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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
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haha what can i say, i'm a fan. i was actually really reluctant to try this place out. it sounded like a terrible idea, a cheap floating boat restaurant in the middle of all these chinese restaurants on clement st. but i live a few blocks down and i was hardcore craving some nigiri and simple sushi, not fancy rolls.
so on a friday night we wandered in and it was pretty empty, except for another couple. we went back a few weeks later and it was more packed. but both times it was comfortable...you're not sitting shoulder to shoulder like you would be in a tokyo sushi bar.
we were pleasantly surprised! there isn't an amazing amount of variety but it was good enough. actually, it was pretty good. the salmon was good, the baked mussels were good, the random rolls that floated on by were not bad either! my baby was really happy that they actually had sweet shrimp. and at 2.15 a plate, i couldn't complain! we were happily sitting there eating to our heart's (and stomach's) content.
i am really satisfied with this place. we left very happy and content. it's not amazing but i sure am glad i have a cheap place to fulfill emergency sushi cravings! yay!
I took a big risk last night. I parked somewhere with friends and walked to the closest sushi place. I never do that, I usually, but I was pleasantly surprised. I mean this is no superior sushi restaurant. But for the price, it was wonderful. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I AM POOR from all the damned restaurants in this damned city. and the damned parking and tickets... woops went on a rant. This spot curbed my sushi craving for a cheap cheap deal. And for that I'm thankful. I'd definitely come back just for the idea of the boat and the cheapness.
Tip: Speak up to the waitresses and enunciate - their english is too good. They got a couple dishes wrong cause they thought we said something else.
I'll begin by saying the #1 reason I first entered Fune Ya was a combination of my sushi addiction and it's 2 block distance from my house. The 4 star rating is an accumulation of nearly 40 visits that have steadily reaffirmed it's value.
I avoid the menu and stick with the boats ($2.15 per boat - usually 2 pieces of nigiri or a roll). The quality of fish is standard, but def good enough to satisfy my addiction on a weekly basis, and the service makes you feel like Michael Andretti on a pit stop at the Daytona 500. This is not to say that they are pushy or annoying, but extremely attentive.
To the naysayers: You may be right, the fish sometimes does not always appear fresh as it cruises so defeated downstream in the river of raw fish, but quit showin' up before 5 on a weekday! The best times for a poppin' sushi boat joint are usually the busiest - I recommend going at peak dinner hours to ensure the freshness and variety of selection, going in at a slow hour on a slow day will greet you only with that ugly duckling selection: you'll see the same damn boat with the same damn octopus/squid goin' round and round and round.
Conclusion:
You combine the convenience of eating a diverse selection of sushi steadily streaming by on a floating boat and the nascar pit crew of a waitstaff, and you've got yourself a first class hunger pit stop. If only they sold season passes!
Not a fan of this kind of places - cheeky kaiten sushi, not-japanese run and all, but tried it still, why not, the prices are steep but not as steep as the rest of sushi places (or any restaurant besides In'n'Out, really) in this extortionist city. Well, the quality and the taste is actually decent, and for the price - well I was pretty happy. I actually enjoyed the sake and the maguro, and the ikura was surprisingly fresh - I've caught real expensive and authentic places like Oyaji with sickly ikura!
Keep it up, Fune-ya!
Please clean the chains that connect the boats - that float the sushi around!
They are nasty!
Terrible. All the raw fish tasted the same with very little flavor. All had a very fishy… Read more »
fune ya is not the place to go to for the best quality sushi in town, for sure, but it's a great place to take your raw fish-wary chinese mother! yeah, every time my mom thinks about sushi, she thinks of this place, and in a very sick sort of way i always oblige. for the price, you can't really beat it.
if you do happen to find yourself here, a safe bet would be the unagi bowl, tempura (so long as the veggie pieces aren't too big... big pieces of broccoli usually means raw batter will get trapped in between), and stuff with spicy tuna. i have a twisted fascination for the wannabe "dynamite" baked mussels and fish cups with mayo as well... it's so bad it's good but just make sure you get a warm one form the toaster oven!
I think it's great for the price. I haven't been here lately so I dunno if it's changed but while I was a student at SF State (graduated last year) I would come here because it was the only sushi I could afford. Plus it was quick and a no frills place. Like Japanese fast food ('nuf said).
I like the variety and although they have sushi on the boats, you can TECHNICALLY order anything off the $2 menu!! You don't have to get the stuff that's been floating all day on the boats. Especially since they only have the "popular" or cool looking stuff floating. My fiancé loves the white tuna and they usually don't have that out. So he orders a couple.
