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Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhoods: Pacific Heights, JapantownMon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sushi Boom II offers unique, delicious sushi rolls, fresh and flavorful sashimi and various traditional Japanese dishes at... more »
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This place reminds me of some places in urban Japan, communing shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow hungry diners.
Had a late lunch here and it was pretty full. Nice lively atmosphere, although not a place for those that require elbow room. Set up is 'moat seating only', along an oval ring with a swift current carrying boats of assorted sushi. Be quick, or your sushi might not make it back to you.
To me, the sushi was okay. I hoped for more variety to tempt me into eating more. The service was friendly and very efficient.
3.5 stars*
Quality is decent, I suppose. I think it would be better if I didn't see the fish all around me, and it was put on a pretty plate or something, you know what I mean?
Prices are awesome. That one thing..with the crab+unagi+uni is HEAVENLY. Everyone I like condensed onto 1 huge bite. NYOM NYOM.
I'd go here when I want a LOT of sushi but don't want to wait long, nor pay a fortune. So, go here just for food. Not for the dining experience or service (which really consists of pouring tea/water and calculating the tab at the end).
OH, and if you want peace of mind for fresh fish, just order it from the menu...I don't think they mind.
This used to be soooo much better couple of years ago, when my family and I used to come here often. I feel like the prices are a bit ridiculous, and I know it is sushi, but with the prices, I can actually get better sushi elsewhere. The concept is cute of course, sushi on a boat.
Wish there is more sushi choices, seems like it is the same thing floating around and around.
Aside from that, service is great.
As I wandered through the mall, I stumbled upon this great Japanese treasure in San Francisco's Japan Town. It's authentic in all aspects! Actual Japanese chefs, real ingredients, and the "Sushi serving boat" floating on actual water! As you sit along the bar, enjoying a few drinks with some friends, you are more than welcome to grab one of the floating plates as they stream past you on a river of water. On each plate is different item, sushi, edamame, fried shrimp, etc. Each plate is color coded so it's easy to see how much your item is. There is also a menu available for other items, such as appetizers, side dishes, or dessert. I highly recommend enjoying a bottle of sake with your meal, and finishing it off with a slice of green tea cheescake! YUM! By the end of my meal, my boyfriend and I had at least ten plates stacked up in front of us... and the bill was under $50!!!
Amazing Service when you first walk in people get you seated quickly..
The sashimi is very fresh..You can feel like fish melt in your mouth..If you were here for the Rolls that are filled with all those crazy orange and white sauce on it then you are in the wrong place..This is the place to get some Mega Fresh Raw Fish!! it is really worth it. You might be wondering why i only gave a 4 stars...well i thought the place was a bit small and sitting area had no priavcy.. i don't like sitting at places with people i don't know plus im left handed and the person sitting on my left is right handed which is bad...lol...
I really enjoyed this place, it was fun and the sushi was fresh I have eated there twice and it is now on my top 3 sushi places in SF. Most of what I like was the service!!! I feel they are ready to refill my glass the moment I am done drinking and are very helpful/effecient!!
I will be back!
Located across the street from New People, Isobune provided me with an okay meal to tide me over until the next day.
Be wary of the items on the sushi boat. Although I came in a little bit after 8 pm, some of the items look like they've been going around more than a few times. Some tasted acceptable like the unagi and the spicy salmon roll. The griiled teriyaki squid was tough. You can also order a la carte, and the hamachi handroll was good.
My friend and I ordered a total of 6 items which came to $24 without tip. Not bad, but I wouldn't be rushing to go back.
I came here after the YEE event at New People looking for some dinner and was in a sushi mood.
The sushi boat takes up most of the restaurant. No individual tables and chairs to sit at. These boats move very fast and you have a second to decide if you want the sushi before it moves away. Luckily, the selections tend to repeat frequently, so if you miss out, another will come by soon. I got 6 little plates of sushi with miso soup. None of the sushi stood out, but it was decent.
If you want a quick bite to eat and the place isn't too busy, this is a good place to check out.
