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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow HollowMon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"How do you define consistent quality? How do you define fresh? How do you define service? How do you define value? Akiko is the only…" read more »
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I have been hearing about this place for about 3 years from friends, strangers, customers in my tasting room and it completely lived up to even exceeded my expectations! This place was phenomenal.
After leaving a vmail before they opened about an early reservation (6pm), they called me back right when they opened at 5 and the two of us were sitting down and ordering exactly at 6pm. After taking a look at the menu for a bit, the waitress took our order, suggested a cold filtered sake (which we ordered a second bottle of because it was so good) then she made two suggestions that may be the two best recommendations I've ever gotten in a restaurant in my life...the first was the daily special hand roll that had softshell crab and spicy tuna in it....the other was LIVE uni (sea urchin) which, being one of the most exotic, unique and odd (but in a good way) foods I've ever tasted.
The staff was attentive, even giving us a couple shots of the chefs special apple-flavored sake.
I will continually go back there, recommend it and probably not go to sushi anywhere else.
I was really looking forward to eating here after all the great reviews I read on Yelp.
I am sad to say this place does not live up to the reviews anymore :(
We sat down right away but it took 55 minutes to bring 3 maki rolls and sashimi.
The sashimi was okay. The Edemame and miso soup were not good, stay away! the seaweed in the soup was very fishy.
Perhaps it was a bad night for them but sadly that was enough for me not to go back
I've heard so many people rave about this place that I just had to give it a try for myself. I live in the area (you say Marina, I say Cow Hollow) so its proximity to my house was nice. I had a reservation for 8pm and my friend picked me up at 7:50 which seemed like a reasonable amount of time to park considering I lived 2 minutes away (probably should have walked, but I guess California has rubbed off on me and am only capable of walking to the car...) Long story short- we had a bear of a time trying to find a parking spot and ended up parking a garage a couple blocks away. At 8:05 the matre 'd called and was a little cross with me for being late. I know this is a happening spot, but 3 minutes? Seriously? We walked in around 8:07 and was immediately sat which was great and I felt a little bad for being a little late. The food was pretty good. I had pretty basic rolls (avocado, spicy tuna, etc) so I can't really attest to the greatness of all the offerings but what I had was pretty decent.
I'm a firm believer that if you have fresh fish and decently prepared rice, then it's a little hard to screw up sushi. Call me crazy.
Moral of my tale- great neighbourhood joint, but in need of better service and a little more atomosphere.
This place does have some incredible fish. And when I'm in the mood for JUST sashimi, it'd be at the top of my list. But when am I EVER in the mood for JUST sashimi.
I've tried this place with friends on three occasions and my conclusion is this:
Zushi Puzzle is like monkey with an Ego Bentley Laptop. The laptop is gorgeous to look at, but he ain't gonna be composing Shakespeare.
This place was recommended to us by some Marina friends as the best sushi in the city. I suppose if you live over there it's convenient and you grow to love it. But for me it's just adequate sushi that I have to drive to, and it's not easy to park on Lombard.
I will say that the staff was extremely attentive. In fact, there wasn't anything really negative about the experience. There just wasn't anything superlative about it.
Best bang for your buck!
Don't expect to be seated anytime soon without a reservation, unless you come when it opens at 5pm.
All the fish on the menu is fresh & well prepared. try the chef's special amaebe, it's topped with caviar & uni... a fun twist to a classic favorite.
after 2 beers, rolls, nigiri sushi, sashimi, dinner entree the bill came out to a mere $64 for the 2 of us, and we were STUFFED!
the decor & service are under par, but the food makes up for it a hundred times over!
I didn't try the sushi here...... *ducks and covers*
It was late on a weeknight and we had a few drinks in us and really were just trying to fill the late night french fry craving but nothing was open...
Instead we went to Zushi and had gyoza and more beer (gyoza: good idea, beer: less so).
The gyoza was great and we had no problem being seated... when we went back a few days later to try the sushi we were told it would be a very long wait...
We are hoping to try the sushi here sometime soon and I'll update the review.
Positioning and timing have a lot to do with a good experience.
For example....
Good looking guy hits on a good looking girl.
At the gym.
At 6:30 am.
While she's on the treadmill.
Listening to her iPod.
Chances are, it's not going to be a pleasant experience for either of them.
Take the same scenario and move it to later in the day at a coffee shop, you got yourself a potential good time.
