For good times and great sushi, head to Ace Wasabi's, where you'll find a happening crowd and a diverse menu, including appetizers, salads, and seafood cooked and uncooked. Innovative sushi rolls are a specialty, as indicated by the Flying Kamikaze (spicy tuna, asparagus, and albacore) and the Three Amigos (tuna, eel, and cucumber). Fresh ingredients are standard, and daily specials up the ante on options. Friendly service is also a plus. Located in the hip and happening Marina, this modern take on sushi has the perfect location. After dinner, simply roll out the door and let the good times roll on.
Recommended for Japanese because: Ace Wasabi's breaks with tradition but does not leave good taste behind.
Tom's expert tip: As the name implies, this is a more contemporary take on traditional sushi.
Beautifully dressed in granite and pale wood, this enticing restaurant is a magnet for local professionals. Not only do they relish its fabulous sushi, but they also appreciate a creative approach to traditional Japanese fare. Artfully presented dishes are a visual delight, as are sublime views of the Bay, maximized towards the rear of the dining room. Along with sushi, choose grilled robata-yaki dishes, hot pots, or indulge in an omakase tasting menu. Superb sakes heighten the expensive, high-quality experience. Ozumo's San Francisco location in the urban-chic part of the Embarcaedro district makes this restaurant an ideal "starting off" location for a memorable Bay Area night.
Recommended for Japanese because: Ozumo is an excellent choice for upscale, high-quality sushi in San Francisco.
Tom's expert tip: Ozumo also has a location in Okland, right across the bay.
At this trendy Japanese restaurant, you'll be mesmerized by both the cuisine and the beautiful interior. A blonde-wood sushi bar serves as a gathering spot for folks who want to glimpse the sushi-making process, and a dining room accommodates groups. Sushi itself is a splendid visual treat, perfectly in synch with the handsome clientele. Traditional sushi items and select specialty rolls both come highly recommended, and cooked meals (steak and cold steamed spinach, among them) are available as well. You'll meet many regulars at this low-key restaurant, and many of those will probably rave about hamano-style-ceviche, a popular house specialty.
Recommended for Japanese because: Hamano is a nice blend of traditional and modern methods of sushi.
Tom's expert tip: Be sure to explore nearby Noe Valley.
This spirited Japanese sushi bar thrives on the quality of its fish and the variety offered to customers. Affordable maki, nigiri, and sashimi are beautifully prepared and presented, as much a visual delight as a gustatory one. Guests are also encouraged to try nasu dengaku, a delicious baked eggplant. With more than 90 sushi selections on the menu, it's easy to find a wealth of appetizing options. A big favorite is their signature S.F. Wave Tsunami, which includes cooked red tuna, chopped with ginger and green onion and wrapped with egg and served with Kabuto seaweed gravy sauce. Full dinners are available.
Recommended for Japanese because: Kabuto is a gem right off of Highway One, a great stop on the way back from (or going towards) the Golden Gate Bridge.
Tom's expert tip: Exquisite sushi and cooked dishes satiate cravings for authenticity.
Clean-lined, airy, and brightened by original artwork, this small restaurant serves top-quality sushi. The quality of the food begins and ends with owner Yoshi Tome, originally from Okinawa but overseeing the precise workings of Sushi Ran since 1986. Servers easily cater to fans and to newbies who aren't quite as well-informed. They'll even recommend the best sakes for the foods you choose. Nigiri, maki, and sashimi offer plenty of options, as do combination plates. A variety of salads also promises fresh, crisp flavor, and cooked meals feature chicken, prawns, squid, and noodles. If you're a regular, consider joining their Sushi Lovers Club.
Recommended for Japanese because: It's worth a trip from San Francisco across the bay to Sausalito - it's that good.
Tom's expert tip: Take an early ferry from San Francisco over to Sausalito for dinner, then the last ferry back for a romantic return on San Francisco bay.
Cuisine leaps to the forefront of this restaurant's appeal, thanks to raw and cooked options that, without exception, deliver on flavor, presentation, and preparation. Diners can choose from teriyaki, donburi, and tempura dishes and then pair them with a selection from the extensive list of sakes. Maki is a specialty, and resident chefs share their time with the Four Seasons next door. Sanraku also boasts a kaiseki menu, a rarity among Bay Area restaurants. Vegetarian items are available. Besides the Four Seasons location, Sanraku is also located in the newly remodeled Metreon, making a dinner date of sushi and a movie very convenient.
Recommended for Japanese because: Sanraku has a broader menu than most Japanese restaurants that really focus on sushi.
Tom's expert tip: Although it's expensive, the Chef's Choice is worth it.
For those who want to experience what puts the Nob in Nob Hill, check your humility at the door and strut with all the swanky style you can muster right into Keiko's. When you mix the lofty expectations of French cuisine with the deep pockets of Nob Hill, you get Keiko a Nob Hill, a rich dining experience in every way. And for those who love Japanese food, Keiko brings a whole new perspective on that ancient tradition, as well. For example, you can start with the Ayu, a Baby Ayu Tempura. If you want that big, rich, signature meal that will make your vacation but break your wallet, head to Keiko's.
Recommended for Japanese because: Although the French influence is strong, the Japanese influence on this extraordinary menu is profound.
Tom's expert tip: Try the King Crab and Lily bulb soup, which tastes as rich and exotic as it sounds.
Although it's a small place, and waits are inevitable, this Japanese restaurant creates some of the city's best sushi. The quality of food is impeccable, and the friendly waitstaff are happy to explain the menu's offerings. Cooked dishes are available, but the sushi is so spectacular that folks rarely get to them. Among the delicacies you'll find are white tuna sashimi, unagi, and spicy tuna. Best of all, the place not only aims to please — it succeeds. After sushi, be sure to leave time to stroll around small but quaint Cole Valley. If you're looking for something a little more up tempo, Haight Street is just a few blocks away.
Recommended for Japanese because: This place prepares sushi the correct way: slowly and with care.
Tom's expert tip: Head over to The Ice Cream Bar, just a block away, for dessert and a fun trip to the soda fountains of the 50's.
City veteran Ebisu has been serving some of San Francisco's best sushi for two decades now. The legend behind the namesake reveals the care and tradition this restaurant brings to their food. Ebisu, one of the Seven Deities of Good Fortune, is the god of rice paddies and kitchens. Although a menu is provided, it's best to sit at the sushi bar and let the chef serve you his off-the-menu favorites. Fashioned from impeccably fresh seafood, the sushi is out of this world. It does, however, come at a price: long waits and hard-to-find parking. Still, you'll find the results more than compensate, proof of Ebisu's consistent popularity. Cooked dinners are available.
Recommended for Japanese because: Ebisu is a good place to rub elbows with locals.
Tom's expert tip: They have three locations, but the 9th and Irving location is an intriguing neighborhood that is often overlooked.
Owners and partners Tim and Erin Archuleta have put their heart and soul into this small, popular sushi restaurant. Since opening, ICHI Sushi has won Best of the Bay in five outlets, was named one of Zagat San Francisco Bay Area Guide 2013's Top 20 Restaurants, and is included in the 2013 San Francisco Louis Vuitton City Guide. Sustainability is the focus, and menus change seasonally. ICHI offers Omakase service at the bar and full menu service at tables. Brand new location on 3282 Mission is even bigger and more comfortable than their old space in Bernal Heights. One of the most popular restaurants in the Mission area.
Recommended for Japanese because: Ichi is committed to quality food and developing a sustainable community.
Tom's expert tip: Great alternative to the usual Mission fare.