Frequently Asked Questions
About Cassava San Francisco
What is
Cassava San Francisco?
Cassava is an independently owned, full-service hospitality company based in San Francisco’s Jackson Square. Founded in 2012 by Yuka Ioroi and Executive Chef Kristoffer Toliao, we operate a courtyard café and provide corporate catering, executive hospitality, and private dinners throughout San Francisco.
Visiting Cassava San Francisco?
What Are Your Hours?
Cassava San Francisco opens at 8:00 a.m. Mon - Sat for coffee and light breakfast, with the full lunch menu available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m on weekdays and 1:30 pm on Saturday. Our rice dishes, including the Po-Tama Onigirazu and bentos, are designed to be complete, balanced meals perfect for lunch or an early take-home dinner. Please check our Instagram page for upcoming special event closure days.
Do You Take Reservations?
Cassava San Francisco is a courtyard-only outdoor café restaurant in Jackson Square with a cozy, relaxed atmosphere. Because the building features historic gas lamps, we cannot use outdoor heaters, but blankets are provided at every table. Seating is first come, first served, and we do not take reservations except for private events or large group bookings.
How Do I Get a Table or Place an Order?
Please check in with a team member at the podium for dine-in service or to place an order. Between 11:30 AM and 2 PM, all tables are reserved for dine-in guests. We kindly ask that takeout orders be enjoyed off the premises. Beverage guests are welcome to enjoy our communal couches or breezeway benches during lunch hours (11:30 AM–1:30 PM).
Large Groups? Dogs? Strollers?
Due to the size of our courtyard seating area and the nature of the building, we are welcoming parties up to 6 guests. During peak hours, the largest group we welcome is up to 4 guests, and strollers are large dogs are welcome at bench seatings in the breeze way.
Catering
Do You Offer Corporate Catering?
Yes. We cater working lunches, executive meetings, leadership offsites, client receptions, and private dinners throughout San Francisco. Services include delivery, styled buffet setups, staffed hospitality, and dinners cooked on site by Chef Kris. You work directly with Yuka on planning and service. Visit our Catering & Hospitality page for menus, service details, and catering FAQs.
Can You Accommodate Dietary Needs for Catering?
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options can be included in your menu. Please share dietary requirements and allergies during planning so we can discuss suitable dishes. Our shared kitchen cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.
How Do I Place a Catering Order?
Please use the inquiry form on our Catering & Hospitality page. Share your event date, location, guest count, and the kind of gathering you’re planning. Yuka will follow up to discuss the menu and service.
From Japanese Breakfast to Bento
Do You Still Serve Japanese Breakfast?
Cassava first became known for our Japanese breakfast back in 2012. We’ve since evolved it into our Poached Salmon and Duck Confit Bentos, which carry the same balance and care — rice, vegetables, and soup — now available from 10 am.
Why Did You Change from Japanese Breakfast to Bento?
The salmon and duck entrées were signature dishes from our former three-course prix fixe dinner menu, which earned strong recognition. The bento format lets us serve those same high-quality entrées throughout the day — not just at breakfast — so guests can still enjoy the same Cassava classics as a quick lunch or convenient take-out dinner.
Menu & Food
What Kind of Food Do You Serve?
Cassava San Francisco serves Japanese-Californian dishes such as Po-Tama Onigirazu (rice sandwich), Hayashi Rice, Teriyaki Tofu and Chickpea Rice Bowl, and sandwiches on Japanese milk bread. Everything is made fresh with local ingredients from trusted Bay Area partners like Golden Gate Meat Co., Burroughs Family Farm, and Andersen Bakery.
Do You Offer Vegetarian, Vegan, or Gluten-Free Options?
Yes. Our Teriyaki Tofu and Chickpea Rice Bowl, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Hayashi Rice are vegan and gluten-free. Market Greens and Sesame Chopped Salad can also be made vegan. Please note that we do not serve gluten-free bread, and our kitchen works with an open container of flour. Our kiosk also steams almond milk, and cashew nuts are part of the menu. For guests with severe or life-threatening allergies, we unfortunately cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment.
Do You Use Local or Sustainable Ingredients?
Always. Cassava San Francisco partners with Cooks Company Produce, who source from the best local farms across Northern California, and we use responsibly sourced fish and meats from Four Star Seafood and Golden Gate Meat Co. We also use eggs and regenerative almond milk from Burroughs Family Farm, who practice sustainable and humane farming for our drinks and dishes.
Matcha, Coffee & Tea
What Coffee Do You Serve?
Cassava San Francisco has partnered with Ritual Coffee Roasters since 2012, one of the pioneering craft coffee roasters in San Francisco and a woman-founded business. We serve Ritual espresso in drinks such as cappuccino, cortado, latte, and specialty seasonal lattes like the Holiday Spiced Latte and Brown Sugar Vanilla Latte. All of our syrups are made in-house using the same top local ingredients, including Marshall’s Farm Honey and Chef Kris’s own spice blend, crafted with care in our Jackson Square courtyard café.
Do You Offer Tea or Matcha?
Yes. We serve premium teas from Aroma Tea Shop and ceremonial-grade matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen Uji. Our Strawberry Matcha Latte uses our house-made organic strawberry jam.
What Milk Options Are Available?
Whole, 2%, oat, and regenerative almond milk by Burroughs Family Farm.