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Zushi Puzzle
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
1910 Lombard St(between Buchanan St & United States Highway 101)
San Francisco, CA 94123
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
(415) 931-9319
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
838 reviews for Zushi Puzzle
Review Highlights
"Thanks to Roger the Sushi chef I feel amazingly better."
(in 253 reviews)
"Also had live uni and live scallop."
(in 43 reviews)
"Pencil fish sushi, flying fish sashimi."
(in 23 reviews)
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838 reviews in English
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Review from Brad Y.
2/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Amazing.
Being from Hawaii, I think the bar for fresh fish and sushi in general has been set pretty high. This, hands down, was the best, freshest, and most creative sushi I've had in the Bay Area! Actually better than a lot of places back home!
Had the 30 pc. sashimi platter, soft shell crab, the Best Hand Roll, and the Chef Hand Roll - all split between two people. Enough to get a decent fill. But I definitely wanted more of the hand rolls!!
Two friends got an $80/person Omakase and it looked superb to anything I've ever seen. Different than normal (usually there's a set Omakase price), you tell the chef/waitress about how much per person you're looking to spend, what kind of sushi you like and don't like, and they'll send your sushi out accordingly.
Although a bit pricey (expect to spend $40+ here per person if you get some sashimi and hand rolls), I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone and everyone.
PS. Don't forget the Asahi ;-) -
Review from E W.
Washington, DC
1/28/2012
What's the Puzzle? I think it's how this place is rated highly on Yelp, Zagat and Michelin!
FOOD: Omakase part blech, part yum...
SERVICE: Curt, but attentive (although I watched the table next to us complain as they tried to order from the host who said he'd tell a waiter to come take the order)
ATMOSPHERE: cold blech, and a bit dirty for a sushi place (They scored 88 on the inspection posted on the window, I think)
Okay, so perhaps it's just a VERY bad idea to go to a sushi restaurant on a Monday evening. But, I guess my expectations are that a highly-rated restaurant would maintain it's quality and service regardless of the day...
We ordered omakase for the table after ordering a few things as appetizers, i.e. spider roll. FYI, they do omakase by how many rounds you keep eating, not by fixed price.
We told the waiter that we didn't really need any appetizers but were good for sushi and sashimi. He asked us if we liked sea urchin, and we said, "YES!" But since when did omakase mean the chef serves you five rounds of the same thing??? We had scallop(sliced thin, but super salt water-tasting), sea urchin, scallop(sort of diced and still super salty), sea urchin, and then guess what!? Sea urchin again! Only the last round, the sea urchin had a very foul smell and sour taste... We asked the waiter, and he took it back to the chef stating that all sea urchin tastes different. Okay, so we all have had sea urchin plenty of times, and there's nothing worse that discrediting your customers sense of rotten sea urchin. We told the waiter that we were about done and that the chef should just finish the last dish....Well, about 15 minutes later, the waiter brings out a big plate of sashimi... three of the fish were really tasty and fresh, and then the rest was just floppy.
Our waiter, who strangely resembled a slightly tanner version of Ken Jeong(the naked Mr.Chow from Hangover), should have removed the round of rotten sea urchin from our bill.The bill was HUGE, and this was the worst sushi experience I've ever had.
If I am ever in San Francisco again, I probably would not return. There's just too many good restaurants out there to want to come back... -
Review from Jen C.
Fremont, CA
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
We made reservations for dinner on a Saturday night after reading through the reviews. We got seated right away and was brought over hot towels (which the SO was very amused by since he had never been to a restaurant that gave those out before, lol). They also gave out complimentary edamame.
We ordered:
- 4pcs of sake (I'm partial to smoked sake but we both agreed this was good)
- Philadelphia Roll (SO insisted on ordering it but I didn't have any. Apparently it was just like any other philly roll).
- Butter Face Roll (only reason I'd come back. So delicious!)
- Hot Pink Allie Roll (good but nothing special. Can't go wrong with tempura anything)
- Michelle Roll (might be because it came last when we were getting full, but mediocre). -
Review from Melissa N.
Marina/Cow Hollow, San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
I LOVE the "Best Handroll Ever" & the Jump for Joy roll. Warning: you must make reservations or you may wait a very long time.
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Review from Raymond Z.
Elk Grove, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Me and my friend went tried out after reviewing it on yelp. I order 2 items and was told that it was no longer served in the restaurant but it was still in the menu.( it's from the APP: Ayu and Shishamo) I also order the (pencil fish,crispy fried baby crab,and crab sashimi and was told that crab and the pencil fish were special orders and the pictures I saw was taken two years ago. I made a bad decision to drive far away to try this place, and I don't recommend anyone go there on a Monday because obviously they used the left over fish n oysters from the weekend. Had a really bad experienced and stomach ache right after eating it.....it hurt really bad.....mentally and physically
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Review from Jeremy K.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
SERVICE IS TERRIBLE.
