NY'er Cousins First Visit to SF - need best Japanese rec's

[BillyBob]

Not fancy, just good. Might be sushi, might not. Staying downtown. Help, we'll do the same for you when you come here - and thanks. Oh well, for full disclosure, they're Yankee fans.

[ML8000]

Maki in Japantown is unique in that they serve wappas...a sort of steamed bento box, and a huge sake selection. Not cheap. Otherwise Japanese is a bit semi tough one. Many good choices but perhaps one of the more subjective cuisines.

[BillyBob]

thank you all for your candid responses. We had mistakenly assumed that the Bay Area would have even better Japanese food than NYC and since thier ethnic heritage is half Italian/half Japanese we thought it would be a good idea. we will focus more on Cal and Italian. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thnaks again

[Xiao Yang]

Despite our paucity of top-notch Japanese food, I would include a visit to Japantown anyway, there are a lot of attractive food-related and non-food-related shops in a concentrated area, including some sweets shops, and worthwhile casual eats places like Kui Shin Bo, not to mention a large Kinokuniya bookstore branch.

[This advice comes grudgingly from one of the last of the Brooklyn Dodger fans.]

[teleme]

Eiji on Sanchez. Easy access from the subway.

Things my wife and I have tried that are especially good: oboro tofu; ankimo; yamakake. Planning on taking the Manhattan in-laws to Eiji on their next visit -- and I like them (they're not Yanqui fans).

[Morton the Mousse]

Japanese food isn't exactly a Bay Area strength. I'd send a first time visitor to SF to one of the local specialties - try some Cal cuisine, cioppino, oysters, check out the farmers' market, etc.

[vliang]

So are they from NY also? If so (speaking as an ex-Manhattanite), the Japanese food and sushi in NYC is much better than what is available in SF proper. That said, Ame (on 3rd near Mission) is great Japanese fusion-ish place that is on the spendy side. I also recently had a fabulous sushi omakase meal at Tataki, a new sustainable sushi restaurant in Pac Heights area. Sustainable sushi would be a different angle than what your typical, good sushi place in NYC would offer.

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Ame Restaurant
689 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Tataki
2815 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115