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Sebo
Category: Restaurants Sushi Bars Sushi Bars [Edit]
517 Hayes St(between Octavia St & Laguna St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 864-2122
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 6 pm - 10 pm
Sun 6 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
462 reviews for Sebo
Review Highlights
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"sit at the counter and get the omakase." In 69 reviews -
"The Sea Bream was absolutely gorgeous." In 15 reviews -
"Swanky minimalistic interior, fresh fish." In 33 reviews
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462 reviews in English
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Review from Takahiro K.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2012
I am just dumbfoubded by the false bad reviews of this place. If you want a cheap fake American sudo-sushi something, please go elsewhere.
This place is a rare, true authentic Japanese sushi and kappou place in bay area after kiss seafood. I am really grateful the chef doing extra mile to create this awesome relaxing place.
It takes 2 hours to finish the omakase, so we can talk more. All dishes are beyond amazing, well considered and all seasonal.
I am disappointed by the clueless people rating this place without knowing what they are talking about. They should be shameful.
Sebo truly is an authentic Japanese experience and you should just stfu, relax, and enjoy the best, period. -
Review from Tim F.
Oregon City, OR
4/12/2012
First, I am mystified at the bad reviews here, it seems like people either love Sebo or hate it. We fit solidly into the first category. In our mind, the Bourdain bump was justified (yes that's why we went, and we got a thumbs up from Chris Cosentino at Incanto but that's another story). A little background: we are sushi aficionados, not experts by any means, but we have had our fair share of good, mediocre, and bad experiences at sushi joints in a few cities. This stands as one that we will remember - not outstanding, but pretty close. To those expecting more for less - go back to the places you like, and don't expect this quality, freshness, or unusual selections for cheap. We escaped for about $150, a little steep but we've paid more for less.
First the highlights: the sushi was extremely fresh and tasty, I see that it wasn't for some reviewers, but hey maybe we got lucky. We had a reservation at the last seating and had to wait a few minutes for a spot at the sushi bar. If you want the best the chef has to offer, sit at the bar, watch what is being made, and get friendly with the chef. We chose some standards and some items that were new to us. We ordered miso (not at all exceptional but not bad), then sunomono with prawn, and received a work of art with a whole very large blue prawn, These were the sweetest we have had, and new to us - taste was very good. Nigiri - the maguro was very nice, nothing special. Ditto the yellowfin and the scallops. They were out of the butterfish or I would have tried that, uni, and monkfish liver (sublime if you get it fresh). Next the fluke, most places have it on the menu and never have any (why it's on the menu at some of these places is beyond me). This was very fresh, very tasty, about the best I've had. Next whelk, which was a little underwhelking :) Was disappointed they didn't have had usual geoduck clam, can be awesome when it's still moving :) Then a new one on me: firefly squid. These little buggers were sublime, sweet, tender - worlds apart from your standard rubber squid. I asked for something off the menu and received a fluke fin muscle - wow. The "toro of the flounder" is what I'd call it.
The maki rolls - should have tried more but we usually lean towards nigiri. We had the maguro which was, well, outstanding is an understatement. We tried to watch the ingredients being assembled but didn't quite get the sauces and condiment - too bad because whatever he squirted on there (ponzu sauce and sesame oil maybe?) took it over the top. Next a negihama roll, very very good, again some little touch we didn't quite catch made it a solid triple hit.
This is pure hearsay but the couple next to us had the omakase - I see some reviews that thought it was ho-hum or plain old bad. Well they were raving on about it and didn't exactly sound like sushi novices. Most of the dishes looked wonderful, and none as far as I could see were on the regular menu. The grilled "sea pike" looked yummy (I got a kick of the reviewer who tried to eat the SKIN, I mean come on). A meticulously prepared cucumber sunomono, I would have asked for it had we not already ordered. Fish collar that looked great, some other items that I forgot already. And at $80 a little steep for our price range.
Now the few low lights: the nigiri is by the PIECE, not 2 pieces, and priced about double. And someone hit it on the head, what is a $14 glass of sake doing here? Or anywhere for that matter unless it's truly outstanding? None of the sake was reasonably priced and you're pretty much stuck with 4(?) choices. Each gets a paragraph on the menu but none were worth more than a sentence. No nigiri (unfiltered, our personal choice) so we got the only jumanji ginjo (light and slightly sweet), it was pedestrian at best. We've had infinitely better in Portland OR (home) for a heck of a lot less. But a huge surprise, we got our drinks comped because we had to wait 10 minutes - BRAVO to our server :)
SO definitely not 5 star grade but if you order wisely you shouldn't be disappointed. PS. I got a kick out of the reviewer who said they had better right next to the Tokyo fish market - DUH! Also about the decor - dunno why anyone would want more than the subdued, relaxing atmosphere - maybe they expected a Japanese garden complete with geishas:) -
Review from Diana L.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
If for any reason you decide to try this place out, this is my warning to you ("DOOO NOTT GO!!!!!!). There were so many things wrong with the food and experience there I don't know where to start off.
1.) 6 course omakase ($80) was completely over rated and it was supposed to be enough to feed one person, which is not true.
