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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Castro"This is my favorite place to get sushi, hands down. The owner is a great host, always attentive and generous. All the sushi chefs have a…" read more »
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For the price, you can't beat it! $3.50 for a Rock'n'Roll that's delicious and fresh? $3.20 for a scrumptuous order of Sake Nigiri?? Total bill for 2 people completely pigging out: $34 including tax??? How is that even POSSIBLE at a sushi restaurant????! Sushi snobs might not appreciate what this place has to offer, but for the price, it's excellent quality!
One negative: if you want to bring a party of more than 12 people, they will make you use the back room and enforce a $20/person minimum, which is a lot of food, considering how much the menu items cost here...unnecessary, in my opinion, since they have ample room to seat a party of 18-20 in their main room, which has never been completely full when I've been there before.
Polite, prompt service, great people-watching potential at seating by front window, and clean bathroom. Can you really ask for more?!
The Good: Good sushi and Japanese cuisine, considering the prices are so very, very low. There's… Read more »
Clean, cheap, open late (until 130AM on Friday for sure!), friendly service, cash or credit, spacious and no nonsense... sounds like a guy I once dated.
Anyhoo! I've found myself with my nose pressed against their glass windows too often for my own good. So, here's the skinny in my own fine words.
GOOD WHEN:
1. You're lazy and cooking don't thrill you much... and the pay cut due to your furlough ain't helping
2. You're looking to go on a first-second-third date... and its too early for that 3-week anniversary meal at Boulevard
3. You're watching your wallet and don't want to spend a butt load on Warakabune and their sushi boat... unless he/she pays
4. You're a bit tipsy after taking in the senior special at The Pilsner and need to carb up... and bring your senior with you too!
5. You're tired of waiting in line at Chow's and you're seeing spots from low blood sugar... or coz your collar's too tight around your neck
6. It's midnight on Friday night and you're REALLY NOT wanting to go to Sparky's... coz you've been there and done that and its a no! no!
7. You just want to hang out with a friend (s), catch up, chat and are not looking to go all out... again, unless he/she pays
GOOD FOR:
1. Combination Dinner Boxes at $11 a pop are filling coming with soup, salad, rice and whatever combination you picked
2. The Love Boat (I know! It's hilarious and comes in a boat) is a good deal with a nice variety of sushi
3. Good old Japanese beers and saki (both hot and cold... like Kate Perry)
4. Gyoza
5. Oshiashi (boiled spinach with sesame seed) is nice
6. Tempura Donburi is worth checking out
All in all, if you want simple Japanese that is cheap, quick, open late and a hop-skip away from Muni, this place is worth checking out.
GREAT for lunch.
A lot of decent food for the price.
I usually go for the Bento for 8 dollars, and I can never finish it.
(You get a Miso Soup, 4-5 pieces Tempura with 2 Gyoza, 6 pieces of California Roll, A small Salad, a side of Rice, AND Chicken Teriyaki)
I probably wouldn't go for dinner though.
The best lunch prices in town for a Japanese combo plate. The food is always good. They stay open until 3 pm for lunch, which is nice for us that eat late.
This place is pretty good considering it's price ( not too expensive compare to many ) I like the how the restaurant close at 12AM which allows me to have Japanese food late at night. Their rolls are exceptionally good and their sashimi. Unfortunately their plate such as the bento box aren't so great. Sometimes it's too dry, no taste, too salty, etc and the good/bad part is that they give you too much. I also notice that their vegetables are fresh (in their rolls) I hate it when avocado gets too hard, luckily theirs are soft. Hmm what else... I like their customer service, their chef is funny as hell and their staff are friendly.
The sushi isn't great but it's trustworthy. I like going here when I want tempura or teriyaki with my rolls.
I wonder if mediocre sushi is better than no sushi at all. The twists and turns of life have been induced by less consequential dilemmas, but I will put myself on the line and say...no, it's better to fry a catfish than have unfresh sushi.
That was the problem I was having when I decided to get a quick bite here after a Yelp Elite event at the Cafe down the street. I was thinking of going to Warakubune on the corner but didn't realize it was a sushi boat place. I don't care for those boat places since I never know how many times the uni plate has been around the flume.
Miyabi is much more of a standard-issue Japanese place with absolutely nothing distinctive about it. I was intrigued by the $2.95 Steamed Green Mussels with Spicy Sauce, so I ordered them (see my photo). Three to a plate, it was a strange barbecue-tasting concoction that would have been a better hit had I been at Minnie's, I suppose. It was so gloppy that it obscured the mussels underneath.
