Sanraku - Sutter San Francisco

Great little sushi place I found in San Francisco while searching Google Maps for a quick bite near my hotel.  I was able to be seated immediately.

I sat at the sushi bar here.  Which means I got to see all the great looking sushi being prepared and waiting to be taken to the tables.  The chef working near me was very friendly and answered many questions from me and other customers.

I ordered the chef's choice sashimi (5 pieces) and shrimp tempura combo.  This also came with miso soup and a salad.  Delicious and every bit as good as it looked.  The sashimi, two types of tuna, was tender and not chewy.  The service was very good - I had no complaints or issues.

By the time I was leaving, there was quite a line outside to get in.  Apparently I beat the rush.

All in all, a very good place, and I would definitely recommend it!

Phone : +1 415-771-0803
Web : http://www.sanraku.com/sanraku.html
Address : 704 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109


Posted by Jason from Columbia, South Carolina USA - date of visit  1 Sep 2011

Rating:

Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Sushi Bar

Would come back: Yes

Tip: This is listed as the Four Seasons location on their website.

Deserves another chance...

A bit hard to find as really tucked away in a corner of the mall;
I walked around for 30 minutes before I found it.

Very basic no frill sushi bar with few tables.Small menu, but they do brown rice rolls for those who like that.

Staff was friendly and I ordered some spice tuna maki rolls, salmon sashimi and a bowl of fresh fruit to go.



I liked the spicy tuna, but the sashimi was maybe a bit chewy.  The quality at Whole Foods was better.
The fresh fruit was so so... I didnt eat it all in the end.

However, this place is very cheap and I like the fact it is a small family run shop.
But if I compare quality for what I had, I would go to Whole Foods.

I may give it another chance next time in White Plains.

Corner Sushi
Menu and prices:
http://www.allmenus.com/ny/white-plains/214311-corner-sushi/menu/

Phone:
(914) 328-3095

Always good to go @ Whole Foods

Whole Foods (by some referred to as "Whole Paycheck"), is indeed a quite expensive supermarket, but....
I find it excellent quality and value of what you can get in the food to go section, including the sushi and sashimi.
I grabbed a prepared maki roll box and ordered some sashimi which they cut fresh in front of me.
Paid at the counter and found a comfy seat at their 'diner area'.
The sashimi was fresh and cut in very very thick slices. Very tastefull even I prefer smaller sliced pieces.
The maki roll was very good as well.

Conclusion:
Quality is top and you willl pay less than in a sushi restaurant.
Good and handy when travelleing alone.

Thank god there are many Whole Food shops in the States and will do perfectly to get my Sushi fix.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop/

Cheaper Sushi in London?

Some links to Sushi restaurant websites or voucher clouds that have promotions.
I will update this post on a regular basis.

YoSushi Offers -25% off for students and more, weekly offers on the Yo Sushi website
Moshi Moshi - Check out their monthly offers on their website
Wagamamma - Sign up as a member and receive member offers
Koi Sushi Bar - £5 vouchers every £50 spent with their loyalty scheme, free miso when ordering online
Feng Sushi Offers -Mobile vouchers, up to 15% off food bil or free bottle of wine with puchase


Or just search for Sushi on Vouchercloud.com and you find a growing selection of participating restaurants.

Please post a comment if you spotted an interesting offer.

Sept'n in Paris - Good french food with a Japanese twist

A small stylish bistro, just around the corner of the Place de la Republique. I came in early around 7.30 and the place was empty, but quickly started to fill up and I advice to make a reservation if you plan to go here.




The waitress was super nice, professional and continuously checked in with the Japanese chef. She was knowledgeable on the menu items and on the wine; I love this kind of service.

I ordered scallops marinated in Yuzu olive oil for starter and duck breast roasted with mango for main. While I was waiting for my starter they served a small but delicious "amuse-bouche".

Tip: For 45 Euro, you can have a 5 course dinner "Carte Blanche", but make sure you reserve 24h in advance...

The scallops and the sauce (!) was my favorite, the duck breast was cooked to perfection.

A perfect place for a romantic dinner or dinner with a good friend while it remains low key.

I will definitely go back here when I am around. The food is just good, I felt welcome and it is still affordable. Absolute good value for money.