2.) It took 2 hours for all 6 courses, it was confusing why it would take so long because it was not very busy and the food was overly plain and nasty.
3.) It took so long between courses, one of the waitresses came to ask if we were done and wanted our check, but we only had 3 out of 6 of our courses.
4.) Customer Service was lacking, our water bottle was empty toward the last 2 courses. (which was about a little more than an hour)
5.) Overly pricy for a un-fresh sashimi and horrible tasting cucumber sushi with a mysterious paste (Which was sour and florally tasting)
6.) Waitresses did not know what they were serving, unable to explain what each dish were
7.) We ordered a fried squid, and it was not crispy and quite cold; I believe the waitress forgot about it and left it out and we had to cancel the order
The worse part of it all I was forcing myself to eat the horrible food because it was so expansive and I was literally starving for the whole 2 hours I was there. I end up going to grab some fast food after this horrible ordeal. I left so confused why this place was so highly regarded as a place people must try. I will never return again.
(Try at your own risk; this is a common issue for many customers) -
Review from Meredith C.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2012
A little disappointing.
I skimmed through quite a few reviews before dining here and people are kind of spot on. I didn't want to believe what I was reading but it's kinda true - sushi is fresh, but it was just ok. They have an eclectic selection of fish.
We also didn't try any of the cooked food as we were solely interested in sushi. Service was adequate, but on the slower side considering the restaurant was pretty empty on a rainy Saturday evening. -
Review from Rachel A.
San Francisco, CA
4/3/2012
Uninspired and over-rated.
My date and I decided to try the Omakase, thinking it would be fun to see what types of sushi the chef could dish up. Unfortunately, the experience left much to be desired.
According Trevor Corson, in The Zen of Fish, "Customers ordering omakase style expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef." This was not our dinner. Most of the dishes were cooked, salty, and had an unfresh fishiness that turned our stomachs.
First course - cucumber salad with clam: not bad, pretty bland
Second course - tuna tartare on a bed of rice: yawn, and spongy "fried" mackerel
Third course - 6 different types of nigiri: tuna: good; salmon: good; butterfish: overly spicy; shrimp: slimy and unfresh; uni: barftastic.
This is when we asked ourseves if we should leave. We decided to stick it out, it could only get better!
Fourth course: Something unmemorable
Fifth course: Cooked fish collar: Okay, but greasy, too fishy and bony.
Sixth course: Miso soup with a mussel in it. Salty and unispired.
Needless to say, the dinner was very overpriced and left us feeling taken advantage of. "No frills" in this case = lazy. -
Review from Charlie B.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2012
This place is way overpriced for quality of food / service, but decor is nice. Good place for people who value image over substance.
The sushi was just "OK". Nothing to write home to Mom about. But what I really wanted to mention was our waitress - nice but clueless.
1) When she brought out my soup, she didn't include a spoon*. Apparently you eat with your hands at Sebo: it's the cutting edge of trendy.
2) She forgot one sushi order for one of my friends.
3) I ordered a beer, and she forgot.
4) When I reminded her about my beer, she then checked, came back and said tap just ran out. Who runs out of beer and doesn't have a backup keg?
5) There were no other equivalently priced beers, so I picked out another beer, and asked if I could get that beer at the price of the original, and she said no.
If you run out of product, give me an equivalent. Or if you don't have any equivalents (like in this case), upgrade me for free: that way, I still purchase, and it's a nice way of saying "Hey, sorry we ran out. We appreciate your business, and here's how we'll make it up".
Not going back, even if eating soup with your hands becomes a big thing.
*Note: I've since learned that it's Japanese tradition to drink miso soup without a spoon. Still, how hard is it to include a spoon? I don't think anyone is going to fault them as less authentic for doing so, and then you bring along the people who aren't familiar with this expectation (like myself).
However, if you are REALLY committed to doing the authentic thing, that's cool, then just communicate that up front, so I can choose whether I want to plunge into an authentic discovery experience (no spoon), or if I just want I can enjoy the meal and eat with a spoon. -
Review from Kazu O.
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Underwhelmed, to say the least. The food here was good, but the Bourdain seal of approval wasn't enough to convince me that this was amongst the best sushi joints around town.
The grilled squid and the miso eggplant were good appetizers. Standard, and authentic.
The sushi? I had the chef's selection of 7 nigiri, along with an additional Hokkaido uni. Most sushi places only get fish once a week, so if you go towards the end of their weekly cycle, you end up with less options and/or not-as-fresh fresh. Sebo claims they get new fish every day -- well..... I've definitely had fresher, tastier fish. I swear that uni must've been almost a week old. I also think that the cuts of each fish are about 1/2-2/3 the size of most sushi places in that price range, including the real Japanese ones. The packed-ness of the rice itself was also too loose -- I've never been to a quality Japanese sushi place where the ball of rice would split in half when I picked up the nigiri with my chopsticks.
Anthony Bourdain had me fooled. Never trust a non-Japanese person's taste in sushi! -
Review from Melissa W.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
This is sushi and Japanese tapas with no frills. The decor adds to the minimalist vibe of the place.
Had the 7 piece nigiri ($32) featuring all sustainable fish: arctic char, spanish mackerel, mackerel, sea bream, fluke, sea eel, and another fish that I can't remember. All were very fresh and tasty. I just wish the anago (sea eel) had been served warm.
