Update 1:
Continuing on this most recent SF trip, some friends of ours wanted to hang out at an Izakaya (Japanese Pub) and considering our last meal at Izakaya Rintaro was quite enjoyable, the choice was easy. 
Walking into Rintaro, the space is warm and inviting, filled with a lively murmur and the sound of the kitchen cooking throughout the evening.
Den - Batch #5 - Nama Zake (Oakland, CA, U.S.A.):
A surprise that exceeded our expectations, we would’ve never ordered this bottle initially (“Sake made in Oakland, California?!”), but thanks to a strong recommendation from @beefnoguy who vouced for this brewery, we decided to give it a try:
Surprisingly tasty, lively, but clean, with almost no alcohol burn, it was a great start to the evening! It was more enjoyable than a few of the new Spring Limited / Seasonal Sake releases we’ve tried from Japan recently. (Sorry @beefnoguy they didn’t have Batch #4, only Batch #5.)
The only strange thing was that for our 2nd bottle of Den Batch #5, it tasted totally different from the 1st excellent bottle: The 2nd bottle was still lively, but had a lingering finish, and it was almost savory and with a slight alcohol burn. I wonder if it’s due to storage / exposure to light?
Rintaro Zensai (Wadaman Black Sesame Tofu + Ginger; Egg + Dashi Custard with Fresh Wasabi; Pickled Cherry Blossom Daikon + Hiramasa; Miso-Cured Black Cod + Cucumber Sunomono; Tokyo Turnip with Rich Tofu-Sesame Sauce; Fresh Hodo Yuba and Rintaro Ponzu):
The most unique-looking item from the new Rintaro Zensai plate, the Wadaman Black Sesame Tofu + Ginger turned out to be just OK. It wasn’t bad, but the Black Sesame flavor was only barely present, tasting more like a good regular Tofu than something so visually stunning.
I loved the Fresh Hodo Yuba and Rintaro Ponzu! 
Silky, tender, delicate and quite enjoyable with our Sake.
Sashimi Plate:
Hiramasa no Sashimi (Baja Yellowtail Kingfish Sashimi with Half Moon Bay Wasabi and Yuzu Kosho):
Their Hiramasa Sashimi on this evening was firm, yet still tender, fresh, balanced and delicious!
Hirame no Kobujime (Konbu-Cured San Francisco Halibut Sashimi with Half Moon Bay Wasabi):
Their Hirame no Kobujime (San Francisco Halibut cured with Konbu (Kelp)) was fine, a bit meatier than the Hiramasa, but the Kobujime flavor wasn’t very apparent.
Overall, Rintaro’s Sashimi remains a pleasant way to scratch that itch for Sashimi when dining out with friends at an Izakaya, but it doesn’t approach top tier executions like at Aburiya Raku (or top Sushi bars).
Chicken Thigh + Onion Skewers:
Rintaro’s Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers) remains solid: Their Chicken Thigh + Onion Skewers are lightly smoky, juicy, tender and delicious! It also arrived just as our next bottle of Sake arrived and paired beautifully with it:
Dewazakura - Dewasansan - Junmai Ginjo Sake (Yamagata, Japan):
A touch fruity, but so crisp with a clean finish, this became our group’s favorite Sake of the evening.
Rintaro Tsukune (Chicken Meatball Skewers):
As before, Rintaro uses Riverdog Farms Pasture-Raised Chickens that are dispatched daily, and the taste in the previous Chicken Thigh Skewers and these Chicken Meatball Skewers were noticeable, with a distinct poultry flavor coming through.
The Meatballs were moist, smoky, crumbly-tender, and paired great with the Dewazakura Sake.
Agedashi Tofu (Fried Rintaro Tofu in Dashi Ankake with Lemon Zest, Katsuobushi, Grated Ginger, Daikon and Tororo Konbu):
Their Housemade Tofu was silken and on the medium-soft side for firmness. Tasty classic flavors with their Dashi, Ginger, Daikon and Katsuobushi, but the breading on the Agedashi Tofu was already soggy when we got it. 
It wasn’t “bad”, but it lacked that balance of crisped texture with some of the softer Dashi-soaked portions.
