Sushi
City
1701 Powell St
(415) 296-8889
Here's some exciting news for residents of North Beach and sushi-lovers alike: in the past eighteen months, the number of raw fish joints in the neighborhood has gone from zero to three. It all started last year, when "Sushi on North Beach" opened up next door to Graffeo Coffee on Columbus; next to come, about a month ago, was "Sushi City" on the corner of Powell and Union. And as we speak, about to open is "Sushi Rap" on Green. If the trend continues, residents of the Beach will soon be trading in their pasta forks for chopsticks.
Most accessible of the three places is "Sushi City," which sits
kitty-corner to "Little City" and right next door to the infamous
Washbag (Washington Square Bar &
Grill). Since its previous incarnation (an Italian restaurant called Anthony's)
the place has been completely refitted, its interior painted in soothing
lemon tones above a tatami-like weave that ends at eye level. The high-ceilinged
room has a calm atmosphere despite a large-screen TV in the back wall
that plays endless videos of Speed, Japan's answer to the Spice Girls.
But when we first visited the place soon after its opening, there were
some kinks that needed working out. The two sushi chefs couldn't keep
up with demand, and the waitstaff was similarly harried. Our waiter forgot
to bring our miso soup, and there were lengthy pauses in between the arrival
of various portions of the sushi order - possibly due to the frat-boy
drinking party going on in one corner, which seemed to be absorbing a
lot of the
staff's attention.
And now we come to the Great Sushi Debate: does size matter? I think it
does. A delicate sliver of salmon on a rice ball is one thing, but upgrade
the sliver to a lump and instead of a silky little morsel that slips down
like butter, you're suddenly chewing on a big hunk of raw stuff. Call
me picky, but I don't find this as nice.
The nigiri at "Sushi City" are definitely large. For those who
aren't grossed out by giant slabs of fish, these Texan-style nigiri are
undoubtedly a deal, since they're no more expensive than the nigiri in
places charging the same for 50% less protein. It's a question of palate
and aesthetics, and mine are definitely of the good-things-come-in-small-packages
school when it comes to sushi.
Then again, I also happen to be of the opinion that anything involving
raw fish deserves a second chance -- so the other night, I dragged a reluctant
spouse back to the restaurant. This time, we ordered a wider variety of
dishes, and the star of the evening turned out to be the Rainbow Roll.
This specialty maki consisted of a California Roll served on its side
with slices of fish (hamachi, tobiko, sake, toro) draped over the top,
forming a multi-colored rainbow effect. The crab meat inside the roll
was real, and the fish (sliver-like this time) was mouth-meltingly delicate.
At $8.50, the roll was a deal, and could easily have made a meal in itself.
The terayaki dinner was fine, though it would have been better if we'd
sprung an extra $5 for white meat instead of chicken thigh (I'm not quite
sure how the restaurant justifies this price difference, which puts white-meat
chicken in the same price bracket as salmon). There were three sushi chefs
on duty this time, and the service was better, despite the sake-drinking
games going on at the counter (is this a theme?) And there were still
no desserts on offer -- though just down the road is Sushi on North Beach's
green tea ice-cream tempura, a delectable baked alaska-type dessert that
resembles a fried tennis ball.
In summary, "Sushi City" is an interesting addition to the North
Beach food scene, but the place still needs work. It gets a lot of points
for atmosphere and not as many for food - barring the Rainbow Roll, which
is certainly a pot of gold.
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