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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Financial DistrictMon-Fri. 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"I've eaten here a few times before these last two weeks when my friend insisted on eating here 5 times in the last 14 days or so. I love the…" read more »
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Few months ago I read the reviews, and I visited this store; however, I could not find it at that time.Because I did not notice Miyabi is on the lower floor. Finally, today I found it.
Both of the taste and the price are acceptable.
Caution: Be careful when you take a udon or donburi bowl. Some of them are hot. Even though there is no sign to caution customers, I heard the cashier told a lady that bowl was hot.
Convenient sushi
Delicious Udon noodle
Montgomery BART stop
In general, I can eat sushi and meats topped on rice and covered in sauces almost always. Thus I don't really get cravings so much as just having a general willingness to eat them. So when Japanese food cravings do arise, I seek out solutions quickly!
However, this isn't one of those times.
But Miyabi is not far from work (near that Specialty's that always gives me problems) and I used to go by there when it was still Go Go Sushi. In fact, for all intents and purposes, to me it IS Go Go Sushi, except 1) they won't take my frequent buyer card, 2) the cashier has changed, 3) they have a slightly different arrangement for their display and 4) they go by Miyabi Sushi Express. Still, now and again it's worth having, especially since my favorite little non-Japanese run Japanese restaurant in the OFarrell Garage food court got rolled over by CPK.
The place itself is very japanese with flag-curtain decor, light woods, and for some reason a wall of manga (though how recent I haven't checked yet) for perusing while... I guess while enjoying a brief sushi shot or while you're relaxing with a nice ShoChiKuBai instead of working. Not that I've seen anyone boozing it up here, but they have it, so your options are open. Just remember that rice does not absorb liquor well, if at all, even if it is rice liquor.
The one thing I always liked about Go Go...er, Miyabi Sushi Express, is the easy grab and run food counter. They pre-make rice bowls of teriyaki chicken, tonkantsu or beef, they make little bentos of chirashi/sashimi with maybe chicken or tonkatsu, and maybe maki or nigiri rolls as a meal with the little salad and a few wedges of orange, or just packages of rolls or even seaweed salad (my mom never really made most of these things but I've tried a few different ones despite her unwillingness to do so) by itself. So depending on when you get there for lunch, they're warm (and some are under a warmer of some sort) or refrigerated for long term keeping (hopefully not past that day).
I got the bento with chicken teriyaki and what looks like a chirashi and salad. The salad is almost only lettuce, but I did find drippings of dressing, but the two main items are just enough to fill me up. I was pretty hungry today, so this really did hit the spot, but so would three steak soft tacos with guac, cheese, sour cream, rice and black beans, so not much to say about that. You could also buy canned sodas or as I mentioned early, sake of a few varieties, but since they're just the bottled brands it's not like you're risking your life or anything.
The pricing is reasonable, the cashier woman is civil at best (not really nice, not really rude, just... distant, like you're not really there, she's not really there, yet somehow a transaction is happening in someone's delusion) and the place seems fairly clean. I've only eaten at Go Go... Miyabi's once before, but it's nothing special I guess if you're not sipping hot toasted rice tea, swapping with a sweet sake and drowning in old manga, so maybe one day I'll do just that.... or maybe not.
This place is also never busy when I'm here. I did have two girls literally push past me the last time I was here a few months ago, and they picked up their boxes and then sat to eat. I guess they were going to chow and get sloppy and I was the last obstacle to overcome, but I just shrugged and took my food to go. The cashier didn't care that I was there first or in line first, but I was pretty mellow that day. Today, it was me and a pair of diners enjoying some tea (I think...), so a typical uneventful sushi day.
Overall, a decent place. I do wish the other place were still around, though....
People thought this was:
Yay for lunchtime sushi bowls! I am new to this kind of sushi and can I just say- Where have you been all of my life!
As usual with sushi, you get what you pay for. For about six or seven bucks, I got a tuna over rice bowl with some type of spicy sauce on it. The fish tasted pretty fresh and it was quite a tasty meal, overall. I also got a side of edemame for $1.50 which went well with it. As others have mentioned, for a quick bite of sushi in the financial district, this is a place to go.
