ICHI Sushi + NI

The food is very good but the portions are abysmally small for the price; if you’re going to charge $ 8 for ONE piece of nigiri you should at least try to make it look somewhat substantial. The same goes for the various non-​sushi dishes; the ones I tried were very good but again if you’re dining with someone and sharing everything you’ll each get about one to two bites in per dish. If you have $ 100 to spare (what it will take for you to get full, per person) then this is the place for you and you’ll enjoy a great quality meal here.

Food is ok, but not above average and the prices are RIDICULOUSLY high for what it is. Example? $ 15 for a single piece of Uni sushi?
I have been to a lot of Japanese restaurants both in the Bay Area and NYC, incl a number of higher end ones. This one is definitely not worth it.
Not going there again

I was excited to try this place since I’ve heard a lot about it recently, and it is also featured on SF Eater’s Heatmap. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with clean & modern furnishings. They also have a high top sushi bar that you can eat at. We were able to make reservations at the last minute as well which was very convenient!
Since we’ve heard so many great things about ICHI, our expectations were a little high. Unfortunately they were a little let down which is why I gave 3 stars. The service was pretty slow. We felt like we had to keep waving down our server to put in our order, ask for water, ask for our check, etc.
They had a nice selection of sake, so we ordered the Dassai which was smooth, clean, & floral. However, we were bummed out because it was served to us in water glasses. This is the first time I’ve been served sake this way. Normally we get the beautiful flask and small ceramic sake cups which is half of the fun!
ROLLS: We shared the Spicy Tuna and California rolls. They were simply good. Nothing out of the ordinary. Each roll contained 6 pieces and portion size was average.
SKEWERS: The Momo Yakitori was grilled perfectly and served with a light sauce. This was probably my favorite bite. My friend said her Butabara Kushiyaki (pork belly) was also tasty and well seasoned.
NIGIRI: My friend had the Salmon Roe but said it «tasted funny.» Not sure what that really meant and I didn’t want to try it after her comment. I had the Albacore Tuna which was tender and had a light sauce. I thought it was very good. The Wagyu Beef was a little dry though.
All in all, this place was good, but not outstanding. In my opinion, I think Pabu is better but I’m at least glad I got to try ICHI Sushi + Ni.

Ordered a few different types of rolls and nigiri. The fish was not fresh, and I didn’t enjoy the «seasoning» on the nigiri at all. The salmon roe was doused in sake. I don’t mind trying new interpretations/​renditions of sushi, but none of this was agreeable. Server was not very professional either.

A great gem in southern Mission. When our friend lived in SF, this is one of his favorite restaurants, so of course we came here when he was back in town!
I really liked my a la carte menu items. My friends got the omakase, which I tried bites of. To be honest, the fish and the rice were a bit on the dry side. He felt the same and said the omakase has been better. Still very good, but not at the incredible standard he’s put it at.
We sat at the front, near the sushi bar, but keep in mind if you sit in the back section (the «Ni Bar»), you can’t get an of the sushi items!
RESERVATIONS
Made about a week in advance on OpenTable for 8:15pm on a Thursday for three people.
THE COST
$ 213.53 before tip. Two of us had omakase, plus a la carte items, on beer, and one dessert.
OMAKASE
A great variety of sushi, cold (pickled veggies, cucumbers in a sweet sesame sauce. We liked the cucumber!), and hot (salmon broth, fish). Of the sushi, our faves were the yellowtail, katsuo skipjack, ocean trout inidashi, and uni.
RAW
* Medai Tataki (pork chicharron, ponzu vinaigrette, shichimi. $ 12 for 2pc) — 4 stars
Less pork than I though, mostly some sprinkled crunchy pieces of chicharron, but still great combination of flavors. The fish had a good texture.
SKEWERS
* Momo Yakitori (chicken thigh, tare. $ 4 one skewer) — 5 stars
Amazing. Juicy, full of flavor. Use the extra spices they sprinkle on the plate, and drizzle the meyer lemon. I usually don’t like to drizzle lemons, but theirs are so juicy & sweet, I was able to even eat a slice.
HOT
* Miso Asari Clams (pork, miso broth, kuro oil. $ 11) — 4.5 stars
So delicious! Before we even tasted it, we could smell all the spices. I thought it was sesame oil that made it smell so good, but whatever that kurt oil is made it amazing! It also had a kick of spice that we loved. This was a broth but it was very filling. The clams were little bursts of juicy meat. I only wish there was a little more pork and it wasn’t ground so small. The spoon you get is really thick and makes it very difficult to scoop up all the pork!
DESSERT
* Granita ($ 7) — 3 stars
The only dessert option of the night. Interesting fruity/​lime flavors, and for essentially a shaved ice it had a nice silky texture. But $ 7 for a small pile of flavored ice. not really worth it in retrospect. I wish they had the matcha ice cream everyone posts about!

