Basa Seafood Express — Restaurant in San Francisco

viral on social media, basa seafood express is known for their $7.50 poke trays. i've had this spot bookmarked for awhile and finally checked it out during a day trip to the mission.

// ambiance // this shop is a bit off of valencia street and is mainly a takeout spot. there was a line of people who seemed to have called ahead to order. we just walked up to the counter and got our poke right away though.

// service // the employee who took our order was friendly. they close at 4pm and we came around 2pm--they were out of tuna and only had salmon left.

// price + portion // poke trays are $7.50 with the option to make a combo (add water, small rice, small seaweed salad) for ~$11.50 which seems like an affordable price. the portion is on the smaller size, so i'd say just the poke tray alone is not enough to keep you full for a whole meal--better as a snack or get the combo/sides to bulk it up.

// spicy salmon poke ($7.50) // as mentioned, the portion is pretty small but it tasted really good. it came with black and orange roe on the top. the sauce was very flavorful and a bit spicy. the salmon tasted very fresh and was a good texture (not too soft or chewy)

// would i reorder/return? // i'd come back if i was in the area, but i'd probably get the combo or the seaweed salad in addition. basa seafood express is good if you like hawaiian poke instead of the poke bowls with a bunch...

This is literally the ONLY spot in SF that I’ve been to that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for sushi / poke, and the shocking thing is, the food tastes better than the more expensive places!

I’ve been here twice now and I’m simply blown away with how fair the prices are, and the quality of the seafood! Spicy salmon poke for $7 , like come on. We are so lucky to have Basa Seafood Express as an option in SF, it’s the last OG spot left that hasn’t inflated their prices. They also got some sushi combo options listed on their wall with good deals that I think may not be in their website.

Today I got the double tuna roll (spicy tuna roll with tuna on top) , hamachi nigiri, and spicy salmon poke). Everything tasted fresh, not fishy at all, and I felt super light after the meal. The guy was also hella nice, kept thanking me for stoping by, said sorry for the wait even though it only took a couple of minutes lol, and he kept wishing me to have a great day. Customer service is seriously lacking in a lot of places in SF, but not here! They got other options like tacos, chowder, etc too. From what I’ve seen, these types of shops are rare outside of SoCal / Pacific North West 🐟 🍣.

Legit cannot wait to come back here again soon. It’s also a short bike ride away from DoLo, so definitely cruise by to grab some sushi and take it to the park for the perfect Sunday afternoon....

I was initially hesitant to review Basa because it's simply too great of a place to share, but I decided to put myself aside and leak this secret for the sake of selflessness and compassion. Doin' it for the greater good :)

Basa is one of the only places where you can find fried oysters that AREN'T a joke in San Francisco. Seriously, if you think I'm kidding, try yelping for "fried oysters." You won't see any eateries listed that aren't frou-frou. If you find any, let me know about 'em ASAP!

They have a wide array of fresh fish: slabs of tuna, salmon, and the like. We tried their salmon poke marinated in a creamy sauce. Absolutely delightful. It had just the right amount of mayonnaise, sesame oil, and seasoning.

The clam chowder was also superb. None of that watered down goop they serve at Swan's Oyster Depot. Thick, bacon-y, chock full of clams, and simply yum!

We ordered a fish taco on the whim since it was only a couple of bucks.Tacos and mexican fare definitely aren't their forte, but it's smart of them to offer such low-priced commodities on their menu. Gets customers swinging in for $2 snacks.

Overall, everything was generously portioned, fresh, and very affordably priced. I'll definitely be coming back again and again. Basa, you've got me hooked...