Btw, I went in about 2pm (a thursday) and they were sold out of Salmon and Chicken Teriyaki Bento boxes. The person at the register said that it all depends what day of the week when it comes to being sold out of things. Yesterday she said there was plenty of salmon left later into the day
1) convenient location for a quick grab
2) if you don't know the area, it's hard to find
3) creaky floorboards, and rather scary
4) the cheaper sushi comes VERY SMALL portions, so it'll probably take a few boxes of them before you can fill up
5) not much vegetarian options
6) there are tables and chairs for dine in
7) clean place
8) had the unagi rice bowl for $7, not bad, sure did fill me up. But I think i'd be happier spending the $7 elsewhere
9) Options: rice bowls (curry, chicken katsu, unagi over rice, tuna/salmon donburi) + wide selection of sushi and special rolls + peas and what nots
10) Might come back
Not to be confused with the (terrible) sushi restaurant of the same name on Church Street. The sushi here is definitely not the best, but it's perfectly acceptable for a place with "Express" in its name. But what you should really get here is their yummy udon. Less than $5 for (a very good variety of) veggies and/or tofu, add a buck-something for (pretty good) chicken. Makes for a cheap, filling, and delicious lunch!
You know what? This stuff ain't the best sushi, but it's just fine for a quick lunch if you're working in the FiDi and don't have time to muck around. They have lots of prepackaged sushi in small and large sizes as well as rice and noodle dishes. You can sit inside and/or take it upstairs and sit on market street and dine in the sunshine.
This place is conveniently located (Bart/Muni Montgomery Station) and at the end of the day has half price sushi to go, which is really nice when you don't feel like eating a delicious but too caloric cookie at specialty's.
Besides that, this is the closest sushi place to where I work.
The sushi to-go boxes are at reasonable price and the quality is really good.
BUT I still prefer to walk a few blocks , and go to Sushi Bay or, if it is a late lunch ( and I know that Sushi bay will be already out of the sushi to go ) or I am lazy,I go to Go Go Sushi on Kearny St.
WHY?
Because in both places the host greets me with a smile instead of having an "I am doing you a HUGE favor in selling you this sushi"- face.
People thought this was:
Once upon a time, a girl who suffered from four days of food poisoning/residual effects decided that her first real meal post-recovery would be sushi and sashimi. (Because there are no inherent risks in that, she thought, using her brilliant legal mind, but also secretly hoping to get sick enough to miss oral arguments.)
One can probably deduce from the four-star rating that I will have to go to oral arguments. But that's okay, because the sushi is pretty damn good!
The 10-piece california roll/sashimi combo (tuna, salmon, shrimp, eel?), which was $8. I didn't expect it to fill me up, but it did, and thus I rolled into my next class, happily bloated on fish, rice, soy sauce, and wasabi.
I was also inordinately entertained by the green plastic grass separating the sushi from the wasabi. I'm easily pleased, what can I say?
Credit card minimum of $7, drinks available (including beer and sake - oh, tempting), seating available (some outside). Located downstairs on the way to the BART station, across the courtyard from the flower stand. Low on ambiance, but high on convenience. I'll definitely go back.
People thought this was:
Where else in FiDi can you get a decent chicken tarayaki bowl for under $5?
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So Miyabi gets 5 stars for being close to work. 2 stars immediately get taken away for giving me a stomach ache every time I eat the food here! I've been here about 6 or 7 times in the last couple of months, and the best thing I can say about it is that it is relatively cheap. Unfortunately, the sushi is merely edible. If you're craving a california roll or some donburi, go for it, but stay away from the nigiri - the shrimp and eel are definite no no's...probably the stomach ache culprits!
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Myth: Is it true that there just aren't any good sushi places in San Francisco's Financial District?
I love to eat sushi, but I must admit, I have been avoiding sushi for lunch at work. I have tested a hand full of sushi places in FiDi and they never quite measure up to those in other districts of SF.
.... and then, miraculously, there it was.
Located cozily down the stairs on my way to Montgomery Bart Station, Miyabi is a convenient sushi restaurant that can satisfy your sushi cravings Mondays to Fridays during lunch!