The $9.95 Rainbow Roll was a tad fishy, not a good sign, and the avocado sliver was completely unnecessary. Hmmm, maybe the avocado was a cover for the fishiness. I also went for two pieces of Uni Nigiri (sea urchin) at $5.50 and four pieces of Hamaichi Nigiri (yellowtail) at $7.90 (see my photo). Both were adequate, but the damage to my palate was done. Game over. A few points for the nice server though.
FOOD - 2 stars...a bit fishy...mediocre in a neighborhood that deserves better
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...standard-issue decor like the one hundred other Japanese places you've been to
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...she was nice and came by often
TOTAL - 2 stars...pulled down by the food, I'm afraid...better to go to (gasp!) J-Town
Friendly, efficient service and low prices, especially for Japanese in this area. But you get what you pay for. Chicken udon was okay but the quality of the meat was poor. Cold tofu was the most boring dish I could imagine; zero effort expended on it. The sushi was okay but avocado was discolored. I would stick to the deep-fried rolls without any raw fish in them to be safe. Finally, for some unknown reason they play the absolute worst adult soft rock music on the planet. If you are dining alone, bring headphones or earplugs!!!
3 Stars. Would probably give it a 3.5 if I wasn't comparing it to Warakabune, a block down the street.
The two of us each ordered albacore nigiri, which was just okay. It was fresh but the pieces were not very big and it wasn't as buttery delicious as I've had most other places in San Francsico. What Warakabune lacks in roll selection, Miyabi certainly makes up for. We ordered 5 rolls, which was way too much food, but we wanted to try it all since it was our first time. I especially liked some spicy tuna with tempura crunch roll and the crazy roll. Good variety of rolls, something for everyone. Prices were moderate.
If you want rolls, come here. If you want fresh nigiri or sashimi, walk the extra block and go to Warakbune.
Affordable and good. Their bento box combos are a lot of food for your buck! Shout out to their new location!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is my go to place when I don't to spend a ton of money at Barracuda. My bf and I always order the bento box, sashimi, and a couple different rolls. The food is always good, the people are always nice, and it is always consistent. Just went for lunch the other day and they had some great prices and it was quite nice drinking miso soup while watching the rain come down. Although, the quality of their tuna is questionable every once in a while but besides that very delicious.
Not only is it overpriced, but the sushi is awful. Even the soy sauce is incredibly salty and terrible.
Perhaps it was just an off night, but man, not good.
It's ok for a late night Japanese place. I came here at midnight with a friend because their open sign was still lit up, but they refused to seat us and told us they had closed (even though closing time said 12:30). We finally ended up getting food to go.
The tempura udon was meh. The noodles were way overcooked and the tempura was too breaded. The gyoza tasted bland. My friend's sashimi dinner looked strange - he ended up not eating all of the sashimi because fish quality was questionable.
I wouldn't come here again and it was pretty damn expensive.
No, no, no. This place is all sorts of ick. First of all, the sushi was sort of warm-ish. One roll tasted like it had globs of mayo in it, and the sashimi didn't taste fresh. It didn't hit the sushi spot at all- it was just majorly meh.
Our waiter was nice though, and it's in a good location. But as far as sushi goes- it just wasn't good. And they didn't have that great of a selection.
There are so many options in the area- I wont be returning.
Great prices on vegetarian rolls and fair prices on special rolls, but nothing to make me feel this was anything other than a pedestrian sushi experience.
The seafood rolls came up a little lackluster. The eel in one of my rolls seemed to be mostly crispy skin and the sauce was less like a hint of BBQ sweetness and more like a melted lollipop. On the other side of the spectrum, the crazy-cheap Japanese plum roll was a perfect blend of salty sour and sweet.
Next time we visit San Francisco, we're checking Yelp for a more "foodie" joint...but if you're in the neighborhood and want a nice, reliable sit-down experience, try Miyabi.
Cheap $8 bento box lunches.
Bland $6.50 Chicken Udon soup.
OK $2.50 Wakame salad.
Free Green tea.
Food for your stomach, but none for the foodie in you.
I've been here numerous times over the years (dragged out by friends on birthdays or dates) and I have been disappointed every time.
The rolls are nothing special, underwhelming at best. The tastelessness of the rolls do not coincide with the price. Depending on the cook, the Bento boxes are either overfilled with unappetizing portions or lacking and a total rip off of your money.
Service is also sparse, even on a quiet night.
Miyabi is great anytime sushi. The sushi platters you'll get are artful, tasty, and great values. You won't see a whole lot of innovation, but you will find super buttery hotate. And they have toro, which is skipped over by a lot of sushi joints in this price range. The rest of their food is only mediocre, so it's not the place to take your anti-sushi friends if they are expecting to really love their chicken.
