Ino Sushi, San Francisco, California, Japanese Restaurant Details

Food:

The sushi was fine but didn't really sense an overly friendly vibe from the place towards my party or others dining in the small restaurant. I'm not hugely opposed philosophically to the $20 minimum per person food charge but it really only needs to be mentioned once. We more than doubled that minimum per person on food (plus $20/each for drinks) but were repeatedly being reminded of the minimum as we ordered in waves. It's traditional fare here–you won't be getting much nigiri with ponzu or shiso but it'll work in a pinch if you're craving some raw fish. I asked about specials and there weren't any so you'll likely be getting the standard stuff. Japan Town has a lot of sushi but my top three in this city are actually in other parts of the city (Ichi, Koo, and Eiji).

Food:

Ino is a husband and wife owned shop with an impressive selection of fresh exotic fish. The sashimi is thickly sliced, smothered liberally with wasabi and slapped onto a delicious ball of rice. They only offer simple rolls and nigiri, but they are all top notch.

Food:

A piece of Japan in SF: no fuss, no weird sauces: just perfectly cooked rice, fresh wasabi and fresh fish. Ino is your non pretentious, small little gem not to be missed from any true sushi lover. Every time that I go to Ino's I make sure to order ankimo and uni as I sit down as; not only those are his specialties, but are also probably the most delicious of their kind that I have ever had. Sometimes there is a little too much wasabi for my taste but, overall, the pieces are perfectly balanced and the freshness of the ginger that is served with every dish always prepares me for the next piece.

I have tried almost every type of fish on the menu and I was never disappointed even though the tuna (maguro) and the salmon (sake) are particularly flavorful.

Do not expect a fancy restaurant, Ino is small, owned and ran by a lovely Japanese couple and there are more or less only 8 tables for two people plus the sushi bar. The decor is very simple and basic almost not to distract the customers from the main star of this place: sushi.

Depending on how busy the restaurant is, the service can be a little slow but overall the freshness of the food is unbeatable! Make a reservation if you'd like to go on weekends but call on the tuesday of the week you'd like to go because Ino doesn't take reservations far in advance.

Unfortunately Ino doesn't offer dessert... but I am sure you can figure out a place to indulge in your guilty pleasure.

Will I go back to Ino's? I bet you know the answer to that question ;)

Food:

I heard about this place from my friend Sherman who said that they have really good sushi here. It’s a small operation run by an elderly couple, but the husband is a jerk because he yells at his wife a lot. I’ve hear similar stories, but my partner and I decided that good sushi was a risk worth taking.

When we stepped inside the restaurant, the wife immediately rushed out to greet us and assured us that we would be seated soon, which we were. The tiny restaurant was clean, well-lighted, and from the bar we got to watch Ino San give a mesmerizing performance. My partner and I didn’t dare make a noise louder than a whisper for fear of creating chaos in Ino San’s domain.

When Ino San made eye contact with me, he asked me something I couldn’t decipher so he told me curtly if I wasn’t ready I could order later. I was embarrassed but the gentleman next to me kindly informed me that I had missed my chance and would have to wait for the next round to order. He also added that I needed to be assertive otherwise he would not respect me.

When my turn came around again he listened to us rattle off numerous items, nodded, plopped down some ginger in front of us and went to work right away. Sashimi, hosomaki, and nigiri rolls were served immediately. All of the fish we sampled were fresh and delicious, however the nigiri contained uneven distribution of wasabi. There were pieces that were perfectly balanced but most of them had enough that it took the spotlight away from the rice and fish, and in my case, tears to my eyes. At the end of the meal, we realized that we could have asked for less wasabi, but to be honest I was too scared to say a peep, especially when I saw how turned off he was by certain customers.

An Australian fellow in the corner didn’t know what to order so he kept the chef waiting while he examined the menu. The chef was clearly annoyed and responded in kind by not acknowledging his presence when the Australian approached the counter to give thanks. The kind man next to me kept talking on his phone and Ino San had to yell at him three times “No phone!”

The food was wonderful and we had an amazing experience. But I don’t want to write about the food, instead I want to address the chef’s behavior that is much talked about. I can understand why some people are put off by him, but I would hardly say he was unkind. You can see that he’s extremely passionate about his craft when you can taste how he has carefully chosen the best fish, how he smiles brightly when he sees a customer thoroughly enjoying his meal, and makes sure you are satisfied.

You can see that his repeat customers understand his relationship to his art. They show respect by not talking too loudly, not using their phone, not drinking excessively, and they wait patiently to order.

This place isn’t for you if you can’t follow those simple rules and more importantly if you don’t love sushi. I was definitely on edge as I didn’t want to feel Ino San’s wrath, but now that I know what to expect, I can’t wait for my next visit.

Food:

Small mom and pop sushi joint hidden in the mall. It's literally run by a husband and wife, which is very cute. The wife waitresses while the husband prepares the sushi. The fish here was ok to me. It didn't taste very fresh, but it was bearable. The one nigiri that was delicious was the fatty tuna. It was melt in your mouth yummy, but everything else was just okay. It's also very pricey, but I guess that's how it goes with sushi. You can make reservations the day of after 4:30 PM, which I highly recommend because the place is TINY.