Snazzy and Jazzy at Yoshi's

Some interesting and fancy Japanese cooking is paired with a glamorous restaurant and nightclub.

Comments (0) By Meredith Brody Wednesday, Mar 19 2008

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The six kinds of sushi we sample are simple and perfect, especially the uni and toro. Seared toro roulades are lovely to look at, but I think the heat has obscured the essential fatty quality of the fish. Four beautiful fat shrimp tempura boast the exciting, mint-and-floral taste of whole shiso leaves. The nine-vegetable tempura couldn't be better. My favorite dish is the sturdy battera, a version of the old-fashioned classic Japanese box-pressed sushi, eight big pieces topped with saba (silky mackerel) and a touch of salty shaved bonito — I can't stop eating them. I'm less impressed with the delicate, sweet lumps of charcoal-grilled Scottish salmon and the ginger-miso-marinated oven-roasted pork ribs; both are a trifle dull, with classic main-course presentation, certainly not as interesting as what went before. And a too-soft, too-bland panko monkfish sauté disappears from the palate as I'm eating it, despite a poached egg alongside topped with soy-and-Meyer-lemon sauce.

But the extraordinary desserts invented by former Top Chef contestant Marisa Churchill end our meal with excitement. A deconstructed key lime tart boasts yuzu lime curd under homemade marshmallows atop graham-cracker crumbs, with roasted pineapple cubes and a ball of coconut sorbet. A tart yogurt semifreddo hides under a crisp, salty sesame Florentine cookie atop papaya-shiso mint sauce. And three fat little beignets are accompanied by a sake cup full of an irresistible dense Suntory whisky cream called a slurry. Nothing is too sweet. We clean our plates, despite having already ordered (and consumed!) a little too much for comfort.

Paul Trapani

The space and the menu are huge.

Location Info

Map

Yoshi's San Francisco

1330 Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94115

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Japantown/Pacific Heights

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Details

655-5600, www.sf.yoshis.com. Dinner: Monday-Wednesday 5:30-10:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 5:30-11 p.m., Sunday 5:00-10:00 p.m. Reservations accepted. Wheelchair accessible. Parking: Valet, $12. Muni: 22, 31, 38. Noise level: Moderate.

Sake sampler $18
Nigiri sushi $5-$8 for two pieces
Shiso shrimp tempura $15
Battera sushi $15
Pork prime rib $20
Yogurt semifreddo $8

1330 Fillmore (at Eddy)

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Even if there weren't a world-class jazz club attached (with its own Kamio-designed bar menu), Yoshi's would be a draw for its interesting, classy Japanese fare alone.