Cons: parking, grumpy staff
Pros: Price, sushi boats are cool, sushi is pretty good, good selection, not too packed, quick!
So disappointed.
Ya see, I've been going here for years. The overall experience being what has brought me back; nice, if aloof, staff, serviceable sushi, boat-like entertainment, very affordable prices.
Over the course of the last couple of years they've been playing with their prices. Well, okay, never let it be said that I am not willing to change with the times. I'm not sure that flat pricing is quite right, but when the meal is generally a wash, cost-wise, you adapt.
Now though, the prices have gone up yet again, there is fewer staff, and worst of all, the sushi's quality has gone down.
Expensive and bad with small portions? I grant that times are tough all over, but increase value when you increase prices!
Here's the assessment from my last visit:
Before: 3 to 4 trays per boat
Now: 2 to 3 trays per boat
Before: large, round nigiri with thick (if sloppily cut) slices of fish
Now: thin amounts of rice, thinly cut fish
Before: a plethora of mayonnaise-crab-filled rolls
Now: thinly made actual fish-type rolls
Before: lively, plentiful cooks working to keep the boats (and me) fed
Now: tired, plodding cooks rearranging trays as much as making new food.
Before: sullen boss wanders around showing bland face to customers, grumpy face to staff
Now: sullen boss wanders around showing grumpy face to customers, grumpy face to staff
I'm really disappointed to be giving this place, charming and serviceable for all these years, a poor review. I want to like Fune-Ya like I have liked Fune-Ya all this time. But when times are tight, I want value for higher prices, and I just don't feel like I'm getting that any more.
inexpensive, well-prepared sushi, what's not to like?
Not the best sushi, but the quality to cost ratio is off the charts.
I have never been to a sushi boat before but I came here for dinner with my research partners one night. I ordered the roll shaped like a heart, and the tuna on the outside wasn't very fresh. It looked dry so I removed the fish.. but other than that, the roll tasted good. Every boat is $2.15. There's something discomforting about eating pieces of sushi that's been going around, rejected by everyone else. I would much prefer Kiki's for cheap sushi, although they don't have the sushi boats.
This place has been here for years and I've never really noticed it. Today was the first time I've gone (with my big sis, the nephew, & the niece). It was before noon and not too crowded. We got to sit at the bar. There definitely wasn't very much choice when we first got there, so we weren't taking very much sushi off the boats. We ordered some plain ramen, which the kiddies loved. I tried some and it actually was really good. Very flavorful for plain ramen. Eventually more sushi selection was coming around and we probably ate about 9 plates. Sushi was pretty good and it wasn't that expensive. I think every sushi boat item was $2.15. Service was fine too. Someone was always coming to check in with us to make sure everything was okay. And they were really on top of things with my niece and kept coming back to take garbage away or replace things for her.
I'd come back.
Unprofessional staff. Dirty and worn serving wear. Bad music playing while dried up, sketchy looking sushi floats past on algae covered boats in blue toilette water. A %15 added fee for a group of 5 or more? Ok, but there went your tip. Feeling burned, and I won't be going back. Cheap sushi joints are a dime a dozen in SF.
Not all sushi boats are created equal. When it comes to sushi, please exercise caution.
(+) CHEAP-ASS (EMPHASIS on the ASS) sushi.
(-) The sushi was NOT FRESH.
(-) You could just see the same dishes going 'round and 'round...and 'round again...
(-) Because they put so much sauce on some of the rolls, they were soggy/ mushy (yack!)...I guess they have to smother it in sauce, otherwise you might *actually* taste the god-awful fish--heaven forbid!
...
Result: We left w/ our belly's aching (and as someone who has a stomach of steel, that's pretty damn bad) and our sushi boat dreams crushed.
This is as bad as sushi can get. Still, I sometimes go about once a week. Why? It is a good instant gratification place and cheap. When I was a student, it did the trick for a quick sushi fix and now I'm still hooked. Its a no frills place. I just go to sit down after a hard day of work, stuff my face, and leave. Just be careful because some of the sushi looks like its been floating around for hours and hours. The kind where the fish starts getting a little discolored. Also, I kinda have to cringe when I see baby octopus' (octopi?) passing by. I don't know but that's just me.
I told you that I would be back! So tonight was similar to last week, the only difference was these gross flies were welcoming me in the main entrance not the hostess.. Eww! Unappetizing! I was seriously disgusted by that... Though, the service was great, the food was good but those damn flies were literally buggin' me!
P.S. When they offer you tea, you should know that it ain't free. You will see a misc. charge of $1.... Interesting....
