“ I never knew this place existed until my buddy reserved an area to celebrate his 1-year old's birthday party. (I guess old habits die hard lol) This is a cozy, swanky cocktail bar in the heart of Japantown that harkens back to some Prohibition era speakeasy. They have a diverse selection of fusion inspired food and hand-made cocktails. While it was crowded even on a Saturday afternoon (we were not the only party), I really enjoyed the ambiance and the creative, delicious drinks. A great atmosphere for a hangout with friends or a casual date. Like most spots in SF, parking was a pain, especially since we were coming from outside the City. But fortunately, there is a nearby Japantown parking structure with a decent amount of parking stalls. Looking at all the menu items, the next time I come back, I want to focus on the food! ”

“ Service was excellent, our waiter was funny and attentive. We came on a Saturday afternoon between brunch and happy hour- their Happy hour starts at 3:30 which looked well-priced. I originally came for the waffle fries with Gorgonzola sauce and they were pretty good. The sauce comes lightly coated on the fries, but I would have liked a dip. I also got the eggs Benedict with fried chicken; it could have been crispier and more fried but if I were to go again I would get Korean pork option for the eggs Benedict. I really liked the ginger beer mock tail; they press the ginger juice themselves and it isn't too sweet. The restaurant is quite large compared to their Market Street outpost. It has sofa sectionals, a bar top, and an array of tables. ”

“ Dinner review. Cocktail bar. Deviled Eggs Bacon Marmalade, Smoked Salmon & Roe, Pickled Veg Fresh Oysters (6) Asian Pear & Sherry Wine Granita Menchi Katsu Japanese Style Meat Katsu, Shredded Cabbage, Katsu Sauce, Mayo, Kimchi FERMLAB Burger Angus Chuck Patty, Sautéed Kimchi, Fontina Cheese, Smoked Pork Belly, Fried Onion Strips, Pickled Veg (Best) Uni Pasta (Seasonal) Fresh Squid Ink Pasta, Chili de Árbol, Garlic, Fresh Uni, Caviar Overall, very different vibe from their market street location, but the uni pasta is worth coming here for. "I'm a fan." ”

“ The standout dish of my visit to Fermentation Lab was definitely the Uni Pasta. The creamy, richness of the uni perfectly complemented the al dente squid ink pasta, creating a delicious combination that is truly memorable. The Loco Moco was also fantastic. The Katsu patty added a wonderful crispy texture and depth, elevating the comforting and homey dish. The cocktails were perfectly crafted and service was attentive and friendly. Fermentation Lab is definitely a place I'll return to, and I highly recommend trying the Uni Pasta! ”

“ Great spot to grab some post-dinner drinks! Though they do offer food as well. My party of 7 had just finished dinner at Daeho and wanted to keep hanging out when we stumbled upon Fermentation Lab. It looked quite fancy from outside, but when we checked the menu, drink prices looked standard, so we decided to give it a try. I'm so glad we did! It wasn't too crowded when we came by on a weekday night around 7:30 and we were seated immediately. They have plenty of tables for people who are actually dining, but they have some very comfy couches in the middle of the restaurant which were perfect for our purposes. We didn't order any food, but when I perused the menu, I noticed it was very Asian inspired. There were items like seafood pancake and loco moco. For drinks, they offer beer, wine, and cocktails. Cocktails ranged from $16-20. I went with the cider from San Diego for $8, which I enjoyed. Overall, Fermentation Lab was the perfect place for us to continue hanging out and chatting after dinner. The music wasn't overly loud, so we could easily converse and hear each other without shouting, which I really appreciated. ”

“ What a great addition to the Japantown bar scene! We only came for drinks and didn't try any food, and we were very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the cocktails, service, and overall atmosphere. Walking in, Fermentation Lab immediately gives off swanky, loungey hotel bar vibes (which, to clarify, I'm into). Adorned with chandeliers, flowers hanging from the balcony level, and ample seating with comfortable velvet couches, this spot makes for an upscale, yet welcoming and approachable vibe that's perfect for a date night or for hanging out with a group of friends. For drinks, I had the smokey dragon and espresso martini, and both were excellent! Both were relatively standard fare in terms of ingredients, although I noticed they use dragonfruit to excellent effect in several of their drinks (including the smokey dragon), which is a nice touch! The drinks were balanced, tasty, and generously portioned, although a bit on the pricey side of what you'll find in Japantown. Our server was very friendly and attentive, with a great sense of humor. I'll definitely be back to try the food. But in the meantime, if you're looking for an excellent spot in Japantown for great drinks with a great, chill vibe, you can't go wrong with Fermentation Lab! ”

“ A cute spot in Japantown for happy hour! The happy hour ends at 5:30PM so just something to keep in mind despite what the website/old menus say. Our server was super nice and still honored happy hour even though it was 5:45PM. Fermentation Lab offers a bunch of shareables like duck fat fries, oysters (both grilled and raw), and calamari. We also ordered entrees like the katsu loco moco, truffle mac & cheese, and the braised pork belly. Overall, definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. Food, aesthetics, service, everything was great and worthwhile! ”

“ Fermentation Lab is located in Japantown and serves Asian fusion food with inspirations including but not limited to Filipino, Japanese, and Korean cuisine. There is a parking structure across the street for a couple dollars an hour. You can put your name on the Yelp waitlist which is good because there could be long waits during rush hour. DUCK FAT FRIES ($11) - this was just okay; none of us were fans of the steak fries as we prefer thinner fries. 3/5 AHI POKE TUNA ($20) - this was good although I wish there were more portions of avocado. 4/5 FERMLAB BURGER ($20) - this burger came with a bunch of interesting ingredients like sautéed kimchi, smoked pork belly, and fried onion strips. It was a decent burger but I don't know if everything came together well. 3.5/5 The other people in my party ordered the uni pasta (who they said was good) and the duck confit tacos (who they said was not good and was lacking flavor). For drinks I ordered the penicillin with scotch ($18) which was good as were the other drinks my party ordered (raichi martini and yuzu margarita). I thought the drinks were all solid and some of the food was better than others. The interior was really nice and looked to be a great dinner spot or a date night. ”