Sept'n
6 Rue Rampon
75011 Paris
+33 1 43 55 62 32
Metro: Republique or Temple
Website 

Apologies for the low quality pictures in this post. I like to use my phone to take pictures in restaurants.. I may need to upgrade it...

Yaki Sushi - Cheap one in a dozen

I just needed a quick bite and hopped in Yaki. Clear menu listed on the outside and inside the waiters were are all wearing T-shirts saying they won the Baguettes d'Or in 2007-2008.
Ambient light, modern interior but didn't look very Japanese.
The menu is quite varied with lots of fried food as well. I decided to leave the sushi for what it is and went for a cheap 7.90 Euro Yakitori lunch menu, including miso soup, rice & salad.

The service was ok, but they didn't look overly interested in their customers. Staff was chatting away amongst themselves and quickly putting dishes on the table, with the shortest interaction with the customer as possible.
Miso was so so, the beef yakitori bit chewy and the cheese yakitori slightly cold...

I really wonder how they got the Baguettes d'Or award in 2007, or what has changed since then. I really could not find anything special about it.

This place is good for..., ya for what?
Maybe for a cheap lunch in a not so Japanese restaurant.
No urge to go back here when around the Bastille.




Yaki

50 Faubourg St Antoine, 75012 Paris

+33 1 40 01 99 00

Tube: Ledru Rollin (0.2 km) or Bastille (0.3 km)

Foujita 2 - a perfect lunch spot in Paris for everyday perfect sushi

Efficient, authentic, fresh, affordable and lots of choices.
Lunch menus starting from 14 Euro including edemame, green tea, miso, rice and choice of Sushi, Sashimi, Tempura and more.

The interior is simple, cosy, and seating on 2 floors.
The sushi chefs look Japanese and the place runs like a well oiled machine.



Service is quick and when finished you can pay at the counter on your way out.


I went here twice for lunch and if I would work in this area, I definitely would be a regular.
A perfect everyday lunch spot.

Foujita 2 
7 rue du 29 Juillet, 75001 Paris
2e Arr
+33 1 4926-0770
Metro: Tuileries

Miki - For the real Japanese food lover...

After walking by numerous Japanese restaurants at the Rue St. Anne where people are waiting in long queues to be seated, I turned right to a side street and saw this tiny restaurant.
Got seated at the bar and the friendly chilled waitress put a huge menu in front of me. Ok... not a typical sushi menu and it took me a while to make a choice.
Decided to go for a grilled salmon in miso as starter and the waitress friendly suggested to have that and think about the main.


In the mean time many locals entered and ordered take away meals. Tables filled with Japanese people, eating very Japanese looking dishes.

The salmon was grilled just right, translucent pink inside and great texture. For the main I ordered sea bream (daurade) sashimi with sesame on rice; very tasty!

The only slight negative thought that came to mind while I overlooked the tiny kitchen from my seat was:... I would not want to live above this place... Not for the kitchen's "odeurs", but more for it's fire hazard. The kitchen hood was so greasy, it was almost dripping down...

A great place to take your Japanese friends and get their opinion on this place...

Miki
5 rue de Louvois, Paris
2nd
Area Opera
Metro Bourse
Phone +33 1 42.96.04.88

Open noon-10pm Tue-Fri; 6-10pm Sat, Sun 

Main courses €15 - €20

Kiku in Paris - a bow for the chef!

Guided by my Routard book, I found this little stylish Japanese restaurant. The door was locked  (mainly to keep the wind out), but wave and the waitress will open. No maki's and sushi but a "menu dégustation" available at 35 Euro. They have cheaper lunch menu's for about 15 Euro, but as I came in relatively late, guess this was no more available. There are only about 10 tables, and little paper origami animals or flowers decorating the place.

This chef is clearly talented and creative. The ingredients are fresh, and dressings brilliant. Note you will not find any tuna in this restaurant as they support the tuna protection.

The menu started with some amuse bouches of salmon in vinegar, followed by sashimi of sea bass and tempura of mushroom and shrimp. For the main I chose the beef, which was served with rice and miso soup.  My favorites: the sashimi and the beef!

The beef was the most tender I ever ever tasted! I don't think this is Kobe beef, but it must have been some hand-stroked cow, WOW.
The sashimi was just brilliant. This quality you find rarely (even at Nobu or Zuma).