I am a firm believer that the sushi bar is the only place to eat sushi. Sitting in the front of the restaurant at a regular table, you are destined to have a shit time.
Zushi is no exception.
In fact, Zushi is a prime example of how too much of a good thing will indeed kill you.
I guarantee that if I let Roger @ Zushi feed me for the next two weeks, my heart will explode on site from too much goodness.
I can't say enough about how awesome Zushi is. You just need to experience it for yourself.
Let Roger do his thing for you, keep your mouth shut, and I promise you you'll get better raw fish than Jaws himself.
I'll end it with this.
Roger is a sick and twisted bastard - in the absolute best way possible.
I would tell you what he gave us as a final plate but I am afraid if I do, everyone will start asking for it and he'll stop serving it.
I'll just say rice, fat, fire & a pissed off goose.
Butane.
This is one of our favorite sushi places in the city...and we've tried a lot in SF. The fish always tastes fresh and clean, the waitstaff doesn't ignore you (like some sushi places), and the rolls are creative and delicious. Our favorite rolls are the "Joe the Man", "M&M", and the "Maki Puzzle". But they're all good.
One warning: MAKE A RESERVATION! Call and leave a message if you have to. Every time we visit, we watch them turn people away at the door, even though tables sit empty. I actually respect this, as I've heard them indicate that they want to be able to provide a relaxing experience without rushing guests who try to squeeze in between reservations.
I would give this place 5 stars but every Sunday for some reason I get this really intense craving for Zushi puzzle, I call to make a reservation and realize, wait a minute...it's sunday! Zushi Puzzle is denying me their delicious menu for one whole day and I must find a mediocre substitute.
I'd go there 10 times more if it were open sundays....You hear that chef Roger? SUNDAYS.
Anyway, the sushi is ALWAYS delicious. The M&M roll is my favorite by far. It embodies everything I want in a sushi roll.
The butterfish is also bomb and so is pretty much all of their special rolls. Mmm. I'm gonna go make my reservation right now because I'm salivating all over the place.
Need to get my weekly fix.
Oh, and the free edamame pre-meal is a pretty sweet deal. I mean, it doesn't get better than free edamame.
No sushi place in the city will ever steal my heart away from Zushi Puzzle....I'm yours and only yours....except on Sundays.
Tip: MAKE A RESERVATION. No matter what day it is, people will be eating there, and you will have to wait...unless you make a reservation.
A definite gem of a place!
Apparently I was the last to know about Zushi Puzzle. Even some of my friends who don't live in SF have heard of Zushi. Shame on me I guess.
On the upside the sushi tasted uber fresh and delicious. My friend and I enjoyed the Romeo & Juliet roll, the Spicy Hamachi roll and the Philly roll (just because it's a guilty pleasure), among others. Loved the spiciness.
On the downside, service though congenial and pleasant enough was rather slow even though the place was not too packed.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience though. The food was delicious and the waitstaff were pleasant, the prices weren't too cheap but they weren't that pricey either.
Definitely coming back!!
P.S. Can you add a few more veggies to the tempura app?!
Reservations are recommended or be prepared to get turned away or not get a seat at the bar.
Always sit at the bar and talk to Roger, he'll let you know what's up.
They offer a large variety of very fresh fish selections (more than most places), it changes constantly, depending on what's good and what's in season.
The rolls are good but the real treat is the sashimi, the softshell crab hand roll, the plate of scallops served in a cup and saucer style. (very cute) and the delicious halibut with truffle oil.
The service is well executed. It is expensive, but well worth it, you're really getting what you pay for. You'll be full, happy and satisfied when you are finished.
We came in. We wanted to be adventurous. Instead, we became lemmings to the little woman that sold us on whatever weird fish was on the Japanese menu. Luckily, the Dragon Yellowtail, Kampachi, and the other assorted "adventurous" fish were all great. Some of the freshest fish I've had in my life. Only drawback was the live uni was not as good as I had hoped. I admit the uni tasted more fresh. However, for the first time since....ever?, I didn't feel like fresh equated to better tasting. Along with the "adventurous" sushi, the rolls we had were great. In all, a great dinner and a nice lesson in Japanese fishes to boot(that will all be forgotten by the next time I enter Zushi Puzzle....damn my memory)
I have had sushi many times in the past.... or so I thought.
Simply put... this place blew my mind. Everything we had was amazing... Spicy Tuna roll, Spider Roll and a couple Tempura Rolls. All I can say is WOW!!
