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.
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.
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.
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.
I'm going to try and get a reservation for a trip in April soon. In a way I'm dying to go, but it also sounds ridiculously expensive. Please someone reassure me it's worth it.
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.
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!
i used to love godzilla sushi on divisadero when i lived there in the early 90's.
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!
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.
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 :)
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.
Okay, frederika... not to be insulting... but I'm trying to reconcile "upscale food preferences" with "overnight mac'n'cheese"...
Ha, ha, ha....
(just kidding... we have those same upscale food preferences, but we are still prone to eating Velveeta, intentionally!)
@petunia - we have been to Per Se and the prices are pretty much the same. We are average folks with upscale food preferences and would not hesitate to spend the $ at French Laundry if given the opportunity. IMO it would be one of the dining experiences of a lifetime.
Website:
Location: Panama City, Panama
About:
Favorite foods:
Last bite on earth: