sf sushi

ICHI Sushi

2012-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while since I posted about a new sushi restaurant in San Francisco, primarily because I really only want to support businesses that are only using sustainably caught fish. And ICHI claims to be one, so I had to go investigate.

The owner/chef used to work at Tokyo Go-Go, which I wasn't a big fan of. They seemed to cater to the lowest common sushi denominator by offering fat rolls full of mayonnaise and spicy sauces that didn't honor the flavor of the fish. Their best draw was the happy hour cocktails. Which is completely their prerogative, I'm just not going to eat there. So when I heard that he came from there, I was skeptical. And then I read some positive reviews that mentioned all of his catering experience. But what most caught my attention was his (and his wife's) positive impact on the community. That showed me they were a business that cared about who they worked with, and I hoped that those kinds of values carried over into their recognition of their role in the food cycle.

Sure enough, they are careful and intentional about where they get their fish and how it has been caught. Though the website doesn't trumpet this aspect as much as I think they should, our server was on top of it, naming the source of our sushi and giving us more information about line vs net caught fish.

And it was good. I expected the menu to reflect a changing variety of fish (like Umi does) but instead they had a set list and would tell patrons in advance if something was not available. The nigiri we had were wild hamachi and shima aji, both with lovely textures and great flavors. The kona kama was cooked perfectly and super tasty. We had simple rolls of albacore avocado (our favorite), futomaki, and oshinko (I know, not fish--whatevs). The server instructed us not to add soy sauce for a few of them as the chef had seasoned them properly already.

The $50 bill for two of us was not cheap, and that included a comped beer for moving seats to accommodate a larger party, but I would consider it worth the price and the friendly service. When you go, take advantage of their knowledge and splurge a bit more on the sustainable fish.

Itadakimasu!

shipping giant Maersk refuses to ship threatened fish

2010-05-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

The world's largest container-shipping company refuses to carry seafood species threatened by overfishing, including shark, orange roughy and Chilean sea bass (Patagonian toothfish), as part of its new sustainable seafood policy.

This is such a great example!

Read the rest at the link above. Amen to preserving the fish we have so we can keep eating delicious sushi for years to come.

CleanFish - an aspiration and a movement

2010-05-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

So I saw this billboard last week somewhere in SOMA, and it piqued my curiosity enough to illegally text while driving so I wouldn't forget to look it up. I'm glad I did. Here's a line from their website mission: "We believe in a seafood marketplace that values the extraordinary efforts made by producers who are earnest in their pursuit of sustainable practices that deliver to your table fish you can trust."

Me likey. Turns out a good number of restaurants in San Francisco are part of this alliance and are using sustainable fish. Use their Find CleanFish feature to find one in your neighborhood. They highlight recommended fish on this page, and link to pdf's and videos describing healthy farming and responsible cultivation practices for each kind of seafood.

And though of course the brilliant sf sushi website is only reviewing sushi places, it's worth mentioning one or two high-quality restaurants and markets in the city and Bay Area that are making a point to take care of the fish stocks on our planet: take Chez Maman, one of my favorite lunch places in Potrero, or Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, where I shop for fresh fresh fish when throwing sushi-making parties.

I encourage you to join the movement so you too "can spark a return back to healthy oceans and regenerative ecosystems." We are so damn lucky to live here, aren't we?

Sadly, my gut bacteria won't have a chance to evolve

2010-04-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Read and listen to how Bacteroides Plebeius is more evolved in Japan. Though I still contend that I lived there in a past life...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125675700

should i eat this fish?

2010-01-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

Use this handy widget from Fish2Fork to quickly assess if that piece of bluefin tuna should go anywhere near your mouth. (Answer: NO!)

[Update: Fish2Fork no longer offers their widget, but they DO have some useful Fish Facts and a good restaurant rating system that might still be helpful to you. In the meantime, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch can steer you in the right direction when deciding what fish to eat.]

Eat Fish Sustainably

2010-01-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

A new website by Charles Clover, Fish2Fork.com, is making a point of rating restaurants in the UK and US based on their efforts to use sustainable fish and to provide information to their customers about the sources of their fish.

I say Amen. I love sushi, and I would like to be eating it for a long time. This can't happen if my sushi habit indirectly wipes out bluefin tuna or destroys the corral reefs of the Chagos Archipelago.

So check out the website, (especially the excellent news section!), send in the names of some of your favorite sushi places, and see how they fare. And then support the restaurants doing the right thing.

ps. Tataki has a rating of 3 blue fish--keep up the good work, Casson!

The correct way to put fish in your mouth

2010-01-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sushi eating etiquette. I might be more embarrassed about incorrectly dipping the rice side if I'd been eating more sushi recently...

Upscale Sushi Chefs Fight Overfishing Sustainably

2009-09-05T12:42:00.001-07:00

Haven't I told you already to go eat at Tataki?
Here's another reminder from Utne.
Also, bring me!

sushi origami

2009-06-03T16:15:00.001-07:00

what's a girl to do in a tight economy?
that's right, make sushi origami instead of eating it.
with a sigh, and special thanks to the foreign kid™.

tataki - again and again

2009-05-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to update with the fact that i have now been to tataki 10 additional times since my initial june 2008 visit.

i ate there in july 08, august 08, november 08, february 09, march 09, and april 09. and then i ran out of money.

i've been with mm, k, k's ex-lover, my ex-lover, the foreign kid™, a handful of dates, and 3 of my italian family members when they were in town. these meals have included lunch and dinner, vegetarian and carnivorous. casson has come to the table at least four times to explain the intricacies of sustainability to my guests, only once with a sigh as my silly companion chose to refute some claims. at tataki they now greet me familiarly and don't raise an eyebrow at the fact that i dine with a rotation of male companions.

the food is still excellent, the prices reasonable, the service great. and we're saving the planet!

want to join me for ongoing deliciousness at my favorite sushi restaurant?

itadakimasu!

yuzu

2008-12-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

3347 fillmore @ chestnut

motivation: our post-holiday shopping in Union Square was topped off with japanese food, because after saving money on discounts we decided to splurge a little. so pinky wanted to try out yuzu and venture into the neighborhood while all the regular marina girls were back in long island and the midwest. and i never say no to sushi. what was most notable though, besides the fact that we showed up around 6:00 pm for the early bird specials, was how we had been surrounded by Russians downtown and we were surrounded by Russians again. i think they're taking over the city.

we each had our own sake flights. i tried the Shizen "Earthy" trio - Kamoizumi, Katana, Nishinoseki. pinky had the Karakuchi "Dry" ones - Katana, Namahage, Izumi Judan. sorry to be undiscerning but we loved them all. we ordered a bunch of appetizers: goma-ae that was fresh and light with a subtle raisin garnish; a rubbery green bean tempura; a snappy-skinned eggplant miso with a smaller fruit than usual, topped with wiggling bonito flakes and full of sweet grainy goodness. [on a side note, pinky knows how to say eggplant in four languages: aubergine, melanzane, nasu. readers, send in more!] the fish was excellent. a stunning snow crab nigiri made with real crab; samma nigiri (pike saury - a popular fall/winter fish in japan) that tasted cooked even though it isn't; salmon belly nigiri with a marvelous composition - bonito flakes that hit the top of the palate, then salmon oil kicking in next, and ending with a lemon tang. are you hungry yet?

