Check Out Chotto, The Marina's New Izakaya

Grid View

• Raw bar
• There are 68 seats inside, but they are not all in this picture
• Yep that's the mosaic-esque Japanese wall art, above a booth
• A casual area for food quickies up front
• This is a semi-private dining nook
• Lanterns, making it more legit

[Photo: Jennifer Yin]

After some test dinners over the weekend, Chotto opens tonight and shall now share the street with such venerable eateries as Isa, Bistro Aix, Plant Cafe Organic, Izzy's and Let's Be Frank hot dogs for the indefinite future. As you saw in October, owners Tad and Zerlayna Horie stripped the old Three Seasons down to nothing; then build up this modern, sustainable wood-swathed number with multiple nooks and -- yes! -- crannies for trying out all the fancy sakes and shochos you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the Bay Area. They're calling this an izakaya. And chef Armando Justo's (Yoshi’s, Ozumo) menu does indeed gather the usual suspects: fried, skewered and pickled goodness, ramen and they are flying in the Tsukiji Market seafood for nigiri on the weekends. So have a look around. Hours are 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. -- a.k.a. "late night" in this town -- on Friday and Saturday. The reservation lines are now open.

· All Previous Chotto Coverage [~ ESF ~]