Also had the negihama ($11) which was really great and you could really taste the yellowtail.
We finished with udon ($11) in a tea broth which was delicious. It came with sweet tofu and a sweet mushroom.
The sushi here is about twice the price you would pay at a normal sushi joint but the sushi was a notch above your normal sushi joint.
This is the best SF sushi place I've been to so far. That being said, you can get really good sushi at places in LA for a lot less. -
Review from Mandy H.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2012
Fresh not fishy, pricey. Date-worthy.
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Review from Sasha R.
4/20/2012
if you go, definitely sit at the bar and let the guys choose for you. we were paralyzed with indecision with anything other than sake selection (think it was the atrocious parking situation that flattened all those neurons), and the nice guys behind the bar stepped up and recommended the freshest bits. came out to a very tasty, but very very expensive selection. and one after which, I'm not gonna lie, I was just a wee bit hungry. however, the fish was fresh, sweet like butter, and the rice perfectly-cooked (surprisingly hard to find).
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Review from Andrew C.
We had a $60 for 4-course Omakase + glass of sake deal from Blackboard Eats. I thought it was a deal on the regular Omakase which is 6-course and $80 so this was more of a smaller omakase option vs. savings I initially thought it was.
Anyway, small simple space with 6 two-tops and 2 four-tops + small sushi bar. At 6:30 on Sunday the sushi bar was full (5-6 seats) and one other table of two seated. As the night progressed the restaurant filled up with a wait list when we left.
Amuse Bouche: Simmered shiitake, octopus, and kelp served on a shiso leaf (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) A little salty. The octopus was really tender with a texture similar to braised beef.
Course 1: 4 piece roll of Pickled Gobo (burdock root) and avocado wrapped in hirame and cucumber + Seared Hokkaido scallop on lemon. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) The gobo and avocado combined for a creamy and crunchy bite. A light sauce complemented the roll's flavors. The scallop was nicely seared, but I thought the brush of sauce on it didn't enhance the sweet scallop meat
Course 2a: Five piece nigiri plate of shimaaji (stripe jack), saba (makerel), iwashi (sardine), hirame (fluke), and tako (octopus) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Single bite portions, smaller than the typical fish cuts you see at the average sushi joint. Nobu K would approve.
The shari had a light nutty flavor. All the fish were very good. The saba was nicely marinated and I really liked the iwashi which I've only had a couple of times previously. The tako was also extremely tender.
Course 2b: After our nigiri plates were cleared a plate of Kappamaki was delivered (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). A simple cucumber palate cleanser. I guess traditional and nothing special.
Course 3: Soba noodles, chilled broth, Uni, Ikura, mountain yam, and finely sliced nori in a glass (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I've had my share of so-so uni so seldom order it. This was fresh and firm with a clean flavor. Combined with the briney ikura and crunch of the mountain yam, this was a fun dish to mix up and eat.
Course 4: Salt Grilled Aji (horse makerel). Half per person (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Nicely cooked with moist flakey flesh. Some bones left in the fillet that you have to work around. They brought out some plain white rice to eat with the fish. It highlighted the subtleties of the delicious sushi rice we had in the nigiri course.
It was about 20 minutes between dishes and our meal was about 2 hours total. We had a good time and enjoyed the variety and quality of the food, but it's a bit of a splurge to be a your regular sushi spot.
I saw a few reviews saying you could bring your own bottles of sake for no corkage. If they still allow it, it's probably the way to go if you know you're going to be drinking sake. The Shogen we enjoyed was $14 per (not so big) glass here and $35 for a 720ml bottle at True Sake across the street.
Service was friendly, but the two waitresses seemed to be stretched once the place filled up.Listed in: Sushi Boat
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Review from Liv S.
Clovis, CA
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here last September. Pretty pricey, but worth the $$. Originally decided to go here for the same reasons as many others...Bourdain. We weren't disappointed. The fish was amazingly fresh and featured all sustainable fish a plus. We had an amazing bottle of sake, which is saying a lot because I am not normally a fan of the stuff. If your looking for great fish and are willing to pay for it, this is the place
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Review from Charles M.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2011
Extremely slow service could not be saved by the food or atmosphere.
Three of us tried the omakase last Tuesday evening. Sebo was not full, and did not look unusually busy. Our first course took one hour exactly to arrive. That's unforgivable. Subsequent courses arrived at approximately twenty minute intervals. It's too much waiting.
I like the atmosphere, the trapezoidal tables, the uncluttered look to the place. The food was ok but it's hard to properly appreciate it when you have been waiting so long.
Overall, it was an expensive and unprofessional experience. I won't be back but obviously others have had good experiences there, and maybe they are better a la carte.
We did ask our server at about forty-five minutes, and she said the chefs were busy and that she had told them she was "worried about table two." But, again, the restaurant was never full, and certainly by 9:30p, when the first course arrived, it was not busy.
I can come up with no explanation as to why our experience was so poor. We were engrossed in our conversation, so perhaps they just thought we didn't need food? Who knows? -
Review from Albert H.