I am officially a fan of Fune Ya.. I had a delicious and inexpensive meal at Fune Ya which left me… Read more »
One-star at best. I think there are sushi-chefs rolling over in their graves knowing that this kind of sushi is being produced, right here on my precious Clement Street. Seriously. I haven't eaten sushi this bad since I was dumb enough to buy sushi at Safeway in El Cerrito, for the third time. The sushi I tried tonight was an insult to the art. I mean that!
Question: How can you F up a California roll? Answer: mix it with too much mayo, like your in the Midwest with crab salad, tuck in some rice and avocado and wrap it in seaweed and send it sailing around for 30 minutes on sushi boats til it's dried out and tired. Wow. that was harsh, but again, so was dinner.
Well, I really like watching the boats go 'round and round. It's a lot bigger than Sakana Bune on 21st and Geary and it's probably run by the same people. I usually come on some random day during lunch hour to avoid the crowds at night and also to avoid frustration finding parking on crazy-ass Clement street. Service can vary from each visit. It depends on the waiter or waitress' mood when you step in. I always feel paranoid that they're going to spit in my cup or soup. Oy, well I can't say that it's the best I had: you really do get what you pay for at a place like this.
I have really mixed feelings about this place, because how can you go wrong with cheap sushi being transported around the restaurant by boats?
Sure, the sushi isn't the best quality. Sure, there isn't a huuuge selection. But seriously, what could be more entertaining than watching sushi float by (actually, they go by pretty quickly) and then grabbing whatever you want before someone else gets to it? I can see how the sushi wouldn't be fresh, especially when it's not super crowded, but there was a good number of people around the sushi boat, so the stuff was all relatively fresh throughout the night. We could definitely tell what had been floating around for awhile though.
Definitely get the fried banana dessert. OMG. Yum.
The place would have gotten 4 stars if I'd only experienced the dinner boat thing (which is what I did with my friend), but I went there to get a to-go lunch of saba shiyoyaki, and it was very, very bland. Hey, it was cheap though.
Okay, so its not the best sushi in town. But its convenient and cheap! You gotta love that 'Special Promotion' for $1.95 plates off of the boat.
My favorites include: Sake (Salmon) Nigiri, House Roll (Unagi/Avocado on top of a California Roll), and the Rock and Roll.
They also have a super cheap Lunch Bento for like $5.95. And the Service has mostly been... pretty good.
I'm a little addicted to sushi - because it's fresh and healthy.
- 1 star, most items on the $2.00 sushi boat has imitation crab.
then again, what can you really expect for $2.00. I still think it's a good college student on a budget place to eat =D
I really like this place. I've been here a few times for lunch and their boats aren't full. This… Read more »
I got roped in with the "All Boat Items $1.95" promotion.
On retrospect, one should never use price as the primary metric for good sushi. That may work with Mexican or Chinese food, but not with raw fish.
In their favor, the place was clean and the service prompt and polite. I do agree that they are rather directive about where you sit and I figured that was just to make the place look busier.
The sushi wasn't "omg I'm going to get sick off this stuff" bad. It was just bland, the quality of the fish sub-par and the preparations neither particularly well-executed or creative. Their spicy tuna roll (on the boat) was bland and chewy. I pulled it apart and all the stringy parts of a cheaper maguro cut were in there. The fake crab they used in the cali roll was particularly bland.
I realize in retrospect that for $2/plate that I'm not going to get highest quality sushi. I still got sucked in -- would have been better off getting some pho down the street.
Had this been a year ago, my rating would have been higher. I just ate here earlier in the week and it was horrible. I'm not certain if management has changed, but they now have a banner outside that reads, "All boat sushi $1.99.." I should have known that was a bad sign, but my boyfriend and I ventured in anyway.
The selection of items on the boat was very minimal. We kept seeing the same dishes float by for the entire time that we were there. They added the occasional fried banana here and there. Its not even as though we went right before closing..it was 7pm.
I had two trays off the boat and then decided to order a roll. We seriously waited at least 15-20 minutes for the roll to come out. I'm not sure if they forgot to put in the order or what happened. It definitely was not because they were busy because, including the two of us, there were a total of about 8 people dining.
I'm certain that I won't be back to eat here again.
I've tried many times to like Fune-Ya. Probably because it's convenient, cheap and close to home. Too many times I've been disappointed by less than average food. Sure it's fun to watch the sushi rolls and edamame float around .. and around.. and around. But some of that stuff has been floating for way too long because it just isn't fresh and I end up leaving, feeling grody to the max.
