Don’t Ever Change: Halu

By Ryan Raphael

The sign out front of Halu lets you know up front that it is “A Different Japanese Restaurant,” but you can’t really know what to expect without stepping inside this tiny Inner Richmond izakaya. Halu feels like a secret hideout, time warp, and rock ’n’ roll museum all rolled into one. Once inside, you’re greeted with a deliciously smoky haze from the grill, upbeat classic rock on the stereo, and a kaleidoscope of Beatles and classic rock memorabilia.

When husband and wife Shigemi “Shig33” and Mieko Komiyama — who immigrated to San Francisco from Japan nearly 30…