Considering the quality, the price was very fair. My girlfriend and I both ate for about $40.
Everyone needs to come here at least once, you owe it to yourself!!
The service was good. The rolls were ok but I've had better elsewhere.
Drinks helped wash it all down.
I'm sorry, I really meant to try a new sushi place in SF, but I could not. Tonight was light: amber-jack, escolar, ahi, hamachi, king mackerel, and several others - all sashimi.
If you're visiting San Francisco and love sushi and do not go here, you are missing a real opportunity to experience sushi prepared by a master.
If you live in San Fransisco and love sushi and do not go here, you're an idiot.
Sit at the bar.
If there is better sushi in SF, I'll never know, because I'll never go anywhere else.
I've been…
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I love this place - always have a great experience!! Great food, service, and environment :)
This is not a review... More of a thank you letter to chef/owner Roger for giving me one of the best sushi experiences of my life.... Live uni... Seared Italian Mackerel or was it Toro and about several other kinds of excellent hard to find seafare. Thank you so much Roger! Also, have to thank Stephy S. for another awesome recommendation!
Until next time Roger! Thanks again!
Best Regards,
John R....
A close friend and his fiancee treated me, my brother and our wives to what is quite possibly the best sushi experience we've had here in San Francisco (I've lived here for over 10 years and have eaten at countless sushi restaurants here). We owe the guy BIG time!
A few points that I have to make:
- Roger, shown in many photos here on Yelp, is the absolute man. Very warm, friendly and inviting. You can't go wrong if you were to come in here solo or with a date and just sit at the sushi bar, eating whatever he sends your way. At one point, he brought this enormous live king crab on a plate out to our table. It seemed to be more of a show-and-tell than anything else, but it was very entertaining for pretty much every patron in the place. The thing was HUGE.
- The sashimi here was better than ANYWHERE I've eaten in the city. Huge chunks of fresh fish that just melted in our mouths. His specials menu for the evening had a selection of sashimi from all over the world...stuff I had never even heard of...subtle little geographical variations on the standard sashimi fare. Amazing.
- The uni (also shown in a few photos on Yelp) is so fresh that it's served directly on top of the still-moving spiny shell. My wife commented that it is probably the freshest uni she has ever had in her entire life (having grown up in Japan, she has eaten/enjoyed consistently fresh uni for her entire life). Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the stuff...I took her word for it.
We didn't even look at the menu...our "hosts" have been here so many times that they knew exactly what to order and they did not disappoint. Can't wait to go back here again and again...an instant favorite for us.
It is so lovely when a restaurant lives up to its (good) reputation.
I took an east bay friend of mine here for the first time this week and we absolutely LOVED it. I mean, if their website isn't enough to get you in there (brilliant) - the fresh sushi should be. This place was boppin for a quiet weeknight - almost every table filled.
Great sashimi selection (my favorite) - escolar and albacore - both fantastic. Super yummy/healthy soba noodles and the fried tofu was *insane,* especially the sauce.
Can't wait to come back again and again and again...!
It would be needlessly redundant to repeat the praise for Zushi Puzzle. Yes, it is the best sushi I've ever tasted. Yes, it is hard to go anywhere else once you've discovered Zushi.
So let me say something helpful: get a reservation. Each time I have been here, I see numerous groups turned away for lack of a reservation. So call ahead.
(By the way, thank you Marie W. for introducing me to this gem!)
Birthday Dinner #2. (There were five - - stay tuned!)
I've eaten here before - my original review gave it 2 stars - and I've now deleted it. While I stand by my review, I can admit that I bashed Zushi Puzzle without having tried Omakase at this place - and I am a big believer in trusting the omakase at a place prior to rating it. My mistake.
I was wrong.
It took Rob some 3 months to convince me to even give it a second try. (No thanks, fool me once.) He had gone once w/ a friend of his, came home and declared that I would simply LOVE this place. (Over my dead body...)
My loyalty to Ino Sushi is unwavering - and I am NOTHING if not loyal.
Well, folks - - I stand corrected. This is me, eating my words - with gravy. What I experienced this time was NOTHING like what I experienced last time. Furthermore, the service was excellent all around, unlike last time.
The day after my dinner at Boulevard (review below), Rob took me to Zushi Puzzle. Our reservations were originally for Ino Sushi - it being my birthday, he knew I'd prefer that over all else. At the last minute, I told him that I'd be willing to try Zushi Puzzle, if he really thought it was that good - and I've never seen him act that quickly in placing a phonecall and securing us seats at the sushi bar.