The host is extraordinarily rude. I've tried to eat there twice and was turned away both times. The first time they were busy, so it was understandable. The second time, the restaurant was EMPTY. Both occasions, the host was a jerk. I won't attempt a third time, especially with fantastic options for sushi in this area - with much better service. -
Review from Edison T.
Oh boy, oh boy. Where to start... I love sushi and do not mind shelling out the bucks or the time to go to places that offer me the freshest and most unique cuts of fish. Zushi Puzzle blew me away and have forever changed my outlook on how sushi should be.
We did the omakase course with Roger by the bar. The bar roughly seats about 8 people. Roger was a master at work, offering us cuts from a Golden Eyed Snapper down to the toro of the cheek of a 480 lb tuna. The flavors were incredible and Roger truly knows how to match up each fish with incredible sauces that he made. He'll also tell you exactly how to eat it so follow instructions to get the best experience possible.
We had over 25 types of fish by the end of the meal. Courses included a toro remix of over 4 different toros, butterfish remix, different uni dishes, scallops, an amazing sashimi plate consisting of various exotic fishes and presented in a breathtaking display. We ended the course with a special grilled lamb dish and yes, even the lamb was delicious and this is a sushi place. The dessert was a special wasabi cheesecake dish with wasabi ice cream and watermelon sorbet.
I hate my friend Richard for taking me here because I have not been able to look at any other sushi places the same way. I could no longer muster enthusiasm to go any where else. Damn you Richard! I had a religious experience here and with every bite, my taste buds were just exploding with wonderful flavors. The bill came out to about 240 a person for our party of 5 and trust me, it's worth it to have such an experience. Only thing comparable would be Urasawa in Beverly Hills and that's about 500. I hear you can request from Roger the special king crab course if you ask for it at least a week in advance. Guess I'm going to have to come up to San Francisco from L.A. again to try that. -
Review from David H.
1/13/2012
This place lives up to the hype. We didn't make reservations so we showed up at 5:30pm, right after it opened. Street parking nearby was surprisingly easy to find--maybe because it was a weekday and during rush hour, so a lot of spots were vacated. When we walked in there was only one other table of people, the rest of the place was empty. However, by 615 every table was filled and, beginning around 6:00pm the staff was turning away people without reservations.
We tried the popular items, including the famous handroll and the live uni. Personally, I thought the uni was a bit overrated... and it had a slightly bitter aftertaste. It did "melt in your mouth"... literally (you aren't supposed to chew it). Maybe my palette isn't sophisticated enough, but for the price I probably would've preferred a good roll or two. Still, I'm glad I tried it out. For what it's worth, the uni wasn't twitching or anything--so if you are squeamish about eating live stuff, fear not, it won't be screaming and kicking in protest as it goes down your gullet.
All in all, a great meal. If you don't have a reservation, definitely show up early... even on a weekday. -
Review from Joel S.
Washington, DC
1/31/2012
Very good sushi, good ankimo, incredibly disinterested service. Too many other good sushi places, no real reason to come back.
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Review from Jen Y.
Updated - 1/5/2012 13 photos
My bf took me here for my birthday and got us bar seats. Omakase with Roger was such an amazing experience, I already booked us bar seats for Valentine's day 2012! The freshest fish in SF, unique and delicious preparation and accompaniments, and entertaining sushi chef = 5 star experience. Can't wait to come back!!!
Roger is hilarious and an expert in the art of sushi. He offers very interesting fish (he has a "dealer" hah) and is innovative in the way he prepares seafood. For sushi snobs, I'd recommend letting your guard down and opting for omakase. Roger will introduce you to fish you've never had before and prepare it in ways that will truly delight your tastebuds! He even taught us how to best savor uni.
If you are are doing omakase, don't be too picky or demanding because that will annoy Roger. When doing omakase, let Roger know what your favorite fish are, what you absolutely will not eat, and when you are getting full. That's it.