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
There are really not a lot of places in the Bay Area where you can get this level of quality. And you'll pay for it. And you'll like it. Or at least we do.
We strongly recommend sitting at the counter and ordering the Omakase for the best service - you get a combination of raw and cooked dishes and you get to see them being prepared. The chefs are very friendly, and it is interesting to watch as they work.
They have a short but good sake list, including both some clean and dry and some very sweet and fruity things.
The fish quality is usually superb; a combination of stuff flown in from Japan and local product. As others have mentioned, they often have uni from Hokkaido as well as the local one, and the contrast can be interesting.
The times we've had the Omakase, we've found ourselves ordering a few supplementary dishes. It's a combination of the portions not being huge and the food just being *that* good.
Not cheap, not always fast, but carefully prepared, quality product without a doubt.Listed in: Favorite Sushi
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Review from Michelle N.
San Francisco, CA
9/2/2011
So before you read on - if you're reading this on your smartphone trying to decide whether or not to wait that 30-40 minutes for Suppenkuche or drop into this place, go take a walk or browse the Timbuk2 store for that amount of time. Trust me, it's really not worth diving into Sebo instead.
My partner and I ordered several vegetable small plate dishes (the asparagus, eggplant, and brussels sprouts - all $6), the 5 piece tasting nigiri ($21), and the seared katsu house special. The katsu was fine, but not mind blowing. However, the vegetable dishes were really authentically Japanese - like something you'd be served by a Japanese mother/in-law. Quite honestly, if you're stuck here you should just order the veggie plates and some rice for dinner. It's a real bargain for $6 each - though $3 for a bowl of rice is pretty steep unless it's hand-washed by imported snow-skinned Japanese virgins.
As for the fish, I imagine that $3.50 out of my $5 single slice of fish goes towards the plane ride that fish took from Japan to California. Also, while I may not be Miss Palate McAmazing of the year I do have a pretty good sense of what distinguishes amazingly fresh fish from mediocre stuff. But when it comes down to it, there is too much competition in San Francisco for a place like this to be less than amazing for the prices they charge and the food they serve. I've seen better presentation elsewhere as well, most memorably at Kappou Gomi.
Also, tip came to over $20 if we were going to do the full 20%. Waitress lady, you may be very nice, but I'm not going to pay you more than $10 for competently bringing me my food, drink and nothing else.
At the end of the day, there is no point in coming here unless you really can't get in anywhere else in Hayes Valley. Or you really like interior design and want to gawk at some pretty tables and decor and don't mind paying ~$50/person for the experience. Oh, and you like mostly vegetables. -
Review from Ed U.
High-end sushi is such a dicey proposition. Advance word on Sebo was so exalted that it's hard to imagine it living up to the expectations set forth by the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Alice Waters. It doesn't... but maybe it's just me. Maybe I don't have the refined palate I should have as a sansei food snob to regale in the delicacy of flavors presented here. Or maybe, just maybe, I don't like paying $25 for just five pieces. Like I said, high-end sushi is what Michael Black and Daniel Dunham serve, and the sushi connoisseurs gobble it up like Jelly Bellies.
It's a spare space, minimalist with modern Asian ambiance, ironically next door to the boisterous Paxti's Pizza. The sushi side of the menu appears very select as it reflects mostly fish flown in from Japan. There are no dragon or rainbow rolls where they toss their leftover fish parts into their own all-you-can-eat maki. But before I get into that, Jamie W. and I decided to try a couple of their small plates to give us a running start toward the sushi beyond the complimentary edamame (see photo). First up was the $6 Mekabbetsu, which were flash-fried brussel sprout leaves served with a spoonful of soy butter sprinkled with black sesame seeds (see photo).
It was tasty and quite similar to the brussel sprout chips offered at Marlowe. Next was something that reflected my personal taste, the $11 Chawan Mushi, a steamed egg custard molded into a cup with a shrimp, a scallop and a sea urchin thrown in like fruit cocktail in Jell-o (see photo). It was blistering hot from the boiling water and ultimately too bland to enjoy with much gusto. And finally the sushi. We both ordered the $25 Chef's Selection (Nigiri), which consisted of five pieces very simply presented. That evening, they were madai (sea bream) from Mie, kurodai (daurade) from Kanagawa, saba (mackeral) from Kyoto, hirame (fluke) also from Kanagawa, and anago (salt water eel) from Kagoshima (see photos).
Fresh? Oh yes. Unique? I'm sure. Tasty? No complaints. Worth the price? Ehhhh... just don't have that level of appreciation, I guess. Jamie and I both tried to eat the nigiri very slowly but to no avail. They were gone in less than five minutes. I wish I could tell you how transformative those five minutes were, but honestly, I don't remember them much now. I don't think Jamie was too thrilled since he wanted to make a beeline to Hayes & Kebab for a gyros wrap right afterward. Me? I was thinking I needed to go to a Buddhist monastery and contemplate the meaning of life and maybe stop at Costco for the sushi party platter along the way.
