After six weeks of repairs from a devastating flood, where waters were waist high, Izakaya Rintaro reopened to the public Wednesday. Owner and operator Sylvan Mishima Brackett announced the good news on the restaurant’s Instagram page on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
“It’s been a bit of an ordeal recovering from the flooding,” Brackett wrote in the post. “But everything is all cleaned up and beautiful, and we are ready for you!”
The restaurant sustained severe damage last New Year’s Eve, when San Francisco experienced its second-wettest day since 1849. Brackett shared a video on Instagram that day showing the extent of the flooding. In the video, he stands on a table as he pans the camera across the exterior of the restaurant. As Brackett and a few co-workers attempt to escape the deluge, their ankles are visibly underwater.
A view of the entrance to Rintaro, on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, less than a week after the restaurant suffered major flooding.
Charles Russo
However, after weeks of repair, and more than $185,000 donated via a GoFundMe campaign, the cherished Japanese restaurant, which has been a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient 8 years in a row, finally reopened.
Modeled after a traditional izakaya, a type of Japanese bar with small plates paired with alcohol, the restaurant is perhaps most known for its yakitori plates. These skewers of small pieces of meat are grilled delicately over a charcoal grill, piping hot with binchotan, or white charcoal. Rintaro also serves specialty dishes such as homemade tofu, sashimi and handmade udon.
Reservations are available once again on Resy.
Izakaya Rintaro, 82 14th St., San Francisco. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; closed Sunday. Omakase Rintaro on Monday by reservation.
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