Eiji

3/30/2016

Pure sushi/sashimi. This isn't the tourist place: it's the real deal.

My friends loved the tofu soup/appetizer. It looked like fun to play with, as they brought spices and herbs to add.

The Toro was amazing, as was the salmon. I'd like a bit more fish in the Toro roll, considering how much rice there was it made it a bit difficult to enjoy/taste the fish.

The desserts were shockingly well-done. The strawberry mochi, which I'd never have ordered on my own was TO DIE FOR. The other mochi ice cream, with cinnamon, vanilla ice cream, and green tea ice cream was also fantastic.

3/14/2016

This is right next to the Kitchen Story (which we still need to try, just waiting for the lines die down: like that's ever going to happen!？) Anyway, this is a dainty little restaurant. Read up the reviews and excited to try something different. I ordered the oboro tofu, Salmon skin salad, Ohitashi (boiled spinach with ohitashi sauce). The salmon skin salad was different, as it was wrapped with a cured daikon peel. I thought the ohitashi was meh, didn't jump out at me. Maybe I should have asked more questions before I ordered that one. The oboro tofu was their signature dish. This dish separates itself from other sushi joint. They cook it right before you. It's very similar to the Chinese dessert (sweet tofu dessert - 豆腐花). It was served with an array of toppings (sesame seed, ginger, green scallions, onions, spicy daikon, etc). Again, it was different, but taste wise, it didn't make me jump out of my seat.

Lastly, we heard about the out-of-the-world strawberry mochi, and came to try it. It was good, but can definitely try to make it at home kind of dessert. We also tried the mango and red bean mochi ice cream. Didn't do it for me since I felt like it was store bought. Nothing special for me.

There are few things worthing mentioning about this place. Your full party has to be all present before they seat you (even the restaurant was empty when we got there). Your kids will be asked nicely to turn off any video games (on phone or any device) when seated which I thought was pretty awesome. Sashimi is definitely not the best here. Though the fish is high quality (very fresh), but the skills of cutting of the fish still needs to be perfected.

This place is charming and unpretentious. Not good for big parties, and not your usual sushi place. If you want to try some authentic traditional Japanese food, it's worth it.

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  A cozy atmosphere.

  A cozy atmosphere.
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  Ohitashi (boiled spinach)

  Ohitashi (boiled spinach)
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  Oboro Tofu

  Oboro Tofu
• See all photos from Mama T. for Eiji

2/12/2016

Originally my friend and I were planning on going to Kitchen Story but after a long day we were looking for a quiet place to unwind and Eiji was the perfect spot. The restaurant is a small hole in the wall restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. The service is professional and the food is traditional and satisfying.

My friend and I each got a chirashi, I also got an order of the kohada nigiri, and we split the house-made oboro tofu. The chirashi was a decent size at a decent price. The tamago, hamachi, and ikura were both above average .The rest of the fish were average in terms of freshness. The rice had good texture and the flavoring was a little light but still noticeable. Nothing particularly noteworthy but a solid chirashi bowl. (3.5/5)

The kohada nigiri was lightly pickled and quite fresh. The skin was slightly scored and I'm glad I ordered it as a little add on to my meal. It's nothing particularly special but I love kohada. (4/5)

The oboro tofu was definitely the star of the meal. It is a wonderful and delicate dish and you can really taste how fresh it is. It is great with or without the add-ons. It's not one of those dishes that will knock you out of the world with it's flavors but rather a dish that will make you appreciate the subtleties of food. (4.5/5)

Overall I really enjoyed this place. I can't say it was a spectacular meal but the experience itself was extremely enjoyable. The food was homey and comforting but also light and refreshing. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area.

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  Chirashi

  Chirashi
• See all photos from Vivian C. for Eiji

10/7/2015

Fairly decent sushi served in an intimate setting by real Japanese servers. There are only about 30 seats here, and they're all squeezed tightly together, so expect waits on weekend nights.

Nigiri offerings like scallop, aji, hamachi, salmon, tuna, and eel were all fairly average and reasonably fresh, as were the sushi rolls that I tried. The strawberry mochi was a nice way to cap the meal. Given warm, genuine service, and the authentic Japanese atmosphere here, I'm willing to round a 3.5 star review up to 4 stars.

4/9/2016

The food was expensive, 6.75 for a 5 piece Alaska roll, the portions are very small for the price. They didn't have spicy mayo. Immediately pointed out that no outside drinks were allowed.

3/4/2016

Location is good, but the place is small, highly recommend to make a reservation before you go, otherwise you have to wait at least half hour or so. The tofu is awesome! Playful and tasty!

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  Sweet potato yokan

  Sweet potato yokan
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  Special of today

  Special of today
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  Odoro tofu, make your own flavor

  Odoro tofu, make your own flavor
• See all photos from Faye L. for Eiji

1/6/2016

I am a picky vegetarian and thought this place was OK.

