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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner RichmondMon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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I ate here a LONG time ago but as I recall, the sushi was VERY good, but the bill was also VERY high.
Don't go hungry or you'll pay for it. Parking is a problem -- it's on Clement after all -- so you really need to WANT to go here in order to deal with that, but, as I recall, it's well worth the effort.
Need to drop by again to try it again so that I can post current review. Will update this one when I do.
Sometimes I'm confounded by the reviews on Yelp to the point of disbelief. I can understand a few outliers deviating from the pack if the place is terrible but one or two diners had a great experience amidst the chaos. But, when an eatery like Murasaki has almost 150 reviews giving it a 4/5, there are only two realistic explanations: 1) Yelpers are all morons; or, 2) Yelpers have exceptionally low standards.
Murasaki is little bigger than a closet and I had the misfortune of sitting about 2 inches from the door's swing radius. When my party of three arrived there were only about five other diners sitting yet it took us 30 minutes to get the waitress' attention to order, another 20 to get silverware and plates, another 20 to get our appetizers, and another 30 to get our entrees. In the meantime, virtually everyone in the restaurant was served before we were.
So, clearly this is a case of discrimination, right? Our server assumed that, since I am so relaxed and cool in composure, I must be interested in a slow, leisurely meal, apart from life's rat-race, gung-ho rush. True on some nights, but this night I wanted 4/5-star worthy sushi and I wanted it to quick: I had plans after dinner!
I was not to get either. Sushi was acceptable but nothing worth waiting for an hour and a half to eat in a closet.
Conclusion: Yelpers are morons AND Yelpers have exceptionally low standards. Next time I'm staying off Clement too. So hard to park on a Sunday!
The food here is very simple, but very fresh and good. Don't expect any creative combination rolls here. I wanted something light so I just got assorted sashimi, a bowl of rice, and a chawanmushi. My husband got a tempura/sushi combination dinner.
There was a long break between the sushi course and the tempura course of my husband's dinner, one which had me asking if he'd only ordered a few pieces of sushi, but of course that would be very unlike him. During this long break, our server came out and apologized for the delay, said the tempura was on its way, and put a little bowl of perfectly seasoned edamame on the table, on the house.
The one thing in this meal that really blew me away: the chawanmushi. I make it (or try to make it anyway) at home and while mine is passable, it turns out nothing like the chawanmushi I ate here. This chawanmushi was so perfectly silky and devoid of the little bubbly pockmarks that often turn up on the ones I make. I wonder what their secret is.
Favorite sushi spots in my hood!
A star each for:
*Quality...very fresh fish & cook food
*Service...polite and not over bearing
*Variety...great specials on the board
*Hours..12 midnight daily
*Dessert...complimentary green-tea mousse is a great finish
A solid, traditional sushi bar with a skilled sushi chef. The food is always fresh and so yummy. The green tea mousse is so good. Nice cozy place and the staff was very very nice.
If I look for a good sushi and quite place to chill , this is the one.
(See pics)
Life is full of contrast, if not irony. I came back to this very same spot for sushi with the very same friend a year and a week later, ordering very similar sushi and that time was like never passed.
The food continued to be a champion in my books-- fresh, incredibly delicious, crisp clean taste. Just looking at the pictures make me drool. The ambiance was super friendly and warm and friendly.
Sometimes I wonder, restaurants that have really excellent food surpass the relationships we might once have had with other people.
hmmm... what's up with all the bad reviews? Or maybe we just got lucky that night? The service was… Read more »
Mmmm, Yummy.
The waitress didn't exactly speak English.. but it's okay, she was cute. The place is very small and homey.
The sashimi was fresh and tasty.. but the rolls were pretty average. We also had the mackerel in miso soup that was pretty interesting.. but probably would not order again.
Oh yeah, they have a mandatory 15% tip. It's not added to the check, but it's on a note that comes with it.
For you sushi purists, this is the place to go. The sushi chef was actually... Japanese. I go to so many sushi joints where the chef is not Japanese. Anyhoo... so I had the California roll and 8 Nigiri (Chef's choice). The california roll was very fresh, with toasted sesame seeds on the outside, which gives it a smoky flavor. The nigiri was very, very fresh- melted in my mouth fresh. My date had the donburi with tuna. It looked really good, he said it was delicious. No sauces to overpower the taste of the fish, just garnished with pickled radish, served over rice.
Simple menu, a bit pricey, but hey, you get what you pay for (ok...some of the time).
I am very sad.
I had been criticizing most non-Japanese Sushi places and i kept sayin' how good real Japo sushi chefs are.
So it's hard for me to say because Murasaki was one of great sushi.
I had no doubt, Murasaki is always same, keep the level no matter what.
But, It was really hard to believe that the chef has changed that much?
I was with a couple, an old-Japo friend of mine who married a White American female.
They have been together goin' for 20 next year.
Jesus.