the staff was attentive and very familiar with their sake menu. the lighting was a nice and warm below a vast dark ceiling. we struck out with flirtability unfortunately, because it was early, the tv was blasting football and the entitled white men next to us were very loud.

yuzu notes that they source sustainable fish though they can't compare to tataki. we didn't pack it in as it was a bit pricey but we left with well satisfied and content bellies. we're saving the yuzu cake for next time. join us?

itadakimasu!

okoze sushi

2008-11-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

1207 union st @ hyde

motivation: japanese food with jellybean and pinky, after too long without. also, i wanted to try out a new place in a different neighborhood. i mean, what kind of restaurant reviewer would i be if my only recommendations were in the mission? right. so off we went to russian hill and i was immediately reminded why i don't eat in this area very often. i can haz parking place pleaz?

since we made poor jellybean wait forever while we drove around ineffectually in circles, he started off with a large sapporo and pre-ordered us delicious miso soup. at okoze, they make them with a choice of mushrooms: nameko, enoki, or shimeji. pinky and i finally arrived to soups perfect for a chilly evening - hearty, slightly sweet, highlighting great mushroom flavors. it was a good beginning to a tasty meal. we ordered more fatty winter food with the hamachi kama and warm battered age dashi dofu adorned by lively twisting bonito flakes. the hon maguro nigiri was a gorgeous deep red and had a perfect texture; the aji was light and tangy; the sake nigiri a pale salmon color and just full enough in the mouth without being too heavy. all the nigiri were at perfect room temperature and the staff was nice enough to accommodate us with three pieces. we fully filled our bellies with two rolls: the tokyo tower roll and the green caterpillar, balancing deep fried pieces with veggies. it was all very good. in fact, the high quality almost justified our parking struggles.

if only the prices were just a tad more in my affordable realm. though i think the expense fit the area appropriately and further defined okoze as very much a good neighborhood sushi place. the last confirmation was in the low flirtability. it was a good-looking and well-dressed crowd, but everyone there seemed focused on their own tables and conversations, and not on making eyes with us tipsy hipster kids. which they should have, because we got into some sexy details of jellybean's explorations with his beautiful and righteous new girlfriend. we three could teach these yuppies a thing or two in bed. not even the servers tuned in to our hot chatter. they were helpful but not overly friendly and i couldn't help but think that they would have gushed more had we been regulars.

conclusion: your best bet is to take a lover on russian hill and sneak off to okoze when you need your palate well pleased. then write and tell me all about it!

itadakimasu!

we be sushi - the other one

2008-10-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

nb: this time we ate at the 538 valencia st location.

motivation: mature dinner with ex rr to catch up on life, since we're no longer sleeping together and torturing each other with...difficult emotions. he's got a new job, i have no job. he's spending a lot of time working with his non-profit passion, the bike kitchen. i'm spending a lot of time working with my non-profit passion, the homeless children's network. we talked about upcoming events, our friends' propensity for poor planning of said events, and who we're having sex with now. or at least messing around with. or potentially discussing connecting with. anyway.

the quality at we be is dependably good enough, with some nice slices of hamachi and moist unagi and an assortment of tasty rolls. this isn't the best place in the city but for under $20 you can stuff yourself and enjoy the lingering flavors in your mouth. they'll give you a miso soup on the house, and if you want to save even more money, have some extra edamame. or if you're waiting for a while because your date/ex-date is late, have a large sapporo and relax. don't worry about it going straight to your head because you just got out of yoga class. you probably won't almost say something inappropriate later about how certain people have trouble with follow-through. and communication. and how they still smell good. and you really like hugging them. anyway.

so, um, flirtability. right. um. so, the two people at the table behind me were talking about how the woman could get a job at the man's company:

him: how good are you at blow jobs?
her: very good.
him: we'll need to evaluate your skills before the interview, perhaps in the bathroom here.
her: the bathroom!?!

conclusion - there's potential at we be sushi but you should probably wash your hands as you exit the lavatory. and keep an eye out for the recently single.

itadakimasu!

eiji - again

2008-10-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

317 sanchez st at 16th, 1/2 castro 1/2 mission

pinky and i ate at eiji about a month ago and showed up at a friend's cocktail party so drunk and belly-blissed that said friend insisted on making a date with us to revisit the venue. plus he lives a block away. plus he's an unabashedly pretentious foodie with excellent taste. plus the pinkster and i are popular dinner companions. plus sushi was the perfect entree into a night of birthday celebration at the makeout room. do i need any more motivations?

right, so. we ordered a lot of different things, the better to regale my readers with a well-rounded review. also, i was starving. we started with the ankimo, the foie gras of sushi. of course, the monkfish is not force fed like geese are, so i'm not sure what makes this liver so rich and tasty. s-m described it as "iodine-mineral-infused". i didn't really know what he meant but he implied that much good fish has this quality and he's a really good bullshitter so i let it go. the white meat carpaccio had a heavier, distinctly not-japanese mouth feel that went down well. we also ordered the kelp salad and the piece de resistance for eiji, the oboro tofu. they're known for their authentic custom-made tofu dishes, so definitely give it a try when you eat there. it had a mild vegetal bitterness balanced well with the specialty soy and plate of garnishes: fresh shiso and ginger, sesame seeds, fish flakes, green onion. the oboro is served hot in a bowl, and we fought over the remnants. yum. each of the nigiri and maki rolls had perfect room-temperature rice (almost warm) and flavors that lingered beautifully. the quality of eiji's food is superb. in fact, pinky declared it his new favorite japanese restaurant in the mission/castro.

we ate a lot and generally filled our bellies, though the three large asahi beers had something to do with that. i had declared that i would not be drinking (much) this evening and that went out the window as soon as s-m started making me giggle with stories of his curmudgeonly office behavior. (with panache!)

and speaking of flamboyance, eiji does not have, nor need it. and neither its subtle, cozy decor, nor its serious, eyeglass-clad clientele inspired a whole lot of flirting. s-m did his best but he explained that he's focusing on monogamous behavior at the moment, and pinky was so sleep-deprived by house guests in his bed the past week that he refused to engage even the scrawny gay hipsters next to us. to kick it up a notch then, i recommend you bring some hotties with you and come make love to the food.

itadakimasu!

miyabi sushi express

2008-10-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

1 post st, at montgomery and market, down the stairs at 1 post plaza.

motivation: informational interview and general catching up with eddie big boots (playa name) who has a new job at SFMOMA in corporate development. we grabbed some quick take-out sushi and went to sit in yerba buena gardens on a gorgeous indian summer day.