Kanzuri Skewers:
As before, the strangely named Kanzuri Skewers were just about sold out (we got the last Skewers of the evening), and our waitress said that they were the “connective bits between the Chicken Heart and Liver.” Whatever it was, it was delicious and not very commonly found locally.
Moist, fatty, with a slight chew, they had a great flavor coming through and another nice pairing.
Hanetsuki Gyoza (Becker Lane Berkshire Pork Gyoza with Chicken Foot Jelly and “Wings”):
Rintaro’s Housemade Gyoza Dumplings were spot on: From the eye-catching presentation (with the “slurry lace”) to the medium-thin Gyoza skin that had a nice delicate chew, to the juicy, porky interior and savoriness.
Kinki Kama (Monterey Bay Chili Pepper Rock Cod Collar, with Shimeji Mushrooms, Komatsuna):
Rintaro sold out of their whole Fish of the Day, but they were able to prepare the local Rock Cod Collar as a dish instead. This was good, with tender morsels of meat from the Collar area, along with perfectly tender Shimeji Mushrooms.
Chicken Shoulder Skewers:
Nice crisped skin from the grilling, meaty, flavorful Chicken on the bone.
Chicken Gizzard Skewers:
Firm, meaty, with a nice chew, it was a touch dryish, but still moist and tender enough. Probably the weakest skewer we had this evening.
King Trumpet Mushroom Skewers:
Nice burst of umami flavor. While not as standout as a great Shiitake, they were quite tasty and a great pairing with the Sake.
Teba no Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken Wings with Smoky Tare, Sansho Pepper and Wasabi Arugula):
A medium-thick batter, fried better this time compared to our 1st visit, Rintaro’s prep for Fried Chicken Wings is almost like a Japanese version of Kyochon Korean Chicken Wings: I liked the Smoky Tare Sauce and Sansho Pepper combination more than most of the usual Sweet-Garlic-Soy styles in L.A.
Katafune - Tokubetsu Honjozo Sake (Niigata, Japan):
This was the dryest Sake we had this evening with a clean finish, but not fruity at all. It was fine, but not something I’d order again compared to my favorites.
Millefeuille Miso Katsu (Ten Layer Becker Lane Pork Katsu, with Hatcho Miso Sauce, Fresh Acme Panko, Snowy Cabbage and Hot Mustard):
Their Millefeuille Miso Katsu was one of our favorite dishes from our 1st visit: Unfortunately on this visit it was a touch underfried (for the crust). The interior was still moist, tender, fatty and juicy but a touch more color and crispiness would’ve made this dish outstanding. Otherwise, still quite tasty, and I love their Nagoya-style Tonkatsu preparation with the sweeter Miso Katsu Sauce.
Wagyu Kare Raisu (Rice and Skywalker Ranch Wagyu Beef Curry with Apple, Carrot, Potato, Black Sugar, Garlicky Raita and Yuko’s Fukujinzuke):
First, I had no idea Skywalker Ranch actually produced its own (American-style) Wagyu Beef! 
But apparently, besides doing sound work for a ton of TV and Movies (besides Star Wars), Rintaro has reached out to Skywalker Ranch to use their locally raised Wagyu Beef for this dish. Neat.
Second, the Housemade Japanese Curry is delicious! 
Thick, but not gloppy, there’s a distinct Homemade taste to this Kare Raisu: There’s a nice punch of Curry spices, a bit of sweetness (from the cooked down Apple and Carrots and Black Sugar), but it’s balanced by the lush, meaty chunks of Skywalker Ranch Wagyu Beef. We devoured our Curry Rice in seconds. (@bulavinaka @PorkyBelly @Ns1 @TheCookie @BradFord and others.)
Service remains fine at Rintaro: It operates like a many of the better Izakayas we’ve been to locally, with servers bringing in dishes, you flagging them down if you need something.
Izakaya Rintaro isn’t going to dethrone the best Izakayas like Aburiya Raku, but it has a solid menu, with some standouts like their smoky Yakitori Skewers, Fried Wings, and (when on point) their Millefeuille Miso Katsu (Fried Pork Cutlet), along with their Handmade Udon Noodle dishes. Their new Wagyu Beef Curry Rice is a standout and something I can’t wait to try again the next time I’m in the area.
Izakaya Rintaro
82 14th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Tel: (415) 589-7022