned and slightly crunchy, arguably one of our favorite dishes of the night. The duck main course was also delicious, super succulent and flavorful with great accent flavors and textures (the fig on this one WAS sweet and delicious!). Unfortunately the cod was a little bland, but we did love the fried cauliflower mushrooms, and the textures were great in that dish. Desserts were absolutely wonderful and light as well, a wonderful way to end the meal. We also really enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant, and the service was excellent! Just falls short of 5 stars because of the appetizers though, sadly.

Food was very good for the most part. Thought the cod was a bit bland. The fried chicken was delicious and light, black sesame dessert was a hit and rigatoni with smoked salmon was cooked perfectly and way more delicious than you might think! Also had some of the duck and it had a great flavor to it. Overall a fantastic meal only issues were with pacing of the plates. We sat an ordered drinks then food a few minutes later with the fried chicken supplement. Less than 10 minutes later we get the fried chicken before anything else. We did say "as it's prepared" but figured it would come after the salad. From there it was a good 40 minute wait (about an hour after we sat down) before the salads came. Rest of the food was paced fine just a weird start. They were also out of several things, which happens but was a bit of a let down. Would definitely come again as it was way more good than bad! Space is super cool!

Randomly looking for an early dinner in the neighborhood, we found a table available before the rush. Welcomed by Kai, we have been taken to a journey of tasting both the kitchen marvels and the wine gems thanks to a knowledgeable person. Tell them what you like (and don't) and you will have a personalized menu with the appropriate pairing. Note that the wine will be sampled to ensure a maximum experience along with Kai sharing their passion about the different origins. We went for two cold starters and two warm mains of fresh fish, colorful greens, and modern redo of wonderful well-known Italian dishes - perfect! Thanks Kai for the fine dining experience!

My friends and I went to Cassava for Sunday brunch. We made an online reservation, but the place wasn't as busy, so walk-in would have been fine too. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with bright hues, and the large, expansive windows fill the space with an abundance of natural light, making it very warm and welcoming. We tried quite a few items from the menu- 1. Bread basket 2. Fried chicken 3. Baked egg skillet 4. Pain perdu 5. Mussel & fries 6. Barley tea The bread basket was decent. It came with butter and house berry jam. The beryy jam was good but very watery and didn't have the traditional jam like consistency. The croissant was very light and flaky. The mussels were fresh, sweet, and buttery. The fries were the highlight of the meal. Baked egg skillet lacked flavors. The fried chicken was okay. The aioli sauce that it came with was very salty and tangy. The pain perdu was a bit underwhelming. The bread/toast was dry and dense. The service was good but it can be better. There were times when we needed utensils and extra plates, and there was no server in our section of the restaurant to ask for help.

We loved Cassava’s 3 course prix fixe before, and because we heard they have the new a la carte menu we wanted to check it out. The server recommended Chef’s speciality lamb belly (we were told it’s fatty and we were like yes!) and the new entree pork chop. The pork chop was probably one of the best we’ve ever had, super juicy and not dry and tender. We always love the wine they have there, and the pairing is always exciting. We got to sit outside with our dog and watched people go by on the Columbus Ave. We liked their old location, but this location is more grand, gorgeous and North Beach is just a super fun neighborhood to be in. Looking forward to trying more new menu items soon.

Absolutely amazing experience here for celebrating a birthday. Delicious prix fixe, attentive service, incredible price-to-value ratio for the 3 courses. One of the best meals we’ve had in SF!!

Cute space but bland food. Our group dined a la carte at Cassava with high hopes. The menu has a lot of our favorite foods but we were left feeling very underwhelmed and overcharged. The parker rolls were stale. The rigatoni was cold with sauce that tasted like it was straight from a can and the noodles were undercooked. The chicken liver mousse was practically flavorless. The salmon and the burger both presented well visually but, again, flavorless. Even the sauce on the burger was flavorless. The one standout dish for our crew was the duck confit. During the meal, the timing was quite off and we waited a long time in between courses. When it came time to pay our bill we were told that service had already been included (really, for our group of 4?) which just felt tacky. We are generous tippers, but didn’t like the bait and switch of that. If you want to price in tip, I’m all for it, but be upfront about it and make that clear and/or price the dishes accordingly. And as for price, the premium they charge for the food is simply not justifiable for what you get. Would not return or recommend to others.