Also, the servers are attentive and very nice but kind of bossy and tell you where to sit like assigned seating in 6th grade.
Marcella no like to be bossed around. Thank you.
2.5 stars
I don't think I can complain about the experience I had at Fune-Ya. It will probably be the best experience I'll ever have here. Why is that, you ask?
Well, my uncle knows the owner and with a starving bunch of 12 people, the owner kept replenishing our table with endless amounts of specialty rolls, nigiri, sashimi, soup and sake. We were stuffed to the brim and the adults were getting buzzed faster than the youngn's (kind of a scary thing), but Michael kept sending food and sake over.
And for the icing on the cake? It was all on the house.
Royal treatment aside though, the sushi is not very good. But this place still manages to constantly have a good amount of people dining here. I mean, it is super cheap for sushi so I think all the Cantos in the Richmond come here for the low sushi prices and not for the high quality of sushi. And the sushi boat experience is always fun and intriguing. The restaurant is very clean and pretty large too. There's also a private room in the back that can be reserved for large parties.
I'm not sure I'll be back anytime soon, but THANKS anyway, Michael!
I love sushi, specifically GOOD sushi.
That's not exactly what I got here.
What attracted my friend and I to this place was probably the price. It's "$1.95" per sushi boat item, but it adds up.
Honestly, I've had better sushi than this. Their bento box is not all WONDERS either.
The waitresses are quite loud and what they say aren't exactly "nice" either. So customer service could be better.
If you want cheap, but not tasty food go here. If not I recommend some other place. Don't let the price fool ya. What you pay for is what you get.
I'm not a sushi person but my friends like this place because of the sushi boats are somewhat cheap, but those things build up, just think it's about 2 dollars each even though they say 1.95, I mean at the end they still charge a tax.
I only like the fried bananas and the last time I went there it came around ONCE, one plate then not again for the hour I was there.
I always get a bento box, I don't like the teriyaki chicken or beef. I just tried the chicken katsu and that wasn't that great either.
2 stars for the food.. and one star for the free food, muhaha! My uncle from toronto/HK is good friends with the owner. So my family and I (15 of us) drank unlimited amounts of sake, and ate endless amounts mediocre sushi the whole night! AND SERIOUSLY IT WAS ALL FREE! The miso soup here was really good, i think i had about 5 bowls that. Make sure you don't order the ramen here. NOT VERY RAMENY... if you understand what i mean... (lets just say, it's no santa ramen). The fish didn't look to fresh... If you were to come here just stick to the specialty rolls... and make sure its fried =) haha
Thanks Michael, we sure had a great experience here!
I love this sushi bar place, its pretty cheap compared to some of the other sushi places i've been too. I just wish the service was a bit better though
You know what? I like this place. Not the best sushi I've had, but for around 2 dollars a plate at the sushi bar, it'll do. The service is so-so. Sometimes I'm afraid of the nigiri.
I love Fune-Ya!
Lynette D, they only put a certain amount of $1.95 sushi on the boat, but if you ask for their menu, there are more kinds of sushi for $1.95.
So saying that, guys, don't forget to ask for the menu to see what other sushi they have for $1.95. For example, I love Unakyu rolls but they hardly make it on the boat so I always have to request, and it is still just $1.95.
The sushi here is definitely fresh, and I've even made friends with the sweet faced Latino girl who works on the right top corner of the boat. She always informs me with what each roll is made of, and yada yada.
Now for the Bento-boxes.. yeah they aren't that great. The dressing they use on their salads taste like the mayonnaise/sauce from In & Out. Try it for yourself, you'll see what I mean. AND, the chicken/beef/salmon/whatever you end up picking usually lack in juicyness and taste dry. But what's it to me, I never really order Bento Boxes here anyways... I come for the sushi!
My friends and I love this place! The sushi boat is a wonderful experience and the waitresses are nice and friendly We didn't have to wait too long to be seated. And it was nice seeing the chefs make the sushi live. I love the shrimp tempura and unagi rice bowl. Filling and explodes with wonderful flavors in your mouth. The prices are reasonable. $2 a plate with up to 2-4 pieces. The unagi rice bowl is only 4 something. The whole roll is 7-10. The ice cream mochi fr desert is fully recommended!
I came here for the first time last wknd and felt uneasy after seeing all those boats going by. I usually stay away from Sushi places w/ little floating boats bc they make me nervous and indecisive and impulsive.
Luckily, the prices are so low, it was okay to just grab and try lots of different types of sushi. It was great to try new things I had never had before. I usually order the same spider roll and spicy tuna wherever I go so change was good.