They also have great value lunch specials, which I get on the weekends. You get a veritable feast for 8 bucks. Such a value you'll love that mediocre chicken. It's available on the weekdays, but you should call ahead, unless you want to be told that it will take 45 minutes. They get really busy with takeout orders during the week.
Wow, I haven't had such terrible sushi since...well never. Even grocery store sushi in Sylvania, Ohio is better than Miyabi. Hate to be harsh but no joke, my sashimi was frozen rubber. My teeth couldn't even bare to bite through all the way - stopped mid way and never looked back. I could tell from walking in not to expect fresh off the boat sushi, so thank god I didn't go for an all sushi dinner. I went with sesame spinach starter and salmon teriyaki with a side of sashimi. While the salmon was edible, the spinach was as bad as the sashimi. Typically when a restaurant says sesame, you get the thick sweet peanut like sauce. They served theirs drenched in some thin soy vinegar sauce. It was way too vinegar-y and it was tough to choke down, even with rice. Sorry, Miyabi, no stars for you.
I strongly encourage you to NOT eat here! SERIOUSLY POISONED!
My husband and I used to go a couple times a month. We loved the bento but would notice feeling slightly "off" shortly after eating. We enjoyed the place so much we kept kidding ourselves about the quality of the food.
"Oh, I'm sure it was the sandwiches we had earlier."
"But they are so nice here"
"The hot things are hot and the cold are cold"
We would tell ourselves even after being horrifically poisoned... The first time the violence with which the food exploded our bodies was like nothing we had experienced before. My husband swore up and down that it couldn't have possibly been our favorite bento shack, it must have been those weird Rolaids we had. But then it happened again and again.
It took being seriously poisoned THREE times for us to finally except it was Miyabi that had done it.
i came here once on an awkward blind date. the (clearly clueless) dude suggested it. i got the tempura udon and it was the worst i've ever had. i probably could have made it better and i burn grilled cheese. it was just chicken broth with rubbery noodles and a few pieces of diced carrot. no seaweed or shallots or anything, and the broth wasn't even the right kind.
to sum up: conversationally the guy was only semi-lame. the fact that he suggested going HERE was the real reason i ignored all his calls afterwards.
Last time I went my salmon teriyaki tasted of strongly of chicken and I don't eat chicken, minus one star for that. The sashimi and sushi was delicious. I still love Miyabi, but I will never order the salmon again, I'll just stick with the sushi.
Miyabi, you never let me down.
5 stars.
One little thing though, my menu was a little sticky.
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It was a toss-up between Crepevine and Miyabi today, but I have been in sushimania lately. The place was empty around 5:00, so I had a seat at the bar and got a few rolls. My server was very friendly and told me what her favorite rolls were, and the chefs each made half of my order to get it to me sooner. The pieces were larger than most sushi bars, so I was full and happy by the time I left.
Order:
Rock N' Roll (6pcs) x2
Spider Roll (6pcs)
$16.20
Party:
Just me
Prices:
Fair
Service:
Fast, friendly
Will I visit again?
Probably, with friends.
I would have given this place 3 to 3.5 stars if it weren't for the service. This place is good but the service is sooooo slow if not non-existent. I've been there twice and really like their rolls, but after being practically ignored when there were only 2 other tables (one of which the guy had to get up just to pick up his food at the sushi bar) I don't think I will be going there again.
My favorite cheap sushi spot- you can buy rolls for $3.50. I love the spicy tuna, shrimp and avocado, and rock n roll. Basic stuff, but pretty fresh and delish. I'm not into all those crazy fried concoctions Americans love so much.
Small and a nice atmosphere.
Open late, that is the plus. For the price, you can get much better elsewhere. I was here one late night and was basically rushed out but the turning off of lights and clearing of our table, even though I was still with food midway to my mouth! Sheesh... they should have just turned us away if they weren't going to be patient with us.
The worst piece of fish I've ever eaten in my life was served at this place.
I had their Sushi Lunch ($7.95), and I truly regret ordering it. California Rolls were just OK, but some of nigiri looked really sad. I usually love Hamachi, but this one tasted like something frozen for a couple of years, defrosted, and sitting in the glass case of the sushi bar for a couple of weeks. The after taste of the fish was so nasty that I had to eat a whole candy bar afterward.
I'm not a sushi snob who would not eat sushi in inexpensive places, but this one really made me reconsider my position. Eeeeek!!!
After hearing of Miyabi from several friends and reading mixed reviews here, I decided it was time to try it out. The verdict? The sushi is good but not spectacular, but the service was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere. The fish and shellfish is nice and fresh, but the rice is not as good as I've had elsewhere... and that makes a difference for sushi. I definitely prefer Daimaru on 17th and Sanchez which is a bit slow but worth the wait for totally awesome sushi and sashimi!