By the way,
She is a JiveAss-roll eater ordered deep fried soft cell crab roll.
" i just like them." she said.
" I only eat few things in SyuShi." ... ( She could not pronounce Sushi right.)
" I eat White-Tuna, Unagi, Tempura roll and Agedashi-Tofu!"
And she asked the chef to get Ponzu for dipping sauce in stead of Wasabi.
She said, " I eat SyuShi with Ponzu! I like it better than Wasabi."
The chef was like, "WTF?"
I was like "OH Hell."
She didn't care.
I asked her, " How about Saba?"
She said, " OH, I hate that. I don't like any shinny skin fish at all."
I was like, " my ex is better than that."
So, i said to the chef, " OK, What The Heck, Can I get one of those soft cell crab thing?"
The sushi chef said, " REALLY? DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT? It's all rice! "
I think he really wanted to say "Do you really want that SHIT?"
I replied, " Yes, Please."
The order came.
She was like, " Ummmmmmm!"
I was like, "whatthefxxx?"
The chef was like, " I told you."
The Deep Fried Soft Cell Crab Roll was SO BLAND.
But she was happy eating the Shit, dipping the roll into the Ponzu sauce so the rice was dropping into the sauce.
It was disgusting view you don't want to see at any sushi bar next to you.
Well, there was a couple I saw at Kabuto Sushi on Geary Blvd, French-kissing each other at sushi bar eating Sushi at the same time.
That was disgusting too.
The Unagi was VERY SWEET.
Hirame was OK.
Ika was SoSo.
Maguro was OK.
Tekka-maki was good.
A thing really bothered me was that when I saw the fish in the glass case at the counter, The fish were not really nicely arranged side by side. All fish were still wrapped but half opened and randomly piled. it didn't look clean at all. To me anyway.
And I did smelled stinky fishy smell.
Open 7 days.
The Chef works really hard because the business isn't good lately.
He mentioned that his customers are Americans more than Japanese.
It seems like he makes every thing too sweet on purposely because his customers changed?
I don't know.
I didn't like it.
The Chef, used be a head chef of Osome on Fillmore in late 70's and early 80's, who was the most "HOT" chef in the city.
I hate to say it but I had better.
it was a dinner for 10 of us.
I stopped by here a week ago to make sure I can have a dinner for 10…
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Menu is small, so I expected the fish to be stellar. But it was blah.
My darling likes salmon, so he asked for a couple of pieces of sashimi - but no, you can only get 2 pieces of nigiri (she explained the distinction to us like we imbecils) but sashimi only comes in 12 pieces or more. w-e.
The whole mean was entirely unremarkable. So much so, that I can't really remember what we had. Pity.
The obligatory child-friendliness byline - they had a highchair, but it was an antique from, like, the 40s. I was afraid that it would either collapse, or give my baby tetanus.
Murasaki's is pretty much my favorite place in the city to get real nigiri-sushi. Now, first and foremost, I am a NOT a roll kind of guy. So if you go here expecting to order a dragon/philadelphia/49er-type roll you are going to be disappointed. This is also not one of those trendy sushi spots with house/lounge music playing in the background. What Murasaki's is, is a small, simple sushi spot that serves fresh tokyo-style sushi.
My recent visit consisted of anago, hamachi, saba, ebi, ikura, toro, and uni-tama nigiri. My bill alone was about 80 dollars, but you truly get what you pay for at Murasaki's (two pieces of toro was about $20). I once at 20 pieces of nigiri here... This was also the first time having uni-tama (with quail egg) which I am a BIG fan of now. All the pieces were quality!
Oh and BTW. The japanese chef can be a little 'reserved' depending on who he is serving (sushi nazi?). My advice is to be polite, smile, don't be loud! And it helps to greet him with 'konnichiwa' before ordering. And if you don't know what that means have fun with your dragon roll at Ray's Sushi :-)
I took a friend there and we were thoroughly impressed!!! If you are a true raw fish eater, this is the place to go. If you like themed rolls and flavored sake drinks and house music in the background, go somewhere else. Most sushi goers in SF are like this.... they like the Korean/Chinese style more than anything else.... go to Sushi Bistro... lots of themed rolls, below average fish (frozen).. good for beginners.
The Master noticed how we ate our sushi the right way with the correct methods. He started talking to us and smiling and started to comp us some specials. He does smile and talk... believe it or not:) I was really impressed with the selection tonight.... it was fabulous!
Anyways, I notice some 1's here. This place is not for you..... again you probably like Kitaro or maybe even Blowfish.. I like these places too, but
for real sushi come to Murasaki!!!!
The sushi is superb!! I'm not going to give it 5 stars... I feel the atmosphere needs to pik up for… Read more »
This particular place is my go to for their Ankimo. It makes me want to breed monkfish in my bathtub. Then kidnap the people at Murasaki to come prepare it for me. Except kidnapping is illegal and it would likely land me in a jail cell, which may actually be smaller than this restaurant.