We had:
*best hand rolls
*uni served over cold imported soft tofu
*scallop salad with pickled cucumber, black roe and seasoned seaweed
*salmon tartare served over sushi rice, avocado and seaweed paper
*ankimo with ponzu
*halibut tataki with truffle oil
*live boat scallop nigiri with ponzu dipping sauce
*tempura battered and fried scallop "lips" with dipping sauce
*10 types of nigiri including an assortment of salmon and butterfish nigiri done two ways (regular and "remix")
*seared halibut belly "remix" style
*watermelon sorbet with wasabi cheesecake ice cream
We ate for about 1.5 hours and the total bill was ~$100/person including tip and tax. Totally worth it!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/16/2011
My Valentine took me here for Vday as a surprise. I've been wanting to try Zushi Puzzle for the… Read more »
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Review from trustmeonthis t.
Alameda, CA
1/31/2012
YUMMY is all I have to say for this place. Not just great bang for your buck but the customer service is excellent. We have always had a great experience and great food when coming here. ENJOY
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Review from Tiffany S.
Fremont, CA
1/17/2012
I decided to take my boyfriend here for his birthday as it was personally recommended to me plus the Yelp reviews were great.
The two sushi rolls we had were AMAZING. I highly recommend the Salmon Killer roll, the fried salmon skin in the sushi made it probably the best sushi roll I've ever had. The sashimi platter was very fresh and tasty.
I would highly recommend reservations, I had made reservations for a Saturday night at 7pm and every party that came in after us that did not make reservations were turned away. -
Review from E C.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was expecting more with the 4 star review!!
The food here is just standard for the most part, and I think it's more $$ rather than $$$ as Yelp lists.. (for Japanese food, I found the prices to be average, even cheap)
So we didn't sit at the bar but we sat at a table. Maybe that would have upped the experience.
The rolls didn't sound super, super exciting, but we got 2. The PR roll (toro, hamachi, rice) and the Supa Sweet Emily roll (soft shell crab, and fresh crab on top). Both were just OKAY. Too much rice in my opinion. The rice was also dry.
We also got the sashimi which was super fresh (points there!) I love sashimi but there are other places with the same quality so I probably wouldn't come again just for that.
We also got pencilfish from reading the Yelp reviews but it tasted like NOTHING and the rice it came with was TOO much and also dry (boo..)
Overall, decent experience.... mostly b/c of the alchy.
With the sashimi ($33), 2 rolls, and 2 orders of pencilfish WITH 2 large beers and 2 large orders of sake, our total (before tax and tip) was $99!! Which was not bad at all.
Iuno.. in the Marina, there are much better food options, so I probably won't be coming again (sorry!) -
Review from Elisha G.
Updated - 12/22/2011 3 photos
So can I just say that I have a love-hate relationship with Roger. I LOVE how amazing his food his and how absolutely wonderful his sushi is. I dream about it at night sometimes and wake up drooling on my pillow. seared kobe. butterfish sushi. tuna salad. halibut sashimi. Ahhh, this is what I think bout basically every day of my life. Just saying the name makes me salivate.
Now onto the hate part: I HATE that because of ZP, I can no longer eat at ANY other sushi restaurant and that everywhere else I go, I am disappointed. COME ON why do you have to be so good that you deprive me of enjoying sushi anywhere else? It wouldn't be a problem if I still lived in the Bay Area... I could make the 1 hr drive to satisfy my Roger sushi craving. But now I live in LA and I'm dying without it... Make the 6 hr drive up to get me a Best Hand Roll Ever or some of his cheek toro? I kinda did it once... But it's not like that is a reasonable alternative. Zushi Puzzle is seriously the best an Roger is a true genius that has officially ruined my sushi-eating life.
My warning to you is this: be prepared to not be able to eat sushi anywhere else and start onto a road of sushi-addiction that can only be fed by the best.
Please move to LA. I miss you alot and I'm going through withdrawal. Sigh.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2010
Okay.... I LOVE ZP.... Ummm.... I'm salivating as I write this.
I'm hesitant to even write a review… Read more »
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Review from Jean Y.
Prior to coming here, I had heard several friends and coworkers refer to Zushi Puzzle as the best sushi restaurant in SF. While I have not yet settled on my favorite sushi restaurant in SF yet, I was not disappointed. The decor and ambiance are not particularly pleasing, but the sushi sure is good.
The highlight of the meal was the chef's choice sashimi platter. So much sashimi I lost count!! The waitress, who was extremely friendly, pointed out every single type of fish on the platter and came back halfway through the meal to offer a refresher course. I remember trying 5 kinds of salmon, 3 kinds of tuna, butterfish, flying fish, yellowtail, and more. I had a lot of fun savoring each piece and comparing the various tastes and textures.
Other items:
* Hand rolls with salmon skin in rice paper: Not on the menu but brought out to us because we requested some sort of hand roll with salmon skin. Absolutely delicious!
