Hamano Sushi — Restaurant in San Francisco

Delicious sushi. The flavors dance in your mouth in a way I can't remember having experienced before. The Elizabeth and Midori (spelling?) rolls were extraordinary. I have never tasted anything like them and I wish more restaurants would offer such creative and innovative vegie combinations on their menus. My 11 year-old daughter is a gobbler of Ikura and she was ready to eat herself into a coma - and this is where my rating goes from 5 to 4 - the sushi is too expensive for me to ever take her there again. Luckily I wasn't paying and she ate to her heart's content. The pieces were fat and the quality is unparalleled but absolutely unaffordable. The other menu items were a little more expensive than I am used to but so is the neighborhood and the prices aren't prohibitive. I would happily return to eat at such a great Japanese restaurant and go to Church Street for sushi. Maybe they under price other dishes and try to make it up selling sushi for more than twice the price. And, don't get me wrong, I wasn't there for cheap all-you-can-eat. Fresh, well prepared, sushi costs money. That's why I don't eat "mall sushi" in Japantown. But, I bet that I am not the first customer to avoid ordering pieces of sushi because of the price. I don't run a restaurant so I don't know how to price a menu. However, they could add a buck or two to all the menu items including the sushi and, although I would have noticed it was a little more expensive than what I am accustomed to, I would figure that's expected in a higher commercial rent district like Noe Valley. What I am saying is, charge me $7.50 (instead of $4.25), and make the portion slightly smaller, but GIVE ME 2 PIECES! We would have bought a ton more sushi and dropped a lot more dough on the place if my daughter could have ordered 4 times without causing me anxiety and panic. I would have ordered more and my mother would DEFINITELY ordered more. She was paying and she can afford it but she is frugal. I could tell she was affected by the per piece price because she ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and nothing more. I shared everything I ordered with her and we had to prod her to order a piece of Ikura for herself. Thankfully, my well-heeled friend was with us and he encouraged us to stop fretting and enjoy ourselves by offering to pay for half the bill. A good time was gad by all. After saying all that, let me repeat my sincerest praise for the uniquely delicious symphony of flavor. Haute cuisine sorcery is conjured here to take your senses to a higher level. It is worth the price. I just can't afford such high...

One of the best buds took me here for my birthday celebration back in February. She'd come here with her bf, from a local Bay Area ramen chef, who said he only goes here for his authentic Japanese sushi cravings.

Well, well. This spot definitely reminds me of others in the city, where you've got your authentic Japanese omakase experience bar-side, and the casual Japanese-American sushi rolls experience table-side. But let me tell you about this omakase experience. The flavors. The traditional mixed with the fusion. Yesssss.

I didn’t think each piece of nigiri could come out better than the next. Or even the cooked dishes! But they did. And that’s really saying something when you have that many pieces coming out and you gotta have each stand out. You can tell the chef has perfected his art.

The only downfall experienced that night was the slowness in each piece coming out. Chef was attending to another group of 7 sitting at the bar as well (they appeared to be regulars). However, he was very apologetic, and worked as quickly as he could. It did become a 3hr dinner, which was a bit longer than expected. Esp for my buds who came out from San Jose for a Sunday night dinner.

Either way, it was all that and then some. Hoping to return for another omakase experience in the...

This laid-back iteration of sushi counters can be found in Noe Valley, and it is highly recommended for those who have the preconceived notion that all sushi counters are stuffy and unabashedly expensive. The well-trodden counter is a favorite among Chef Jiro Lin's loyal fan base. Each of Chef Jiro Lin's loyal fan base members enjoys quality nigiri at prices that are remarkably reasonable. While the dining room is ideal for larger groups looking for casual à la carte items like maki, tempura, and sashimi, the dining room is ideal for larger groups. The inventiveness of Chef Lin is put to the test when he pairs salt-cured tile fish, aged hamachi, and sea-perch with a potent dose of wasabi, Japanese chili pepper, and fish liver. This allows the chef to flex his creative muscles. Calling ahead for reservations is strongly recommended for first-timers to this counter, which boasts a large number of weekly regulars, including wine nerds who are particularly enamored of their carefully...