There are so many choices in Japantown for sushi, and I was really disappointed I chose to eat here. The only pro I can see is their service, which was great --attentive, friendly, and accommodating (2 stars)
The sushi does not taste BAD. However, it is definitely nothing special and pretty pricey, considering you get 2/3 pieces for $4.00. I'm not complaining about the price, so much as I am complaining about the quality-- that what you get for that amount is definitely not worth it. After eating 3 plates, I wanted to leave, but I also didn't want to not give this place a chance, so my bf and I tried maybe 5 more plates (but again, nothing great). A lot of it tastes as if it were made a while ago, something that you would eat at a sushi buffet (although they brought it from the back). In addition, there was a very small selection on the actual boat.
If you are in Japantown, looking for some good sushi/Japanese food, I would definitely recommend eating somewhere else!
There are two different addresses for Isobune Sushi here on Yelp, and to clarify, 1737 Post Street, (between Buchanan St. and Webster St), is the correct one. It is located inside the Kentetsu Mall, next to Benihana's.
Isobune delivers fast and friendly service, and top quality sushi. Due to the ongoing customer turnover, everything on the boat goes quickly, so nothing actually sits there long enough for it to go bad.
Aside from the never-ending mini-plate freshness, which flows on the sushi boats, special rolls and sashimis can also be ordered through the wait staff which are prepared from their back kitchen.
Prices are slightly higher here than most other places in the city, thanks to the herds of tourists that hang out here. Even so, I still visit Isobune once in a while.
Some of their rolls are prepared differently than what I'm used to, ingredient wise, and it is also larger in size. The colors of each plate Red, Orange, Blue, Black, Red, Gold... refers to the price of the plate. You can expect to pay up to $80-$100 for two, without drinks.
*Limited bar seating only. Expect a wait on any given time of day. Not recommended for large groups.
I am kinda sad after I came here today......
I was in jtown, and was excited to eat lunch here because my parents used to take me here all the time when i was a kid! This was one of the first sushi boat places in SF, and from my memory it was really lively and fun!
Yeah, this place was dead and empty, with a few people, but the prices were crazy! Almost $6 for 2 pieces of anything. Most of the food looked pretty dry as they went around..so i ordered a beef tataki....what a disappointment. It was like old roast beef on rice...but I HAD to finish, it was $6!
They had some different things than other sushi restaurants, but i dont think i will come back here until i have kids or something, or i would take them to sakana bune down geary.
We ate about 4plates, costing $25. Then we headed to Kukje for some korean food where we were stuffed with leftovers to bring home for $20!!! ughhhh
The great wall was built.
Stack by stack, piece by piece, I single-handedly brought myself to the brink of mercury poisoning as I crafted my personal wall of fame.
My fingers were busy emptying boats and stacking up empty plates as if I was simply a line of code written by Mr. Php.
Isobune is a great sushi boat bar in Japantown that will leave you stuffed. It's a small space, and there will most likely be a line, but the wait can be filled with plenty of window shopping within the center.
There's a wide assortment of dishes that float by you, from sashimi to tempura pieces so you don't need to be quick on the draw. It'll come back around...
Service is attentive, they're not there to boost your ego, but there was nothing I had to wait for.
The fish was fresh, the portions were decent, and your desire for an assortment of tastes will be satisfied. Unique, fun spot in the heart of Japantown that will satisfy your deep desire to transfer the sea to your belly.
The price is right, but the quality is sometimes not all the way up there. As long as you don't expect the French Laundry of sushi, you'll be fine.
Imagine my surprise to see that what I thought would be kaiten sushi on a conveyor belt was actually boats of sushi floating in a moat of water!
Kaiten style is always fun, but I've never necessarily expected it to be great sushi. This place takes the cake. It is both entertaining AND delicious!
There were a few pieces that stood out: I loved the scallop nigiri sushi, and there was also something that resembled a shrimp salad over rice that was amazing. Everything tasted fresh, and we didn't have a single piece that we didn't like.
