Ozumo

Reviews 8

BO

Bob Thegood

Summary: lunch had very poor service, incompetent chef, fish wasnt fresh, and way over priced. I have little idea why this place is so highly rated. I went during their lunch shift, so I might have caught their B Team. After being seated at the bar, my waiter approaches me and asks what I would like to drink. I reply "Ocha" (green tea), and he looks confused. I then say tea please. Afterwards he asks me what I would like to order and I state "Omakase" (up to the chef). He apologizes and says Omakase is only available for the dinner menu, which makes no sense as it literally just means whatever the chef wants to make. He says he can go ask, but upon looking at how extremely young the chef was, I changed my order to Chirashi (fish over rice). Waiter went over the chef and whispered my order. Chef replied very loudly "CHIRASHI?" and looked very confused. After about 15 minutes, an older chef walked in, looked at what the younger chef was doing, then immediately took it away from him and started working on it himself. I was literally the first in the door and ended up being served after many people came later. When they delivered my order, it was in two boxes, one for fish and one for rice. It kind of defeats the purpose of Chirashi when they are served separately. The fish tasted like yesterdays leftovers was recently defrosted, having an icy texture and some pieces were gag worthy. Tamago was very rubbery. When bill came for $60, I realized that I paid double what it usually costs for the worst Chirashi I have ever had in my life. I have been sampling several places in SF financial district and have been to some mediocre places, but this is the only one that I would hate so much to actually write a review for.

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JO

Johnny Chau

One Word: EXPENSIVE Dont get me wrong, Ozumo has good food. The fish is fresh and the quality is good, but youre gonna pay for it. I like sushi. I eat an OK amount of it and Ive tried a decent amount of sushi restaurants. The quality of fish found at Ozumo can be found at much less expensive sushi restaurants. What youre paying for here is atmosphere, service and "innovation." Atmosphere - Ozumo is a trendy place. Bring a date here if you want to splurge a little. The bar is always full. The interior dining area is not. Service - Our server was very attentive - to the point of overly so. He was very good about filling up our water glasses, but he would also reshuffle our plates and practically reorganize our table while we were still eating. Attentive - yes...borderline annoying...yes Food - the quality was good. I wouldnt say it was the best sushi Ive ever had, nor was it the most creative, but it was above average. The saki was good. But for $150 bottle, it had better be DAMN good. Would I go back to Ozumo? Probably not

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AL

Alireza Shirazi

We were visiting San Francisco with friends from Toronto and New York. Its a fortunate that we were all Sushi/ Sushimi lovers from two cities in North America with authentic Japanese restaurants and absolutely know what we were asking for!! Showed up at this place around 5:40pm, were seated at bar and been told by receptionists that they are fully booked with reservations ... not a big deal though, but when we were leaving this place at about 7:00pm %90 of the tables where still free! so, FANTASTIC management and hosting!! Miso soup was not that bad but really salty. Rolls were so ordinary and really really expensive. Decoration of sushimi plate and rolls looked like "our" take a way packs. Yeah, the ambiance is nice but the food and suke worth only %10 of your bill and you pay %90 for ambiance (of course if you are lucky enough not to be seated at bar) and learning some Japanese in restrooms!! Not recommended at all.

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CH

Christopher Cummings

Ordered sashimi for 3. The absolute best Japanese any of us ever had. I celebrated my birthday this November while in San Francisco on business. Brian, a vendor from NACVA, told me his story that morning about the best sushi he ever had 5 years prior. Brian gave me the phone number and I made a reservation for my group. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and helped us navigate the menu effectively. Apparently Ozumo is known for their hot kitchen and cold sake. We did the opposite, ordering appetizers, large amounts of sashimi, and plenty of sides to share. Everything was amazing. Both kitchens are easily viewable giving patrons the ability to casually watch their food preparation. Each are ultra clean and efficient. The waitresses are fun to mingle with as well. If you are looking for a life altering meal - try this, you will be satisfied.

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GR

Gryphon Wings

We arrived when the dining room opened, and were seated in a hot little corner next to the sushi bar instead of in the main dining room that has a view of the bay. When I went to the ladies room, I saw that the bright and cool dining room was nearly empty. This bit of discomfort was totally unnecessary and really made for an unpleasant dining environment. The sushi was ok, nothing special, and quite expensive. Portions are very small. Even the water was $8.50 each!!!! Even so, we were so uncomfortable that we left most of our food on the table, paid the bill, and were elated to be outside in the fresh air. FYI they add a gratuity to your bill, so dont tip twice. Better yet, take a cab to a better restaurant in Japantown.

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SA

Samantha Strauss

As a sushi fanatic, I like to find the best Japanese food in town. Ozumo is my go-to place for after-work HH with the girls or a special dinner out. You’ll never get a bad dish at Ozumo – the Chef’s are exceptionally creative and authentic. Plus, there is this feeling of sophistication you get when you walk in through the modern bar. Ozumo is a prime place for work dinners and expense cards – it can be expensive, but worth every bite. For dinner, a must try is the rich melt-in-your-mouth Gindara sweet miso and sake kasu blad cod. For happy hour, the Spicy Tuna roll with cucumber is exciting and refreshing. And, be sure to give their cocktails a try, I recommend the revitalizing Lychee Press.

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SE

Sean-Franc Strang

Ozumo consistently delivers one of the best dining experiences in The City. The space is huge, and whether you decide to eat at the front lounge, main room, or the sushi bar, the service is top notch. Valet parking is available out front if you drive. Ive ordered the Omakase dinner on a few occasions, which you simply must do with a friend to share the experience with. Coordinated and complex, yet even the simplest plates are delightful. They source only the best wagyu, which means it makes an occasional appearance on the menu. If wagyu carpaccio is listed, order it. No matter what you ate for dinner, end the night with the chocolate fondue. Its a delicious and whimsical experience.

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TR

Traci Cappiello

My colleagues and I dined here on a lucky whim, grabbing a table in the back just as they opened at 5:30pm. Our server was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, listening to your needs over selling the highest-priced option. We split the garlic edamame and gyu tataki to start and both were delicious. For dinner I had the futago (seared flatloin beef with sautéed garlic spinach and Japanese eggplant, topped with miso sesame sauce) and midori maki roll (asparagus, kaiware, cucumber and carrot roll topped with avocado and cherry tomato ), both of which hit the spot. It isnt cheap but its worth the experience for high-quality Japanese food in a beautiful setting.

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