Come 8:30 PM, on a hot evening, we walked into this Marina establishment and sat ourselves down for dinner. The sushi bar area was extremely warm due to the weather, and I was getting progressively more doubtful about this dinner. What I did not realize was that my tastebuds were about to be taken to another realm for the next two hours. I mean, HOW could I have known?
The sushi chef - aka Roger - aka in my book "GOD" - is perhaps the most jovial, friendly and entertaining person I've met in a long time. Roger not only has masterful hands to create divine nigiri for you, but he doesn't lack in the wit department. At all.
Starting off with "The Best Handroll Ever" (no really, that's what they call it) - the dinner ranked amongst one of the best I have ever had. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that this is a BIG statement, coming from me - but I am dead serious. It's been over a week and I cannot tell you how many times in the last week that I have WOKEN UP to the thought of going back to have more. It's THAT good.
I am the most adventurous sushi-devourer in existence. My side job is to keep the ocean population in control, and let's just say I excel at this job. Having grown up in Japan, ever since the age of 8, sushi chefs have been amazed at my sushi-eating capabilities where one man even offered in Japanese, "If this child can actually eat 30 pieces of sushi, the entire dinner is on the house." (I stopped at 29 - even at the age of 8, a girl has to have some pride! Truth be told, I could have easily downed 40.)
What I can say is that never, on any continent, have I seen such a massive selection of fresh fish. I love fishing and particularly love salmon fishing - but did you know there are some 7 varieties of salmon (and Roger has them ALL)?
I love butter, but butter's got NOTHING on the many varieties of Toro that Roger served up this evening.
Tuna of many varieties - each one completely scintillating on the tastebuds and if I were an emotional gal, I'd have teared up on the spot - it was that good.
LIVE Uni available and killed on the spot and presented to us beautifully. Check out the photos. He even has Kobe Beef Nigiri - which I was dying to try but failed to do so due to be SO stuffed by the end of the meal, I almost yelled out, "SURRENDER!"
Roger taunted me after one small plate of sushi, "You must be full - you look like you're done," as if he could read me and knew that would get my eating-engines revving. It did, and I would not be surprised if he went home thinking he has met one person who eats more sushi than any man he has ever seen. I know I went home thinking I have never seen any man present sushi in this fashion.
But even *I* had to draw the line and had no choice but to refuse the Kobe for a later date.
Did Zushi knock Ino out of the field?
Not really.
The two are very different - Ino Sushi is about as traditional as it gets. When wanting traditional, Ino remains undefeated and Ino-san's rice, saba, and ankimo is incomparable.
For everything else, like Mastercard, there is Zushi Puzzle. Not only is it truly delicious, dinner cannot be more fun than when you sit with Roger and trust him to take care of you. If ever I win the lotto, I am going to simply lease out a chair at the bar, engrave my name onto it and go every single day.
I cannot give it a higher recommendation. I am basically living everyday in anticipation of going again!
ROGER IS GOD!
The butterfish here is amazing. I usually order it sashimi along with the Butterface Roll and the Wasabi Tom.
Any of the rolls with butterfish are great.
They open at 5pm and take reservations, so make sure to make one if you plan on going with more than 2 in your group.
By far one of my favorite sushi places in the city!! Roger is amazing! Great neighborhood gem! Tuesday are the best days because that's when they get their shipment of live scallops.
So I came here on a random Saturday evening. I booked a reservation for the bar to sit with Roger, the owner. It was one of the best sashimi experience I have ever had.
Roger started us off with the scallops and his famous handrolls. The hand rolls are the crispy soft shell crab and this tuna tartare mixture.
Then, he gave us this full plate of exotic fish with the head of a red snapper!
Finally, we finished with three different kinds of mackeral.
One of the best I must say!
You need a reservation, even on a Monday night, but it's totally worth it!
One of the best sushi restaurants I've ever been to. Maybe the best in the states. Good sized rolls, not like the tiny ones at Atami a few blocks down... (though they are tasty)
Highly recommend M&M (spicy tuna/avocado, LIGHTLY fried, seaweed salad and spicy sauce on top) and M&S (hamachi, green onion topped with unagi). Weird names for their special rolls, but special rolls may be the way to go. (They're prices are the same as regular rolls). The M&M is probably my favorite-- although the hamachi/green onion combination in the M&S was absolute perfection. Usually when I get an unagi roll, the inside doesn't really matter because the taste is overwhelmed by the unagi/sauce; however, in the M&S, the hamachi/green onion combo packs a great punch of its own, immediately following the delicious taste of unagi.