All together I spend 52 Euro with the tea and sake on top.
For the quality you get here, it is a great value.
I will be back!

Kiku 
56 Rue Richer, 75009 Paris 9e arrondissement, France +33 1 44 83 02 30 ‎ 
Metro Station: Cadet 

Hours: Open all days for lunch and dinner except Saturday (lunch) and Sunday
Fees and prices: Lunch € 15, dinner "menu dégustation" € 35 or € 45



Interesting review here..

Un-inspring but quick and cheap @ Sushi Kim in Paris

Walked for a while around the 9th and 2nd quarter if Paris to find the place I wanted to go was closed on Monday's... So when I got back to the Hotel, just wanted to eat something quick. Decided to go in as I liked the name! Not sure this place is worth mentioning, the food is just ok'ish (at least somewhat fresh) and the service not really great. I was put at a table against the sushi bar and I was obviously in the way; the waitress continuously reached over my head to get stuff from the bar behind me, a bit strange. The interior is not too bad if it wasn't for the TV on the wall, broadcasting non-stop the fashion channel with grumpy looking models dragging themselves over the cat-walk...

But at least this place is very cheap. You choose from a picture menu, ranging from about 8 to 18 euros, including miso soup, salad and rice. I went for Sashimi with Yakitori menu @ 14 Euros.
4 Salmon, 4 Yellow-tail and 4 Tuna pieces (smacked on a plate with no love) and 4 Yakitori's including the French Cheese rolled in a beef slice one. The chicken and cheese yakitori was really nice actually.

This place is good if you are tired of walking, hungry and don't want to spend a lot a cash...

Sushi Kim
5 Rue Daunou, 75002 Paris, France +33 1 53 29 55 55 ‎
Metro Station: Opera

Aqua Kyoto - Loved the huge terrace looking over London

Taking the elevator to the top floor, you first will walk in the bar area.
The light is dim and there is a trendy, elegant atmosphere mixed with a stylish hotel lounge look. The restaurant is part of an upscale Chinese chain that also have locations in Bejing and Hong Kong. Young trendy people, business folks and some tourists as audience.
The kitchen is in the middle of this big restaurant and on request we were seated in a corner of the restaurant where you can have a nice conversation without the music "getting in the way".

We ordered many many different dishes, recommended by a knowledgeable waiter. Sashimi, luxury sushi dishes, tuna tataki, spinace rolls, scallops, black cod miso, marinated lamb and so on and so on.
I've put a link to the menu below. All the dishes were absolutely delicious, high quality ingredients and service was top. Many dishes come with 5 pieces, but as we were 6 people, they were happy to adjust for six.

They also had Wagyu beef with garlic ponzu @65 GBP per portion on the menu, but thought was a bit too steep...

Tip: A fablous huge terrace with a great view over London, great in summer!
The terrace looks very suitable for company parties as well...

A great place to get invited to for business dinners!

Aqua Kyoto
5th Floor, 240 Regent Street (entrance at 30 Argyll Street), London, W1B 3BR
Phone: +44 20 7478 0540
Website
Menu (pdf) 

Yamayu Santatsu in Brussels - Good food , don't expect a smile...

Near the centre of Brussels you find Yamayu Santatsu. This place still has a good name for sushi and hence why I went here; it was full. Japanese chefs working at the sushi bar and a non pretentious atmosphere.

The tables are tiny and you dont have a lot of space between them, so guarentee you will start a conversation with your neighbour.
Went for a Sashimi platter and Sushi combo and the quality was really good, but found it too expensive.





Chatted with a Japanese lady from Tokyo sitting next to me and asked her opinion on the food. "It's ok", she said. "You have much more choice in Japan and this is quite expensive, but it's ok...". Not sure she was trying to be polite.

I found the service overal pretty sad and think this restaurant is still going on it's (going) reputation. I hope they will realise that it needs effort to keep a good name up.

Conclusion: Food was good but too expensive and bad service. I would spend my money at Kamo when in Brussels for fabulous food made with love and given to you with a smile.
 

Yamayu Santatsu

Chaussée d`Ixelles, 141, 1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
T: +32 2 513 53 12

Closed on Monday