I normally choose an item from their assortment of takeout and it always tastes fresh! After reading the other reviews of Miyabi, I will definitely be back to try the udon.
3 stars for the sushi
1 extra star for busting the myth (it IS possible find decent sushi in SF FiDi!)
People thought this was:
3.5 stars. Fast sushi to go. It's fairly fresh too, because they keep making new stuff and bringing it out to the shelves. It is what it is.
fast. cheap. avocado rolls + some other vegan rolls. no amazing sushi creations to blow your mind but definitely reliable+tasty for a lunchbreak stop.
The quality of the sushi rice is awful, but when I need to feed my hungry maw in 15 minutes and hop on Muni, this is perfect.
I ordered the tofu udon for the first time today, and the texture of the udon was surprisingly good: slippery and chewy. But, it came with two pieces of tofu skin, one solitary piece of fish cake, and a sprinkle of green onion. The broth was bland to boot. I guess I can't expect much more for $5.
I've stopped by a couple of times to pick up some rolls they had near the door. Leftovers from the day. Still good, nonetheless.
I was starving yesterday when I was going to work. So I stopped by here after I got off Bart. I picked a salmon teriyaki bowl and a godzilla roll, something I liked from the times when I bought the leftovers.
The salmon teriyaki was very yum. The godzilla roll had a weird taste to it. Must've been that white sauce thing. Didn't taste very fresh. Which is too bad, cus the last time I ate it, it was delicious.
In the land of pre-packaged sushi, Miyabi is king.
Cheap.
Fresh.
Fast.
Delicious
...and not sketchy at all.
SO glad this place exists - it's a lifesaver when you're in a hurry and/or when you're craving sushi but are low on $$$.
(PS: be sure to visit the little cactus store while you're down there and adopt a cutie for your desk)
People thought this was:
I came here a couple weeks ago because I wanted quick , cheap sushi . I got three boxes of sushi . The godzilla roll and spider roll ( I think that's what it was called ) was okay . The califlower ( I think that's what it was called ) roll was really really yummy !! It's a must try !! I came here like 1-2 hours before closing so the sushi was super cheap . I got three boxes of sushi for like $10 . And because this is ready-to-go sushi , you should already know what to expect when it comes to questioning the freshness . Of course it's not gonna be ready-to-go AND fresh .. they keep the sushi in the refrigerator and the rice under a heated lamp . The sushi may be a little stale but it's still not as stale as the ready-to-go sushi from other places . This place definitely has fresher , tastier , and better selection of ready-to-go sushi compared to a lot of other places .
People thought this was:
I like small portions at a reasonable price. This place makes yummy and very filling veggie rolls, inari sushi and edamame for good price. I can't speak for the rest of their food, as I've not tried anything else yet. $7 minimum for credit card purchases, but I always seem to only by about $5-$6 worth of food.
Only evil part is they are right next to Specialty's and I somehow can't say no to a cookie when I get sushi!
People thought this was:
Decent sushi without having to wait. I'm a fan. They have a large variety of sushis, sashimis (including sashimi salads) and Japanese curry choices. The miso soup is only $1.00 and is decent.
They skimp on the soy sauce, but otherwise I only have good things to say. It is way better than most fast-food sushi establishments, and the price is right. Normally I can easily spend $15-$20 on sushi, but I can fill up here for around $10.00.
Plus the place is well lit, clean, and right below my office.
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I don't even know why I go anywhere else when I'm downtown.
It's just so quick and easy and GOOD.
Walk in, grab your teriyaki bowl, sushi, whatever from the fridge or warmer. Pay the cashier, get the hell out.
If you care to sit a spell, there are quite a few tables in the place as well. Enjoy a cup of tea with your meal. It's a really nice place! I'm sorry I don't take the time to enjoy it more often.
I have yet to actually order anything off the menu, I just usually grab and go. And I usually grab anything with unagi...so good.