the quality was take-out supreme, meaning they made everything fresh in their kitchen right there, and were confident enough to package sashimi too. i had some nigiri and maki rolls, along with a seaweed salad and edamame. eddie had a bento box. they were all just fine for a quick lunch, if not good.

price: perfect for a regular downtown san francisco lunch. it's even better if you're fully employed, which i'm not, so eddie was extremely generous and bought my lunch. if i worked in the area, i would hit this place at least once a week. in fact, i've already brought another friend by since it's right next to montgomery BART and has a nice little seating area next to a flower shop.

flirtability: the spot itself is good for glancing at cutie office workers on their lunch breaks. yerba buena gardens in october is even better if you're gay. we were surrounded by good-looking and well dressed men, and possibly good-looking-but-hard-to-tell-under-the-beard-and-grime-because-they-were-homeless-men. oh, and a lot of birds, with whom i do not flirt during informational interviews. if you decide to do something similar, be sure to bring a mat to sit on in the damp grass.

itadakimasu!

eiji

2008-09-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

317 sanchez st at 16th, 1/2 castro 1/2 mission

motivation: pinky and i were invited to a fake-pretentious cocktail party around the corner, and thought we'd check this place out.

pinky had heard rumors of eiji's famous homemade oboro tofu so we ordered that first. this was a good move because it takes a while to make, but it was so very totally completely worth it. the tofu was pillowy like clouds, with a green flavor belying its soy vegetable roots; it was comforting and hot and i'd never had anything like it. wow. we started well and kept going with a salmon skin salad that was crunchy and flavorful, the shiso balancing the fatty salmon. the kelp salad was colorful; the white meat fish carpaccio amazing: thinthinly sliced and seasoned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon - an italian dish done with japanese minimalism. another first, and well establishing eiji as a new favorite. but we weren't done yet. we had iwashi nigiri, a fresh sardine cousin of aji that floored me. it was sushi so soft and so packed with deliciousness i could eat it all night long. kind of like good sex. we ended the evening on the recommendation of our neighbors, two lesbians so in love they barely noticed when we inquired as to their purple dessert. it was yokan, a sweet potato concoction that stayed light and grainy on the tongue. the entire meal was accompanied by my old friend ginjo wakatake, aka demon slayer, sake from the oi river in shizuoka prefecture. in fact, we drank a whole bottle between the two of us, which connoisseurs will recognize as a quick path to happiness. or drunkenness, whatever the difference may be.

the prices at eiji were perfect for the great quality. not too much, but just high enough to weed out the riff-raff and keep the employees happy to make you happy. and since it's not a big place, there are always people looking to get happy there. plan to wait a bit for a table, and don't be put off by the inappropriate dave matthews music playing the background, or the low-key wood decor. it really doesn't matter when the food is this good.

last note - surprisingly for the area, the flirtability is not too high. it seems to be a slightly intellectual crowd, people really there for the food and not the scene. pinky and i were not discouraged by this in the least, however, and neither should you be. bring a philosopher with you and enjoy the feast.

itadakimasu!

we be sushi

2008-09-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

nb: we ate at the 1071 valencia st location.

motivation: spontaneous lunch with fellow enjoyer-of-professional-introspection mp. ok, so we're both unemployed at the moment and wanted to talk about it, and we be is just around the corner from his place. [just for the record, i intentionally quit my last full-time job and actually have three part-time gigs keeping me from being a true lady of leisure. so you there, who wants to help me continue to support my inconvenient sushi habit at this precarious time, drop me a line and i'll either make a lunch date with you too, or connect you to my paypal account. :)]

quality: mediocre. we be promises to give you "sushi like your mom used to make!", and i'm not sure how they knew my mother was an italian from genoa, but it explains a lot. i never go there expecting more than some fresh-enough fish, quick service, and low prices (grazie, mama!), so i'm rarely disappointed. we had a spider roll (very large pieces that mp relented and used his hands to eat), rainbow roll (tasty-ish), tekka maki (good ol' reliable tuna), seaweed salad, and unagi nigiri. we be includes a we-be-onioned miso soup with your meal, which i rarely touch. the service is always pretty friendly, though they were ushering us out a bit hastily, like they wanted to close because it was 2:00 or something. whatevs.

flirtability: low. mp is adorable and cute and very taken and also has trouble making prolonged eye contact, all of which meant that this was very clearly a business lunch. plus the shaggy hells angel at the other table was really into his guardian article.

all in all, we be sushi will give you a no-frills, adequate meal for the price, and they'll smile at you as they do. check em out when you're poor and hungry.

itadakimasu!

tataki

2008-06-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

2815 california @ divisadero

motivation: dinner with jellybean and pinky, to get caught up on all our star-fucking adventures. (apparently, spring is the season for threesomes.) and pinky had read an article in the chronicle about arctic char and this righteous movement towards sustainability in the seafood industry.

early conclusion: i have a new favorite sushi restaurant in the city. tataki has everything i could want. exquisite fish including my favorite, aji; a vegetarian menu; a sustainability guru; a lovely location, and reasonable prices. casson came out to talk to us about how they choose their seasonal offerings, why arctic char is a good replacement for salmon, and when it's ok to eat farmed fish.

i ate like a pig. a discerning fish-eating pig with opposable thumbs, that is. nigiri of shiro maguro, kona kampachi, suzuki, and aji. we had the seaweed salad and the ocean salad, cold spinach, and the arctic char carpaccio. we shared the divisaderoll, the rainbow and the 49er rolls. and the couple next to us let us try their fire-lit extinguisher roll. at least i think that was what was flaming next to us. it was all delicious. and i wasn't drunk, i swear.

flirtability was great, with casson kissing all the patrons asses pumping his book and everyone high on their self-righteousness at eating sustainable sushi. also, we were talking sex at our table and in a place that cozy, everyone's ears were perked up. so you wanna know who we were talking about? drop me a line and take me back to tataki.

itadakimasu!

umi - again

2008-04-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

motivation: dinner with regular sushi companion mm to rehash his first hosted chill-party the weekend before. and flirt, of course. in addition to our fascinating dinner conversation, this time we had the pleasure of meeting not one, not two, but all three head honchos of umi: shamus, russell, and stewart, the chef. russell, who is approximately thirteen years old, has also started a killer improvement over evite, called crush3r. it rocks. at thirty-something, my life is clearly a complete failure. correspondingly, we drowned our sorrows in junmai ginjo sake and shiro maguro nigiri. perhaps life isn't so bad.

quality: the fish at umi is superb. they note the source of the specials on the menu, which is a nice little touch. the hotate nigiri dissolved in my mouth. the hamachi had the most beautiful segmented lay ever. i wanted to try the butterfish but mm was paying so i restrained myself. the yaki nasu is authentic and perfect. the umekyu and ume hirame rolls packed just the right tart punch to balance the other ingredients. mm wasn't super impressed with the tiger maki or cherry blossom, saying they kinda tasted the same. we finished everything regardless. my belly was full.