* Anniversary roll (albacore, ponzu sauces, bonito flakes): The bonito flakes made this a bit too dry for me. I wouldn't order it again.
* Green tea
* House sake
At $70 per person after tax and tip, this was not a cheap meal, but I will definitely go back! -
Review from Boris M.
San Leandro, CA
1/31/2012
Great Place !!! AS GOOD AS IT GET'S !!!
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Review from Lien T.
San Jose, CA
I had THE BEST omakase dining experience ever at Zushi Puzzle. Master Sushi Chef Roger was absolutely amaaazing! And that is just an understatement...
My friends and I made reservations for bar seating two months in advance. And yes, reservations were required to sit at the bar. Only after being in the same vicinity as Chef Roger, did I understand why the reservation was necessary. Chef Roger has a natural palate and passion for fish. It does not matter that he is not Japanese and it does not matter how many years he has been a sushi chef--what matters is his ability to successfully pair different flavors and textures with fish.
The bar area seated about eight people comfortably. Our party of five sat next to three friendly strangers. It was a very intimate experience, but relaxing. Chef Roger tried to get a feel for our taste by asking us which fish we favored and which fish we disliked. It was fairly easy for Chef Roger because our party was open to trying anything and everything. We really left it all up to him!
Chef Roger ended up serving us over 20 different types of fish. Below are some of the dishes that we were honored to try.
- Uni and Soft Tofu (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): The uni and soft tofu melted onto our tongues and left us yearning for more.
- Chicken of the Sea (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Grilled hamachi that really tasted like chicken!
- The Best Hand Roll: It really was the best hand roll. The kelp seaweed used, had a very nice texture and flavor.
- Monkfish liver (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Very soft, waxy, and milky. Yum...
- Fresh Squid (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Squid has a natural bland taste, but the slight bit of wasabi held onto the squid, resulting in a crisp taste.
- Fresh Scallops
- Yellowtail with habanero and truffle oil (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Only one of many dishes that included Chef Roger's astonishing infused oils.
- Fresh uni (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Chef Roger served us two fresh unis, one large and one small. I, personally, loved the larger uni. The sea urchin was incredibly fresh and tasty. It was smooth and there was no aftertaste. The smaller one had a stronger, more pungent flavor that I attuned to.
- Sashimi (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): A huge plate of sashimi that included white salmon, a variety of toro, rockfish, tuna, hamachi, sea bass, butter fish, and a plethora of other fish. The highlights were the toro and white salmon. The fish was unbelievably luscious. They were so soft and buttery and beyond fresh.
- Fresh oysters (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): These tiny delicacies came in four different sauces; strawberry, wasabi, truffle oil, and habanero oil. Ahh, they were all heavenly.
- Toro Remix (http://www.yelp.com/bi... and http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Three or four different variations of toro from a 480 lb tuna. The most buttery, oily, and fresh toro I have ever had.
- Wasabi ice cream and wasabi cheesecake with watermelon sorbet (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): Light and smooth, with an understated sweet flavor; perfect ending to an excellent meal.
There were several other dishes that I did not include in the list; all of which were equally amazing. Our meal averaged to about $230/person, which included drinks. I know...we did plenty of damage that night. I really think it was worth our while though! The staff was incredibly hospitable and I loved their attentiveness! I highly recommend!
P.S.
SUSHI WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! -
Review from YL Y.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
My favorite sushi restaurant in town! Although I highly recommend a reservation otherwise it could be a long wait! I also recommend to sit at the sushi bar where Roger is at. He's friendly and just let him know what you like and he'll surprise you! I love the lamb chop (not on the menu) but you can ask Roger about that!
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Review from Zarina K.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
One word people......AMAZING!!! Listen - I know good sushi. We eat sushi all the time. It would be my last meal on earth and I probably have it at least once a week.
We come to Cali often to visit my family and went out with my brother and his new girlfriend - they had been here once before and loved it. My brother was super excited to take me here since he knows how much I LOVE sushi and get my opinon on the place!!
We had the sashimi sampler and it was JUST AWESOME. The fish is the freshest we have ever had and we just loved every item we had. We ate up a storm of fish...not only the sashimi, but a variety of maki rolls. It was terrifying how much 4 people were able to to injest!!! But it was all worth it. I understand why this place has such great reviews.
It was packed - the line was long as we were leaving so do not come here without reservations!! No surprise...parking is a pain.
Go here - YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!! -
Review from Shephalie L.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
My room mate is obsessed with this place. So obsessed that she's ready to marry a japanese sushi chef so she can always have salmon sashimi available to her at all times - and that of only Zushi Puzzle's standard.