Had such a stellar experience at Cassava! Enjoyed eating at their parklet which was amply heated. We had the three course menu with wine pairings, which made for such a special and delicious evening. In particular we loved the duck confit, fried chicken, and the panna cotta. All the wines were yummy too. Our favorite part of the meal though was our excellent server who went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed, and took the time to tell us (just enough) about our meals and drinks. Highly, highly recommend :)

California Dreaming 💯 Back in the Bay and enjoyed a weekend brunch prior to visiting San Francisco’s Legion of Honor Cassava is the perfect weekend brunch spot and the fusion dishes reminded me of the creativity and flavors that epitomize why I love living in the California Bay Area Chef Owner Yuka Ioroi is the consummate hostess and stopped by several times to ask how the dishes were (as well as provide tips on natto that I usually dislike) as well as the news that Cassava is moving to a new home in SF’s North Beach Chef Yuka runs Cassava with husband Chef Owner Kristoffer Toliao and while their pedigree includes stints with Dominque Crenn, hospitality and friendliness is a key distinguishing factor beyond the amazing food I feel lucky to have discovered this gem and look forward to checking them out in North Beach Their Japanese breakfast is easily the best rendition I’ve had stateside and I couldn’t help but order their house-made natto (which I loved!) 📷 Fried Chicken Sando $16 ~ house baked bun, Pete’s live butter lettuce, early girl tomato jam, basil aioli, cilantro, 6 oz buttermilk batter chicken thigh / Japanese Breakfast $17 ~ koshihikari rice, simmered hijiki, pickled cucumbers, miso tomato corn, sake marinated Marin Coast salmon, citrus kosho, Mendocino kombu dashi miso soup with shiitake mushroom, house furikake, soft poached egg, Add House Natto $2 / Slow Braised Lamb Riblets $19 ~ hibiscus barbecue glaze, cilantro blossoms, house pickles / Champagne Cocktail $12 ~ Montsarra cava, sugar cube, Angostura bitters / Red Hot One $11 ~ beer, tomato juice, chili infused Sabe blanco chile, white pepper, lime, pickled cucumber 📍Cassava (San Francisco, CA)

Really patient staff and very chique Californian faire. Loved the prefix as it made an easy group seating. Don’t worry about sitting outside they’ve got plenty of good heating. Highlights were duck confit and the fried chicken.

Located in Richmond, Cassava offers their take on New American cuisine. We dined here on a Sunday evening during SF Restaurant Week, in which they offered a 3-course meal (each course had at four offerings the diner could select from). They also offer beverage pairings with each dish if you're so inclinded. If you're planning on dining here, I would highly recommend making a reservation (via OpenTable) since the restaurant itself is fairly small in size and limited in terms of seating. They offer three seating options: indoor dining room, heated sidewalk, and heated parklet. The indoor seating was all reserved by the time we made ours, so we elected to go with the heated parklet. Fortunately, the parklet was well heated and buffered us from the SF winds, so no complaints there! In order to maximize our options, we each ordered a different dish. From the first course, we ordered their blood orange carpaccio, and buttermilk fried chicken. For the main, we went with Kris's creste de gallo (a pasta dish), and the slow braised lamb belly. Not to forget about the dessert, we sampled their chestnut financier, and black sesame panna cotta. For a quick summary dish-by-dish. The blood orange carpaccio was made with smoked Alaskan Herring and horseradish cream, served atop of orange and blood orange slices. This made for a fairly interesting tasting dish with citrus and sour notes, not my favorite bite of the night; however, it was something new to try and that was my goal of the night to step out of my comfort zone (in terms of food and flavors). The buttermilk fried chicken was everything you would want from a good fried chicken dish. Both of the main dishes were flavorful and very enjoyable overall that I can't even pick a favorite between the two. Last, but not least, the dessert. The chestnut financier was served warm. The cake was light, moist, and full of chestnut flavor, an instant favorite of mine. The black sesame panna cotta was equally good with the silky texture that you're looking for in a good panna cotta. With its eclectic menu and expertly-prepared food, I would definitely recommend Cassava to anyone who's wanting to try out different food combinations and flavors!

Service, food quality, and ambience were excellent!! Our good friends Nelson and Lea took us out to celebrate our retirement. The first courses included the buttermilk fried chicken, the peach/herring salad, and the beet,squash, strawberry salad. All were delicious and enjoyed by all, but the favorite was the fried chicken. The supplement dishes were the Brentwood corn soup, and the grilled octopus---- great flavors and texture in both dishes. Nothing was left in the bowl or plate!! Our entrees were the baja stripped bass, and the braised lamb belly. The bass was cooked just right, with a .nice corn saffron broth. The lamb belly was fork tender, very flavorful, and melted in one's mouth. Desserts included the strawberry tart, the plum panna cotta, and the poached white peach with fruit. Needless to say, all 3 desserts were perfect. This was a great dinner experience, and a place that we shall return again.

The food, service, and ambience is even more elevated at the new location! So good that I recently went for dinner with one friend followed by brunch the next day with a different friend. Love the new espresso martini, and the Japanese breakfast is still spectacular!

Cassava has truly outdone themselves with their new French bistro brunch! From the moment I walked in, I was transported to a charming Parisian cafe. The ambiance was delightful with an inviting atmosphere. The menu is a brunch lover's dream come true. Each dish was a delectable masterpiece, showcasing the perfect blend of traditional French flavors with a modern twist. The croissants were flaky and buttery, the duck confit was divine, and the pain perdu was simply heavenly. The staff were exceptional, providing attentive service without ever feeling intrusive. They were knowledgeable about the menu and offered great recommendations. If you're in search of an extraordinary brunch experience, look no further than Cassava. This is a culinary journey you won't want to miss. I can't wait to return and savor more of their exquisite French-inspired creations!