price: expensive. i got a free ride on this one, lucky me, but the high cost makes me unlikely to come back too often. on the other hand, you want good fish? umi has good fish.

lastly, the flirtability was better than last time. shamus has got to be the friendliest restaurant owner ever. mm knew a few of the other patrons, of course, and the servers were enthusiastic and attentive. i still haven't checked it out on a friday or saturday, but i'd guess it gets busier than 1/3 full on a monday. drop me an invitation and i'll be back with you!

itadakimasu!

sushi zone

2008-04-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

nb: google says 1815 market st, but it's actually located on pearl.

motivation: dinner out with "edgy author" s, at his favorite sushi place within a mile radius of his apartment. plus it was my treat, after he'd had me over for dinner on several occasions, and stocked me with reading materials for months to come.

quality: decent. the fish was good, the slices generous, and the menu imaginative. sushi purists will likely be turned off by the creative use of mango, mayo, and macadamia nuts but the server was quite willing to accommodate my pickiness and they customized a few rolls just for moi. as i was still battling the rare nomnom cold, we declined alcohol and just ate until we were full, which didn't take long with a seaweed salad, hawaiian #2, hamachi and saba nigiri, spider roll, ikura, and something-else-that-was-good-and-i-forgot. plus there was a crowd gathering around the famous mr. s.e. and we had to leave before the paparazzi showed up. just kidding. the place is tiny, it gets crowded, and you're gonna wait: for a table, for your food, for a clean glass. maybe 15-20 people can fit at a time, and there's only one sushi chef, one dishwasher, one server.

price: excellent. our total was around $40--very reasonable and appropriate, in my book, and manageable for the cash-only limitations.

flirtability: definite potential. s and i were deep in conversation and i really wasn't too tapped in to the crowd, but he described it as gourmet central for the hipsters. and hipsters are hot, what with their leftover olympic torch protest stickers and rolled up pants legs.

i'll definitely be back, pulling an early-bird senior special arrival time on a weekday and bringing my drinking appetite when i'm back on that horse.

itadakimasu!

umi

2008-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

motivation: to check out the brand new sushi restaurant 1.5 blocks from my place! also, pinky was exhausted by a combination of sf city planning contradictions and customized bath tub snafus, so he was too tired to cook.

our first impressions were of a sweet, earnest wait staff and a general improvement on the space, which had previously housed a korean barbeque. it had the same layout but the walls were repainted a calming neutral, they added interesting artwork, and remodeled with more professional work surfaces and materials. the furniture was also cute and lightly elegant.

the menu presented reliable maki favorites (spider roll, 49er's maki) and appetizers (seaweed salad, sunomono), priced to fit the prosperous potrero neighborhood clientele. (much to my chagrin. this renter really needs a raise.) the specials were more interesting, offering baby kanpachi, ocean trout, and japanese butterfish. umi also boasts "small plates" (albacore tataki, sakana) which we did not explore on this trip.

the quality of the fish was good. both pinky and i appreciated the oily red flesh of the ocean trout and tasty compact cherry blossom. the ume shiso maki definitely used fresh pickled plum for the tart punch i love. and the yaki nasu, an appetite for which i developed in japan a few years ago, was hot and perfectly grilled, the inside steamy and wet, the outside tight and chewy. alas, due to my limited budget, we left our bellies only partially full (or partially, pessimistically, empty?)

the flirtability in the place wasn't too high, but i think it's got potential. a few cute gay boys at one table and the convenient people-watching big window kept things alive, but frankly our work-day venting and monday night fatigue weren't making it happen. i can't blame umi for that.

i'll be back on a weekend to give it another shot, after a few drinks at blooms or lingba, and scoping out the crowd. want to come support my hamachi habit?

itadakimasu!

barracuda sushi

2008-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

motivation: my legal counsel d and i were scheduled to do some business in the castro (ok, so we thought we'd have sushi before liverlist drinking at the lookout) and we spontaneously ran into sparky. he had just worked out and wanted the instant buzz that comes from a heavy sweat followed by immediate inebriation. he talked us into barracuda instead of daimaru, because they have sake bombs. my excuse for starting so quickly was that it was cold outside. we each did a shot and then chased those with more rice alcohol, warm, of course.

as we had initially intended to eat we eventually attacked the giant menu and narrowed down the options to a pink lady roll, a random veggie roll, barracuda roll, shiro maguro and hotate nigiri, edamame, chicken kushiyake (for d), trio seaweed salad (not for the sparkler), and some tasty grilled mushrooms. the quality was pretty good. the fish was respectably fresh but occasionally disappeared amidst the many other flavors. there was more to try but the free-flowing sake distracted me from the food. sorry. sparky says he eats there all the time and it's good (and they know him) so you can take that as a recommendation since i just basically got drunk.

i *was*, however, sober enough to notice 1) bizarre silent videos playing on the walls; 2) equally strange (unsynchronized) music playing--was it techno? was it punk? who knows; 3) the final bill--ouch. yes, barracuda is expensive, and sparky's connections were only useful for getting us the alcohol quickly. though the servers were very friendly and the girls definitely knew how to bring it on with the gay boys.

speaking of flirtability, even on a tuesday night the place was hoppin' with the well-coiffed castro crowd. i'd definitely come by again on a friday or saturday night and cruise the cuties. oh yeah, and eat some sushi. come join me?

itadakimasu!

kabuto

2008-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

motivation: mm's birthday! he turned 33 again and i took him out to very very good sushi to celebrate. and drool. the man is hot! each time i see him, something new catches my fancy. when i first met him i was enamored with his ass and eyes. then i fixated on that amazing torso. a few months ago it was his biceps and forearms. right now he's easing into gray speckles in his hair and it totally turns me on. i love the whole package. but this is supposed to be about objectifying the fish, not the dining companions. (or is it? never mind.)

quality: superb. the selection of sushi cannot be matched. kabuto offers at least 4 different kinds of tuna (kihada maguro, bachi maguro, hon, and mm's favorite, shiro maguro) and we had all of them. the menu also boasts 6 different kinds of scallops, 3 mackerel, various roe, and a multitude of veggie rolls. and that's not even mentioning the "special sushi" rolls, which we almost forgot by the time we were full. we managed to squeeze in a 'hamachi pear' (yellowtail sushi topped with sliced pear and kabuto fruity mustard sauce) at the end and were totally stuffed and happily satiated. everything was excellent, including the attentive service and instructions on when to not use soy sauce. they even brought out a complimentary ice cream dessert and sang happy birthday along with me as mm blew out the candle. adorable.

flirtability: extremely high with mr. mm. there was no one else in the place, which conveniently left us free to catch up on relationship discoveries, new year's resolutions, fresh fetishes, and the dexterity of egyptian text messagers. i've been here for dinner in the past and it's usually packed, no reservations available. and that crowd has been pretty hip. so though it was quite a surprise to see it so empty for lunch, that's going to be my new secret strategy for getting me some super fresh fish. (rumor has it they fly it in from japan daily.)