Curious, I decided to give it a try, esp since I've heard numerous great things about the hole in the wall. I must let you know that it is only open for dinners so don't make the mistake we did and tried to get in for lunch!
Anyway, it definitely did NOT disappoint!
Here's what we got:
Salmon Sashimi - like buttah. Amazing. I wouldn't mind eating this for the rest of my life
Best hand roll ever - truly one of the best hand rolls I've ever had. Interesting combination of ingredients though. It changes every day, but luckily the one we got (the crab) is one of their specialties. I definitely entertained the option of getting a hand roll to-go . . . . . . great business idea, Zushi
Salesforce Roll - Be careful! It's HUGE!!! While I probably wouldn't have minded ordering the entire roll for the four of us, ordering the half was definitely a safer bet so we could try the other delicious rolls
Michelle roll - Great! Simplified crab roll, but it hit the spot with our crab craving. One of our favs
Spicy Hamachi roll - delicious! not sooo spicey, but we enjoyed it
Will definitely go again (not just because my room mate is obsessed with it). I'm looking forward to meeting Roger and trying out his suggested orders at the bar on the end. Sounds like a great experience with "life-changing" results. -
Review from Nikki R.
Studio City, CA
1/2/2012
Tied for best sushi place in SF with Tataki.
Lots of choices in terms of fish. This was the first place I've had butterfish, and it is melt in your mouth delicious! My faves here include the Butter Face Roll and the Hot Pink Allie Roll, but everything here is good.
Crazy waits, so make a reservation if you can!
Tip: Put your name on the waitlist and grab some drinks at Eastside West or any of the other Marina bars. ZP will call you when they have a table. -
Review from Vickie Z.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here in New Year's Eve. Everything was pretty fresh. The rolls were good.
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Review from Whitney J.
New Orleans, LA
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally got the chance to eat here after hearing about it for years.
I definitely agree with other reviewers about the quality of their fish: it is GREAT! They have a great selection of sashimi and and assortment of rolls too.
Their fatty yellowtail sashimi was nothing short of incredible (should mention that I've never had it anywhere before); we must have ordered three orders by the time we were done!
They do not take reservations so either get their early, or an hour before they close. If not, expect a wait (but it is worth it)! -
Review from Jorgess M.
Merced, CA
12/11/2011 2 photos
It was a Friday night and my boyfriend, sister, and I were in the mood for some sushi. We Yelped it and read some great reviews about this place, so we decided to take a stab in the dark, because apparently it's hard to do a "walk-in" because of how busy they get. Luckily, we were seated.
The first thing that happened was that we were given a hot hand towel, which was very refreshing. I didn't expect such a tiny place, especially a sushi restaurant to be passing out something like that, but I liked it =)
We ordered a dragon roll, spicy hamachi roll, rainbow roll, and a wasabe roll. As soon as the spicy hamachi touched my tongue, I felt so alive. Everything about it was absolutely divine! I spiciness was just perfect, the hamachi was incredibly fresh, and I just frikken loved it. The rest of the sushi from then on just got better and better. I cannot stress on how fresh the fish is, IT'S FRESH!!!
The restaurant itself is very tiny, with a small bar in the very back of the restaurant and about 10-15 tables. There were only four people working that night (sushi chef, waitress, bus boy, and hostess), so the service was a tad bit slow, but the sushi made up for it =) The ambiance in the whole restaurant was great though, friendly and very home-y.
After eating here, I definitely have to try out other sushi restaurants and see if they are just as fresh! -
Review from Michelle W.
San Jose, CA
11/29/2011
Cannot rave enough about this place.. but 1 thing is for certain, you HAVE to sit at the bar and do omakase with Roger! We made reservations for 6:00pm and were seated at 6:30. Because we had to catch a show at 8, we told Roger we only had 1 hour and he was very accommodating. He moved SO SO SO fast!!
Any experience is always superb when you are with someone who truly loves and has a passion for it. Roger was quick to put my boyfriend (who is not an avid sushi-goer like I am) through sushi school. I loved the fact that he explained where the sushi came from, how he prepares it, how to eat it, etc.
Some things I loved:
- Freshly grated wasabi: light hint of spice, doesn't overpower the fish
- Sake Platinum: very smooth, great cold sake
- Uni 2 ways: live from the shell, and appetizer style over tofu
- Scallops 3 ways: live from the shell, and appetizer style with wakame salad, and fried scallop muscles
- Best Hand Roll: definitely lives up to it's name!
