Sushi Shio - San Francisco

I rarely write reviews for takeout orders, but this place is seriously impressive. I ordered the Snow Crab Hand Roll, Scallop Hand Roll, and a Lobster Roll, and it was a standing ovation to the chef! The carefully placed pieces and flowing flavors created a whole experience. Even the wasabi was amazing! Every detail was perfect. Kudos and thank you!

I'm not sure why this place isn't more widely recognized, but it's truly a hidden gem. While it doesn't often appear on "best sushi" lists in San Francisco, it absolutely deserves to be. The dine-in experience is fantastic. It's easy to secure reservations, the food is of high quality and incredibly tasty, featuring a unique blend of Japanese and Italian influences. The ambience is also beautiful. I particularly enjoyed their two omakase offerings, which I found to be well-priced and generous. For a special treat, their Uni Toro Kani bowl is a must-try for take-out. It's a bit pricey, but it's an indulgence you won't regret – it's absolutely to die for!

My experience at the restaurant involved ordering the tasting menu, Haku (薄). The scallop in sunomono and the yellowtail tataki were the standout dishes for me. The welcome cold soup was also very impressive. However, I found the yuzu panna cotta dessert to be slightly too sour.

I visited Sushi Shio on a Saturday evening with a 7pm reservation. The restaurant was surprisingly empty, with only one other party dining, which was concerning. Despite the lack of other diners, we were seated at a corner table by the main entrance, rather than being offered a choice of seating (sushi bar vs. Table) as is typical at authentic Japanese establishments. This awkward positioning felt unnecessary given the availability of the entire dining room. We ordered the Omakase ($95 per person), expecting quality Japanese cuisine. However, the 10-course meal plus dessert was disappointing. Most dishes featured heavy, yuzu-based sauces that did not taste authentic. The fish quality appeared subpar and lacked freshness. Specific issues included the Zensai course, which felt disjointed with mizuna, a tartelette, and nanbanzuke that didn't complement each other. The sweet and sour chicken, part of the Zensai course, was underwhelming. The Tataki dish (seared yellowtail) with pickled onion and truffle ponzu dressing was also disappointing; the truffle was not detectable, and the yellowtail was overcooked and drowned in the ponzu dressing. The miso soup seemed like an unnecessary filler dish for the Omakase. Furthermore, the sake flights were overpriced at $65 and $42. The automatic 20% gratuity brought the total to a significant amount for the quality received. While the restaurant attempts to position itself as upscale, observing DoorDash orders being prepared alongside dine-in service contradicted this image. The pricing suggests fine dining, but the food quality and execution do not justify the cost. We spent close to $400 but did not feel satisfied with the food quality or service. I would not recommend or return.

I've been ordering DoorDash from this restaurant for six months and have been very satisfied with the quality of the food. My most recent order was so good that it inspired me to write this review. My go-to order is the 8-piece sushi tasting and miso soup, which is absolutely delicious. I will continue ordering from here because they are quick, reliable, and delicious. While you can always search for better or "the best, " to be quite honest, this food is more than good enough.