San Francisco sushi restaurant?
I'm coming to SF al the way from Panama for a serious eating journey. I have a list of great restaurants, but need advice on a good sushi place. Would love something small and authentic.
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11 Comments:
My favorite SF sushi place is Hamano Sushi at 24th & Castro. There are, of course, plenty of excellent sushi places in the area, many of which I have not tried...mostly because I keep going back to this one!
jcmeloni at 7:37PM on 02/14/08
Where else have you had sushi, petunia? If you're looking for something on the order of the best Los Angeles or New York (or Seattle, for that matter) has to offer, you're unlikely to find anything so lofty in San Francisco. That said, you can do well in San Francisco. Koo on Irving St. in the Sunset is excellent (the Spoonful of Happiness is well named).
ccbweb at 1:59AM on 02/15/08
When I was there a year ago visiting some relatives who love sushi and actually know some of the chefs in the area, they took me to Sushi Rock, which I loved. It's mainly traditional, but they do have some more modern sare as well. Great atmosphere, and there is a really mix of youth and older people, which is always a nice thing to see. The price isn't bad, either, and they chefs will cater to you, if there is something that you don't see and you would like. Oh, and their marinated vegetables are excellent!
Traveller at 8:49AM on 02/15/08
Well, thanks for the suggestions. I've had great sushi in New York, but in Panama where we live we can't get anything decent so I'm completely deprived and will be more than happy with anything that's fresh and tasty.
petunia at 8:58AM on 02/15/08
My favorite place is Okazu Ya on Taraval, btw. 27th & 28th. Marco Polo, this great ice cream parlor with predominantly Asian flavors (taro, black sesame, lychee) is down the street, and it's a short L-car ride or 20-25 minute walk down to Ocean Beach.
mballena at 2:41PM on 02/15/08
Both of my favourite sushi restaurants in SF are in the Inner Sunset. Ebisu, on 9th Ave between Irving and Lincoln (www.ebisusushi.com) has fantastic rolls (love the 49er and the QP rolls) & super-fresh fish. Ask for the live scallops - you get scallops nigiri-style, with the leftover bits tempura-ed and all served with a yummy (maybe ponzu?) heated sauce on a scallop shell. There's usually a wait, and they don't take reservations - you just show up, put your name on the list and wait to be called. They also turn tables over pretty quickly there - not a place for lingering, just eating good sushi.
The other option is Koo (http://www.sushikoo.com/index.html), on Irving around 6th Ave, I think. Much nicer ambience, better for a date. The rolls are great, and their apps are amazing. The marinated artichoke is so good, with a mayo sauce that I keep trying to recreate at home... and the Spoonful of Happiness is amazing - quail egg, whitefish, uni... wow.
I moved away from SF 2 years ago... you might be able to tell that I miss the sushi desperately :)
watts at 4:30PM on 02/15/08
weirdly enough, you can (or could) get very good traditional sushi at the small sushi bar at Anzu in the Nikko Hotel. I used to eat there occasionally when I would travel to SF from LA and that's saying a lot.
dbird at 5:28PM on 02/19/08
My vote is for Kiss Sushi in Pacific Heights. Cozy, intimate, very fresh, haven't met anyone who has been there that hasn't fallen in love with it. Great place!
Denago at 3:30PM on 02/20/08
i used to love godzilla sushi on divisadero when i lived there in the early 90's.
cybercita at 12:19AM on 02/26/08
This is incredibly ironic... I live in Japantown and would heartily recommend Kiss, Toraya on Fillmore, or Fuku in the mall.
The ironic part is that I am in Panama right now and have had *really* excellent sushi at Sake Sushi in the Torres de las Americas building at Punta Pacifica, near the hospital. It really is comparable to what I eat in San Francisco! Sadly, the best sushi in California is located in a little town called Gardena, a bit south-west of downtown Los Angeles. San Francisco's sushi just isn't as good.
BTW, you Panamanians have the BEST Middle Eastern restaurant = Beirut at Ricardo Arias at Calle 52, near the Marriott Hotel. Stunning!
carolyntillie at 10:30AM on 02/27/08
That's so funny that you are in Panama now! Yes, the sushi at Sake is the best around, the rolls are good, but is lacking freshness/variety when you order sashimi. Beirut is really good. Let me know if you need more recs for Panama City.
petunia at 11:06PM on 03/11/08