- Tuna and Salmon Nigiri: Ivory Salmon, Bluefin Toro (amazing), Ocean Trout, New Zealand Salmon (really good), Albacore
- Toro Tartare handroll: delish!
- Strawberry sherbert with wasabi cheesecake: sooo yummy, great end to a perfect dinner!
I felt so satisfied after dinner and Roger even said that my bf learned so quickly that he was fit to graduate from sushi class :) Oh no no no, don't think that all this fancy stuff was easy on the wallet, our bill came to $220 + $60 tips. Definitely can't do this very often, but great for a birthday or special occasion excursion! -
Review from Karolina P.
Palo Alto, CA
1/22/2012
Good food for a VERY reasonable price. I go there for really good sushi and their rolls. It's clean, but no effort is made for the interior design. That's why the last star is missing. For a dinner for two or with friends.
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Review from Susie R.
Sebastopol, CA
12/1/2011
This place has some damn good sushi. I haven't been here in a few years as I rarely get to make it out to the city and every time I have, I've explored other restaurants, so this review will be pretty brief. I am pretty sure Zushi Puzzle is my favorite sushi restaurant in SF.... thus far.
The selection of fish is amazing, everything is beautifully presented, and the fish is absolutely outstanding. The first time I ever had ocean trout was here, and I fell in love.
I honestly cannot wait to return here the next time I visit SF. -
Review from Joey B.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
Was trying to figure out what all the hype is about this place, so we went here for dinner tonight, and I am truly PUZZLED now that I have had a chance to sample their sushi.
MEH - That's all I have to say about this place. I think it caters to the trendy, unknowing, cookie-cutter Marina crowd that loves to have thick, rice-filled sushi rolls that hardly have any sushi on (or in) them. I'm NOT here to have RICE. I'm here to have SUSHI. So, yeah, MEH.
Also, if trying to walk in after 6PM and you do not have a reservation, forget about getting seated. -
Review from Nick J.
Santa Rosa, CA
12/13/2011
Truly awesome fish! The ONLY other place I have found in the bay area who has as good of a selection / quality of fish as Hana in Rohnert Park. And also the ONLY other place I would consider being a truly great sushi restaurant. Props to Roger.
Does get insanely busy, so either get there right when it opens, or make a reservation.
And all things considered, I think the prices Roger charges for his fish is fractionally lower than what other places charge, especially considering the selection/quality!! I am able to put away a few hundred dollars worth of fish at Zushi Puzzle for what would probably cost me four or five hundred somewhere else!! That's a pretty sweet deal!
(Side Note: You know you have a SERIOUS problem with your sushi consumption when the sushi chef comes to your table just to give you a "fist bump". Lol)
When I'm in SF, this is the only sushi place I will go to. -
Review from Tom S.
10/30/2011
I wholeheartedly believe this is probably the freshest fish I have ever eaten. Truly wonderful.
While in SFO on business, I had the chance to meet up with a friend. I hadn't had sushi yet (a must on the west coast, of course), and she suggested Zushi Puzzle based on reviews. We let the chef guide our meal from the bar, as suggested, and each dish was fantastic. We started with a perfectly-flavored soft shell crab and spicy tuna roll, followed by fresh salmon eggs, scallop salad, and scallop sashimi. Still hungry and salivating for more, we finished with a huge sashimi platter of varying international types of salmon and tuna. Just... wow.
The only peril of letting the chef decide your meal, obviously, is that you have little control over the cost. I thought each individual item was reasonably priced, but sushi isn't food that necessarily fills you up quickly. So, you tend to fill up until you're full with little thought of the bill. Needless to say, the bill came back a little heftier than expensive, but I'd say it was worth it. -
Review from Lizzie B.
San Rafael, CA
11/10/2011
I absolutely love the sushi at Zushi Puzzle, I think they have some of the most interesting and delicious rolls in the Bay Area. While I'm generally not too picky about service at restaurants, I am constantly frustrated at how difficult it is to get a reservation here.
Nobody ever answers the phone, and I've given up leaving voicemails on their answering machine because they never call me back about a reservation or give any indication that they've even listened to their answering machine. Going in without a reservation isn't much of an option due to the long wait times. -
Review from Clay N.
Alamo, CA
11/30/2011
Excellent. Very clean and beautiful presentation. The omakase was the right choice for my first time, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, as I am sure it would be different and interesting every time. Not outrageous pricing considering the quality and quantity of varied seafood.
Very kind and friendly staff. -
Review from Justin F.
Ventura, CA
1/10/2012
My first and only experience at Zushi Puzzle was two years ago, but it was very memorable. We came in and were able to grab a seat up front at the bar immediately.