FOOD - 3 stars...fresh fish but oh my, ka-ching
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...very sparse space with just six spots at the sushi bar and the tables spread out
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...good enough...the wait wasn't bad for a Friday evening
TOTAL - 3 stars...victim of its own hype?... guess it depends how much you love your sushiListed in: Please to Take Off Shoes,…, Like Sands Through the…
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Review from Rebecca C.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012
Solid sushi, very fresh. Simple and quiet decor - good for catching up with old fiends or biz dinner where you don't want to be rushed. Favorites: uni, dungeness crab, sea bream (with skin slightly torched). Chawanmushi was solid but nothing special. Great saki (even though selection is not huge).
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Review from Matthew W.
San Francisco, CA
9/15/2011
If you want to eat slow, and savor the other-worldly experience of reallly fresh sushi, go here. if not, go to We Be Sushi and gobble down cheap and tasteless fish.
the prices are exceedingly high, and i felt the interior to be so minimalistic as to be a bit unwelcoming,.....but if you want to take someone out to enjoy some nice sushi, spend the extra cash and enjoy an evening. -
Review from Adolfo L.
5/22/2011
I don't get it...
But maybe I would get it if I were Bourdain or Cosentino. Well, I guess I get it. If you're special you will be treated special. But what if your establishment earns its name from the praises of such special people? I've seen the hype and the praise, and also the ridicule and criticisms. So I get it, this resto is a two in one. Like a reviewer said earlier, there's a two caste system here. The problem is the lack of consistency. No, not from visit to visit as I've only been here once, but customer to customer as you will see from people who have visited. How can it be that Bourdain can drool over their fare, but others will leave underwhlemed and utterly disappointed? The best gauge of a restaurant is to go in as a commoner...
Now don't get me wrong, I will say that Sebo serves up quality fish. Is it the best? No, I've had much better... Zushi and Sushi Ran to name a couple. Does is command the price they command? In my opinion, no. For what Sebo is and makes itself out to be, it should be amazing... to everyone.
Hey, do I need to be Anthony Bourdain to get an awesomely spectacular piece of fish around here? Oh... I do? -
Review from Nicole L.
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gourmet sushi? Designer sushi, maybe? Sebo offers a simple menu of nigiri and a few small plates with a $$$ price tag. Most customers opt for the omakase (chefs choice) which is a meal of 4-6 courses and is what we chose. Initially we didn't think 4 dishes would be filling enough but it turned out to be plenty, the 5 piece nigiri course was good and the best at filling our tummies. You can refer to Andrew C.'s review because he gave a pretty thorough description of what we got (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I liked everything except for the cold soba cup, it was an assortment of things with a raw quail egg on top and was actually kind of hard to swallow. We lucked out though and they forgot to put the uni in our cups so we got it in nigiri form instead, might have been the highlight of the meal.
The restaurant itself is as simple as the menu - mood lighting, tables, green walls, and a few hanging lamps. The place is much dimmer than the yelp pictures make it out to be. It's a dress up or casual kind of place, depending on the dining occasion.
Overall, the sushi didn't taste as good as we'd expected and didn't seem any more special than nigiri we get at some of our favorite sushi spots. After dinner we kept thinking about how we could have gotten a 20 piece chirashi at Yu Zen for $25 and shared it and have been just as content.
Sidenote: Major downside was that there was no sake bombing at Sebo.... sake is only sold by the glass here, darn. -
Review from ameer n.
San Francisco, CA
9/14/2011
It wasn't until afterwards that i realize mr. bourdain had visited this very spot.
The omakase does take 2+hrs, so be prepared to talk to the person(s) you are dining with. The quality of food is off the charts, the service is attentive and friendly, and the ambiance is perfect for a date. -
Review from Jay V.
San Francisco, CA
9/15/2011
We came in on a weekend and luckily for us there was no one wandering too far down Hayes past Suppenkuche. The interior is mostly bare wood with a nice romantic spa-like warmth to the dining room. There isn't much seating, making each table feel like its own private island. Great for date night.
We had the brussels sprouts and the broiled eggplant to share as our starters. The Brussels were gorgeous! great roasted color. A little crisp on the outside but gave way to a creamy and roasted sweet inside. Our server noticed that one of us was vegetarian and immediately offered a substitute lemon aioli (the dish comes with a cod roe aioli). Both aiolis were great accompaniments. There was a slight smokey quality to the cod roe, and the lemon gave the right amount of lemon to accent and brighten an already beautifully done sprout. The Eggplant was reminiscent of unagi. There was a delightfully creamy flesh under a sweet and salty sauce-crust.
I had another helping of cod roe over rice with scallion. It was a great dish that let the roe itself shine. Perfectly fresh and exploding with ocean salt and the aroma of the fish. Damn, I'm a sucker for cod roe.
I was excited to see the omakase on the menu. Perhaps something to save up for as part of my next visit. -
Review from Rebecca L.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2011
Full article with pics at http://triplexbexx.wor...
Michael Black from Sebo
Michael Black, with a rock and roll aura that exudes a matter of fact attitude, and perhaps a past that consist of leather jackets, motorcycles and tattoos, certainly does not fit the typical stereotype of a sushi chef or one to concoct traditional izakaya plates. Plus, he is only half Japanese, usually not enough in the eyes of sushi traditionalists.