price: expensive. the nigiri is priced for one piece each, at around $2-4. this means you can try all different kinds of fish or work with odd numbers of diners, but you will drop a pretty penny while you're at it. i had no problem shelling out for this special occasion and know the food is totally worth it too. come to kabuto when you're flush and enjoy the bounty.

itadakimasu!

amasia hide's sushi restaurant

2008-01-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

excellent fare, yet again, with the charming t before a night of tuesday liverlist drinking. motivation: an opportunity to get caught up on his dating adventures and my...dating adventures. or something like that.

this adorable little spot, hidden around duboce triangle, has delish sake choices with translated descriptions like "elegant", "beautiful", and "keenly dry". the sampler is recommended for newbies and the Demonkiller for alcoholics like me.

t and i exercised restraint (why?!) and only got a few mouth melting nigiris with two tasty rolls (mango-sake, yum!) and a smattering of more simple veggie rolls (oshinko, kanpyo). all their fish is of the finest quality--you really can't go wrong here.

prices are very much appropriate for the high caliber of food. the service is sweet and friendly. and the flirtability improves proportionally to how loud your british-accented guest gets when discussing his fetishes.

i love this place and am taking lots of friends and...dates :) here again.

itadakimasu!

ps. bring your own chopsticks and get free edamame.

miyabi

2007-12-21T16:55:00.002-08:00

253 church st between 14th & 15th

motivation: lunch with the delicious excelicious, to dig into the depths of topping and bottoming, demanding subs, uncommunicative boys, emotional girls, good floggers, where to buy quality leather goods, what we want out of life, and what we actually get. you know, just another bitch-session. conclusions: i should get paid for some of my relationships. but anyway, on to the food...

quality: fine and definitely right for the low prices. all the old standby rolls, reliable nigiri selection, fresh enough. nothing jumped out at me, either positively or negatively.

flirtability: not so much. they were reluctant to seat us at a table for four because there were only two of us, but there was no one else there. i pointed this out several times, as well as the request for a more "private" area to talk. eventually they relented but seriously, it was ridiculous.

belly: also not so much. i think we did more talking than eating. i wasn't actually there for the food this time.

i'd find myself back here again if i was in the neighborhood, wanted something quick, i was low on moolah, etc. otherwise, have some italian food for a change. just kidding. ;)

itadakimasu!

what happened in 2007?

2007-10-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

lest my readers fear that i dropped off the earth for much of 2007, i assure you i was still eating japanese food.

let's say i was actually in japan, serving as a friendship ambassador to the small city of shimada, located in shizuoka prefecture. let's say the vertically-challenged mayor of shimada hit on me in between sake factory tours and formal multi-course kaiseki dinners. let's say i had to dress up in traditional wedding wear and pose for ridiculous photos.

let's say i toured kochi and ehime and kyoto and took the bullet train to tokyo and actually partied with the locals. let's say the harajuku girls have nothing on san francisco girls. let's say i have a new appreciation for shochu cocktails and karaoke.

let's say i understand the difference between japanese food as it's served in japan, and japanese food as it's served in western countries. and still i want more.

itadakimasu!

country station

2006-12-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

2140 mission street @ sycamore, between 17th & 18th. yes, it's slightly sketchy.

motivation: attempting to impress my italian brother f, visiting from the old country, in sf for new year's. seeing as how f has acquired the taste for sushi (it almost runs in the family!) pinky and i took him out to country station. this is probably my all-time favorite sushi restaurant in the mission, and possibly beyond. the immediate neighborhood sucks but they're moving soon anyway (see previous post). but that edginess is part of what makes this such a fantastic experience. the decor is schizophrenic, the music punk, and the chefs anarchists. or at least they look like they are. and the food, the food is sublime. for a great price! but i'm getting ahead of myself.

we settled ourselves in at whichever table we wanted, because half of san francisco was out of town on vacation, and it was a wednesday. f immediately noticed the dancing james brown (moment of silence) and mishmash of textbooks and discarded novels on the rickety bookshelf. handy in case your date is boring. the holiday lights stay up year-round, as do the expired event fliers and random polaroids. since f brought his camera like a good tourist, you all even get to see a shot of the window.
gorgeous, yes? right. what you can't see in this shot is the tattered menus and specials written on pieces of cardboard. there are various clever innuendos and misspellings that make for hours of entertainment.

so, on to the food. we had the agedashi tofu as winter comfort food to start. the lightening roll was an excellent combination of avocado, shrimp, kani and tobiko, that stayed light. beauty and the beast added papaya for a new kind of fresh; the tokyo roll maki simply allowed the flavors of the salmon and avo to come through. for nigiri we had the katsuo (meaty & smoky), tako, and aji--all with shiso, which gets up into your nose and opens things up. f snaked both pieces of maguro so i never got to try it but he insisted it was good enough to eat two of (bastard). pinky convinced him to try the uni which had a beautiful presentation with thin slices of cucumber on top. they said it had overtones of cashew. yum! f's only complaint was that the rolls were cut too big to fit into his mouth.

fantastic quality, reasonable prices. it's not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for here. oh, and i forgot to mention flirtability. it's got tons of potential. on busier nights you get to chatting with the other diners that you're elbow-to-elbow with. the staff take their job pretty seriously but i've seen them loosen up and have a beer before. in my opinion, it's a very good place to bring a date and make your own sparks.

lastly, you can usually fill your belly up pretty well here at country station, but we had to jet on out of there to get to marga gomez's sold-out show, so i know that i'll be back to get my fix again soon.

itadakimasu!

tokyo go-go

2006-12-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

motivation: a long-awaited dinner with eternal crush mm after yoga class. we've known each other for a few years now and i'm thrilled every time i get to pin him down, as it were, for a japanese meal. we talk about relationships, sex, yoga, life, sex, writing, the future, sex, ambitions, hopes, sex toys, books, movies, burning man, and sex. sometimes it's flirty, sometimes it's serious, sometimes we jab at each other like siblings.

tonight the focus started out more serious and contemplative, but the atmosphere at tokyo go-go and the sake i kept poring upped the flirtability factor significantly. the crowd was young and cute and dressed young and cute. the servers were also young and cute, or as wordsmith mm put it, petite and well-groomed. the futuristic decor included sassy giant floating ball lights, an eclectic quirky soundtrack, and film projected onto the wall without sound. tokyo go-go has a full bar and signature drinks that we did not partake in. i was recovering from a recent vomitina incident and mm was sipping the sake enthusiastically. plus the special drinks are expensive. as, actually, is everything here.

we ordered a good chunk of food and mm goaded me into trying to stuff myself. the hamachi and kampachi nigiri were smallish and just satisfactory. we ate the reddest fucking maguro ever (mm speculated it had been artificially dyed in ox blood--did i mention he was tipsy?). the warm and moist unagi did not disappoint, but the uninspired dragon roll did. we also had the golden gate roll (non-impressive rice), the scallop (looked like foreskin), nasu nigiri (tasted like ruffles), the spider roll, and the seaweed salad (yummy). lucky for mm, it was my turn to pay. unlucky for me, tokyo go-go is over-priced. our bellies were mostly full and yet disillusioned.