Also, I am pretty sure if they ever served sushi in jail it would be something with cream cheese and that is a punishment I cannot endure.
But if there weren't consequences....... A girl's allowed to dream.
They also have very good quality nigiri and sashimi, and for you crazy people who like weird things like rolls with fruit and mayo, I think they have some of that as well. All fresh, all fairly priced. Do me a favor. Eat the Americanized stuff and save me the Ankimo. Oh, can you turn my bathtub into a fish hatchery, too??
I went there last night with my boyfriend and his dad. Our server was super sweet. The owner is really nice and funny. The sushi is fresh. They play classical music. The sake sashimi literally melts in your mouth. The crab salad is so delicious. The prices are fair. The place is little, but that's not a bad thing. Also, they're open late! It's always a nice treat to eat there! I love it!
Oh, lord I can't tell you how excited I am to see how Murasaki has taken off (on yelp, at least)! 133 reviews, ave 4 stars, and they deserve every star! I came back to post some pictures of the FABULOUS and perfect sushi you can get at Murasaki. I have to say, there is something about a Japanese restaurant that has only one sushi chef, all the time. You know (a) he has tons of experience, this is all he does; and (b) if you like it once, you'll like it consistently.
Love Love Love Murasaki
Oh yea, a few things I love:
-always greet you with warm hand towels
-always give you a separate "after dinner" tea
-sushi chef is nice, but seems tough at the same time
-if you go there often enough, sushi chef will get to know you by face & offer you cuts of newly arrived fish (fatty tuna, etc). Free, of course.
-i just love it.
BEST SUSHI IN THE CITY.
Every time we go there, my boyfriend and I throw down at least $50 and walk…
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*
**The following takes place**
**between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM**
------------
| O* |
| k |
-------------
\ }
(plastic bluefin tuna) (specials board)
/ }
O / ---- Toshi-san and his shop knife
/| -/
===========================
O ----- Jive Bauer
/|\
| |
Jive Bauer ran point on his clandestine solo mission last month that was not sanctioned by the President. When he entered, he noted two couples, both were Asian women with white males, the subject of many Yelp talk thread$. Of particular interest were the couple to Jive's left, some cougar type A$N lady with a much older professor type in a suit, lavishing in a $60 (per person) menu "omakase" meal that included a wacky salad with sashimi, cooked dishes, and a crazy big ass Dragon Roll that they could not finish.
Jive sat at the sushi bar's apex, like the bottom of a V, almost unnoticed, until Toshi-san finished his bizness. Jive, in addition to knowing how to speak Russian (see season 6), knew a little Japanese. Upon saying "nigiri omakase, shimasu", Toshi-san's face turned bug eyed, and froze for a minute as if the earth shook and angels descended from heaven to gift him with a non jive ass roll eater.
Then a funny thing happened. Jive turned into Maria Von Trapp of Sound of Music and started to sing and dance like a bitch after eating a few pieces of nigiri.
Sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things" (Sound of Music)
http://www.youtube.com...
"Toshi looks scary while slicing sashimi
Kitaro's calligraphy says Otori*
Must order Omakase nigiri
They're my favorite things at Murasaki"
* - High above on the wall is a framed calligraphy by Kitaro http://en.wikipedia.or..., with Chinese character for "Phoenix" ("Otori" in Japanese), a gift from Kitaro to Toshi-san (where he joked that if he needed the $, Kitaro said it was ok to ebay it)
The mission had some hiccups, but was successful. A few times, nigiri was served as triplets or paired up
x1 otoro (not terribly fatty)
x1 maguro (firm piece)
x1 albacore
negi-toro maki (the spoon scraps were not fatty, $10 special ouch)
x1 hirame
x1 tai (Jive noted there was a piece of fish scale on the skin, ouch, but the special citrus sauce came from Toshi's personal bottle)
x1 escolar - shocking, anal leakage causing fish served at an authentic J-restaurant?!
x1 salmon (w/ momiji oroshi and ponzu)
x1 saba (superb)
x1 hamachi
x1 kanpachi
x1 mirugai
x1 awabi
x1 aoyagi
x1 ikura - salt cured ikura, not the soy sauce marinated kind....then again it's a jive ass roll world, sigh.
x1 uni - perfect teabagging, uh seabagging goodness
x1 tobiko w/uzura (Jive didn't need this, he wasn't getting laid)
x2 ama ebi (with fried heads)
x2 anago - OMG the brushed sauce (nikiri). Toshi made the sauce day before, with anago bones, mirin, soy sauce, made it into a nice light delicious insanely finger licking good syrup. Made Jive horny enough to do a 9 1/2 weeks thing with this stuff instead of ice cubes.
Solid sushi rice receipe. Every piece of nigiri was cut, shaped, and molded differently.