Sebo, opened in March 2006, will be five years by March 2011 have generated quite a buzz in San Francisco; from having been on the Michelin 2010 and 2011 list, high reviews in the SF Magazine article, to being featured in Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation, Black remains humble and ambitious to expand his hopes for Sebo.
Fortunately for me (certainly a bonus that I went with someone who is a close buddy of Black's), we were seated at the bar counter only two feet away from Black, along with the chefs from NOPA and Delfina - it was almost like I was in a private clubhouse of folks in the culinary industry. Being able to watch and chat with Black was such a treat. Each time Black presented a dish, he walked us through what we were having; the type of fish, use of base, and method of cooking technique. In the mist of jotting notes and taking pictures to document my experience at Sebo, it dawned on me why this omakase experience felt different and special - 80% of the dishes we had were traditional Edomae-style small plates that he had growing up in Japan that can't be found on the menu. It felt like I had a taste and glimpse of his childhood... incredibly intimate and personal.
He started us with a starter plate of Shima Aji, striped jack fish, butterfish, and fluke fish - all flown in from Japan butchered in front of us. Of course, fresh wasabi in tow.....
Full article with pics at http://triplexbexx.wor... -
Review from Erica L.
Chicago, IL
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hubby and I were really looking forward to eating here because it was featured on "No Reservations". We went here last night to celebrate two of our friends' birthdays.
The first sign of trouble was the fact that we were one of only two other tables in the restaurant (seemed odd for a Friday night before a holiday weekend).
Hubby and I split the 7-piece Chef's Selection nigiri. It was the first time I tried butterfish and wild salt water eel - which were good, but nothing mind-blowing. Overall the sushi was nothing to write home about. Coming from the Midwest, we had higher expectations for Bay Area sushi... -
Review from Curtis H.
Napa, CA
7/18/2011
Ok, Sebo has great quality fish, no question, are they expensive, yes, almost to a painful state, $9 per piece for Uni?
The atmosphere is minimalist and the waitstaff is very reserved.
I would try it again, but It will be awhile as there are many other great sushi restaurants that are 1/2 the price with great fish. -
Review from Greg G.
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sort of a weird spot. It's going for this really classy look, almost something out of a movie set with a photo scene being set up. Trapezoid tables that conveniently fit together to extend for larger groups (clever ... I see what they did there). Stem lights over the bar to light the kitchen and behind the bar area. Like totally the type of place you go to impress a date (a few people were definitely doing this).
However after all that, the food was ... hmm. It was ok. I think the price sort of made it not so much for me (~60 bucks). The one thing that I thought was awesome, this hirame roll. It was awesome. Almost tasted like eating sushi wrapped in ginger. -
Review from Abel L.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Until further notice, it's the best "fresh" sushi joint in San Francisco, for a price. Whether the air quotes are needed is up to you.
TAKE AWAYS:
- Decor is quite strange for a Japanese bar, no? I dig it still.
- Staff was eggcellent. They even gave me free dessert for causing me to wait on the last course of the Omakase eat. Free dessert = free Yelp love.
- Omakase was the thing to try here, and it did not disappoint. Then again, I'm an Omakase newb, so kind of a virgin here when it comes to great sushi. Besides, anything $80 better be awesome.
- On that note, any date that does NOT know his/her sushi will probably come upstairs with you, if you're not creepy.
Sebo's atmosphere is intimate and smooth. Questionable music selection plays overhead, but quietly enough you can ignore if need be. The bathroom trash was piled a little high to be total class, but that's me trying hard to find fault at Sebo. That and they don't have apple juice. Sad face.
Once again, best artsy sushi hands down. You want Dragon Roll? Kill yourself, go somewhere else. -
Review from Mike B.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
There's a lot of hype around Sebo. It was featured on Anthony Bourdain and has garnered Michelin recognition.
Perhaps this explains why the prices here are outrageous. Where most sushi joints (mom-and-pop OR the higher end establishments) charge you $4-6 for TWO pieces of nigiri, Sebo charges the same amount for ONE piece. Two pieces of the winter yellowtail ran $12. A simple hamachi scallion roll ran another $12 ($5-6 at other places). Even on an expense account, I couldn't justify spending the amount of money needed to leave here satisfied.
Also, the menu selection is poor- no speciality rolls and standard choices for nigiri and sashimi. It's a very traditional Japanese sushi menu. This is fine for a mom-and-pop, quaint sushi restaurant where the focus is on delivering fresh, untampered, and top-quality fish at the most reasonable prices. But coming to a polished, high-end place like Sebo, you would expect a little more creativity given the hype and prices. Yes, the fish was of excellent quality, but it was no better than some of my favorite traditional, no-frills sushi restaurants like Ino Sushi or Kiss Seafood in Japantown. Sebo offers this same experience without authenticity or value.
If you want to splurge on a great sushi meal, visit Sushi Ran is Sausalito. I will not be returning to Sebo again. -
Review from Patrick K.
Pacifica, CA
12/30/2011
The fish served here is top notch quality. However, it ain't cheap! My wife and I spent $90.00 for just a small amount of Nigiri sushi, a few sides and some beer! The ambiance was very nice and the service was good. The wait time for the dishes was rather long, however. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
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Review from Jessica P.
Oakland, CA
3/28/2011
I couldnt agree more with Mike B.'s post below. He hit the nail on the head.
