Sushi is here to stay

The food scene in San Francisco is governed by trends. During the past few years, the trends have run from coffee houses – one on each block in some neighborhoods—to bagels. Sushi is in one of these trends, with a new restaurant opening almost one a week. There have always been a number of Japanese restaurants in the City, but few served sushi. Now, it appears that almost all Japanese restaurants have added it to their menu.

So, now there are two kinds of restaurant that serve sushi, the Japanese kind and the sushi-only. Prices vary sharply Some employ well-known chefs brought in from Japan, and are very expensive—over $15 for a sushi meal. Others are moderately expensive— say, in the $10–15 range, and a few quite inexpensive, say, under $10.

As is the case in ethnic restaurants, price does not always determine the quality of the food. The location, the degree of opulence of the restaurant, the reputation of the chef, may determine the price. scroll down

Yokoso Nippon
Sushi Restaurant Review

Sushi is here to stay

Yokoso Nippon
314 Church St (at 15th St.)
open 12-noon to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday.

This is a small, very simple, bare-bones place with 20 seats at tables and 4 at a counter facing the chefs. It serves sushi and sashimi only, not even beer or wine, only tea, and that comes free with the meal. (I was assured that guests are free to bring their own beer or wine).

Yokoso Nippon has been inexistence for over 30 years, and the present chef has been there for 20 years. They did not have a name until a few years ago, and no phone. Now they have a name, but still no phone.

For years, their guests kept the place a secret, still the word kept going around and the place was always full, with a good line waiting at opening at noon. If not for the lines, or for guests eating at sidewalk tables in good weather, it would be easy to pass by Yokoso Nippon without seeing it.

They have plenty of competition. There are two other sushi places nearby, one directly across the street, and one a block away. Most are more attractive in decor than Yokosho, but none comes close to them in price, and few are better in quality.

The menu is quite large. Here are excerpts:

Special Raw Lunch ($5.85), consisting of 3 pieces of tuna, 1 clam neck, 1 octopus, 1 mackerel. 1 squid, 1 carrot, 1 shrimp, or a cooked lunch of similar ingredients, including shrimp and eel ($6.00).

Donburi (fish or vegetables over rice) is from $3.85 (tuna), to $5.15 (eel), just vegetables $3.60.

Small rolls, of which there are 24 different types (15 per plate) are from $3.50 (tuna), to $4.15 (smoked salmon & cucumber), to $3.95 (crabmeat & avocado), to $5.80 (sea urchin). Small roll vegetables (16 to a plate) start at $2.50 (spinach or black mushrooms), to $4.85 (fermented soybeans).

Nigiri (small rice ball topping fish or vegetables) combinations of 5, 7, or 9 pieces are $3.75–4.85. Nigiri singles (4 pieces), fresh or cooked, $3.50–4.85, nigiri vegetables $2.40-3.15.

Sashimi mori, a combination of 5 pieces of fresh yellowtail, 1 each of smoked salmon, mackerel, octopus, squid, & clam, $5.50. Sashimi slices of fresh fish—3, 5 or 9 pieces—each run from $2.00 (3 pieces octopus), to 5 pieces shrimp $4.65, to 9 pieces eel ($7.00).

Temaki — fresh fish and vegetables rolled with sushi rice in seaweed by hand (cone style), 2 pieces to a plate, 27 varieties, fresh and cooked—from $2.85 (fresh tuna & cucumber), to yellowtail & green onion $3.80, to smoked salmon & avocado $5.25, vegetables only from $2.50-3.10.

Finally, Futomaki (large roll of fresh or cooked fish and vegetables with sushi rice in seaweed—vegetables are carrot, gourd, black mushroom, cucumber—$3.85 (vegetables only), crabmeat & avocado $4.80, crab & vegetables $4.45, BBQ eel & vegetables $5.50.

I’ve compared similar dishes at well-visited sushi restaurants in different parts of the City, and found their prices up to twice as high as those of Yokoso for similar dishes. Of course, size and presentation of dishes can vary considerably.

More Sushi Restaurants

Here is a list of some San Francisco sushi restaurants that are popular, and reputed for quality and reasonable prices. Some have menus that include traditional Japanese dishes, such as; tempura, teriyaki, udon, gyoza etc. Most are more elegant than Yokoso. They also serve wine and beer.

In addition to these, there are a number of sushi places in Japantown, all well-visited by sushi-lovers. A stroll through this area can be rewarding . Just be sure to stop at places that are jammed with sushi diners.

Godzila, 1800 Divisadero (Bush),931-1773.
Sushi only.

House of Sushi, 2157 Polk St, 441-1797. Also, traditional Japanese dishes & combination dinners.

Warakubune, 307 Church St (15th St, opposite Yokoso),
252-8383. Extended Japanese menu.

Muabi, 253 Church St (Market/15th), 861-7680.
Extended Japanese menu, including combination dinners.

Hanabi, 509 Haight St (Fillmore), 621-1500.
Also, extended Japanese menu and combination dinners.

Sushi Rock, 1608 Polk St (Sacramento), 345-1690.
Sushi only.

Osaka Sushi Vallejo, 1750 Divisadero (Bush), 921-5290. Extended Japanese menu, with combination dinners.

Mama San, 312 8th Avenue (Clement), 221-9165.
Also, 3-course Japanese dinners, $7.75 & $8.75.

Clement Okazu-Ya, 914 Clement St (10th Ave), 668-1638.
Also, extended Japanese menu including 4-course seafood dinners with orange roughy, swordfish, salmon for $10.95.