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short walk from work to FRESH FISH...in the FiDi
really, can you do much better than this? drop in, pick up your sushi, hit Specialty's for the cookie coma to go, the little store for your drinks and lotto ticket and back to the office...yahoo!
thanks Food Monkey for turning me on to this tasty spot
People thought this was:
Eh. I came here for a quick bite to eat before my interview. It fit my needs nicely--I wasn't too hungry for a full soup/salad/entree deal that many Japanese places will give you for takeout. However, it wasn't exactly great and filling grub.
I came right before noon and had a small meal of curry and rice. I, uh, neglected to notice that meat was 1 dollar extra. So for about 6 dollars I had curry, rice and a iced tea. The boxes are really small and are very much "to-go." Still, there's a good number of seats plus what appears to be a variety of sushi and hot meals as well as vegetarian side dishes.
If I'm in the mood for something small and quick, I'd probably come here.
People thought this was:
I've been coming and going in the Montgomery BART station every day for over a year, and I never even knew about this sneaky little spot for fast Japanese food.
When your co-worker who is Japanese and whose husband is a fish broker says "who wants to go for sushi" you follow her lead.
I had a flavorful and fresh cucumber salad with a nice refreshing rice wine vinegar dressing that stood up nicely to my tuna sashimi rice bowl. The sashimi was fresh tasting and tender, and the rice itself was exactly the right consistency. The sashimi rice bowl is a great way to meter your fish to rice ratio, and a whole less messy than trying to eat nigiri with style.
Pretty good lunch (not to mention fresh and healthy) for about 9 bucks not including a drink.
People thought this was:
I pick up lunch here at least once a week and it's consistently reasonably good sushi for a good price. Nothing spectacular, but considering the price this is decent quality, fresh, reasonably healthy and tasty fast food.
The to-go boxes are decent (1 star) and affordable. (1 star) The line moves quickly, if there's one. (1 star)
3 stars
Too convenient.
People thought this was:
Food = good. Fresh, even if it is pre-packaged for your convenience. Seriously, it's good, safe and easy for ya.
Their rolls are good, with nice semi-firm rice, and good flavors.
($3.95 for an 8-piece California roll, $3.00 for two piece nigiri sushi, or about $7 for a specialty roll)
Their teriyaki is okay, edible, and just fast.
They also have noodles/soups, but I have not tried it yet.
I like going here for their 'after-lunch-hour' half-off deals though. ;-) Yeah, I'm a cheap bastid.
Take-out mostly...with a small selection of tables and a bar with stools for seating.
Best for lunch only. They will accept credit cards. And while they don't have a waiter/tableside service, the person behind the register/counter is always friendly and efficient!
People thought this was:
I used to be a regular when I was still attending school which was pretty much across the street (looking south). I remember it being it GoGo sushi and now, Miyabi. The Korean lady who works there has been working since the place opened and is upbeat on a good day, most times she's just there to do her job.
The prices has risen since first opening, I still remember the Spicy Tuna Donburi being only $4.45 and now it's $6.45; the sukemono is now about $2.95 when it was $1.95, etc. I came here for lunch today because it is relatively on the "cheaper" side around the financial district and is fast. The food seems freshly made and use real crab in their California Roll (always a plus) and have decent portions, imo. They may be on the smaller side for those who like to overeat. Overall, a good fast place to get that Japanese craving out of your system or when you're tired of paying for over-priced salads.
People thought this was:
When i think sushi i usually think group eating. Sharing your rolls with your friends, discussing what you are going to get, and then just ordering all of it because it all sounds so good. Stuffing your face, and then going home only to be hungry an hour later.
This place....not so much. Think ME-yabi. Its good for the individual. Its good for ME, which is perfect, cuz im totally selfish.
Great for a quick lunch, because all the sushi items are already pre-packaged for you. Grab and go. Actually for a while I thought it was called Go-Go sushi, cuz thats what is written on the windows .... apparently i was wrong.
You can get pre-packaged sashimi, sushi, teriyaki, or combinations of those. You can also order hot miso or hot udon, and they will make it there for you while you wait. I had the Udon today, trying to make my tuffy node feew bettuh. It feews much bettuh...tanks fow athking.
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I give this joint a solid 3.5 stars.