- Very small but cute
- Service was slow
- We couldn't get Strawberry Mochi at 8 pm on a weekday because they had run out
- Here are the items I tried:

1. Vegetable Roll (Good)
2. Oboro Tofu (Good). This is an attractive dish, highly recommend you try it if you haven't. They make fresh tofu and bring it to you. It's a different texture than your usual tofu. They give you a small plate of condiments to mix in with the tofu so that it has some flavor. Pretty light and warm on a cold day!
3. Eggplant Walnut Miso (I wouldn't get it again). I like Chinese and Thai eggplant so I thought of trying this dish. However, the walnut miso sauce was only on the top and rest of the eggplant was pretty uncooked and without the sauce. You may enjoy this but I am not a fan of it.
4. Dessert with red bean sauce (I wouldn't get it again). This dish may be to your taste but not something I typically enjoy.

2/6/2016

Make sure that you don't  watch any kind of videos and play games on your phone because it is not allowed here.

We love the food though.

2/27/2016

Amazing and fresh sashimi, solid rolls and the sexiest mochis in SF. Will definitely be back

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  Strawberry Mochi

  Strawberry Mochi
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  Sashimi

  Sashimi

1/27/2016

ATTN LATE COMERS: You will lose your table if you don't show within 15 minutes of your reservation. Be respectful to the owners and fellow diners and show up, on time.

Setting: seats 20-25
Menu: simple and traditional
Service: our waiter was new to the team but was very cordial and apologetic if he didn't know an answer to something
dining experience: up to Japanese standards. It was intimate, yet intricate. Inviting and quaint.
Food: Oboro tofu is a must. Get their uni nagiri - they always sell out of this. Kanpachi was sub par..not the most fresh. End with a sweet potato gelatin + ice cream and a strawberry mochi

**and if you're still hungry, top it off with a glass of Asahi bold**

3/27/2015

Friend and I were looking for sushi on a Friday night. We made a reservation. Come dinner time, I was 20 minutes late due to traffic (and starving- as usual). Lesson learned, your reservation will expire after 15 minutes and you're back to the end of the line. Be on time since they don't seat you until everyone in your party has arrived!

Luckily friend and I were here around a time that there wasn't a massive line, so we only had to wait 30 minutes extra for a table. After rubber necking (politely), looking at everyone's delicious food and studying the menu for a bit, we got seated at the bar.

We ordered/shared the nigiri chef's choice, seaweed salad, and an ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi). We also ordered a spicy tuna roll and ume shiso (not on the menu but I always ask for it anyway)s.

The sushi here is some of the best I've had in San Francisco. So good, that I came back Sunday night in the same week. I'm typically annoyed and disappointed when it comes to sushi in this city because it's so subpar. Eiji fills the void (of Shiro's/most sushi in Seattle, a baby step behind but delicious nonetheless).
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Second time around, ordered the oboro tofu, okra beef, ume shiso, and ichigo-daifuku (strawberry mochi). It's probably the BEST I've had in a very long time.

The oboro tofu is a MUST try. It has a slight "nutty" flavor when eaten on its own which I really enjoyed but the full deliciousness was with all the extras and the tamari soy sauce. I could probably eat this dish all on my own, shamelessly.

Well, all you need to know is:

1. Be on time with your full party
2. Order your OWN strawberry mochi

Aaaand I didn't share the daifuku this time. Sllp! =D

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  Nigiri

  Nigiri
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  Strawberry, red bean, and handmade mochi. OHEMGEEE

  Strawberry, red bean, and handmade mochi. OHEMGEEE

2/21/2016

Sake steamed clam was great; moji is average. Ordered sushi lunch set and was very disappointed by the quality. Salmon nigiri has chewy and fishy fish; sweet shrimp was very dry and not thoroughly cleaned; and all sushi has too much wasabi in it.

1/31/2016

I was having a craving for some good sushi and wanted to try a new place. Of course I used my trusty Yelp app to help me out I was at church and market and using the " current location" Eiji  came up I was impressed by the reviews and decided to give it a shot after checking out the reviews. I called to place an order and the person who took my order was very nice and asked me to hold while he asked the chef how long my order was going to take - I ordered it to go. He told me 40 minutes which was perfect as I still had a couple of errands. So this is a small place I would say maybe 10 tables or so but I liked how intimate and cozy it was in there. It's located right on 16th and Sanchez almost next door to Kitchen story. I got California roll,spicy tuna and the incredibly delicious ceviche roll everything was fresh and tasty total was almost $24.
I'm a fan and will definitely be going back !