I hate cooking for one. It means you will definitely have leftovers AND dishes to deal with all by yourself. No thanks. It's take out sushi time. =)
Raw fish can be a hit or miss and last night I just wanted a sure thing. I can always count on sushi rolls with a combo of eel and/or avocado so that was my game plan.
I called up Miyabi, told them I'd be there in an hour and ordered:
Double Dragon Roll - eel and cucumber on the inside and tobiko, avocado, and more eel on top. Everything I love in one roll!
Rock N' Roll - eel and avocado roll. Always good. As reliable as a side of french fries..
Spider Roll - Soft shell crab, avocado, and tobiko. Sometimes the soft shell crab is really small and sad but it was a pretty big here. Hot and freshly fried too. I'm happy!
Affordable, convenient sushi. That's all folks!
Wins award for worst bowl of udon ever. Great job.
Stay away from korean sushi restaurants.
===Edit====
Later that night... horrible stomach ache.
Not bad. Not good. A-OK.
Last time I was here, my friend tried the Nigiri Dinner, I tried the Tempura Dinner and I also ordered Salmon and Lemon rolls (Forgot the name already. Urk.)
The tempura was disappointing but maybe it was my fault for not ordering sushi. The roll was decent. The salmon was relatively fresh.
I guess the price was OK and the quality was OK.
But OK gets three stars. See above.
Yes...Miyabi's was my first sushi restaurant, and is also the best sushi place I've ever been to.. i know I dont eat hardcore Sushi like things with eel and stuff, but everything they serve always tastes fresh and delicious. I always order more than I can eat cuz I'm a fat ass, but i've never been dissapointed with their sushi or lunch specials..
Only thing that sucks is the parking but of course it will-- its San Francisco.
Food = super yummy. Fresh too! They have great quality stuff here.
Service = friendly and efficient!
Prices = a bit more than I'd prefer to pay but hey, it's in a convenient area
Parking = real pain. Better (and safer) by bus/train.
We had sit-down for dinner, and then ordered some take-out for someone else...all was great!
My first visit here I was expecting a lot. But the reason for going was the late night hour. The salmon tasted fine. However, I don't know the service was pretty sketchy. There was 4 of us and somehow the bill came out to $80? I think we got jipped! Two days later came back with the family and they said they had no kids menus, interesting I read them 2 days ago! They sat us waaaay in the back next to the bathrooms and never came back to check on us. I was eyeing the employees and they were eating in the front, not knowing we wanted to order more California rolls. Ah I'm cool-this isn't the spot for late night sushi!
Miyabi is simply one of the friendliest and most trust-worthy sushi restaurants in my book.
I go to Miyabi at least 3 times a week and in addition to their kind, friendly staff, I have never had any kind of concerns with the freshness of the food. Service is prompt, yet not intrusive.
I really can't say enough great things about them.
Oh! and they're open until VERY LATE, unlike other places.
Simple and Sweet.
-Cheap FTW (for the win)
-Good
-Hardly a wait.
-ToGo always ready on time.
-Friendly
Done.
Ummmm.... can I have some sushi with my SALT? Holy cow, I dont know if they use cheap soy sauce, too many salted sesame seeds, salt in the wasabi... the rolls here are so salty that its not even a pleasant cheap sushi experience. Granted its not as bad as Sushi Club... deep underneath all the salt I believe there to be truly mediocre sushi vs. just truly bad sushi. Ill give them two stars because I had a Godzilla roll and it wasnt half bad. Now, somebody please pass me some water.
My friend Zach and I go here weekly for "date night" which really is us just talking about sex and the disgusting things we would never admit to anyone else.
I stick to the Avocado roll ($1.95) with soy paper and large house saki ($5.50?) Great dinner. Great little place.
One of my best friends swears by this place. I have to say I wasn't very impressed by just looking at it. But there's that saying you always were told "never judge a book by it's cover." So eventually I was lured in here and I have to say I really enjoyed my meal. I've been back a few times and overall I really like Miyabi.
It WAS good. I had the Samurai dinner which included sashimi, chicken teriyaki, shrimp/vegetable tempura, gyoza (2 pcs.) along with miso soup, salad and rice. My sister ordered some rolls, which weren't anything spectacular but still good.
My sister had one of my gyozas... told me it tasted rotten and that I shouldn't have eaten it. And yes, I did get a really horrible stomach ache after dinner... I sure paid for it later that night on the toilet. Never, ever again. :(
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sushi Bars
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