Also, the chef there - the Mayan dude - was super, super sweet and would just hand us different types of things he was making for us to try: snail salad, salmon eggs and some type of roll w/ sea urchin - all of which I didn't much care for, but it was a sweet gesture and I always like to try things at least once. Not to mention, we learned some new Mayan words at dinner - in a Sushi place! That was great! ha.
The waitresses were nice too - really friendly and talkative. The owner even came over and treated us to a round of beers and sake... free. He even pulled out a chair for the chef to sit hang out w/ us and have a beer with us. That was sweet and it seemed like he's good to his employees... BIG plus for that one.
All in all this was difintely a new Sushi experience and it was on the cheap so that's always a plus. I'd definitley go back.
I still don't understand why I come back.
It's cheap, it's okay tasting ... meaning the fish is blah, but some of the non-fish rolls are pretty good... that's about it... I think they had a good squash one, but I might be making that up. Aside from that... everything isn't all that great. The bento boxes are edible (meaning it won't kill you), but once in a while you'll find a fly in your rice, and the waitress will nonchalantly ask you, "Do you want to cancel that?" Yup. I guess they always have flies in their rice.
It's passable at 1.95 per item. I don't understand why they make you pay for the tea though, but whatever floats their boat.
I usually find myself here, at the bar, eagerly watching the little boats go round and round....The prices are good but unfortunately that's about it. I find mysefl sitting there watching unrecognizeable items go around and aound for a while, wondering how long its actually been sitting there for.
The only reason I give this place 4 stars is because I do go there alot and have alot of special requests which they are more than happy to accomodate and the price really cant be beat.
If youa re looking for awesome mind blowing sushi, this is not your place....if you are looking for a gimmicky fun time drinking sake and hanging with a friend, try this place...
I'm definitely a new fan of Fune Ya. I can appreciate the value, cheap sushi that is pretty good. I know there is some serious sushi snobbery on Yelp, so if you're one of them then don't waste your time. Otherwise I recommend giving it a try. This is a perfect lunch spot, quick, cheap (by sushi standards) and tasty. The staff was also very friendly.
If you're a total optimization freak like me then you should actually order the sushi-G, which is $0.67375 per piece in stead of $1 per piece when selecting off of the boats. Of course the sushi-G is 40 pieces so bring a friend or an appetite.
I use to come here because my friend said it was his favorite sushi place. The service was great and sushi was good to. I like it.
Ate here last night with the "Rat' (don't ask)...we threw down on the revolving & floating sushi dishes. There is a $1.98 promotion for all the "sushi boat" items, can't go wrong with that! Quality was pretty good. Being the PIGS we are we topped off the 14 sushi plates with a bowl of noodles ($6.95 ea.), Tonkatsu Ramen for me and Udon for Rat. Two ladies nearby said "My, you guys sure are HUNGRY". Go ahead lady, just call us "pigs", you know you want to. Parking sucks, place is large; seating around the bar and tables all around. Pretty busy place but seat turnover seems quick...
Some of the best inexpensive Sushi in SF! We're always treated really well there and have a good time. The owner came over last time and gave us some Edamame on the house.
Always a good vibe and they're happy to pull together anything you want. We've done a number of 'special orders' and they're always quick and tasty!
Not the best sushi you can find, but it is really good and always an enjoyable experience, at the right price!
The sushi boat specials are really cheap... you can get a roll for like $1.99.. However, I think all the sushi is horrible. I got sick from eating here and i only tried it out because my friend said it was cheap, fast, sushi...
That's what it is.. cheap, fast, but no-good sushi. I prefer quality rather than quantity, after eating here.. I wished I ate at the nearest fast food restaurant.
Fune-Ya has really gone up in price in the past 2 years. Used to be $1 most plates, $1.50 for the more specialty rolls, and $2 for the more exotic nigiri. The quality however, stays the same. (that's not a compliment)
There is a trick to enjoy the experience in Fune-YA sushi boat, you have to know which plate is being cut fresh, and which plate is out there to rot for minutes already. Since every plate is now $2, I would save my appetite for the fancier plates, make sense right?
Fune-Ya's main draw is their fake crab oriented rolls, the taste is lightly sweet with creamy, mayo flavor to compliment the fake crab. Almost anything with crab salad on it is guaranteed good, provided it is done fresh.
Don't come here for authentic Sushi, as there is none here, but you can expect plenty of good fried/cooked rolls here at a bargain.
Happy Hour Draft Beer $1.75!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
99 cents beer & hot sake
Neighborhood: Excelsior
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Sushi Bars
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