Someone wrote: >I was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions for sushi places in the >San Francisco area. If you do, please let me know. And if you could, please >explain why the place is good (i.e. prices or good food). >Thanks >--- >Ryan Lo ext. 4391 Well, in Palo Alto, the best sushi restaurant I've tried is Sushiya, on University Ave. I will admit I've only been there once, but it got points over several others in the area because it was quiet (unlike Miyake across the street) and the fish was extremely fresh and delicious (unlike Aso on Lytton). It was a bit pricey, but it was worth it to me. If you're looking for cheaper places in Palo Alto, Miyake -- though noisy, as I said -- is fairly good. It's a sushi-boat style restaurant. Another sushi-boat place which I liked better that Miyake is Sono Sushi, on Castro St. in Mt. View. Low prices, and I've never had a bad experience there. Masa Sushi, on San Antonio Rd. in Mt. View, is okay, but they tend to have less fish and more rice per piece. Prices are reasonable. I find Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto to be overrated. Their menu is huge and extensive, but I found their sushi somewhat lacking, and I've had friends tell me about bad experiences there. Heading further north, I tried Kabuto Sushi in SF and found it wanting. However, we were there late in the evening and didn't sit at the bar. As I've had friends tell me the place is great, it might be worth another try, but I'd sit at the bar this time. Prices were okay. There are quite a few sushi restaurants in Japan Town. I tried Isobune (a sushi-boat place in the restaurant mall of Japan Center) and was highly unimpressed. Watching as one of the chefs dripped water off the bottom of his rice cooker onto the sushi he'd just made did not add to my experience. Across the street, try Sushi-A or Asakusa Restaurant. Both have fairly good sushi at average prices. Heading even further north into Marin, I have several restaurants I know about. My favorite is Yahiro, in San Anselmo. Their fish is very fresh a delicious, though their prices are on the high side. Another old favorite is Sushi-Ko, in the Larkspur Landing shopping center. Their fish isn't quite as fresh as Yahiro's but they make perfectly good sushi. Also a bit on the pricey side. Their sushi chefs are great fun; there's a guy who works Sunday evenings who loves to make animals out of fruit. A real knife artist. Two places I'd avoid in Marin: Kamikaze Sushi and Sushi to Dai For, both in San Rafael. Both are overpriced for the quality of fish they deliver. Last time I was at Kamikaze, the service was terrible. Sushi Ran in Sausalito has fresh fish, though it's somewhat pricey. However, the last time my boyfriend went there, the sushi chef virtually ignored him, even while he was sitting at the bar. Robata in Mill Valley (I think) has rather nice sushi -- nothing spectacular, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it. Prices tend toward the high side. Their menu is extensive (not just sushi, mind you). Hope this helps. -E.B.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA