Common Sage

Interesting place. It’s a small grocery store with Asian food, as well as a sit down restaurant (not for big groups — maybe 2 – 3 person groups). They serve ramen, rice dishes and they’re also a café. Their ramen is made of chicken broth (or miso — depending on which ramen you order) so it tastes a lot cleaner and healthier than your typical broth. It’s a fairly good serving, but less than what you’d get at your typical ramen place, soif you’re a big eater it might not be filling (order 2?).

Common Sage is truly a neighborhood gem on Polk at Sacramento! I tasted that amazing miso ramen for the first time this evening… YUM! And those rice balls are the perfect snack, anytime. Delicious and nutritious. Marlo and I are trying to see which one of us can try all the varieties of rice balls first! I love the video that shows you the best way to unwrap the rice balls and eat them. Do pay attention to that because there’s an art to the start!
The staff is super friendly and the products of good quality. Tasha, the owner, is very knowledgeable, so you can ask her anything about Common Sage and all the Japanese products there. Can’s wait to go back! My only suggestion… have some green tea ice cream on hand for the perfect after lunch/​dinner treat!

This place was a total surprise — walked in and out several times before actually eating here. Now we’re regulars who come in for a weekly dose of ramen.
The ramen here is amazing — best broth we’ve had, excellent noodles. Plus some great cha-​syu (pork) floating in it. We usually go with the Common Sage Miso Ramen. It is perfection. (but would be even better if they offered a soy egg with it — hint, hint!)
Other delish things here include the lattes, carefully crafted from Sightglass beans, and the brownie, which is filled with pistachios. Amazing.

Got the Asian Sandwich and bit into the string wrapping that was left on one of the slices of pork.
The sandwich was just ok could barely taste the small slices of chashu pork in the sandwich.
They do have a nice selection of different sake. Bought a few that we haven’t tried or seen before.

Very cool Japanese-​run shop that’s part boutique grocery store, part lunch spot. I believe they took over the old Blue Fog Market that was in this location and had a similar model. This place is more unique though since they carry some different Japanese sake as well as other Japanese snacks and goodies. Seems like they really put a lot of thought and care into their inventory selection.
For lunch, they also have RAMEN and OMUSUBI (aka onigiri or rice balls wrapped in seaweed) in addition to other sandwiches and pastries. Both were very authentic and tasty. The ramen probably can’t compete with the likes of Orenchi or Mensho, but it hits the spot when you have a craving and don’t want to spend $ 20 on a bowl of noodle soup. They have a small section of communal bar seating, which can seat at least 5 – 7 people. There are also some other small tables for two, so you can definitely feel free to enjoy the ramen right on the spot.
Glad to welcome this new little shop to the neighborhood!

Just strolling down the street on a nice afternoon with a take-​out salad from Spinnerie down the block. Decided to pop into Common Sage for a rice ball snack, since I was saving my salad for later that evening. The woman ringing me up looks down at the salad (it had a clear plastic top that you could see through) and announces out of the blue: «That salad has a lot of dressing, I bet it has a ton of calories. You should probably ask for it on the side, that way you can control how much goes on it.»
Are you serious??? Thanks for your unsolicited opinion, btch. I really can’t think of a more ill-​mannered comment to make to a stranger, let alone in a customer service setting. I was floored.
I considered telling her that a few extra calories might help her age from showing on her face, but instead I calmly took my change and my rice ball, and walked out the door. Will never be back.

Cute little neighborhood deli that just opened up in my neighborhood.
I was in the mood for onigiri but didn’t feel like schlepping it all the way to Japantown, so I did a quick Unilocal search and ended up at Common Sage, just a few blocks away from my apartment. It was a rainy day, so I ordered the half ramen, half rice ball meal, which was just the perfect amount of ramen for lunch. I also ordered a couple of additional rice balls for a snack later.
The ramen was light, tasty, and hit the spot. They even provided some tōgarashi for some spice. I enjoyed the rice balls as well. One comment I will have about the rice balls is that the rice was a bit too warm and kind of bland, but if you let it cool down and add some nori furikake, it’s great. Both flavors of rice balls (spicy cod roe and chasu) were tasty! I think the spicy cod roe could have been spicier, but the chasu was perfect!
I’m so glad Common Sage is just a few blocks away, so I can stop by for Japanese snacks. I hope they will carry more Japanese snacks like shrimp crackers in the future!

A neighborhood deli that popped up in my old haunts. Lots of floor space that I don’t think they are using efficiently (eg fancy cubbies to display single boxes of Ma po tofu mix?), but that’s not a problem as a customer so long as the business remains viable! They also stock a decent wine and sake selection, and have a nice coffee bar. I could see it subbing as a café for lots of customers.
I enjoyed the ramen — miso broth (which I generally feel lacks subtlety) was good and tasty. (Heart of the 4 stars)
I was less positive on the mentaiko omusubi… found it pretty light and didn’t live up to my expectations (3 stars)
Next time I’ll try a sandwich.