If I visit SF again, I will definitely try to make a stop here.
This is one of my BF's favorites, so we end up going out here a lot.
It's pretty yummy sushi and it's just SO FUN to eat here, I love it. There are probably a few more places that have better sushi, but for sushi-boat place, this is pretty darn good. Plus, their oysters are SO good, and a little cheaper than neighboring establishments. Did I mention that they were really good? I didn't think I liked oysters until I had them here. They just put the right toppings on, I guess. So I eat a bunch and leave feeling like I could conquer the world.
To be frank, this place has more customers who are interested in living out an anime experience than people who enjoy sushi. *No one was eating anything* when I walked in. Bad sign since that means no turnover of the raw sushi on the belt. People were talking about their sushi expertise *yet no one was eating*. There was a long wait. *Why aren't people getting up if they're not eating????*
When my wife and I finally sat down, we tried four sushi dishes, regretted that, promptly slapped a credit card on the table and paid, ran the hell out of there. Yuck.
For what its worth, all of the other restaurants in the mall area have a lot more Japanese customers than Isobune.
I love how the entire restaurant is circled around the sushi boat/bar and there is no regular seating. It kinda makes the decision process a lot easier. I also digg the hot towel they give you when you first sit down.
The music is Japan-pop and the ambiance overall is young and fun! The wait is never too long here.
I LOVE their spicy salmon sashimi. I dont' know the exact name but I google imaged it and it looks exactly like the 4 rolls in this pic: http://ottawafoodies.c... It's my favorite thing at this restaurant and I come back just for it!
I did get some dry/not so fresh fish at one point so as a previous Yelper suggested watch for new dishes on the boats so you don't accidentally grab something that's been sitting out there for a few hours.
And, it's seriously SO CHEAP! You couldn't spend more than $20 on sushi and the average price is $15 for like 6 plates. Worth it!
Loved the floating boats, was pleasantly busy, food was fresh and lovely. Would recommend.
Great place to try sushi for the first time. You get to choose different sushi off the sushi boat. prices are listed based on the plate color. I especially like their salmon sashimi and spicy tuna! I also recommend their fried soft shell crab, smoked salmon rolls, and eel avocado cones! Service is excellent. There is always a greeter at the door and waiters going around taking your orders. I go there so often, the waiters and the greeters remember me and know what I typically order! It is a bit pricey, but defintely worth it for fresh sashimi and true authentic sushi. However, because of their popularity, the wait can be long (30-40 min) sometimes, especially in the evening. not a great place to have quiet meetings due to the loud japanese hip music in the background. no side tables, only seats at the sushi bar.
The finest sushi boat is SF. The fish are fresh there. The chef usually throws away the sushi that has been circling for too long . My favorites are the ones with the gold plates, especially fatty tuna.
It can be pricey eating there. Stacking plates up can be fun... but it hurts my wallet...
This is not a place that I would eat sashimi, but if I want to walk in, sit down, have a steaming towel and green tea, and something plucked off a floating boat and a sake within a minute, then Isobune is the place. It hasn't been packed with people since 1984 for nothing. It's funny and it seems cheap.
The truth is, it is surreptitiously expensive(even though each plate is less than $5). You can easily find yourself with a pile of colored plates and empty cold sake bottles in front of you, and then end up with a $50 lunch.
The eel, crab and avocado handrolls are very tasty.Avoid the old stuff by waiting for the chef to place something right on the boat.
Remind me to tell you the story of a previous visit there where David Lee Roth was fuming because nobody recognized him...
Every time I've been to this place everything was so fresh! I love the boats, but I think they make me eat more. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Oh, I don't get the low ratings but there's gotta be something said about an Japanese restaurant that attracts...uh... Japanese customers. I dunno, maybe the food IS good??? OR, maybe it's that Nigori Sake covering everything else up.
I'll be back.