i recommend tokyo go-go for meeting friends in the mission for drinks, but i don't need to come back for the fish. and neither do you.

itadakimasu!

sushi rika

2006-11-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

motivation: this was supposed to be a slumber party. girlz and womyn, hotties and hottie mamas, a select group of maybe 8-10 luscious ladies, drinking, making sushi, discussing sex and politics and sex and relationships and sex. but then je got a cold and m had poison oak and a guest and ji hadn't had a good night's rest in ages and d has mono, which we all know is the kissing disease. not to mention je's and s's involvement with killing my lobster and ce's new production and k being up in tahoe and a doing some chanting with her Buddhist group. and three people does not a slumber party make, so we went to catch a movie and have someone else make us sushi instead.

the movie was shortbus. you need to see this movie. this movie will make you laugh and squirm and breath a little heavily and have more empathy and make you wish, again, for just a few moments, that you lived in new york. you'll find yourself attracted to boys and girls and girlie boys and boyish girls and getting really excited when le tigre and bitch and daniela sea make cameo appearances. thank you john cameron mitchell.

and then we were hungry. sushi rika is in nob hill and thus offers some amenities not available elsewhere. for example, they have free parking. but the way to access said parking is to enter the restaurant, find the guy with the garage remote, and have him escort you outside to the secret entrance where he hits the button for the gate and you pull in your vehicle. the other awesome thing about sushi rika is that they are open late: to midnight monday-thursday and 2 am on fridays and saturdays. that is very very awesome.

they serve shimmery shochu cocktails and have a small selection of sake. but more noteworthy is that their menu has beautiful photos of all their rolls and dinners and nigiri--a big draw for the non-japanese speaking among us. the downside of the high production value of the menus is that the fish isn't fantastic. ji said the nigiri was decent in that it wasn't over-riced, but the quality just didn't compare to other, better restaurants in the city. (she's going to take me to some of these, any day now...) t and je found the tempura and veggie rolls bland, d said the shiro maguro was almost off, and the hopping california roll's sweet and spicy sauce was a little too spicy for me. we tried the rainbow roll, rika roll, 49er roll, hamachi, unagi, tobiko and quail egg, and it was all was just ok. granted, we ate it all, but we were not super impressed. our bellies were not quite filled.

the prices match the quality, so you won't feel ripped off, but you will likely be disappointed in the end.

the flirtability will also leave you a bit underwhelmed. the servers are young cutie japanese women but they pay little attention to you and mess up your order. i think there may have been a language communication problem with our dessert, so you might have better luck if you speak japanese. the atmosphere is "trendy industrial with a euro-crap soundtrack" (thank you je).

all in all, a good stop in for a late night drink and meal when you've missed the window at other places, but i wouldn't bother making it a regular habit.

itadakimasu!

mikado

2006-10-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

1684 bryant street @ 16th.

so, this is mikado with a "k", not a "c", and though i'm usually all about the ~c, this place beats the other hands down.

motivation: pinky and i headed over for an early daylight savings dinner to kick us off into the impending dark of winter. we'd been to this neighborhood place before and had watched the perky cute server evolve from an actress playing the part of a waitress, to a real, remember-all-of-your-order-and-tend-to-you-regularly server. one of these days i'll ask her her name. she greeted us cheerfully, as did the other women, and seemed enthusiastic about our meal. i flirted. she smiled back. she was way too young for me (she had braces!!). she got a big tip. but i'm jumping ahead of myself.

mikado plays a blend of music that transitions through uptown jazz, electronica, and deep house. pinky recognized some soulstice and st. germaine in there. it worked for the mood. the aspect of the place that stands out though is the decor. imagine frank gehry doing gift wrapping. there's aluminum flashing all along the walls, twisted and folded like ribbon, with a background of various colors and subdued lighting. the flooring choice is a rather unfortunate carpet, and there are a few wooden booths for the japanese allusions, but otherwise it's a fun light space.

quality: the fish here is pretty good. we had a giants roll that had delicious, simple flavors, with fluffy unagi and fresh avocado. the suzuki special was smooth and light, the meat separating into sections like a citrus. the hamachi was firmer than usual and the flavor of the super white tuna bore a tasty resemblance to its pedestrian cousin in a can. in a good way. pinky ordered the uni and declared it nutty and creamy. i indulged and stuffed my belly to its cusp with a crunchy oshinko maki and the local 49ers roll. nothing disappointed. not even the squid salad that pinky deemed mysterious but intriguing.

there is also a decent-sized sake menu with patronizing descriptions, but we didn't partake on this crisp fall evening. however, i did discover that mikado has a daily (M-Sat) happy hour from 4:00-6:00 with 50% off all drinks and an exclusive $2 sushi menu. wow! and they even deliver. with very reasonable prices and a mellow neighborhood vibe, i'll be back.

who wants to meet me here?

itadakimasu!

micado

2006-10-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

2126 irving Street, also known as irving and BFE, or, the outer sunset.

motivation: to celebrate pinky's completion of test 2 of 9 for his architectural license. go pinky! we thought to try some out-of-the-way surprise spot named edo, out on 44th avenue. unfortunately, edo does not exist (at least not in san francisco. there appears to be one each in san rafael, fremont, woodland hills, san diego, baltimore, and new york. google d'oh!). lost in the fog, we wandered past xiao sushi house (send me a note if you've been there because the bright lights scared me!) and found ourselves at micado. though there were more cute kids next door at Quickly, we gave it a shot anyway.

we made a mistake.

the quality was low: the saddest hamachi ever; cold, stiff maguro (i like my drinks that way, not my fish); sake so hot it burned my tongue; mealy-textured white tuna; grey-tinged saba with camouflage lemon that hid nothing. pinky posited that the fish was cold likely because 1) it doesn't get busy enough there to keep it out at room temperature, or 2) it was still frozen. even their signature "no problem" roll was problematic with its sandy tempura coating.

there was no flirtability at all with sweet matronly servers and inane chico-state conversations (seriously) floating around us amidst the KOIT "lite rock". the television commercials projecting behind the sushi bar competed with the mirror wall for annoying-me-the-most-with-ugliness. pinky's design sense was offended by the bland standard wood decor and double awning outside. to their credit, the owners were really japanese and it appeared to be a mom-n-pop enterprise, which i will always support. if it's good, that is.

the prices were pretty cheap, which made the bill easier to swallow, but not the fish.

my belly complained as we left, gypped and empty.

go eat somewhere else and itadakimasu!

moshi moshi

2006-10-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

2092 3rd street @ 18th, potrero hill/dogpatch. near burning man headquarters!

motivation: walking to dinner but our favorite quick thai food place was closed.