I like this place! I got a half order of the miso ramen and an omusubi (salmon flakes) — both were tasty and helped me so much as I was sick with cold/​cough. Service was friendly and helpful. The food takes a little while to come out, but it is worth it! I can’t wait to have more ramen, try the different omusubi and I hear their sandwiches are good! I love that they have some grocery items too. An interesting stop and worth the wait.

Well, Well, Well, This Delightful and Market is a few blocks from my Home. It used to be another deli, which was ok… But This Establishment Common Sage has the Best Kick Butt Sandwiches I’ve had in ages. Soooo Good. I had the Asian sandwich. Gourmet quality Pork and killer fresh veggies with a French style devious Bread.
THE Guy at the Register was So Nice and super friendly.
They have a lot of Amazing Japanese liquors. Huge Killer Saki Selection and Wonderful Beers.
One of the best things is, There prices are not Sky high, there drink selection fro. Freezers are WoW, kombucha, coconut waters all kinds of cool fancy drinks. which are priced average for what they are.
I’m so happy they opened near me.
Thank you Common Sage for the Tasty Sanwich, I’m so Happy
Connie

Four stars for this hole in the wall deli/​market. Visiting for the day, wanted to try this place for the first time. Being that my friend just rented an apartment literally across the street from this place, we naturally chose to come visit this small and quick place.
There were three of us. I ordered the ramen chashu, a friend ordered the miso ramen, and another friend bought the sushi roll that comes in the shape of a triangle (don’t remember what it’s called).
The service was great, and the perk of the store is the hooks installed under the table for eating. Figured out that this hook is for your purse/​coat. Thought it was adorable.
My only complaint is that the service was slow. Given that the place is really a market, it’s expected that the customer service wasn’t that great. Nonetheless, I will definitely visit this place the next time I’m in town.

3.5 stars.
I’m happy to see this market in the neighborhood! I lived in Japantown neighborhood before I moved to Nob Hill, so I was hoping this could be the Super Mira for my new hood.
The shop wasn’t too big, and half of the space was more like a liquor store with Japanese wines. It was nice to see some Japanese items on the shelves.
Their onigiri/​omusubi was made to order which was really nice. But I was disappointed that the rice in the onigiri wasn’t as good as the ones I’m used to from Mira — maybe it was too hot, or too mushy? I didn’t quite enjoy the onigiri. But I’m happy to try it again next time. Their ramen looked good.

Decided to stop by and try some things since I was in the area. I started with a kurobuta pork omusubi and a bowl of Chasu pork Ramen. In my mind i thought the omusubi was the perfect little snack for a golf course. So I might be stopping by before my rounds now lol. As for the Ramen, I can honestly say for not being a actual restaurant it is amazing. Plenty of flavor with no msg, comes with plenty of pieces of Chasu and enough noodles to fill you up. So if you’re ever in the area make sure to stop by and check it out.

Just came back again and they have ramen! Yay! I had the chashu ramen and it had noodles, bean sprouts, green onion. The broth was light just perfect. Most Ramens can be salty but not this one! Really enjoyed it and also had a salmon/​shiitake mushroom omusubi and that was yummy

I was on the hunt for new ramen in the area and my journey lead me to Common Sage on a Saturday morning. Stepping in, I wasn’t too sure the ramen would be up to par– Common Sage is mostly a small wine and liquor store that specialized in Asian alcohol. There were some deli items and of course, the ramen I was looking for.
I ordered up the chashu miso ramen (they only had miso broth) and was pretty surprised. For what it is (an alcohol shop that happened to carry roto chicken, Japanese sandwiches, and ramen), this place wasn’t bad! The noodles and chashu were good, but the soup somehow tasted a little burnt. I don’t know if I’d come here if I was in the mood for high quality ramen, but it’s definitely a place I’ll add to my list of restaurants I can step into for a delicious quick bite. And they do take-​out ramen too!

I’ve now had ramen here twice. At least in that area at Common Sage, there’s not a ton of variety, but the quality is good. All ramen bowls feature a miso broth. Their miso broth is on the rich side, which is fine given the lack of a tonkatsu broth option. There are two variants of the basic ramen: corn and spinach or extra pork. Both are worth trying. The sliced, perfectly roasted garlic in every bowl is a highlight.
The cold-​brew Sightglass coffee is excellent, even in a neighborhood of cold-​brew options spanning most of the local roasters.
I would like if they had an option for a soft-​boiled egg for the soups.