While watching Cantonese speaking A$N expat doofuses trying to order as if they are VIP but didn't know jack about J-food** - Toshi-san slipped the Jive a freebie.
dobinmushi - a wonderland of wicked broth cooked with spinach, 3 pc of asari on shell, shimeji mushrooms (and 2 other types), ABALONE slices, shrimp served in a ceramic teapot and cup, simply the best dobinmushi Jive ever had in his life.
** - one Hong Konger type dude came in with his loud mouth woman, sat at the bar, and the girl told her friends sitting at the table they came last week, ordered $300 of food & had no idea what they ate... WTF?!
**10:59:57**
**10:59:58**
**10:59:59**
**11:00:00**
Lucky me to be one of Nobu FXXXXX's round-eye friends. Even though he blames the likes of me for a disappointing (to him) recent visit, Murasaki is the least Americanized Japanese food experience this l'il dish plate face (tm K-leen) has had.
I especially appreciated the monkfish liver, bbq squid, seafood salad, unagi, and the fish so fresh it was glistening.
Bring your wallet when it's fat as it ain't cheap. Another thing to appreciate: no scene. Simple, quiet, reverence for the food.
I have to off set the 3 star reviews from Nobu K and Euge I. This place is awesome!!! I love Murasaki!!!! Ino and Murasaki is the one two punch of Japanese restaurants in San Francisco. This place is not good for big parties such the case with Nobu and Euge. It has always been a cozy japanese restaurant nestled in the Richmond district. This is the only japanese restaurant that plays classical background music.
I like all of their sushi. It is fresh and you can tell the chef prepares the food with love. For some reason, I really love their unagi here. I usually do not eat unagi. Maybe it's his toaster oven......the unagi is charred, hot and the sauce was perfect. This is probably the best unagi in the City. I know.............. why am I raving about a piece of unagi?
Their other fresh fish are fantastic!!!! Couldn't bring myself to order the blue fin tuna for 22 dollars but I should have because Tony H owed me dinner.
This place can get pricey. By the way.............they open late.
I am known as a pretty generous reviewer (look at my stats dammit!) - but man, this place was so NOT good.
We came here for dinner after catching up with friends nearby... the bf have been here before and it even featured a Yelp sticker on the window. We were served pretty quickly by a polite waitress, but it pretty much goes downhill from there.
The sushi... oh my goodness, i was fairly sure the fish was not fresh. It smelt like slightly off fish. Man, I love fish and this was not good fish!
In addition - I know all restaurants do it but still - we saw a pretty significant amount of fish being re-wrapped in plastic for another day's sushi bar use (we ate there near closing). This fish I'm fairly sure will be served raw the next day, the day after... etc etc
The final straw? The avocado in our Cali roll was heavily oxidised and was bitter.
we finished up quickly and prayed we don't get sick (thankfully I have iron guts).
Tiny sushi bar. Fantastic fish. Those are the most important things to know.
The 2 servers and the sushi chef are all Japanese, which was a good sign when we walked in and started ordering. The chef is great fun, and happy to suggest things he especially recommended. It probably didn't hurt that we offered him some sake, and I speak some Japanese - making friends with the chef is never a bad idea.
But the fish was amazing, and the rice was perfect. I can't recall the last time I've had so much sushi of such remarkably buttery flavor & consistency. The man's technique is top-notch.
I'll absolutely be back when I'm anywhere near that part of town.
But don't bring a big group - they've got seating for maybe 15 people total, and there's only 1 chef.
Definitely don't get the ridiculous kudos in the reviews for this place. I was out on Clement, it was a Monday, and B Star was closed, so we decided to check this place out - based on the yelp reviews. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed.
There wasn't really anything wrong with Murasaki per se, but it was just so resoundingly average that I wouldn't think to ever mention it to anyone, ever. I mean, if you wanted to get a mediocre, par for the course roll with respectable fish, then by all means, stop in. But other than that, there's really nothing that made this spot stand out from the crowd.
If you really think this is the best sushi you've ever had, you need to branch out.
3.5. Very decent but nothing extremely special. Love that its owned and run by nihonjin - thus the extra .5 stars. Hit up Murasaki if:
- you want to speak in japanese to complete you sushi experience
- want a full array of sushi options (fish options, I mean)
- don't want fancy wanna be sushi rolls
- don't care about decor
- just want sushi for decent prices
- want a little grilled items on the side (yakitori, hamachi kama, etc)
- are on Clement but don't want pho or dim sum
If I'm in the Richmond, I'll be back. But, I'd prefer Kazu on the other side of the park.
A native SF friend of mine once said to me "If you want to find a sushi place in the City, throw a rock." And it's true, there are a lot of them, more than the small city where I lived in Japan. And they are all a little different.
So I was a little suspicious when a friend suggested Murasaki as an "authentic" sushi experience. It should be pointed out that the American take on sushi isn't what you find in it's homeland. We're a lot more based on fancy rolls while the Japanese focus on nigiri with a variety of fish. Try explaining the Philadelphia Roll to a Japanese native. You'll get an interesting response. Point being, we think of sushi differently. But an authentic experience is what you get.