I'm not sure if it was because we told Roger we learned of his restaurant through Yelp, but we soon found ourselves embarking on our first Omakase journey (it just happened, we were never offered a menu). There are plenty of reviews here going into detail about how amazing the food is. And I absolutely agree. It was easily the most enjoyable sushi experience of my life, and I love sushi. That said, don't sit at the bar unless you are prepared to spend over $100 a person. Fortunately, that night I was.
One of the highlights of the night was my last, when Roger made me a single piece of Engawa (a rare part of the halibut) that he light seared with a blow torch. -
Review from Roy C.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Given its terrible name, I would have never imagined that I would be eating here. My friend, however, convinced me to try it out since it's the "best sushi in the Marina". So I tried it.
After walking in and noticing its horrifically-cheesy decor, I was expecting the worst. Good sushi could not possibly be served at a restaurant with a full wall's length burgundy booth seat that looks like it was made for a stereotypical 1980's Chinese restaurant used in a Tarantino film or two.
And then the worst omen of all: rolls. Rolls everywhere, at every table. Sauce-covered, multi-colored concoctions carefully-constructed to cover up subpar fish. And if everybody's eating rolls, then that means the fish probably sucks. I came here for sushi, not "sushi" (with an American accent).
Then I see the whiteboard of fish, served nigiri or sashimi-style, apparently flown from all over the Pacific. Now we're talking.
Here's the rundown of what we ordered, from best to worst:
Albacore = Excellent. I loved their Albacore. Probably the tastiest and freshest fish I tried here.
Albacore Belly = Excellent. The Albacore belly is much better than the Tuna Belly here.
New Zealand Salmon = Excellent. Had a nice fatty texture that the Toro should have had. Very flavorful.
Miso-glazed Seabass = Excellent. Although it's a pretty small piece, Zushi Puzzle definitely gets this one right.
Golden-eye Red Snapper = Good, but nothing out of this world.
Unagi = Good. Comparable to most sushi restaurants.
Japanese Mackerel = Good flavor and texture.
Live scallop = Pretty decent, but for $16.95 not really worth it.
Shima aji = It's okay here. I've had way better at Kabuto & Koo.
Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) = Meh. The Ankimo here isn't as fatty as it should be. I've had way better at Ino Sushi and Kabuto.
Toro = Meh. The Toro here isn't fatty and flavorful enough.
All in all, it was a decent sushi joint, but definitely not even close to being the best and freshest sushi in SF. I didn't have any sushi rolls, but if you like rolls, then it looks like all the other customers were enjoying them. As far as the fish-quality and nigiri sushi experience goes, however, Zushi Puzzle is good, but easily forgettable. -
Review from Meredith C.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2011
I was hoping for greatness, but I was a little disappointed. It could have been that we didn't sit at the sushi or I mean, zushi bar.
We were able to get reservations on the same day, Friday.
And we shared a bunch of sushi amongst the 4 of us.
They do have a chalkboard menu of fresh fish from Japan so we tried a few on the menu - Special Handroll of Soft Shell Crab, Young and Wild Yellowtail - the Wild was much better, and a few variations of Salmon. Live Uni - I have doubts that it was live. It was served on top of a bed of radish and lemon. We also ordered a soft shell crab roll which the waitress recommended but it was just ok. Then some of the regular stuff - Tobiko w/ a quail egg, and Salmon. -
Review from Sarah C.
9/20/2011
Sarah's guide to enjoying Zushi Puzzle:
1. Make a reservation. If it's day of, call and leave a message before 5pm with the details of the reservation you want, and you'll get a call back by 5:30pm telling you if they can accommodate you. My guess is you'll be fine Mon-Wed; Thurs-Sat I think might book up a little further in advance. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE - believe these reviews, we got a 6:15 tuesday night resv. for 2, and saw them turn all walk-ins away because they were so booked with reservations.
1.5 Don't get pissed and write a bad review if they turned you away as a walk in. If a restaurant gets popular enough to be reservation only, good for them.
2. Be ready to wait a minute or two (or three) before a host greets you. It seems like this place is staffed by one waitress, one host, and one chef. Yes they could pay for more help and your experience might be more enjoyable, but just suck it up and take a breath - the service staff are VERY nice if you calm down and wait your turn. Once we were seated the service was perfect.
2.5 We did have a strange experience where the waitress brought our hamachi sashimi, along with another plate of sashimi of something else the chef had cut. She asked us if we wanted both and we were kind of confused. We asked her to clarify - once she did my reply was, "and are we paying for this extra dish?" She nodded and smiled as if to say, "Well of course silly!". It was very weird - why would we want to essentially order a dish we didn't order? Not sure if the chef just cut the wrong thing first and they were trying to sell it to us, or if it was an intentional attempt at an up-sell - strange, either way.