Two things: Ramen + Polk St.
I love ramen. I could eat ramen for every meal. Normally I have to make a little trip out of the neighborhood to get a bowl, but I was really happy to see Common Sage has it on the menu.
The store has a lot going on, baked goods, fresh made onigiri, Sightglass coffee, and a good selection of imported sake and beer. Looking forward to seeing them grow into the neighborhood!
I really enjoyed the cooking style on the chashu pork in my ramen, some restaurants get it a bit too dry and tough.
Crowd: Multipurpose, market style with some small stool-​paired tables
Atmosphere: Getting there, a lot of sweet plants growing in the street-​facing windows
Try: Miso ramen with extra pork

All the sandwiches sounded fabulous, but I was in the mood for the ramen. It’s delicious and comforting on this chilly evening! Miso broth is flavorful without being salty, and the slices of pork are lean and tender. So happy I got it!
Will definitely come back to try the sandwiches for lunch. Also looks like they have fresh baked pastries during the day.

10÷28÷15. Lunch
Stopped by to grab a sammy. They have daily special like roast turkey, roast chicken, and pork sandwiches, all for just under $ 7.
I opted for the roast chicken, made fresh to order, on a toasty bun with mayo, grilled onions, and rotisserie chicken. It really hits the spot.
They serve coffee by Sight Glass and feature local and imported groceries from Asia, predominantly Japan and Korea. They also do made-​to-​order omusubi (rice balls wrapped with seaweed).
The corner neighborhood market is a welcoming addition to the neighborhood. The owner is friendly and is totally there to oversee the operation.

Time: 12:24pm/75°F mostly sunny
Purpose: Common Sage is set to launch grand opening the following day. I wanted FHE on place and check out the offerings.
Ambiance: Place left unchanged from past business. Counter area with samples display along with croissants and buns. Couple of open display fridge kept cold products in check till purchase. Four sided island display with mostly baked goods show. Three stools facing window and communal seater in back sits four. That’s all this place has as far as seating situation is concerned. Industrial shelves with small display of DIY goods sits front and back area. Inner back is mostly a U-​shape set up of beverage fridge. Not stuffy as before found it somewhat modern and hip. No music or television offer so you’ll just need to BYOD or entertainment.
Staff: Lady and guy about early 40s in the back and two girls mid 20s in front. From the moment I walk in, I was offer samples right away. Soft spoken girl told me they’re having GO next day with menu changes daily. Never left my sight answer questions without interruption. Other girl stood by as barista helping out with espresso/​coffee beverages. Both were über friendly. Older couple in back was kinda quiet, but talk when they needed to.
Cleanliness: Grade A, impeccable with all things seen well stock out away in their respective place. Sample plate area had some crumbs, but its expected with people trying it. Can’t say much most items came from factory box or wrapped up.
Eats/​Drinks: Guiniea Pepper Turkey $ 6.50 made to order. However, here’s what I found out. It lack flavor from turkey itself. I expected outer edge to have black peppery spices embedded. Not so discovered it was processed turkey just slice to order. Jack cheese was also somewhat bland doesn’t have that subtle flavor its known for. Grains of paradise tomatoes had that peppery spice flavor tasted on first bite, it was good. Country bread lightly toasted kinda dry not much condiments seen or tasted. Wash it down with small drip Sightglass coffee no complaints as expected from the brand.
Main Features: Rotating daily sandwich menu, onigilly triangle, and veggie omusubi bento box, imported Japanese DIY/​snacks.
Products/​Services: Sandwich, croissant, bread, miso soup, seaweed salad, tofu, pickled ginger, rice vinegar, shōyu, ochazuki, cookies, strawberry rhubarb jam, boondock, DIY kits, coffee/​espresso, pour over, fresh fruits, assorted cold juice/​soda, Japanese imported wine/​beer and snacks etc. Cash only for now till machine is fix.
Punch Lines: Warm service, modest price, samples, seats are minimal, drool worthy, casual, nothing out of the ordinary, a twist on traditional favorites, constantly changing, family run, down to earth.
Tradeoffs: CS claims to be asian fusion, but most items are Japanese import. You’re really coming in to buy prepare food. Not much fusion is seen. Missing identity.
Final Thoughts: It comes down to what you feel like eating. With a limited menu and touting mostly bread place needs more than what its currently offer. The daily five sandwich choices and onigilly triangles among other offerings won’t cut it. In this part of town, its cut throat. Hence former Blue Fog. Place leaves me scratching my head trying to figure out what their identity is. As for now its definitely a three star. However, you’ll get those neighborhood people that will give five stars just because shop is within their walking distance from home or just for having a certain item they like. Oh well!