The sushi menu is mostly nigiri with different cuts of fish, and smaller but ample selection of rolls. Prices are a little higher than some places but you get what you pay for. The sushi is perhaps the freshest I've had in the city, delicious and with good variety.
The selection isn't the only authentic aspect to Murasaki. Besides the gracious server, you are greeted with a warm, moist towel and edame. Beers are served with the traditional small glasses, and come in the larger sizes.
If you want the authentic sushi experience, Murasaki lives up to its reputation. If all you want is good sushi, then this is still the place to go. In my book it's tops in the city.
As many of you previous yelpers have mentioned, the Chef is your friend. Let him be your Sushi-Yoda and the sushi forces will most definitely be with you! This is the only place I've gone so far where I truly let the sushi chef decide what is going in my stomach. Based on what you like and don't like, he's able to suggest other fishes he has in his arsenal that day for you. Not the type to ask questions? Use the dry erase board as your guide and there's no need to look at their main menu.
For those of you who have said Mr sushi man is a meanie-he isn't mean by any means. He's your quintessential quiet, reserved, Japanese man and you are misunderstanding him and Old Skool Japanese people -think Mr. Miyagi dimeanor and you're much closer than a meanie sushi man dimeanor. Strike up a conversation with him and he'll talk to you! It may seem a little uncomfortable at first, as he doesn't say too much; just short little answers but he WILL be cordial and yes, he SMILES! He's ever so grateful and humble when he receives any compliments and praise. Oh! He'll remember you if you come back-even if you've only been there once! This place isn't cheap but I'm willing to do it every so often as I enjoy great food while giving a small ma & pa shops business. It had been several months between my first and next visit and he remembered me and whom I came with the first time! And my 3rd visit after several months, he still remembered me and the different friend I brought visit #2! It really pays to be friendly to those feeding you!! This guy is definitely no spring chicken and I give him credit for having such late night hours and basically running the place almost by himself. I've only seen 1-2 other workers with him each time I've been there. Growing up and working in a family restaurant, I understand the sacrifices that are made in order to run a restaurant and be away from the kids and parents/spouse.
One of my best experiences was when he suggested we eat the giant clam. He cracked it open and I smelled the ocean breezecoming just over the sushi fridge! It was amazing. When it was served, the ocean was lingering between my friend and me. When I ate it, it was just a hint of the ocean and the great crunchy clam dancing in my mouth! Giant clam isn't a typical go to item for me but I will let him feed it to me again if he suggests I eat it! Mind you, I'm adventurous but I tend to be sort of particular when it comes to eating certain sashimi but like I said earlier, I let him decide what I eat with the exception to uni (past experience from another place has scarred me for life).
The chawanmushi was awesome and just soo comforting, especially on a cold night in my hood.
That green tea mousse is to die for also. I think I'm a sucker green tea anything!
So first timers, this is what you do:
1. you're not a raw fish eater? go to a different Japanese place until you become one.
2. sit at the sushi bar
3. start ordering from the tiny dry erase board
4. when settled in after enjoying your first few pieces of sushi, send your compliments sushi man's way to break the ice and start putting your fate in his hands
5. you'll come back to visit from time to time to make sure he doesn't forget your pretty little face.
I haven't had anything other than their sushi/sashimi and chawanmushi so I can't comment on any other items.
seven:thirty pm sushi bar seated...omakase...toshi-san's choice...pleasant funny character...first things first...large bottle of sake $fifty-five...recommended lower priced option...share amongst three and chef...sapporo beers to add....a request for a special meal...only the best!...no salmon, no maguro, no ebi and no exceptions...
starting sashimi platter...shiso leaves plated....julienned daikon beds and stringed seaweed mounds...variety in sashimi selection...varying tastes and simply delicious...change in taste with ankimo in ponzu...refreshing tangy citrus sauce a perfect compliment to rich buttery monkfish liver....although hearing toshi-san's sauted ankimo is superb, but no sauting for tonight...plate of o-toro next...o-toro!..o-toro!...o-toro sushi...generous portions of o-toro extending and weighing heavy over sushi rice...perfection!...complimented by the best negi-toro rolls experienced...small tang highlighted by rich negi-toro flavors....excellent!...pair of uni per person next...rich smooth creamy texture...melting away as sweet urchin flavors fill....an extra bonus offered...surprising tossing of special mendicino uni in plain form...having had this before...quick smile and quick to savor....change of pace and hamachi kama...deep fried!...had broiled, but never fried....finding things do taste better fried....fantastic meaty hamachi kama...savoring crispy skin and fish, and leaving only skeletal remains....an order of braised short-ribs...similar to korean "kalbi jjim"...finding seasoned great, but cooking bit subpar...beef little dry and could have been cooked better....redemption in raw marbled beef "sashimi"...finding more common these days...beautiful slicings.. familiar ponzu saucing and tasteful...note some items skipped and not mentioned....quite the most items ever had in an omakase meal....arigato!..toshi-san!...
one of top omakase meals ending..tea and mochi ice cream..never looking at menu or asking about pricing...finding pricing exceptional....$three-hundred-ten for three....($two-hundred-sixty total and $fifty tip)...omakase, sake and beers...roughly shy over $hundred per person.....