3. Enjoy! The food is delicious. They have a HUGE menu and it's all very reasonably priced for the higher quality seafood. My only complaint is that the maki didn't impress me too much. It sounded great, but we tried the Butter Face (ahahaha butterface), the LA roll, and the M+S roll, and none of them really blew me away with flavor OR texture. I think the maki were more flavorful (and a bit crazier in terms of flavor profiles) over at Sushi Bistro, and at a number of places i've been in Boston. However, I highly recommend the Sashimi and Nigiri - WOW their fish is fresh. Absolutely excellent.
4. Enjoy that you paid a reasonable price for high quality fish. Trying new maki is always a bit of a gamble, so if you weren't super impressed, it was at the very least quite tasty i'm sure. Price for 2, with 3 rolls (6 pieces each), 4 sashimi pieces, and 2 fatty toro pieces - $65 after tip.
5. Complimentary edamame! w00t! -
Review from David N.
San Francisco, CA
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Arguably the best meal of my life. I'm going to have to change all of my other 5-star reviews to 4's since I am now aware what "5-stars" truly signifies. We sat at the bar and had:
Softshell crab hand roll
Scallops
Hamachi w wasabi
Sea bass sashimi. Oregon and Mendocino
Sashimi platter. Hamachi giant and regular. Toro. Yahira albacore. Scallops. Black snapper. Sea bass.
Fresh uni
Lamb chops
Kobe beef
Wasabi cheesecake. Wasabe ice cream.
Mango sorbet
If you have had a bad experience here, it's because you suck as a person. Staff was exceeding friendly and the food was unbelievable. -
Review from Clarisse S.
San Francisco, CA
9/10/2011 1 photo
When I first moved to San Francisco, I thought there would be great sushi restaurants everywhere since the city is practically in the ocean. I was wrong. But Zushi Puzzle made it right.
The fish is off-the-hook fresh, the rolls are unique and gigantic, and the sushi chef, if you are lucky to score a seat at the bar, is a hysterical dude. This is definitely the place to go if you're looking for great sushi in San Francisco. -
Review from Diane M.
Huntington Beach, CA
12/27/2011 2 photos
I always find time to have sushi at least one night when traveling. The worst I ever had was in Boise, ID. (I know, why would anyone have sushi in Boise??? But I had to try it just because I was there...big mistake!). My favorite, up until tonight, was Magic Fingers in Atlanta. I go there each time I visit Atlanta but next time someone asks me whats the best sushi I have ever had I will say Zushi Puzzle.
Didn't start out great - I arrived at 5:15, about 45 minutes before my friends were to arrive and asked for the sushi bar. I was told that the sushi bar didn't open until 6 so I said fine, I would wait. The host went and spoke to someone and came back to tell me that the sushi bar was booked all night. This is one of the only sushi bars I know of that takes ressies, so at first I was a little annoyed, but by the end of my experience I decided I was glad they take reservations because next time I eat here I know to call ahead.
I am a sushi purist (have been called sushi snob), in that I never eat rolls and I prefer sashimi over sushi. My favorite experience is sitting at the sushi bar with my friend who loves it as much as I do, and telling the sushi chef to feed us. I wish I could have done this tonight. Even so, the sushi was so fresh I could almost see it moving...in fact...I could see the live Uni I had moving and it was the best I've ever had. (I have only seen live uni once before...in Seattle.)
Also loved the wild hirame (halibut),wild yellowtail, and the roll I had, which I never do, but it was called "The Best Roll You've ever had", and, it was :)
So I think the most important thing to remember about Zushi Puzzle - when you go make a reservation for the sushi bar. I'm guess they are booked days in advance. -
Review from Sid E.
Castro Valley, CA
10/14/2011
This is the ultimate sushi experience! I highly advise to just have Roger drive your menu. Also it is keen that you make reservations. Sat down for the early sitting and it was truely an ultimate experience. I have yet to sit at a sushi bar here in the US where the sushi that is being prepped for you is broken down in front of your eyes! Sushi and sashimi were a-maz-ing, simply spot on.
Location - 4 stars, it's in the Marina so free parking can be challenging
Food - 5+ stars, just fresh, no frills letting the main ingredient shine
Ambiance - 4 stars, the place recently got "remodeled" so don't let the store front deceive you.
Overall - 5 stars simply on the food and Roger.