quality: we found ourselves at moshi moshi, desperate for vegetables in a house of meat. the menu here is heavy on the broiled and cooked, be it chicken wings, chicken croquette, or beef skewers. no me gusta. conversely, they also have a large variety of interesting veggie rolls: shitake maki, asparagus maki, spinach maki, "she's so cute" (cucumber + shiso), and "peace" (most of all those). so we were gonna be ok. we also had the tasty house green salad, real kani (my kani runneth over!) and large slices of nigiri. the maguro was average, the hamachi chewy and the unagi mediocre. conclusion: sushi is not their strength.

belly: we left replenished but not satiated. luckily the prices didn't do much damage either.

note: the place was recently remodeled, so the bathrooms and decor overall has improved. they have homey personal touches of kids' art on the walls next to a 1942 japanese interment poster. perhaps not so homey. pinky found the other art appalling but i'm pretty sure their exhibits changed regularly. the musical playlist was slightly schizophrenic--led zeppelin, stevie wonder, the cure. the bar has a bar feel, but you don't really want to stick around and flirt with anyone there. there's likely a big lunch crowd from the nearby ucsf mission bay science geeks. the place is also light rail accessible, a nice little plus for the ball-game folks. but you won't find me here very often.

itadakimasu!

ariake

2006-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

motivation: dinner with sensational r and her new french boyfriend l, to thank pinky for help getting her gorgeous house sold before the market crash. ariake is one of r's favorite richmond sushi restaurants, and the owners know her. she'll walk in, ask chef jin for a whatever he recommends, and never be disappointed. which is a pretty good way to go. we let jin and r do most of the choosing and l seduce us with a beaune 1er cru, le clos de mouches. that's the bottle of wine he brought in. it worked.

quality: the sushi here is exceptional. enormous pieces of escolar, blue fin tuna, hon zake, shima aji, hamachi. tender. perfectly prepared. ideal temperature. bottomless ginger. the menu has dinner combinations called "faith", "hope", "love", and "ariake", but we never even looked at it. we ate sashimi and sushi all night and found not one thing to complain about.

the prices are right for the quality, though we lucked out by letting r take control--she paid for dinner.

flirtability was high at the bar and i forgot to look around the rest of the place much. might have been the wine. probably was my love affair with the fish.

by the end of the evening, my belly was blissful. when you go, drop me some comments and tell everyone else how good it was.

itadakimasu!

ten-ichi

2006-09-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

motivation: though i don't normally hang out much in pacific heights (specific whites) i do love the restaurants and shops. i just can't afford them. so tonight's adventure was courtesy of b-t (playa name), who had been engaging me in suggestive conversation ever since our reunion at burning man two weeks ago. for background, b-t is basically a priestess of sexuality: powerful, healing, and perpetually horny. and, not surprisingly, she adores sushi as much as i do. so we made a spontaneous date and she took me to her favorite place.

ten-ichi bills itself as homestyle cuisine and certainly the service feels homey. it's a family run place with sachiko and her husband and two kids). she greeted b-t by (non-playa) name and chatted us up a bit, as did ken the sushi chef. touching as it was, it brought the flirtability low for me. unless you're attracted to parental, matronly, older japanese women (and i'll give you a whoop-whoop if you are--everyone needs fans), you'll find yourself focusing on the younger wait staff instead, as i tried to do. but i was so consumed with a) telling b-t my life ambitions, and b) eating quality food, that i forgot my perversions long enough to not have much to write about. sorry.

so to the food instead. quality: the sushi there is good solid shit. and i'm not just using foul language to compete with the restaurant whore (that would be impossible. she's fucking brilliant.) ten-ichi has a satisfying menu with everything you'd want, plus some unique and inventive rolls. their famous Indian Summer and Jurassic Park rolls shouldn't be missed. b-t loves all their spicy creations and tops every meal off with uni and quail eggs. that woman has an oral fixation like no one else.

price: not cheap but reasonable. a girl could eat here on a regular basis and not break the bank. (and if you want to help support that habit, be sure to check out my sponsors and tell em c sent ya!)

belly: pretty full. i had to unbutton my pants (much to b-t's delight) and roll myself off the barstool. the tasty grilled eggplant, tobanjyan tofu, gommae, and seaweed sunomono appetizers padded the landing for the rest of the nigiri and rolls. luckily my jacket hid the bulge. i'll likely be back with b-t to indulge again soon.

itadakimasu!

ebisu

2006-08-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

motivation: showing off san francisco sushi to lovers/hotties, the two p's. coincidentally, they're boyfriends and they have the same name and we were thrilled to be hosting them from their hometown (and pinky's alma mater) of montreal.

despite our call ahead of time to get on the list (ebisu doesn't take reservations) we still had to wait HOURS to eat. i know it was that long because i almost passed out from hunger. and no, i'm not being overly dramatic. now the drag queen sitting at the table next to me, SHE was overly dramatic. flamboyant and loud stories about a bad date she'd had the night before kept us all entertained. when we did finally get seated, the wait staff was quick with appetizers and sake which helped, after all my complaining, to appease me rather easily. pinky's sensibilities were not however, as he was offended not only by the hideous tabletops but by the thrashed bathrooms as well. of course this too was forgiven when the sushi arrived.

quality: the aji melted in my mouth, the kanpyo was the sweetest and softest ever, and the caterpillar roll super-rich. the 49er roll was gorgeous though the uneven cuts had us fighting for fair pieces (did i mention how hungry we were?). pinky declared it all "sushi so soft you can eat it with your dentures out", which is our homage to our geriatric readers. the p's had a taste for the spicy scallops and described how la langue est en feu et tu transpire des temps. apparently that's a good thing. we were suspicious that the sushi rice had some extra sugar in it or something because a lot of the rolls tasted like candy. and they looked like it too. i loves me some cherry blossom roll and i always eat the orchid!

decent prices make this a favorite in the san francisco guide books. and that also explains all the other languages we heard spoken there. their sushi ranges from $3.50 to about $7, with a big specials board list that'll cost you a bit more. but when they get something fresh coming in, it's highly recommended. we had some toro that night that i even ordered an extra round of.

belly: relatively full. those montreal boys made short shrift of the rolls and, being the good hostess that i am, i let them. so i could have eaten more and i probably will the next time i'm there.

the flirtability was also worth mentioning. the sushi chefs chat everyone up and occasionally yell (like when you buy them a beer). the wait staff are working pretty hard but towards the end of the evening they'll slow down a bit and linger with a smile. the clientele ranges from marina-chicks-as-trophy-girlfriends to dressy queens and locals with babies. not to mention the internationals wearing shorts and t-shirts. they tend to keep to themselves but as the p's are rather gregarious (and hot), we were able to engage a few tables in fun chit-chat. the smooth jazz music background did not help much though.

last note: p1 did want me to point out that he has had better green tea ice cream elsewhere. the bitch did not tell me where, however, so i'll have to keep eating japanese food all over the world until i find it.

itadakimasu!

shima sushi

2006-08-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

opera plaza, 601 van ness @ golden gate ave., in a complex with a small movie theater

motivation: trying a new place with pinky and jellybean, who had just finished a restorative yoga class with the inimitable chionesu and was in the neighborhood. none of us had been to shima sushi before and thought to give it a shot.

