uzen

ok, so this is in oakland, not san francisco, but occasionally you'll find yourself across the bay and this isn't a bad spot to be. 5415 college avenue in the heart of rockridge.

motivation: we were back in town to visit my newborn chitalian niece (#2!) after a week or so in courteous canada. up-and-coming hot artist a accompanied us on this early dinner but wasn't thrilled with the screaming children at the bar (oh, the ironies abound).

first, the decor is lovely. pinky described it as a stage set, with exposed steel, temple windows, and an interior color palate to match the sushi: beige, white, red, and black. the presentation is consistent throughout, on the plates, the menu, the cups and counters--a designers dream.

but i, as always, was there for the fish. and it was not disappointing. they have a simple, concise menu with interesting specials. quality: the hamachi had a nice lay to it, the aji was delicious, and the anago surprisingly tasty. most notable was the freshfresh ginger, with its whipsmart tang and slow burn. the appetizers left a little something to be desired (nasu dengaku with some strange vinegary sauce) and frankly the prices were higher than necessary. not unusual considering the location and clientele.

the flirtability factor had potential, what with the cutie servers and small space, but (note to self) 5:45 gets me the early birds and families, and that ain't my bag, baby. the old soul and blues background added an element of elegance that might have been kicked up a bit later.

all in all, i'd say that uzen is a pricey, reliable option, on the average side of good.

itadakimasu!