The fusion salad (with mandarin oranges and wasabi dressing) at $5, was very good but very small, and I will probably avoid such appetizers here. (Not because they're not good but because the sushi/sashimi is the way to go here!!!)
I appreciate: the hot towel service as soon as you sit town-- just like in Japan! The edamame service was much appreciated as well. You can order more for $2.50.
Would like to see: pictures of the rolls on the menus
Everyone is Roger's best friend. Sit at the bar and get served by one of the most friendly and best sushi chefs in SF. He made a sashimi tray full of various tuna, salmon and hamachi....DAMN. Amazing!
I have a new found love for butterfish. Melt in your mouth yummy. Have him suggest a sake to go with your meal and you'll have an amazing experience.
It's a tiny tiny place and gets seriously packed...call ahead for reso's.
This review pertains to sitting at a table. I was told the inferior fish quality is served via table, but for the price, I was not that impressed. Fish ranged from mediocre to decent, but I came in expecting 5 star fish. I'll hold out for the sushi bar next time and see how that goes.
It was an extra special treat to be taken here for dinner by a dear friend, and we were treated with great care by Roger who created plates upon plates of special sushi and sashimi for our eating pleasure. What I loved was that nothing was left to waste, and the fish was amazingly fresh and buttery soft. Each piece of sashimi melted beautifully in my mouth.
My favorites were the live scallops (the remaining pieces dipped in batter and fried to a delectable crisp, served to us later in the meal), the oysters in strawberry vinaigrette and also a truffle oil, the handroll wrapped in special seaweed paper at the beginning of the meal, and the fish chips that signaled the end of our feeding frenzy. Chef Roger also tranformed our sashimi into sushi. We thought we couldn't possible eat another piece of fish, but Roger explained we weren't suffering from fullness but palate fatigue. Once he changed the texture and flavors, we finished every single piece of fish. What accounts for the freshness of the fish served there? Apparently they have fish flown there daily. Impressive.
Had it not been for Roger, I also would not have found out I am allergic to some kind of fish. I walked out with a fully satiated belly, and an hour later developed a fat lip and welts all over my body. At first I thought it was funny, until the discomfort became unbearable, waking me from my deep slumber, causing me to google 'seafood allergic reactions' and drive over to Walgreens at 5am to grab a box of benadryl from the shelf. Groggy and disgruntled, I was a little annoyed the pharmacist couldn't stop staring at my fat lower lip, which had swelled 3 times it's normal size. Yes, I was aware of how freakishly strange I looked. I popped two benadryl when I got home and promptly knocked out, waking up at 1:30pm, after having slept through my alarm and early morning spin class with a girlfriend I had promised to pick up for our gym date.
How do I know I loved Zushi Puzzle? Because less than 24 hours after my seafood allergy ordeal, still suffering from the evil welts, I want to go back again. Yes, it was just that good!
Well I heard and read so much about the experience of eating at the Sushi Bar and after eating once in the main room, I decided to try it. My girlfriend was coming into town and I made reservations for the bar three weeks in advance. We were seated within 15 minutes (please note on a Friday we saw at least 2 different groups without reservations get turned away) of arriving. We were offered menus but we refused them and told them we would take the Sushi chef's (Roger) recommendations (as had been recommended). Roger was very friendly, funny and asked us what we liked, to which we responded everything. Roger proceeded to give us some of the tastiest and freshest sushi (also fresh wasabi) we both had ever had. With each dish he would explain what it was and where it was from. My girlfriend and I agreed it was more of an overall eating experience than a dinner.
Roger is great and the sushi is very fresh and it is an overall awesome experience that we will never forget. Just know going in that you pay for this experience. We had about ~6 different "dishes", 4 beers and 2 sakes and it was in the $200 range, but worth every penny.
They are sooo packed! ...and with good reason, their sushi is amazing!
This casual place definitely makes for a great weekday sushi treat. Friendly staff and extra delicious rolls -what more could ask for on a casual night out!
Summary - Amazing Sushi, what else can I say?
Pros - Inventive Chef's tasting menu simultaneously leaves your stomach satisfied while leaving your taste buds craving more.
