isobune sushi

ok, so the link above isn't really to the restaurant we checked out, but the san francisco link isn't working. we ate at the japan center location, 1737 post Street, between webster and fillmore streets.

motivation: quick dinner to prevent low blood sugar irritability. (we had some friends to meet for drinks and getting drunk immediately was not the goal for the evening.) and that's the key to the isobune chains: you sit down, you start eating. there it is already in front of you, floating around on boats! sure some of those unagi's may have lost a bit of the shine on their glaze, but you don't have to wait to get that fatty goodness.

price: cheap. we piled out about 22 plates (i may be exaggerating, i don't remember) and i didn't pay a thing! ok, so pinky paid but the prices are still quite reasonable, especially for a full belly. plates range from $1.50 to $3.75. which brings me to the next entry.

belly: slightly over-stuffed. i couldn't stop. i said i was done and then a gorgeous hamachi nigiri floated by. they said last call and i needed tekka maki to round out the meal. and a fresh plate of edamame! i think the chefs wait until it's near closing time and then make a bunch of good new rolls for the wait staff's dinner.

quality: decent. the oakland isobune isn't quite as good; their rolls and nigiri tend to make the full bar rotation one too many times. and i can't speak for the burlingame location. i'm a snob and don't go to burlingame.

one more note: the staff are not really wait staff. that is, they don't have to bring you your order and work so much for tips, so they tend to bump you in the head and reach over you to fill a tea cup or ignore you when you want to pay. it's not always like that and they're not always like that, but don't expect to be treated like royalty when you go. just so your expectations are realistic. and that of course answers your final question...

flirtability: low. again, the wait staff are not too thrilled to be working for not much in tips and the chefs are busting their butts in the middle of a fake moat. thus they're not super engaged with the customers and figure that even if you don't like it that much, you'll be back. and they're right.

itadakimasu!