We really wanted to like this place and tried it for the first time during restaurant week, but we would not return and ultimately had a bad experience. We received a text 15 minutes before our 7:45 dinner reservation that our table was “delayed” by 15-30 minutes. Frustrating, but it ended up being around 10 minutes or so. The service was quite bad and our standards are not very high - it took 55 minutes for our main dishes to come out and during this period, our waiter didn’t check on us in any manner, inform us of any delay, or indicate any sort of caring for how long it was taking. We had to flag him down and he was just like “it’s cooking right now” only for the manager to jump in and say “it’s being plated now.” It was still another 10 minutes for our food to finally come out. If the food was great or high quality we could have overlooked these things, but unfortunately we were disappointed. The food portions were small and overpriced in our opinion, even for restaurant week. I’ve had much better value, cheaper homemade pasta dishes in SF and the meat was extremely rare (we hadn’t been asked how it should be cooked) and fatty. There were maybe 4 noodles in the pasta dish. Ultimately, we didn’t finish up until after 10pm due to the slow and unresponsive service for our 7:45pm dinner reservation. We generally got the vibe that they truly just didn’t care about us at all, although several waitstaff members (the host) seemed nice and pleasant.

I was lucky enough to attend a James Beard Greens event at Cassava where we not only got to sample the food and wine but also heard from the chefs and owners. The highlight of the night for us was the fried chicken with caviar; I am from Maryland and have had tons of delicious fried chicken and this hit the mark by being crispy, not overly breaded, and quite juicy. The caviar worked so well to just elevate it overall. The rest of the meal was quite good too, with the duck dish hitting the mark in cook and flavor. I will say the salmon salad was fine but not something I would order again. Additionally, the service was attentive and hearing from the owners made me like the restaurant that much more. They are equity and equality focused and looking to combat toxic masculinity and other issues in the restaurant business. Excited to support this wonderful business and try more food from them soon.

Such a gorgeous space, perfectly designed with every touch a delight to the senses. Also lovely food and service from start to finish. We really enjoyed the duck leg, it was perfectly cooked and melts in the mouth. The scallops were absolutely melt-in-your-mouth! We felt super welcomed and cared for, especially after they asked for any food allergies and I shared that I can't have gluten and dairy, and the chef altered our shared dishes so I could avoid those things (which is rare!). We will definitely be back soon!

Cassava's standout component is its service. Its servers and sommeliers are all extremely friendly, nice, and excellent at explaining the menu and giving recommendations. They all help each other out to make sure the dinner guest is never having to wait for them. Everything was brought out in a timely manner and timed appropriately for space on the table and the number of items you order. The food was overall very good. The fried chicken was spectacular, the burger was solid, and the caviar was great. The standout dish was the halibut crudo, by far the best and most complex taste profile. I highly recommend it. Would love to visit again.

Newly opened Cassava offers an interesting menu of Californian cuisine with a slight Japanese twist. The interior is very simple and basic. No fuss. No special decor. Minimalistic. A splash of colour on the walls. That’s it. The menu looked interesting. The items listed are for single serving and the server advised that a few dishes be ordered to be shared. The deep fried oysters looked cute with three dots of persimmon ketchup on top. It was an interesting take on oysters. I didn’t get much of the oyster as the batter over powered the delicate taste of fresh oyster. Torched local Halibut crudo with beets looked good. The delicate fish was overwhelmed by the taste of the beets. Sliced asparagus with rigatoni and cream sauce was good. The taste was light and refreshing. Perfect spring dish. Grilled black cod was ok. Can’t go wrong with the usual grilled fish. The pork chop was good. It was juicy and cooked just right. The sear was perfect which gave the chop great taste. This was the best dish. This restaurant have potential. They need to fine tune the menu and balance the taste profile of their food.

Crab & Asian pear; the crab needs to be less salty. It was better when eaten all together with the sweet pear. Duck confit was hash; good dish, fall off the bone. Best eaten all mixed up with the runny egg and hash. Buttermilk fried chicken; decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. Would skip.

A rainy saturday led our walk to pass by the cheery Tiffany-blue(?) awnings with young-ish people enjoying interesting dishes (ceramics are beautiful) on display. They had space for us at the high-top tables near the kitchen at the rear of the restaurant. We started with a warming carrot ginger soup with spicy crumbles and shared two starters (Dungeness crab salad with 6-min egg and Asian pears + the fried chicken with fuyu persimmons. Fun combination of flavors and nice wine pairings on offer! Soup and chicken were a 5-star choice. The crab, not so much. The Quincy wine was excellent but the cider not so much. The wobble and lack of back support of high-top seating made it a little less enjoyable too. Would recommend regular seating area to future diners. Service was great! Overall a 4.5.

Enjoyed cassava everytime I went. Sad it's moving out of the area :(

Great service. Liked their Japanese breakfast, duck confit and spice honey latte.

A very chill vibe. Lovely atmosphere. They even have heaters! Great food, will definitely go back again. I really appreciate their weekday brunch- it makes them quite unique.