When my husband and I plan a date in the City, Isobune is where we go. Sometimes I'll get off work around 3pm and we'lll drive 45minutes north just to beat rush hour traffic.The main difference with Isobune and other sushi places is they use real crab meat (not the sweet rubbery imitation crab that most places use). I always order two plates of the the Sake (raw salmon) which is ALWAYS fresh. Their Shrimp Tempura Hand Roll is awesome! It's made to order so the shrimp tempura is always crunchy because its fried just for you.
The key to eating fresh sushi at any sushi boat is to order directly from the waitress or chef. If you notice the plate you want looks dry just order it from any of the two and they'll gladly fix up a fresh one. As a matter of fact, I don't take anything off the boat unless I sit a chair or two away from where the chef places new plates down. As soon as it strolls my way I snatch it before anyone else can get a chance to "accidentally" sneeze or cough on it. EEW. Most plates that I eat at Isobune are made to order by yours truly.
i like their breaded shrimp head,oysters.they have freshest sushi!yum!!!the only part that i don't really like the place is a bit small but service is really good.
Oh Isobune, you are there when i need you. When the world seems bleak and flavorless, when the FiDi is mean and stingy, when I can't eat one more piece of buffet style sushi, you are always there with your caressing floating boats. They look a little war torn, a little scuffled. But that's what happens when the family next to me literally fights over the ama-ebi plate and the fried shrimp heads and the crazy mackeral thing with the yellow roe pressed against it.
I can't give you 4 stars because that would be weird. But I am going to give you my heart. Because you make me feel in control. You make me feel like I know what I'm doing. You always agree with me. Except for that weird marinated raw octopus thing. That wasn't cool. But I know that recently you changed your fry-a-later oil because the fried shrimp heads were tasty. And the fact that you put that on the plate.
Just know, that 4 days out of 5, i will be thinking about you, and trying to figure out a way to sneak a bit of your sushi without the BF knowing.
In all honesty, other than the dried looking stuff on the sushi boats, this place appears to get reasonable turnover for the fish. It'll not be the best quality overall, but I think they move a fair bit of it so you won't get sick. Watch out for the crazy people who like to touch the food though. And that woman who clumsily grabs the plates, misses, but manages to touch the food and all the food on the surrounding plates.
The sushi: 3 stars. A-OK!
The soft shell crab tempura: 0 stars.
What the hell was this? I've had…
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I avoided this place for awhile because all of the mediocre Yelp reviews made me think it had gone downhill.
Well, I went there yesterday with a friend, and I'm glad to say that I disagree with the Yelpers who didn't like it -- this place is still great. Their food is still beautiful, fresh, and great-tasting.
I have pretty high standards for sushi, and Isobune met them. I'll definitely be back again soon.
I've eaten at a lot of different Japanese restaurants around town, and this place has the best sushi… Read more »
I'm not sure if I could give up tuna sashimi for nine months. I know it's a must, I am taking the idea with terrifying reluctance. The moving sushi boat makes me dizzy staring at it but I have to be on the lookout for the crab meat roll. The seating space is uncomfortably hemmed in, and it's a curse being a lefty. I love this place nonetheless. This is my sushi haven. Good luck finding a parking spot, otherwise, go to the one in Burlingame.
Meh. I've experienced better.
Is there really any more that needs to be said?
Being from LA, my experiences with SF based sushi restaurants is somewhat limiting, having only tried a few sprinkled out on Geary and the ever-famous Ebisu, and even those I tried years ago. When visiting this past weekend, I naturally developed a sudden sushi craving but did so while walking through the little Japantown mall - and you know what that means: tourist trap heaven. Normally I stay far away from these places and not wanting to risk driving a few minutes over to Geary, decided to brave it and hit Isobune. After all, it was packed and I figured "what the hell" - at least I wouldn't have to go back if I didn't like it.
A couple minutes after taking a seat, I scanned the rotating line of very quickly moving boats to see what I was dealing with. Dove in immediately for what looked to be yellowtail toro and o-toro; the guesses were correct and very delicious. After deciphering the price tag for the different colored plates, I forged onward and thought maybe this place wasn't so bad for a tourist trap after all. The pieces of fish were generously large and fresh, and even my girlfriend who isn't an experienced sushi eater liked it so much she felt compelled to take in whatever I was smiling over.