My bf had heard a lot of hype and was dying to check it out, so I took him for his bday this weekend.
we wont be back. (Kirala in Berkeley is about the same quality, with better selection and WAY better prices. )
Sebo's menu was small. I assumed this was because they had amazing fish and there was simly no need to clutter it with fancy rolls that you would drown in wasabi...
We both got the Chefs pick, 7 pieces of nigiri. $35 a plate. I went with that, since as Mike mentioned, the nigiri is $4-6 EACH. as in, per piece. Not per 2. EACH.
nothing that blew my mind. I will admit Im no sushi expert but Ive had my fair share and the bf is part Japanese so I trust him... he was also not impressed.
beer was $9-14.
Sake was $40+ for the bottle... $10-14 for a glass.
no one wonder the place wasnt crackin off at 8pm on a Friday.
There are 9 tables and it wasnt full even when we left... odd? I dont think so. the $100 bill was not justified. AT ALL. -
Review from Ali W.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2011
This place confuses me. It does not deserve the time it's going to take me to write this bad review. I'm doing it for YOU.
1) Horrendous wait time and the restaurant only had one other table + the bar.
2) I love the taste of raw sushi, so if I garnish it at all it's with some tobiko. I should have drowned my fish in soy sauce as there were no shining flavors here. Stringy tuna.
3) Ludicrous prices.
4) The bf and I came here because we didn't want to wait an hour at Suppenkuche. After our expensive "appetizer", we returned to Suppenkuche and ordered an obscene amount of food to go. The night was a bust so at least we deserved full stomachs...
SAVE YOURSELF AND YOUR WALLET AND NEVER EAT HERE.
P.S. I love the decor. A feast for your eyes at least. -
Review from Michelle L.
Denver, CO
1/16/2011
Maybe I should have read Sebo's Yelp reviews before coming here. Instead I went after hearing the glowing reviews in Eater, SF Foodie, 7x7, and No Reservations.
My god, I have never spent so much money for such an unsatisfying meal. My friend and I ordered the chef's selection -- 9 pieces of sashimi for $39.The fish was good, but for those prices, it should be INCREDIBLE. And it wasn't. The service was awful. Our waitress had forgotten our drinks and the soy sauce -- two staples in any Japanese restaurant.
I spent the entire rest of the evening clutching my still growling stomach -- I refused to spend any more money on food since I'd basically spent half a week's paycheck on an extraordinarily unsatisfying meal -- before getting drunk on one cocktail at Smuggler's Cove. The result of eating a dinner with portions that are significantly smaller than the palm of my hand. I then microwaved a pizza and realized I should have just eaten that for dinner instead. Would have saved me $50.
This place is all the things I dislike about the San Francisco food scene and more -- overrated, overpriced, overhyped for mediocre quality and horrible service. -
Review from Drew H.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2011
went late night for the izakaya menu, which apparently changes daily. unfortunately the sushi bar was closed down for the night.
fairly small joint, low lighting, intimate, nice lookin place.
we ordered some mainstay dishes and snuck in some new guys. the dishes were simple, clean, tasty, and above all else unique. UNIQUE. at least to my palette, which is saying a little bit as i'm japanese. unusual flavor combinations. interesting textures. ingredients that i had never seen or eaten before. decent wine and scotch menus. overall a great late night dining experience. -
Review from A E.
San Francisco, CA
I have been to other traditional sushi restaurants before. I know that this is probably how a Japanese food is really served for Japanese in Japan. None of those crazy rolls with equally crazy names (49ers roll, anyone?), grilled chicken smothered in sickly sweet teriyaki glaze, or the likes.
Yet I was left unimpressed by their omakase menu. Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to appreciate it, but I don't see how the whole 6 courses can cost $80 per person - I have had other, better experience in traditional sushi restaurants, both in SF and elsewhere enjoying more satisfying yet authentic morsels of food for less the price.
The first dish of the omakase was wakame salad and cucumber-wrapped fish in vinegar. I'm not a big fan of cucumber (nor vinegar) so I ended up tossing the wrap. The next was a squid and okra salad - it was an interesting combination, though not sure I like the slimy texture of the two main ingredients....
The next was the best course of the night - six pieces of nigiri sushi with the perfect rice : fish combination. My favorite was the anago (eel) - delicious and extremely fresh. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
The one that followed was also lovely (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - similar to the 'solar system' at Kabuto (oyster with quail egg and salmon roe / ikura), this one has no oyster and instead includes soba (buckwheat noodle) in chilled dashi stock as the main ingredient, uni and tiny daikon bits.
The fifth dish was somewhat odd - it was seared butterfish with pickled daikon and fermented chili paste. Beautiful presentation in a simple black flat plate (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I was however expecting the butterfish to NOT be room temperature so the fact that it was, was ... well. .. weird.
The sixth and last was miso soup with manila clam (again was lukewarm - was this on purpose or it was just because they were closing up shop? we did, after all, came after 9). we were just glad it was the last course.
Again, maybe i'm just lacking sophistication, but apart from the extremely fresh and flavorful fish and the creative soba dish, I really am struggling to see the value in the whole thing. -
Review from Eric B.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2011
We should be able to rate less than 1 star for places like this. This place deserves about .342 stars at best.
