Ozumo on the Embarcadero ?

[sweet100s]

Ozumo is near where I'll be staying, and supposedly has great views.

Am looking for reviews of the food - sushi and non-sushi recommendations as well.

# 161 Steuart St, San Francisco CA 94105
# (Btwn Mission & Howard St)
http://www.ozumo.com/

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Ozumo Restaurant
161 Steuart Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

[pauliface]

Okay I have to chime in. This place is getting way too many compliments.
I went once when it first opened, and gave it another try a couple years later.

It's pretty and stylish inside.
They have some nice non-sushi/sashimi dishes.
The sushi/sashimi is fair at best, uninspired, and wayyyyyyyy overpriced.

For the price of a meal there, I couldn't justify going, there are way too many places I'd rather go instead (Kiss, Ino, Kappou Gomi, Nihon Whiskey Lounge, Kabuto, or just bring home a feast from Tokyo Fish Market and True Sake)

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Tokyo Fish Market
1220 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706

True Sake
560 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Kappou Gomi
5524 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121

Ino Restaurant
25 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941

[klyeoh]

Nice atmosphere, but food's not authentic Japanese.

[gymzung]

It is probably one of the best Japanese restaurant in SF/Bay Area. Based on my experience (multiple visits), the quality of the food and overall experience is in fact better than Nobu, Japonais, Morimoto, Sugiyama and etc. in NYC!

If you are okay with fresh uni, you must absolutely try Yamabuki. It is a version of Risotto with fresh uni!

Also, I maybe confusing myself with another restaurant, but for desert they may have a multi layer green tea cake that is absolutely awesome!

If you are heading to Ozumo during the evening and/or weekend, make sure you have a reservation as it is usually a full house. Enjoy the food!

[sweet100s]

gymzung, Thanks for your yamabuki rec! What else did you try on your visits to Ozumo?

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Ozumo
2251 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612

[CG09]

I went to Ozumo two weeks ago and liked it very much. My friend had sushi for an appetizer and we both had steak entrees, and all were great. I would suggest sitting in the bar area rather than the main dining room - far better atmosphere. The cocktail menu is very creative, and they have a huge selection of sake if you are a sake fan.

You are also going to be close to the Ferry Building and places like La Mar Cebicheria and Slanted Door, which are both very good. But, if you go to Slanted Door, get a reservation in advance, or be prepared to be there when they open and take a patio table because it is packed the minute it opens for dinner.

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Ozumo
2251 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612

[hong_kong_foodie]

Do Vietnamese people actually go to the Slanted Door or is it still a place primarily for Westerners and their idea of good and authentic VIetnamese food?

What about Yank Sing? And they supposedly have the best xiao long bao, right? What a joke.

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

[Windy]

I've never heard anyone claim the xiao long bao at Yank Sing were the best.

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Yank Sing
49 Stevenson St Ste Stlv, San Francisco, CA 94105

[Robert Lauriston]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/530686

[Windy]

Fine, you two slug it out then.

I didn't think they were good last time we ate there.

[hong_kong_foodie]

I was being sarcastic. Of course I do not think the xiao long bao is good at Yank Sing (or anywhere in the bay area for that matter).

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Yank Sing
49 Stevenson St Ste Stlv, San Francisco, CA 94105

[ikb]

the last part of your post is telling.

if i flew to shanghai i would get better xlb. but i don't normally feel the need to go that far - or to leave the bay area - to have to get acceptable xlb.

i think the version at yank sing is pretty good.

[Robert Lauriston]

Some of Slanted Door's food is pretty traditional, some isn't, but the food's not Americanized in the boring way that, for example, many of the dishes at Le Cheval are.

[klyeoh]

I don't think I'd seen Vietnamese clientele in the Slanted Door, the way I see visiting Chinese/HKers lunching in Yank Sing. Maybe coz Slanted Door's rather over-priced for Viet food.

Le Cheval in Oakland? That place's gawd-awful! I used to work just a block away from it. My American colleagues will eat there (one of their fave lunch places for noodles) whilst the Chinese/Viet colleagues will walk off in the opposite direction to Oakland Chinatown to lunch at Ba Vo, etc.

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Ba Vo Restaurant
416 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612

Le Cheval
1007 Clay St, Oakland, CA

[Robert Lauriston]

Watch out for overselling.

Yank Sing is lunch only.

Osha Thai in Embarcadero Center has some good dishes.

Perbacco and Barbacco are great.

Orale Orale isn't a destination but it's good sitdown Mexican, open for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner.

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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Yank Sing
49 Stevenson St Ste Stlv, San Francisco, CA 94105

Orale Orale
91 Drumm St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Osha Thai Embarcadero
100 Drumm St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

[Cicely]

I went there last year with family. We ordered a ton of sashimi and some appetizers. It was very good quality. Unfortunately I don't remember much detail - I had to take my son out because he wouldn't sit still.

But you're also very close to Yank Sing - some love it and some don't, but it seems more special than Ozumo, which just strikes me as a very nice Japanese restaurant you could find in any major city. Slanted Door, at the Ferry Building, also has good views (though it can be super-noisy and the seats are not that comfortable) and owner Charles Phan is practically a brand in these parts. There's also Hog Island for oysters, and the Saturday farmers market for great produce and food products.

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Yank Sing
49 Stevenson St Ste Stlv, San Francisco, CA 94105

Ozumo
2251 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612

[sweet100s]

Thanks Cicely! I put Yank Sing on my list for that area.

I had a delicious dinner outside at Slanted Door last year. This year I might give the Oyster Stew a whirl in Hog Island. Someone's description of it here sounded intriguing.

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Yank Sing
49 Stevenson St Ste Stlv, San Francisco, CA 94105

[ikb]

there are a lot of dishes at ozumo you can't find at very many other places. the non-sushi menu is what is most impressive at ozumo. the sushi is very good too but there are a few other places in sf that have equally good, or in some cases, better sushi.

i really doubt that you could get japanese food of ozumo's quality at any random city like cleveland, kansas city or nashville. (although i haven't tried so i could be wrong - nothing against those cities)

if you are looking for other sushi recommendations, kabuto, sebo and kiss seafood are all very good. if you are willing to go across the bay to sausalito, sushi ran is another option. ozumo has a more modern ambiance than the others -- somewhat like morimoto's new chain -- which you may or may not like.

yank sing is also very good (chinese). i don't think it is as modern or as high-end as ozumo. yank sing is great for dim sum lunch. ozumo is more of a dinner place. note that there are two yank sing locations. the one in rincon center is larger but i think the other location is slightly better.

slanted door is also good, but i think the food there is less interesting than the other two restaurants. there are other good vietnamese places in san francisco. ppq dungeness island is great -- if you are coming after crab season starts i would recommend going there.

[sweet100s]

ikb, Agree re: Ozumo menu. I don't see it on their menu, but based on their donburi section, I bet they would make a chicken or pork katsudon for lunch... (I crave that dish.)

Timing is going to be my challenge. (they close lunch @ 2:30; on the edge given my arrival time from SFO)

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Ozumo
2251 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612

[Cicely]

Interesting about Ozumo's non-sushi menu. There were reasonably priced cooked dishes, I noticed, but then we decided to order sushi/sashimi, which really added up. I'm afraid I fell into the snobby trap of only thinking of the likes of NY and LA as "major cities" worthy of comparison (and I'm from Chicago!).

Slanted Door's food quality to price ratio doesn't compare favorably to more authentic, less stylish Vietnamese restaurants, but they do have some excellent cocktails. It's a nice place for a drink and maybe some small plates. Second PPQ for the Dungeness in season, though.

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Ozumo
2251 Broadway Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612