I really thought I was going overboard judging by the amount of the highest dollar plates I'd been collecting but I was on vacation and didn't really give a shit (that's what vacations are for, right?). But after a miscalculation by the wait staff, stuffing ourselves silly with nothing but mostly toro and other prized delights was really nothing more than a $80 afterthought (that's not including tip or drinks); I can't think of any situation where I've eaten that cheaply except in Japan and liked it after. I'd say if you're going to Isobune and read the reviews on here, then yes, the boats float at the speed of light and there will inevitably be some pieces of seafood that looked like they've been sitting there for the better part of the day, but bypass that and go for the good stuff instead. You'll be doing your stomach a huge favor and can thank yourself afterward for doing so. It's a small price worth paying for and you might surprise yourself.
In the spirit of Nor Cal, 4 "hella good" stars.
Not the greatest, but it'll do in a pinch for a quick sushi fix for lunch. When dinner time rolls around there are better options for sushi in the immediate area, but for a fast bite this will do. The fish is reasonably fresh and the selection is pretty impressive. The service is excellent, but the prices seem a little bit high for the quality.
Print this coupon and get 1 free hour validated parking at the Japantown garage.
http://japantownparkin...
Sometimes you want really good quality, authentic nigiri made by skilled, trained sushi chefs. If you're looking for that, go elsewhere.
But sometimes you just want fast-food sushi that you can pick off of rotating boats. Because you might not have wanted or known about kani salad nigiri (crab with mayonnaise on top of rice, wrapped with seaweed) or pickled seaweed nigiri but seeing it float by kinda gives you a craving for it.
Back in the day, I grew up eating Isobune. In the early-mid 80's, I believe the owner and sushi chefs were Japanese and the quality of the fish was excellent. These days, the quality and cut of the fish has gone down, but I still secretly enjoy the gimmick of the rotating sushi boats.
It's definitely not the best quality sushi but it's convenient and kind of fun. If the fish floating around looks like it's been going around the conveyer a bit too long, you can ask the chef to make you a fresh set of whatever it is you want.
I hate when one place has TWO review sections with different addresses....
This place is convenient and in the Japan Town mall HOWEVER it STINKS!!!!
We went for lunch on a Thursday - love the boats, its grab and go - nice and fast. But the stench was so strong and in my past experience whenever the place smells the fish doesn't taste so great. As was the experience here. Even the edadmame was dirty looking. The sushi ate was OK but nothing I would ever come back for, the best thing I had was sweet shrimp nigri.
Sushi is definitely fresh here and definitely more expensive. Most of the little plates I got cost me $3.95 each. I could have went to Fune Ya for $1.95 plates but let's not go there.
Service was nice (even though right after I payed the bill the waitress had to look at it to make sure that I tipped) That's always rude!
The bf and I didn't know what was in most of the sushi boats. Some of them looked like it had mixed seafood with mayo and they just slabbed it on top of some rice. They even had generic shark fin and jelly fish rolls! That was interesting.
After 6 plates of not really knowing what we ate, we were in and out of the place in 15 minutes. BF loved their spicy tuna roll though. That's his fave :)
We loved it! During our week in San Francisco we came here twice and ate as much of the super fresh and delicious sushi as we could. Fresh oysters, fresh sashimi, and the hand rolls were lovely. We had a wonderful experience with excellent service and a nice variety of sushi.
Best Kaiten ever! Definitely not to be missed...
The room is appropriately decorated, small, and consists of nothing more than an oval shaped sushi bar packed at every inch with chairs. Staff are courteous and maintain good control (and fairness) in managing the waiting list.
The place was packed for lunch and we waited maybe less than 20 minutes. The estab. chose boats over standard conveyor, and the boats move rather high speed compared with most Kaitens. I liked the pace as you could quickly survey the field.