WAY--and I mean WAY--over priced. Have been to about 100+ sushi restaurants (including one right outside the Tsukiji Fish market in Tokyo) and this is by far the most expensive of them all with a C+ grade which doesn't come close to being worth the price. Sushi is much like wine (or other nice-to-have things) where you often ask yourself: "Do I $39 like that sashimi/wine or do I $25 like it?". For 9 small and run-of-the-mill pieces of sashimi we had on our trip to Sebo, the answer to the "Do I like this?" question was easy: not so much. Fresh, yes, but that can be had at MANY other places for far, far less.
The service could have made up for the overpriced-and underwhelming fish--but it didn't. Instead it was lethargic and uninspired at best.
The decor/vibe could have made up for the overpriced and underwhelming fish and the lethargic service but it didn't. It was just OK...nothing special.
The only good thing I can say about this place was that they clearly made a decision to limit the number of tables so as to not overly crowd the room as is the case in so many other places in the city. But, I'd rather they add a few more tables and make their money that way rather than charging the privileged folks that end up getting a table an arm and a leg for what we can all get better and cheaper at so many other places in SF. Its not like we're in Kansas, people. We have LOT's of choices when it comes to quality and value with sushi. See Yuzu (marina), SanRaku (SOMA), Okina (the Richmond). -
Review from Sam B.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
Sebo is my favorite sushi restaurant in the city, as I value its true dedication to quality and simplicity. The service, atmosphere, and freshness is always there every day and at any day. It's such an easy place to come over and over again and have the excellence of food and service!
The omakase is always a fun experience, and highly recommended, especially if you knowledge of Japanese cuisine limited to sushi and sashimi. Try omakase and soon you will find that the imagination of Sebo's chefs has no limits. However, getting a seat at the sushi bar is always tricky ... try getting there early, 6pm usually works for me. Sundays are always real fun to come - no sushi or sashimi but lots of incredible cooked foods prepared. -
Review from Jeanette B.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2011
I ate at Sebo last night, which was, I believe, my fourth visit - once for omakase, twice for izakaya, and then last night with the new menu. After I got home, I hopped on Yelp and was surprised by all of the negative reviews! I cannot speak to table service, since we have always sat at the sushi bar. But Sebo has consistently delivered delicious, fresh, and interesting food at a fair price. Yes, compared to other sushi places it is more expensive. But I always feel like I am paying a reasonable price for the quality I am getting.
The new menu is a great balance between their old sushi menu and their (delicious!) Sunday izakaya menus. We will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation. I would much rather pay more to go here than to the increasingly disappointing sushi place around the corner. -
Review from Jenny L.
12/8/2010
12.07.10
Sebo is a dark, romantic restaurant nuzzled between Stacks and Patxi's. Blink and you might miss it. Got a table for four at 7:30 with no wait on a Tuesday. Complimentary edamame straight to the table.
Warning: the prices on their website are totally off. Nine pieces of sashimi is not $23 as advertised; it's $39. Huge difference.
Each nigiri is priced per piece, starting at $5. I know, I'm paying for the gasoline to fly the fish in from Japan. I had the hokkaido uni ($9). Best piece of uni, ever. Melts in your mouth, pure uni taste. This will ruin other unis for you.
I also had the chirashi ($18). Five pieces of fresh fish over sushi rice. I couldn't remember all the different types, but the spanish mackerel was the best.
Yes, this place is pricey. Unless you are willing to drop three digits, you will leave hungry. It's not a place for a normal Tuesday night dinner, unless you're crazy like we are (though I don't recommend that, either. Hurts the wallet).
Total damage (after 30% discount thanks to Blackboard Eats): $135Listed in: Sushi!, 7x7 Big Eat SF - 100 Things to…
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Review from Emily H.
Pacifica, CA
10/17/2011
I really must say for the price this place is below the bar. You are paying for the ambiance, not the food. The fish quality is definitely the best, but seriously, why leave the skin on? The scale I ate felt a lot like chewing on a fingernail, and at $7 a piece, I know how to chew on finger nails for free....
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Review from Zack O.
Berkeley, CA
6/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had seen an article in the San Francisco magazine a few years ago and had been wanting to try it..
Well, after I made a stop up the street at TAD Gear this evening, I stopped at Sebo just after 6pm when they opened and it already had a few people inside.
I had heard about Sebo in the SF Magazine a few years back & it was ALWAYS on my mind to come check it out, but I never really get to that part of the city. Well, with Triple Aught Design being one of my favorite SF stops, I had to stop by their new Hayes Valley store to check it out. Low and behold, Sebo is just down the street!
Well, it really stood up to my expectations 2 years later. I had the omakase, which was was great, with the star being the grilled head, SO good!!
I have to say, uni has never been one of my favorite items, but their Hokaido-sourced uni it simply AMAZING! Melt in your mouth goodness. Also, the anago was outstanding as well. So used to your typical unagi with so much sauce, the anago was lightly heated and just brushed with their sauce was on just another level.
Sure, it was expensive, but the quality of food and service were a step above. I can't wait to get back for a Sunday for the izakaya!
