Zushi Puzzle — Restaurant in San Francisco

I cannot recommend Zushi Puzzle enough! Their Omakase experience is amazing. I'll start by saying make sure if you would like to try the Omakase that you have a reservation. It's typically very full, so call ahead to make sure you have a spot. Chef Roger and his team of sous chefs are so much fun! Making the experience that much better! They really listen to their customers to customize the experience they are having. In fact another couple was having a birthday there and they picked up on that without being explicitly told. It's the small things that count.

Regarding the food, AMAZING! The small truffle additions to some of the nigiri was perfect. I've never had truffle on sushi before but I highly recommend trying it. The uni was very unique as well, I believe chef Roger is known for a special sushi dish with uni on it. The fish was amazing and he talked about sourcing fish and the different kinds throughout our meal, even educating us on how to eat sushi (make sure the fish is down so you get that flavor first). We had a special request for Kobe beef as well and of course he delivered! It was amazing!

Dessert was the most unique ever as well. He had a Kobe beef ice cream and similar savory but sweet ice creams. It sounds a bit unnerving but it was so smooth, creamy and flavorful (enough for the few bites given for dessert).

The price tag is a bit high, but not too high for a special occasion or fun night out. I highly recommend Zushi Puzzle and I will certainly be back if I'm in San...

I went to Zushi Puzzle based on the great reviews but was very let down after eating there. The restaurant was mostly empty when we arrived but our appetizers (gyoza and tempura) took an extremely long time to come out and we didn’t get them until after our meal had arrived.

The sushi we ordered was terrible. Fish did not taste fresh and was warm. I couldn’t tell if it was because the rice used in the sushi rolls was hot or if the fish was not being stored at the proper temperature, but either way it was not good.

Two people at our table ordered teriyaki instead of sushi (one chicken and one steak). The steak teriyaki was sent back because it did not taste right. When the waitress was informed that we wanted to send back the teriyaki because it tasted bad, the waitress said that it looked like it was cooked perfectly and nothing was wrong with it. About 5 minutes later she came back and offered to swap the steak teriyaki for chicken.

Overall the food was disappointing and it took over two hours for us to eat because the food was so slow to come out. The restaurant was very dirty and dingy. The bathrooms were dirty and the soap looked disgusting (as if it had been sitting there since the restaurant opened). I’m not sure if something was off the night we ate here but I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone and will not...

This seemingly innocuous hole-in-the-wall was hands down the best sushi experience I’ve ever had, even relative to places that are 5x the price. I would highly recommend sitting in back with Roger and letting him guide you through different items. It’s not a formal omakase, you are free to order off the menu, take his recommendations, or let him choose everything. It’s a very light hearted and fun environment.

Food: the fish quality is exceptional and Roger is not afraid to serve simple preparations that highlight his excellent product. He also serves a wide range of rare cuts including Kama toro, white salmon, and aged toro. With that being said, every dish had tremendous layers of depth that were carefully thought out. Roger’s decades of experience come through in his ability to expertly layer flavors without using gimmicks.

Beyond the food, the service quality and ambience is what sets Zushi Puzzle apart. Despite the casual feel to the restaurant, service was on point. Roger puts on a show and his passion shines through. He’s funny, easy going, and charismatic. He memorized everyone’s name and was telling us stories about his favorite customers from years before. Everyone at the table was there for their first time and were strangers to each other, yet we spent hours laughing together and...