the servers were friendly and gigglyembarrassed when we arrived, fulfilling the japanese schoolgirl stereotype unnecessarily. they handed us full sake menus more appropriate to connoisseurs with money, of which i saw none in the restaurant. the classical music soundtrack added to the pretensions of a rich clientele that didn't exist, and reduced the flirtability factor. not that i have anything against classical music. in fact, i love mozart and can sing along to le nozze di figaro. but we were in a friggin mall-like complex on van ness avenue. not exactly swanky, you know? plus the formica tables and giant space made it feel like a hojo.

we soldiered on regardless and ordered some old standbys, which arrived in a ocean liner plate that appeared to have broken free from one of the isobune moats. pinky described the shiromaguro as nougaty: you could chew it and it melted in your mouth. the hotate was nicely presented and very good, the katsuo decent. the other rolls (new york roll, alaska, ichiban) had too much rice and sauce and not enough personal identity, according to jellybean. overall the quality matched the average prices and we left with half-filled bellies and slightly bored.

check it out if you're looking for a quick sushi fix in between movies, but otherwise do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.

itadakimasu!

uzen

2006-07-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

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!

sebo

2006-06-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

517 hayes st. in hayes valley, a few doors down from propellor (shameless plug number one!)

motivation: we needed to eat after
sera beak's brilliant book release party (shameless plug number two!) and our friend m was trying to drag us to another sf film festival at the roxie (shameless plug number three!). we agreed to grab a bite and then meet her there, but in no time at all we were lured into sebo and said fuck-it to the movie option. it's that kind of place.

in true c fashion, i had thoroughly enjoyed the red sake at the red book release party and the love was flowing. i took that as an incentive to continue enjoying fine libations, which sebo has plenty of. their drink menu was created by the owners in collaboration with the new sake store across the street (shameless plug number four! somebody give me some kickback!), also the source of the cute "please do not drown your fish" on the chopsticks.

price: expensive. perhaps because of the hot couple making out at the sushi bar, or possibly due to our impending inebriation, pinky took one look at the $7-$8 nigiri on the menu and the f word was uttered once again: fuck-it, let's order some fish. that elicited an oomph! from a, a wise woman of few words. (she's also a kickin artist and i'd link to her website here if she had one, alas...)

quality: amazing. pinky described the shimajii as "firmly ethereal". the wasabi was fresh. the tinmedai (gold bream) stunning. i found myself moaning instead of speaking so pinky did most of the ordering. he got all adventurous with the maguro mugi tororo, that i thought looked too much like spunk. even the server warned us. but my "i don't think i'm gonna have any" was totally reversed and we finished every, last, slimy bit. the end of the meal was capped with supercalifragilistic summer strawberries.

belly: not full. the food, though delicious, took a while to get to us and despite our initial bravado we were getting nervous about the total. so i'll come back when i win the lottery and stuff myself then.

flirtability: lots of potential. the server was cute and the chef/owners also easy on the eyes. the sexy couple at the bar kept our attention roving but the place was not all that full, so we had limited possibilities that night. the decor is worth pointing out as it's key to the ambiance: elegant oblique angles in the design of the tables and the japanese screens on the walls make the place feel really classy. these kinds of graceful touches extend even to the bathrooms.

last notes: in our attempts to chat up the server, we discovered that sebo is short for sebastian (one of the owners' son) and the owners were previously involved with another innovative and superb sushi restaurant called midori mushi (shout out to gerard!). pinky summed up the evening brightly, noting that though we aren't part of the susherati, this place clearly is.

itadakimasu!

blowfish sushi

2006-06-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

motivation: flirting with t over some delicious cocktails in a super-hip scene. t and i have this ongoing relationship where i make ridiculous and excessive sexual innuendos and he acts all british and shuts me down. it's great fun. i know it's only a matter of time before his curiosity overwhelms his prudishness. yum! which is also an apt description for blowfish. there are some exquisite pieces of fish served here. and the crowd is hot.

price: expensive. make no mistake, you will drop some dinero at this establishment. nigiri ranges from $4 to $11 and the specials are often worth it. drinks are around $8 and you HAVE to get some sake, which naturally comes in little teeny carafes that you end up ordering 3 of. or maybe that's just me...

belly: i just can't afford to eat as much as i'd like to (or maybe i get worried about getting food in my teeth in front of all the hotties). so i try to load up on appetizers (yay kamonnasu!) and cocktails (wait, that's not filling!). invariably at blowfish, i end up drunk and happy, but not stuffed.

quality: rockin. creative cocktails, inventive appetizers, hot tattooed wait staff, delectable rolls, and sashimi that will melt in your mouth. they have a great selection of the aforementioned sake with appealing descriptions that even a drunkard can understand.

notes: blowfish knows how to throw a party. the chefs are punky japanese boys, the servers are punky mission girls, there's manga art on all the walls and anime playing silently on the televisions. or maybe it's not silent but i can never tell because the techno is so loud. the lights are low and red, casting halos and setting an inviting mood. thus...

flirtability: excellent. if it wasn't t i toying with, then it was the slinky greeter or our dishy server who was quick with the drink refills. the bartender and lively sushi chefs look up from their work often and engage the crowd with various shout-outs.

last note: the full name of the place is "blowfish sushi to die for". unless you were born in kansas (sorry j!) then you probably know that eating pufferfish can be fatal. which of course makes it a japanese delicacy. well, homey don't play that so i've never tried it but if you do and live to tell the tale, drop me a comment.

itadakimasu!

you see sushi

2006-06-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

motivation: pinky and i decided to eat here on a whim. to explore strange new restaurants, to seek out new rolls and new nigiri, to boldly go where neither one had gone before. and we heard it was cheap.

you see is at 94 judah, between 5th & 6th avenues, near the UCSF medical center (you see, u-c, get it?) they seem to cater to students and take-out, so the average $2.15 per nigiri is a kickin' deal.

quality: good enough. no super interesting rolls or specials to die for but the standards are there and the sizes are generous enough. they do have natto on the menu and i dare you all to try it and then send me a comment or two.

belly: average full. you'd think i would have stuffed myself for such a bargain but frankly, the ambiance slowed me down.

notables: carrot sticks appetizer for everyone (the ucsf dental program might have had something to do with that) and they're open on mondays. not sure if that's good or bad. also, the water tasted fishy, so we were FORCED to drink beer. ah, the sacrifices i make in the line of duty...

pinky noted the quality of the lighting (not bad) and i was aware of a background of KISQ slow jams and love songs. this, not surprisingly, brought the flirtability level down, though it couldn't have gone much lower since the waitress was really tired and there was no one else in the whole place.

i predict that i'll be back, some other monday near the end of the month when i have no money and am jonesing for sushi again and content to keep the evening mellow. see you there.

itadakimasu!

isobune sushi

2006-05-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

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!