It is not really for people who just want to have some sushi ...
Go there and sit down in the Sushi bar and say Chef's Special.
Enjoy the food
Pay your bill ($60 /person)
Okay.. for all you yelpers who hate on this place... you're obviously not taking advantage of the omakase option at the bar.... it's AMAZING.. and well worth every dollar. I went there tonight and I stand by my previous review!
Maybe its just because the chef likes the people I went with so they always take very good care of us- Plus we spend a lot with them $83/pp got us the following:
Crab Salad- always yummy- very tasty and has a distinct taste (may be hit or miss with each person)
2 Oysters each
Toro Nigiri and 2 pieces of a toro roll- buttery goodness melts in your mouth feel :)
Bowl of monkfish Liver- I am growing to like this.. I know it's an acquired taste...
Softshell crab to eat btw 2 people- A little too fried for me
Hirame w/ Citrus Sauce- 4 pieces each of sashimi- SoOOoo friggin good!!! I didn't have this last time..... orgasm in your mouth! :D
Hamachi Belly- 3 slices of sashimi- all the bellys were super-melt-in-your-mouth-goodness.. SUPER FRESH
White Tuna Belly- 2 slices of sashimi
Amberjack Sushi- 2 nigiri- I don't like the texture of this.. too rubbery for my taste
Steamed Seafood and Mushroom Tofu- in a mini pot- always tasty- if you don't like Shitake Mushrooms.. this won't be yummy for you.
Saba- 2 nigiri- Still too fishy for my taste.. makerel?! was never something I enjoyed
Grilled Eggplant- yummy and tasty
Uni- 1 nigiri- Still can't eat this.. gave it to my friend :)
Raw Quail egg and Tobiko- 1 nigiri- haha this made me want to gag.. I can't do RAW EGGS... Everyone laughed as I tried to finish it..
Seafood Soup- 1 teapot for two people MY FAVORITE!!!!!! SO tasty in this little pot... you wonder how they can get that much flavor in something SO small!!! LOOOOOVE this- had it at other places and they just couldn't compare in taste..
Hamachi Kama- 1 for two people- Fried just to my liking.. not overly fried.. and the batter was tasty
Unagi- 1 nigiri (super good... but a little too much sauce for me)
Green Tea Mousse - delicate flavor
So I will AGAIN- Give this restaurant HIGH rankings despite other peoples reviews because they may have been served bad quality.. but I was given AMAZING quality and a great price too!
and FYI- for those that are hating on this place.. this is probably one of the most authentic Japanese food experiences you will have.... you just can't be ordering no CALIFORNIA ROLLS..... and FRUITY TUTTY kinda rolls... get things like the seafood soup, try the omakase option, eat at the bar with the chef recommendations and don't worry about the price... you will have a MUCH BETTER experience...
I had never heard of this place before yesterday.. And i'm glad I finally had a chance to try it. I… Read more »
My most favorite Japanese restaurant. When my food picky friend who's planning to go to culinary school visited me from Boston, we got to hang out only one day, and I picked Murasaki. We fought with each other to get a check.
I am not very picky about foods in general, but I have to say there's no other Japanese restaurants that I wanna go in San Francisco besides Murasaki.
One of my good memories in San Francisco.
For some strange reason, the miso soup is one of my favorite things here. High levels of umami, seaweed and tofu are quite satisfying.
The fish is of an incredible quality. The cost of the sashimi is one of the highest I've ever seen but worth it.
When eating raw, you don't want to skimp and wind up with an intestinal parasite. Wait a minute, I could eat what I want and however much I want and not gain a pound... Perhaps I might want to reconsider my stance.
The first time i went to Murasaki was with my friend and his girlfriend. i didn't know what to expect. My friend Ed told me to ask for the special. i wish i had a camera in that time. i dint remember what i had because i it was thirteen different dishes. however what i do remember was the green tea mousse....mmmhhhhh. ill try to upload some pictures of the second time i went. the chef was friendly, i guess is because my friend Ed is a regular customer. we spend almost three hours in Murasaki, just talking about food. i know we were eating and still talking about food.
the next time ill go I'm taking my girlfriend with me.
if you are looking for a friendly, quiet, and comfortable sushi bar then Murasaki is the place to go eat sushi and read a book or just hang out with your friends.
We hadn't visited in ten years but as of October 1st, the song remains the same!
Toshi Sasaki-san is a Master = he remembered our preferences if not the sequence. Although we live in Manhattan-Murasaki is worth a detour.