*coughheyyelpwhenwegonnagethalfstarscough*
It's not bad for take-out sushi. I've been to Miyabi a couple of times now, when I've had occasion to be in the FiDi at lunch time & have been able to wrest Candice "Workaholic" D. away from Yelp HQ to join me. The fish is pretty fresh and the prices aren't bad. I do have to say that the rice tasted a little funky to me today; but, it might just have been my taste buds being off or something.
I hear that the Japanese consulate even dines here sometimes; so, it's gotta be decent. Granted that's an unsubstantiated Yelp rumor... so take it for what it's worth.
Not bad, not great... solid choice for those fish freaks on the run.
People thought this was:
Not the worst I have had but even their low prices won't lure me back.
The sashimi bowls are truly and honestly some of the best I have ever had. The rice is perfectly sticky and fish is very well cut. At the price of $7 or so, its pretty unbeatable. The sushi, however, is good but not great. Granted is IS an express joint, and as such it certainly merits about 4 stars.
The selection isn't huge, but overall, a great place to have a reasonably cheap lunch that is overall pretty satisfying.
People thought this was:
I work nearby, so I go to Miyabi about once a week for lunch. It's decent, reasonably priced Japanese food that does the trick.
I've tried their hot bowls and bento boxes, but they are not that great. The only thing I get at Miyabi is the sashimi bowl. $6.45 gets you a few slices of tuna or salmon over a big bowl of rice. Spicy sauce and a generous serving of wasabe seem like appropriate decorations for the otherwise boring bowl.
Tuna and salmon are both very good, when they're fresh. Don't go to Miyabi before 11:45 am, unless you're dying to try yesterday's fish. They shamelessly sell yesterday's bowls before the lunch rush. I usually don't mind food that's been sitting out, but raw fish . . . ehh, I don't know about that!
Same goes for edamame sold in tiny plastic boxes. I like to have some edamame before the meal, but do not be fooled by the low price of $1.50. It is as small as it looks, and sometimes it's not as fresh as it looks. Make sure your beans are green, not yellow-ish.
Overall, good Japanese food, but I suggest you make sure it's fresh before you buy it.
People thought this was:
Food-wise... this place is not bad for a filling amount of simple japanese food.
Price-wise... it's pretty cheap when you think about how much most japanese restaurants charge.
Taste-wise... it's cool.
btw-wise... I came here around 3:30pm once and there was a table full of 50% off food. That is a serious bargain if you're hungry. Sure it's been sitting under a heat lamp for most the day but when you're grabbing lunch at 3:30pm... you ain't looking for no gourmet meal.
Overall-wise... 4-stars.
People thought this was:
Worst Chicken Katsu I've eaten so far. It tasted somewhat mushy and old.
People thought this was:
The pre-packaged spicy teriyaki with rice, veggies, etc was alright. So was that breaded potato… Read more »
This is in the plaza connected to the Bart-Muni Station at corner Post and Market st. Opposite side of the Palace Hotel. The sushi are made fresh and is cheap. I think 2 hours before closing they mark the price down when everybody is getting off work to go home. They try to get rid of the sushi cheaper at the end of business. It is pretty good. They accept credit card but have a minimum of seven dollars.
People thought this was:
I go there from time to time to pick up quick sushi for lunch and it has the BIGGEST selection of fresh sushi without having to wait. Price & portions are both average. Seating is available if you wish to order from their regular menu.
Pros: Quick, fresh sushi
Cons: Extremely rude cashier lady (maybe she's the owner?)
People thought this was:
I'm going to make this review really brief, because the highlight of this place is that you can get decent sushi on the fly. I mean in-and-out quicker than the BART train will get to the next station quick. The price is right, there is zero ambiance, but seating is usually available. The two tables outside barely count, since you have a below ground-level view of the BART station. And remember, 3 stars is the equivalent of 4 stars when translated to the Fidi lunch scale!
People thought this was:
Not too shabby. This place serves to-go sushi/donburi/udon. It's along the lines of supermarket sushi except it's made (somewhat) fresh and not cold from refridgeration so its much, much better. Pretty cheap too - about $2.50 for a six-piece roll. I like this place.
I love their spicy tuna donburi. Can't ever go wrong with spicy tuna. JONASAPPROVED!"
People thought this was:
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