10/06/09

Good food, good staff, great sake

by nwsurfrider

Richard the bartender was great - explained the different sake selections in detail, and even gave me a taste of some of the unfiltered sake which was great. The fish was fresh, which really defines the difference between good sashimi and bad sashimi. Overall a great experience for a single businessman's night out on the town.

• Pros: Waitstaff friendly, fresh fish

02/02/09

best japanese experience in SF

by rikkik

Great music, sake, fish and vibes. friendly staff and right around the corner from the Independent.

• Pros: ambiance
• Cons: ??

01/23/09

Not a place to go if you are serious Sushi Lover

by AlexeiKaramazov

Atmosphere of Tsunami was very nice and modern looking unlike typical Sushi place. My wife and I was looking forward to their Sushi, since the owner was Japanese. After reading high reviews from CitySearch, my expectation was very high. However, we were very disappointed when we saw the rolls served on our plate, and our instinct was damn right about how it was going to taste. Sushi here must be made by some kind of Amateur...only some Caucasian people who doesn't know real Sushi would give 5 star for this 1 star sushi. (No wonder we were the only Asian customer!) I should have realized that CitySearch in San Francisco must have been rated mostly by non-Asian people!! I lived in Japan for 14 years, and I know what real sushi taste like. Never go there expecting authentic Japanese sushi. Oh and also, i would never order Plum wine there. They use cheap Plum wine which taste like cough syrup, we had whole bottle for ourselves but couldn't finish them (only had a glass...so awful). Good thing we went there when it was Happy Hour...other wise we could have wasted so much of our money. Only thing that impressed me was it's large selection of Japanese Sake and Caucasian waitresses who had very good accent on Japanese menu's and they were all hot. I'm sure there are other better things, and I would probably go for drinking but definitely not for Sushi...

• Pros: Good Service, Romantic Ambience
• Cons: Awful Sushi, and Awful Plum Wine

01/19/09

Great sushi - Poor service.

by 8Misha

The sushi was really fresh and really good (for the little that we had). The presentation was equally as pleasing. Unfortunately for this place, I have no tolerance for poor service. We had reservations and were seated immediately. It took a half hour for our drinks to arrive. We ordered an appetizer and the first of our main courses. They arrived at the same time(?) and by that time our drinks were empty. Our server didn't check on us for another half hour and it was not busy. She was horrible! Maybe her cat died earlier in the day?? By the time we finally got her attention we had to ask for the check and get out of there before our heads exploded. Too trendy for my taste as well. I don't recommend this place.

• Pros: Fresh Sushi
• Cons: Horrible Service

10/21/08

A groovy little NoPa place that redefines sushi chic.

by Contributor

The Scene
The hipster '70s vibe features dim lighting, mellow house music and cute stocking-capped sushi chefs behind a small bar in the corner. A low banquette along one wall anchors a small lounge area. It's like the "Brady Bunch" living room--wood paneling and angular furniture--relocated.

The Food
Unusual specials are highlighted, such as tiny, whole, flash-fried crabs, an extremely crunchy yet delicately flavored treat. Nigiri and sashimi standards are perfectly textured, absolutely fresh and clean-tasting. Rolls exceed expectations. The Scorpion's drizzle of typical sweet, dark unagi sauce achieves an atypical richness, and the Volcano accents spicy tuna with wasabi tobiko. Watch out for rolls and appetizers that include mayo or aioli--definitely an acquired taste. Servers are very hip and very informative. The chefs have got presentation down: ahi poke, for example, is splendid in a martini glass, with a spicy sauce that gives off a pleasant heat.

05/22/08

If You Know Sushi This Is The Best

by LarryHP

First I would like to ask where can you eat decent sushi for less than $40 or $50 a person. This is what a person would spend at Tsunami or the like of Tsunami spots in the city. Expensive if your hang out are WEBE sushi for example.

I love this place for it all Japanese young chefs, wild sake selection that seems the largest I ever seen 7 now a retail sake shop right next door. The food is amazing it be the super fresh sachimi or wild rolld like the papa san that I have been ordering it there for over two years now. This is the spot for food, drinks, party and I'm proud to say I'm a regular even though I keep checking new spots that open but I keep going back.

• Pros: Sushi, sake' ambiance, late noght dining
• Cons: parking

04/14/08

Love Tsunami

by aethan69

Tsunami is a great place, maybe not for everyone, but I know Japanese food and they do too, Chef Adashi buys fresh fish daily and cares about the quality very much, yes it is pricey and if you want a cheap California roll and some crappy hot sake look somewhere else! Tip the chefs a beer and you can't go wrong!

• Pros: As a regular.... everyone says Hi!
• Cons: Small sushi bar 4 seats, of course the best palce to sit

02/18/08

Avoid it

by jermsest

Staff was unprofessional, the manager or someone who I thought was one was extremely rude. The sushi sampler was too expensive for four types of fish and two small slices each at $25. My friends and I had two samplers - three small one ounce shots which cost $16 each. Our tab for a sushi sampler, two sake samplers was $60. The sushi came with some greens stuffed into a small shot glass and didnt even have any dressing. Our waitress came twice to check if we were okay - to actually check if we needed to order more food. When we said we were pacing ourselves - we just came from dinner. She came back with our check without us asking for it. The music? - Rock and Alternative music- it didnt quiet go along with the Japanese decor. Oh and for that manager, my friend noticed that the area where she was sitting was wet- yes water under the table. She came to wipe the floor herself but how she said "its okay now" was so patronizing and condescending that we should have taken it as a sign. We should have not stayed to order.

The $60 I paid for six small shot glasses of sake, a pair each of four types of sashimi is not worth it. The music was loud and the wait staff amateur. Stay away - dont say you were not warned

• Pros: Ambience is good
• Cons: Everything is terrible - service poor, food and drinks are not worth it

12/31/07

best sushi ever

by phisigsteph

anyone who says tsunami has bad service must have outrageous expectations or be too old for this restaraunt. we usually sit at the sushi bar and talk it up with Adachi or Thomas (coolest sushi chefs ever!) and enjoy 1/2 off hand rolls and sake. Every person I have brought to Tsunami has said this was the best sushi they have ever eaten, and I have the same feeling every time I go there (about once a week). Thier fish is fresh, crab is delicious, and specials are awesome. Tsunami definitely is not a one star place, and the proof is in the jam-packed restaraunt every night.

• Pros: best sushi
• Cons: expensive

11/16/07

Low and Sushi and Poor Service for Sushi Lovers

by foodcriticsf

Sushi is not so good and not worth the money. Service is poor on average and the best you can expect is one glass of water. Staff is likely to encourage you to pay the bill and leave quickly so they can refill your table.

Be careful what you order as much of the sushi is low end and not ideal for anyone who truly enjoys sushi. Overall it would be a better choice for the sushi lover to avoid this establishment.

• Pros: location
• Cons: food, service, sushi