[Full disclosure: we have been learning from Toshi-san since the old OSOME on Fillmore Street, circa 1978.]
WHOA THE FISH IS SOOOO FRESH!!!
FOOD: this is some of the most delicious, maybe the most freshest, fish i've had in the city! we had hamachi, escolar, negitoro, amaebi, & forget what else, but each & every sushi roll made my eyes roll with delight. ORGASMIC!!! the fish looked so good we also had to get the salmon.
i wish next time we'll try the shiro maguro & ask the chef what he recommends.
~grilled squid was $6 & a steal! yummy.
~chawan mushi was good, but i've had better. i want to try & make this at home.
SERVICE: very very good. the chef-owner is very sweet, funny, & talks like yoda. i love him! sit at the bar. he kept saying "arigatooooooo" even when we asked him a question, like "where do u get ur fish?" maybe he's very smart :D
DECOR: very plain, not much, but it's all about pure food.
BATHROOM: ok.
OVERALL: i would toooootally come back. that fish is divine.
Imagine our concern when we walked in at 8:45 on a cold and foggy Saturday night to discovered that there was no one dining at Murasaki.
For what seemed like a long moment, a young woman popped her head out and told us to take a seat anywhere. Opting for the sushi bar, we marveled again at how there was no one there! We'd heard such great things about the place, how could this be?
After we washed with the hot towels (which feel spectacular on a cold night, let me tell ya!) the server came over and asked if we were ready to order.
Side note: OK. So, I'm about as caucasian as they come, but in my years of sushi bar dining, I've never had a waiter take my *entire* sushi order. I was a little concerned but gave it to her anyways.
Once we ordered, but still no sight of the chef. My miso soup arrived. The tea and sake arrived. We nibbled on edamame. Still no chef.
Then other customers begin to filter in. A couple of women at the bar, 2 couples at a table. The noise level was up to a comfortable buzz.
Then the dude arrives ever so casually, toting his knives and a towel from behind the curtain. The little bit of the tension from anticipation I was feeling melted away, I took a sip of sake and was able to fully focus on Jeff's company.
The nigiri arrived one duo at a time... we nibbled, we talked, we noticed how nice and thick the fish was cut... I commented on how well the fish stayed with the rice as I dipped the fish into the soy sauce.
Side note (pt. 2): I feel that if the fish falls from the rice as you dip it into the soy sauce, the chef must not be that skilled or the rice wasn't cooked properly. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right, then this chef had skills. Not a grain of rice fell into my soy sauce dish.
Jeff opted for the sake & hamachi sashimi, along with uni (of course!).
I, for nigiri... nothing too adventurous, just hamachi, ama ebi, unagi, maguro. I even ordered a California roll as they had snow crab and tobiko... the avocado was so creamy, the eggs popped with freshness, the crab flaky and sweet. Jeff even commented on how the unagi was especially good. Not dry, the perfect amount of sauce.
Everything was nicely executed, to say the least and we were ending our meal feeling very content.
But as we were finishing, we stopped to really look at the older fella who had been slicing up the fish. He was quietly working on a daikon radish, making the most evenly transparent, single-sheet slice that once completed would become a julienne garnish for the sashimi plates.
One long, transparent ribbon of daikon... this was mastery. This was no hack sushi chef. This was a Master and all I could do was stare, holding my breath as the knife came dangerously close to the palm of his hand, noticing that with the tension of the knife, one alteration in pressure could invite catastrophic results.
But it didn't.
And we were full of some tasty fish.
Fish that was made by a true master.
In my head, I bowed just a little in respect of his mad skills.
And so it was, with a sigh of relief (& in awe of a master), we made our way back out into the cold, foggy Inner Richmond night, marveling at the perfection of true sushi, wondering why the place still wasn't packed at 9:45 on a Saturday night.
Best sushi I've had in a long time. (And yes, you may blame that on Northern Virginia's sad excuses for sushi restaurants. Can you tell I'm bitter?)
While visiting SF, I told my friend all I wanted is good (and I mean authentic good) sushi. Being more of a sushi-whore than myself, he brought me to his favorite restaurant. We ordered a wide selection of nigiri and each fish-to-rice ratio was perfectly on point. I had no complaints throughout the entire meal and the chef was a total sweetheart. While I can't comment on other menu items, I left beyond satisfied and happy off my sushi buzz (or maybe that was the sake...)
If you're looking for a "complete dining experience," Maurasaki will probably fall short on decor. It's small and bare, but why complain if it's good fish? And keep looking if you're looking for a variety of fancy rolls and sauces...not to burst anyone's bubble, but that's not real sushi.