4/9/2016

Bad service In your face Arrogant If you are ok waiting 30mn  at 8 pm without being able to put your name on a waiting list then an additional 15,mn because a member of the party is just outside and not inside in the tiny place where you can't seat to wait this restaurant is maybe for you Food is great but there are a lot of great Japanese places in SF Not worth the pain

12/29/2015

The service was unbelievably slow and bad. Our waiter started off by telling us that we weren't allowed to use our phones because of 'video streaming.'  Still not sure what she meant. We were not on the phone just surfing the web at the time. Then she brings out the order places it on table and begins to tell us what we ordered. She then figures out she is missing one piece. We tell her just to bring it later and leave the sushi but she refuses and takes all our food away. She then comes back with same plate and says we will bring out the other piece in a moment. Again not sure why she would take out food back especially if we asked her to leave it.

Then the chef (owner?) kept coming out and staring at people. Then he yelled across the restaurant at a customer who was taking too long to decide on her to go order. He said something like "hey she has four tables so you have to know what you want!"  It kind of felt like we were having dinner at my senile grandparents house where every move was scrutinized

Food wise I must say it was very good!

7/15/2015

Wow- I've never had a worse customer service experience in my life. I warn you, STAY AWAY unless you want an awful, embarrassing evening.

It's really unfortunate because the fish is fresh, really great little spot. They do have a very strict policy on seating; your entire party must be present. Completely understandable, many restaurants do this.

We sat down, had a great meal- the waitress wasn't particularly friendly and all she seemed to care about was turning her table. As we were finishing up we ordered some food togo for our friend. Our friend arrived as we were getting the bill and sat at our table. Within SECONDS he chef comes storming out of the kitchen "YOU CANNOT SIT HERE". I told him it was OK, she was not eating and we were paying the bill- just waiting for our take out.

He yelled again "NO! Get out, you must leave!"

WOW. So my friend left, we canceled our dessert order, paid the bill (zero tip obviously) and left. NEVER AGAIN.

7/26/2015

I realize why no one has recommended this place in the 12 years I've lived in the Mish. It's because it's bad.  And by bad, I mean fucking terrible.

In the mood to try some new sushi, we saw the 4-star rating and gave it a shot.  But everything from start to finish was crappy.  They had major trouble with our order, even though it amounted to adding avocado to a couple of veggie rolls.  When the food came out, the veggie sushi was side-by-side touching the fish sushi.  Poor form.  And even when we looked past that, the sushi we tried was mediocre.  I've had better at Trader Joe's, yo.

Big fail.  Pass on this one.

9/28/2015

This place is a small, cute hole-in-the-wall in the Mission area. It's very unassuming on the outside. Inside is very tiny.

My friend and I shared the house-made oboro tofu, which they make for you on the spot. It was really good, but you definitely have to love tofu to really love it. It came with an array of sides and a soy based sauce to season to taste. I loved mine with sesame seeds and bonito flakes.

We also shared a chirashi bowl. The fish was generally very good. I loved the tamago in it, and the ikura was not too salty for my taste.

And lastly, we had to try the strawberry mochi, for which they are known. And it definitely lived up to the hype. The strawberry gave it a slight tartness to complement the sweetness of the red bean. The mochi itself was very soft and delicious. I absolutely loved it. I think if I came back, I'd get one for myself. No sharing!

I really enjoyed my meal here. I'd recommend locals to try it out.

Tip #1: Try to come when it's NOT during a heat wave. There was no AC so I was sweating bullets inside lol
Tip #2: Try to make a reservation. It's not a hard to get a reservation (we made it 1.5 hour before our reservation time), but because the restaurant is so small, it's hard to get a table without a wait.

8/20/2015

Super fresh sushi/sashimi. Never disappointed with this place!

They're famous for making fresh tofu right before your eyes. It's the softest, silkiest tofu you'll ever taste.

Their homemade strawberry mochi is like no other! Large fresh strawberry wrapped inside a thin mochi layer with a very thin layer of red bean paste. Order this when you're ordering your dinner; they frequently run out by the time you're ready for dessert!

TIP: Make a reservation. It's a very small restaurant that's almost always full.

7/13/2015

Love small hole-in-the-wall Japanese joints. I'd expect to find something like Eiji in NYC for sure, but to experience this in SF was an added plus. I really love how tucked away and inconspicuous Eiji is, and it's easy to miss, especially with the much more appealing decor of Kitchen Story right next door.

But you're in for a sweet little surprise - once you step inside, you'll notice that it's a cozy yet brimming atmosphere where all patrons are clearly enjoying their meals. No pretense or overbearing ambiance, you come here simply for the food and some quiet conversation.

And as always, the best indication of an authentic Japanese experience is when the whole staff is Japanese! (Just sayin'.)

Favorites, in order of preference:
- Toro (melted in our mouths, literally; had to honor it with a few moments of silence)
- White fish carpaccio (excellent to start with as an appetizer)
- Uni (can you ever really go wrong?)
- Tofu (love that they make it in front of you, on the spot)
- Kampachi and salmon
- Purple yam dessert

Everything was at least a 3.75. With that said, I think I might have finally found my "go to"  restaurant in SF.

We were sad, though, that we didn't make it in time for the strawberry mochi, which is handmade. I'll have to return just to try it and some of their other menu items.