Sashimi Ahoy!

You know those Fridays after you’ve already worked 60 hours and you’re looking at about another 20 over the weekend? Those Fridays when you’re exhausted, can’t fathom cooking, NEED a drink and you need to eat… NOW!?

Hot ramen on a cold day.

Around here we refer to those Fridays as “Sushi Boat Fridays”

Warakabune is a neighborhood sushi joint. Not expensive, not fancy, limited menu… and boats. Behind the boats is a sushi chef with a smug grin, a warm welcome and a desire to feed the neighborhood.

The staff is friendly, and come equipped with elephant sized memories. You always order an unfiltered sake and large Sapporo? By your third visit you don’t need to order it anymore. It magically appears before you.

Each time you go, you swear up and down that you won’t eat as much as last time… but the boats. They just keep going round and round carrying little plates of deliciousness. You… of course… eat more than you did last time. You even request something new. Something special. Something inspired and voila… it appears with the chef’s special touch. Perfect.

Cures what ail's ya.

Whenever I get a cold, I toddle over there to have a big steaming bowl of their spicy ramen. And people… spicy means spicy. Hold on to your nose hairs.

The sashimi is cold, fresh and buttery. The ‘special rolls’ are packed tight with flavor and texture. The assorted salads are traditional and tasty. Of course you can also order full entrees of teriyaki, tempura and whatnot but the main attraction is the boats. (One drunken evening a friend and I decided that the boats could be improved by the addition of lego pirate people… but that’s just the sake talking.)

I’m not saying it’s the best sushi I’ve ever eaten in my entire life… but it ranks up there. And for the price it absolutely cannot be beat. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it’s made by people who care. What more can you ask for?

sake + camera=bad

There is generally a wait to get a seat at the boats… but that’s ok. You’re welcome to order some sake or a beer to sip while you wait. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been here, and I’ve never once had a disappointing experience. If you’re in the neighborhood, on a Friday night or not, I say stop by. You will be happier for it.

Enjoy!

Erin

Warakabune
307 Church St
(between 15th St & 16th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114

(415) 252-8383 
Wed-Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Comments

[Vicoria]

I'm being a dork. I eat Japanese food. I eat sushi; I eat sashimi (and when I'm dieting, of course, I prefer it). I have a friend who lived in Japan for two years so when we go out together to a Japanese restaurant, she orders for both of us, and it's always yum. I have eaten (with the same friend, Sharon) at Honmura An, a beautiful seriously good Japanese restaurant in Soho - one of Ruthe Reichl's favorite NY restaurants, unfortunately now closed. I have eaten at Nobu. Actually, I have eaten very well - in fact deliriously well - better than anywhere including Le Bernadin - at Nobu. But - I don't know what a boat is.

[hanne]

Mmm.. I'm jealous. One thing that Carlo and I always search out when we're in California is sushi. It's just so much better when you're on the coast. I can't say, like Victoria, that I've been to any of the best sushi places in the world, but I do know that what I have eaten has always been better in Vancouver and LA. You're lucky to have such a reliable place right in the neighbourhood!

[EB]

Victoria-
Oh my gosh! Ok... I'm incredibly jealous of your eating adventures!! I don't know about this, I don't remember boats in New York, maybe this is a California phenomenon...but what it is, is instead of sitting at a sushi bar you basically sit at a sushi moat. There are actual little wooden boats cruising around in a circle in front of you... in the moat! The sushi chef stands in the center of the moat and puts the plates out on the boats... they float by and if you like what you see you pick it up and it's yours. It really can be terrible because just as soon as you think you're done... something delicious floats by.

Hanne-

There are actually more sushi places in my neighborhood than I can count. Some upscale, some very downscale but yes... I am very lucky to have a consistently good one so so close. And yes I thank my lucky stars every day for living in a place where good sushi is that readily available!