Cons - Price
As I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm not a sushi connoisseur - In most cases, it's either good or it's not. So the rare times when I am blown away by sushi, like I was at Zushi Puzzle, it's a treat. And while I usually stick with the basic rolls we all know and love, I went to Zushi Puzzle with a group and was fortunate enough to try the Chef's tasting menu. One word: Wow.
I'll keep this review uncharacteristically short, and just say that every single thing we tried was magnificent. We sampled way too much for me to list it all here, so I'm not even going to try. Probably the highlight of the night for me was the sea urchin, which I'd only ever had once before, but ZP's version was hands down delectable. Too many wonderful sashimi options to list (I couldn't remember half the fish names even if I tried). Bottom Line, Zushi Puzzle was spectacular.
Now, I try to avoid whining about price in my reviews, but usually end up doing it anyway. Menu prices at ZP were basically the norm, maybe a little high, but one word of caution - if you do the Chef's tasting, make sure you ask for the price first. Our adventure into Zushi Puzzle's sushi wonderland came at a cost that was definitely surprising, to the tune of $100pp (including tip and 1-2 beers per person). As I was on a business trip, I fortunately dodged having to put up the plastic personally... but just a word a warning, if you're ready to experience the Chef's tasting menu, as I highly recommend, probably best to make sure you're prepared to experience the bill.
Final Rating (great/average/poor) - GREAT
Great food, good times - will definitely consider visiting again next time I'm in town.
Date of Last Visit - June, 2009
BW
I'm torn and I'm having a hard time rating this place. Not being a local and visiting this fine city once a year or twice a year, if I'm lucky, I rely on my local friends and family in the area. So when dinner was to be decided on a Friday night I was told of Zushi Puzzle. Not the kind of name I would suspect of a sushi place but when it comes to sushi I'm always game.
I sat down with an average appetite wanting to start off with something simple, so I thoroughly read over the hand roll selection. When the server initially arrived I asked of her recommendations. She quickly brought to my attention an off the menu item hand roll they call "The Best Hand Roll" which included spicy tuna and soft shell crab. Now I'm a sucker for off the menu items at sushi bars but I almost felt like this establishment was setting themselves up for failure dubbing their Hand Roll "The Best". I proceeded to order one in addition to a Toro (Tuna Belly) hand roll.
Service was slow but the place was full and by the looks of it, there was only one sushi chef, pictured here in yelp. Luckily I was with great company so time flew by without my stomach complaining.
The hand rolls arrived one by one with "The Best Hand Roll" arriving first. It was wrapped with Soy Paper which I was not prepared for and preferred just the regular nori. As the table watched and stared I felt an immediate pressure to bite into the hand roll then devour it completely as I ran down the streets of SF dubbing this "The Best Hand Roll" but it was not to be. The soy paper was soggy and the soft shell crab was indeed soft. The tuna was barely recongnizable and I finished my roll with a bit of disappointment.
When the server came back to see how my roll was, I could see in her eyes she wanted me to grab her and thank her for introducing me to this roll but once again this did not happen. I shamefully told her it was good and she walked away almost knowing of my disappointment. The remainder of my party could see it too.
Always making sure everyone has a second chance I proceeded to finish my second hand roll and then ordered and finished a spicy yellowtail and salmon skin hand rolls. All of which were average and had the common soggy nori. Maybe hand rolls was just not his forte.
I mean everyone's cut rolls and sashimi looked good and was indeed tasty. Maybe the chef had an off day right? Not everyone can be perfect everyday right?
With all the great reviews and personal recommendations I feel I need to give this place another chance and maybe sit in their small corner bar and let the chef have at it and order omasake.
For now though this is what I have to offer to yelp.
When Gary Danko goes out to sushi, he sits at the bar at Zushi Puzzle.
Now, I don't really think I need to follow up with a long, over-the-top review after a statement like that... but I'm going to anyways. It's just too fantastic not to rave about.
Roger, the sushi chef here, is my new best friend. Well, he will be. He doesn't know it yet, but that's the goal. If you're lucky enough to snag one of the sparse seats at the bar, I highly suggest you grab it. Don't just hustle over and shimmy your way into the very tight seating... GRAB it like you'd grab Tom Cruise's hiney after his epic dance in Risky Business. Next, introduce yourself to Roger. Tell him what kind of sushi you like, and let him take it from there. He's the pro and will not leave you hungry or disappointed. One of his creations is called "the best hand roll". I'll just say it's appropriately named.