Prices were outstanding...with a multiple tier system ranging from 1.99 to 7.99. Most choices ranged from 3.49 to 3.99. If you're a fan of mackerel like I you'll be thrilled to see it on the 1.99 plates.
The slices of fish were absolutely the largest possible for Nigiri. Definitely more than a mouthful. A reasonable sized person with a non obese appetite could get full on 5 plates.
The freshness of the fish was among the best I've had at any sushi restaurant...though it should be noted I probably haven't had really really good sushi because I'm frugal (see smart).
The only thing that could make Isobune better is if I could move it to LA.
Don't believe the haters.
If you pressed your Ed Hardy shirt and True Religion jeans to take your girl out for sushi, then don't come here. Unless of course, your date loves the freshest fish in the Bay.
I've been to probably 100+ sushi restaurants, and I have had awful fishy sushi in NYC (amazing too). I have had buffet Cali rolls that could scare a glutton, and I have had Tokyo straight tuna (see Musashino review).
This place delivers what a discerning sushi goer is looking for...fresh fish. The tuna, the escolar, the mackerel, the salmon, everything is amazing. My brother and I squeezed into two seats at the bar only seating restaurant. $38 later after tax and tip, we walked away smiling and full.
Watch what the chefs are preparing for the line, and then grab it from the boat ASAP. Recommendations: scallops, escolar (white tuna), toro (fatty tuna), eel, and etc...
This place is cheap...it's a recession baby! Go for the blue plates!
When I lived in that neighbourhood I ate there regularly because I never cooked then, and they were cheap and fast, PLUS I was always late + in a hurry!
Their Toro is one of the best for the price. Their King crab sushi it REALLY good. I see Isobune as Japanese clean cut pasta pomodoro, nothing exotic or special, yet nothing bad either. (but I honestly think they are light years better than pasta pomodoro!)
The quality of the sushi overall is not bad, considering the price, and considering the many other places in the city that are not as good.
They're a great place if you are catching a show at the Kabuki, or if you're in the neighbourhood and find yourself in a bit of a hurry!
This is one of the places I sorely missed whenever I live away from the Bay Area. Although the health concerns regarding sushi boat places are real, this place does get rid of customer rejects after it's been out too long. What I like about this place is the thick cuts of fish, its freshness, and the variety.
My picks for nigiri are: king crab, spicy octopus, toro, ikura, and hamachi. Here's what I often order directly from the sushi chef: California handroll with eel, spicy tuna handroll, tempura handroll, dragon roll and tempura handroll. I also enjoy their salmon and tuna sashimi as they come in generous portions. For what you get and the variety of choices to choose from, you can easily end up with a huge bill anywhere else.
Service-wise, what you'll get is a constant refill of tea and water. They could use better music in the background and friendlier service but that's the least of my concerns when I'm having a good time with friends. This is a pretty cool place to check out especially when you have out of town visitors to impress.
How can I put this gently? Well, let's just say that tonight was my last visit to Isobune. It just seems like Isobune's 'o.k." quality has just gone downhill. The sushi options on the boat were weak; it seemed like the same trays were going around and around and around and around, it was making me dizzy. Some of the trays I tasted were very fishy, which for me, is a sign of rancid fish. I asked one of the Chinese waitresses for a side of spicy mayo (which btw is awesome to dip with sushi) and she looked at me like I was asking for an oil change. Fine, instead of the spicy mayo, I requested a side of mayo and she still couldn't understand me and said that it will cost me $1.95 'charge'. So I say, "um, okay" then she says, "what you want? I don't know what is that, we no have that"... yet she's all over it when it comes to charging me. Then how the heck do you make your california rolls? Hello? RANDOM!! Anyway, let's just say, I'm over it! I'm going to Fune-Ya in the Richmond to get my sushi-boating-on!
I don't know why I like this place when I know that this "Japanese" restaurant in Japantown is… Read more »
Happy Hour - 7 Days A Week!
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
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Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Japanese
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