*this is an update only for the dinner i had tonight*
i know this place.
i know nobu.
tonight, i must say this. i was very disappointed.
sure it was a large group set up for omakase.
i had it in the back of my mind that the greatness of muraski wouldnt be all up here because we had a large group, but i didnt expect this.
one star for respect. i aint japo but i know what that plaque on the wall means.
one star for a pretty surprising great saba. i dont know what he did with it, but the "gameyness", the super fishyness you get with saba was gone. i thought it was aji with some "sauce". good....
one star for what i would call the consume with daikon and shrimp......
other than that.... a party of ten got the round eyes special. what the freak!??!!?
i know nobu. i know murasaki. i got introduced to this place by two japanese buddies i consider very close friends. this place was a goto place for great sushi.
tonight? um. yeah its ok. um yeah. its good.
to show respect to nobu who i consider a great resource for all things japanese, i didnt say anything, but when we were done, we talked outside. we agreed...
here, i expect real, not the pink ginger shit, but the white stuff. i expected real, grated wasabi, not powdered shit. i expected great sashimi....
i dont get to eat sushi too often any more because the love of my life is allergic to fish so i was very excited to come out *cough* with her blessing, to eat some damn good sushi.
what did we get......
round eyes special....
sure, if times are bad, you have to do certain things, but i thought mr certified from blaaa blaaa japans sushi board shit mofo to put out at least a b game.
we got the round eyes special.......
needless to say, im pretty disappointed.... not at nobu nor the friends i havent seen in awhile, cause that was the saving grace, but at mr certified sushi badass.....
meh.
NOTE!!! let me clarify. there was nothing wrong with dinner, infact it was a good dinner. all the dishes were good, better than MOST places out there.... BUT not the greatness murasaki is!
i will go back again and verify things
sushi lovers sushi joint. serious sushi here. no foofoo lemon drop kiss melon seaweed rollette here.… Read more »
Solid sushi restaurant.
When my bf and I did the first run through of the menu, we were both a bit surprised at how concise it was. Usually it takes me forever to decide because there are too many options, but things moved along rather quickly because the menu is limited (in a good way). I almost ordered the oyster and tofu in miso soup item because I've never seen anything like that before, but I wanted sashimi and I was feeling adventurous ( I usually only order hamachi). I'm so glad I did something different. I ordered the chef's selection of sushi (starts with a 'm' not the "o" one).
Each fish was great - so fresh! Surprisingly, I liked all the other selections better than the hamachi. I've had really good hamachi - probably the belly of a young hamachi - at other places, so...that's a tough one to beat. But even the salmon didn't have a fishy smell/taste to it, which I don't think I've ever experienced.
My bf's chicken teriyaki was awesome. It still had the skin on the filet. He loved that.
And what is this Asahi Select...? I've never seen/heard of it before Murasaki but it's damn good. I'd go back there just for that.
The chef - seemed cool enough. Very focused. Kind of gave me the feeling of..."sushi nazi". I like that though - when someone knows their *stuff* that well that they just exude this aura.
All in all, a solid sushi restaurant for those eat more than just california rolls.
While the atmosphere and service were fine, I found the quality of the fish in my omakase dinner to be a disappointment. While most items were fine, they were nothing special. On our visit, the Toro was frankly, awful. Contrary to some other reviewers, I found the chef to be more than friendly. The sake list is pretty good, though a bit too weighted toward bottles rather than glass offerings.
This place is fine, but I crossed town expecting something exceptional, like Ino Sushi, and didn't come close to finding it.
Eh. The sushi was good but the options are pretty limited. I came here with a former colleague and the food was fine. Pricing was within the range you'd expect for a sushi place. Just didn't blow me away so it doesn't get the Wow! factor 4-star bump up.
4-star means, "Yay! I'm a fan." I can't call myself a fan so it gets a 3 star.
Okay - you don't get anything more authentic or pure than this place. I'm kind of a little skeptical because its my new found glory/secret....
but giving this small japanese family owned sushi restaurant is worth spreading the word
it was definately something you see out of the old Japanese movies - don't go there with all your Marina friends w/ popped collars and aviators thinking you're going to do sake bombs and knock back roll after roll of Raider Rolls or Lombard Rolls........
The owner/sushi chef is quiet, and even though its an intimate setting you don't really get any 1-on-1 time w/ you party and him
hands down the purest japanese restaurant (actually owned by japanese people) that hasn't americanized........ yet
Murasaki is cute... in a bare bones, we didn't spend too much money on decor kind of way. Our one decor issue was how bright it is -- enough to spot a few cleaning opportunities we otherwise would happily not have seen.
Friendly service, with a number of not so typical kinds of fish to choose from...the monkfish liver was tasty!!!! The cooked foods were good too...we ordered grilled calamari for $5 or $6 and got a HUGE tasty plate.
A lot of people were ordering the crab salad too, it looked good!
We enjoyed it well enough, but not enough to make it our local sushi spot -- we'll continue to keep trying other sushi places in the neighborhood.
Happy Hour Draft Beer $1.75!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
99 cents beer & hot sake
Neighborhood: Excelsior
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Japanese
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