Anything that Roger presents will tantalize our tastebuds. As full as you are, you will leave wanting more.
Go, treat yourself. It's not inexpensive, but so worth the splurge.
This place isn't authentic Japanese. Hawaiian-Japanese perhaps? The service is haphazard & the wait is unbearable, particularly since there's not exactly any space to sit/stand... perhaps you should come here for the rolls (which i didn't get to try).
++ | Soft Shell Crab |
Adorable presentation!! (See photo) The crab's already cut up into pieces for you so it's easy to pop into your mouth. Not too oily & very fresh.
++ | Ebi Nigiri |
Topped w/caviar & the fried shrimp heads arrive a few moments later for your consumption. It's intimidating to bite down on these crispy shells, but OMG so worth it.
-- Nigiri from the specials-from-japan menu
Sort of fresh, but the cuts of fish were not clean (either sushi chef's mistake or the fish was previously frozen). pencil fish, white salmon, giant clam, baby yellowtail, to name a few. I'd just stick with to the normal stuff.
I just got home from dinner @ Zushi Puzzle and I have to say, the rumors are true, the sushi there is great! To tell you the truth, I was skeptical but now I am a believer.
We sat at the bar and made friends with Roger who totally took care of us. When we sat down to order he asked us what types of fish we like...we told him "whatever is good tonight". Right away he got working and had an order of live scallops ready for us. It was delicious! We told him uni and toro was a must and that we also like sake (salmon). Immediately we were served the live uni and five different types of sake! It was not overkill at all because each type had such different textures and tastes...some sweeter than others, some more rich in flavor, others less. Oh and before I forget, the fresh wasabi was bomb. We literally just had that and barely used our soy sauce with the sushi.
We also tasted his albacore which literally melted in my mouth. There were two other fishes we tried which I forgot the names of already (dammit!!), one which he blow torched (he had said it's the second tastiest white fish) and it was oh so deee-licious! The toro was of course fantastic. I think what topped off the night was the last two pieces we ordered which was the kobe nigiris. One was the tenderloin blow torched to room temperature and another the ribeye blow torched for longer with foie gras. He also made some special rice for us and we ended our dinners with homemade strawberry sorbet with pepper which was so refreshing! Before we slipped away, we got a quick taste of butter fish which was excellent.
I had such a blast and was very content after my dinner here. Roger definitely loves what he is doing and it shows in his preparation and the taste. He taught us a lot about the fish and you could see how happy it made him when we were genuinely enjoying the food. I came out of dinner very full and satisfied. I am a true sushi lover and I can say that was some damn good sushi! I will be back.
I'll keep it short and simple.
Not the best or worst. 5 stars? not in my book
I was not WOW'ed
Sorry dude. I'm Japanese....I don't give a sh*t if other people don't agree.
*Good Sushi & Sashimi
*Creative & Unique Rolls
*Very flexible and open to customizing rolls
*Recommendation: Walu, Toro & Romeo & Juliet
I went there 2 times in one week only to realize that its not as good as I remembered it. The service was not very good and we weren't exactly treated very nicely. I probably wont come back for a very very very very very very long time. So many awesome Japanese Resto's in the city. They need to rethink how to retain clientele. They definitely shooed me away.
A couple weeks ago it was raining cats and dogs and I had a horrible day. I was driving home from PT when I saw Zushi was pretty empty. I took a chance and headed in and had an amazing night at the sushi bar. Thanks to Roger the Sushi chef I feel amazingly better. Good medicine. I have enjoyed Zushi Puzzle before at the tables with some good rolls. I was alone at the sushi bar and Roger took control. I had fish that I never experienced in NYC or Tsukiji. He is basically the mafia of fish. It is all in who you know so he can get the best fish and most exotic. He can make sushi in his sleep. He can hold a conversation while making sushi with only 6 touches, this makes sure the fish doesn't warm up. He mentions that a few women sitting at his sushi bar have had their grey day turn sunny. He has a magical touch.
Tried going there on a Wed night, and the restaurant was 85% empty. The gentleman that greeted us looked down on us for not having a reservation here and said he would not be able to accommodate us.
It didn't look like it was set up for a large party either, and the man didn't tell us so. I wish he could have been at least polite about not having any tables for us, rather than being rude about it.
Happy Hour Draft Beer $1.75!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Holiday Special Offer!
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Sushi Bars
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