Some outstanding dishes here at ICHI Sushi + Ni, and then a couple of misses. I’ve been twice, and the repeat offenders have been the umi masu iridashi (ocean trout in dashi broth), sushi rolls, and kushiyaki plate (chef’s choice of skewers). We discovered the umi masu when told that there was no salmon on the menu, and the ocean trout is very similar in texture and fatty-​ness. In my opinion, it is not nearly as flavorful as salmon when covered up with avocado + cucumber in a roll, so I’d recommend getting it in the umi masu iridashi. The sushi rolls are a steal — high quality fish in an 8 piece roll, for $ 8? Not just «spicy tuna»? As for the kushiyaki plate, which will come with 3 meat and 1 vegetable skewer, these do not disappoint. They’re actually not so difficult to split either, unlike other kebabs that will literally have you flinging meat across the table as you un-​skewer them.
I have also tried the kama shioyaki (fish collar), miso asari clams, nasu (eggplant), and nigiri. I would definitely recommend the eggplant if you’re a fan of the veggie. The nigiri have been fresh and pretty good quality, albeit a little small. Otherwise, the fish collar had too many bones in it, and the clams were just okay.
We’ve been here for happy hour, which didn’t really have any of my favorite things, but did indulge us in the nasu ($ 4) and fantastic shochu cocktails ($ 10). Those cocktails are sour, refreshing, and intensely cucumber!
One odd thing about ICHI is that their omakase just sounds like a fancy way to get you to buy 12 pieces of nigiri. It’s actually a la carte, as you select your own fish without any sushi-​master guidance, so… just order a la carte.
I’m torn between leaving a 3 or 4 star review, but the price and several okay dishes are holding me back.

Almost a five star, so I round up. Really, great omakase. The key to this place is that it’s very different. Imagine having incredible curated flavors animating grass fed beef three ways. Now compare that with the super dry aged prime NY porterhouse – one of the juiciest, most flavorful classic steaks in the world.
Ichi is like the «grass fed» experience – innovative, natural, clean, balanced experience. A Sushi of Gari or a Yasuda or (I imagine) a Nakazawa would be like the Peter Luger – juicy, giant pieces of insanely fresh fish that melt in your mouth.
Ichi does not dole out thick, juicy, top 1%-type fish. It presents a beautifully curated selection of sustainable and delicious fish, then dresses them appropriately to two ends: bringing out some of that good-​natured wholesome flavor in the fish, and leaving your palate with an invariably and persistently clean finish. I never knew this was possible.
Come here. Get Omakase. Expect not sensory overload dripping with umami, but instead meditate on the balance and clean execution.

Came here as part of SF sushi conquest and to catch up with my gay lover’s ex-​bff (got it?)
Anyhow, we got the omakase which here in SF (unlike my experiences in NYC) most of the time seems to be eat till you are full! I enjoyed my experience and fish was totally fresh but a bit over dressed for my liking! We got a hot dish too (like a big head of a fish!). We were both full and the total came done to like around $ 100 which is not bad at all!

Go hungry and get the omakase. Great selection of beautiful, fresh fish with unique marinades/​accompaniments. The waitstaff is super friendly and knowledgeable and will help you tailor your experience so you get plenty of your favorites as well as some new flavors. Good sake selection, too. This spot never disappoints!

3.5 stars. Our waitress was very nice. The cooked items were good, but the sushi and sashimi were a miss.
The chicken meat ball w/​the egg yolk for dipping is my favorite. That egg yolk dipping is a must add. Just makes it that much better.
The pork and beef skewer was good too.
MISO ASARI CLAMS w/​Ground Pork, Miso Broth, Kuro Oil-​this was really yummy also. Very comforting.
UMI MASU IRIDASHI-​Ocean Trout, Dashi Broth, Ginger, Daikon. Cooked right, but nothing special
The spicy scallop roll was bland
The nigiri was a thumbs down. The rice was hard. Everything tasted the same. The fish was ok fresh, but my friends did say their uni was very good. I don’t eat uni so can’t give my opinion on that.
For dessert, walk down to Mitchell’s for some amazing ice cream!

I came here for Omakase. I liked the options we had for the Omakase. We sat on the counter and it was a unique experience being able to converse with our sushi chef. Made for a more interesting and fun experience. The fish is amazingly fresh, the lineup we got was unique and tasty. We had some choices we might not have ever thought about so the adventure of Omakase was evident. It was a great meal.
I didn’t give Ichi 5 stars because I didn’t like the restaurant’s overall ambience as much as I thought I would. It was loud that night and it felt a little packed in but it was still manageable.
The worst part about coming to Ichi is that there is no parking at all near this section of Bernal, so be prepared or take an über if you are coming from outside the city. Be prepared to pay for parking at the bank parking lot.

Food-​wise, everything was on-​par with what I expected. I had the hokkaido uni, maine uni, amberjack, ocean trout, CA roll, scallop roll, kushiyaki skewers, shima aji, buri, and toasted coconut ice cream. The hokkaido uni and shima aji were both a delight, both creamy and melt in your mouth good; however, the rest were nothing to write home about with the skewers being no better than what I can get at a low-​end izakaya restaurant. I found the service to be a little bit snooty — not exactly too rude — but enough for me to remark. I think for the price of $ 88, I’m better off trying a omakase tasting menu from the plethora of restaurants nearby in the 7×7.

Just terrible. Seating was awful in the bar area. Sushi was terrible with very little fish and mostly rice and fillers. The restaurant was fairly employ on Thursday night and they asked if we had reservations which we did not. There were so many empty tables in the main dining area but they said they couldn’t seat us there had reservations for those (the tables were empty the entire time we were there).
Very disappointing. Don’t understand the 3.5 rating and the 5 star rating from some folks; I don’t think folks in that area have had really good Sushi. At three $ signs, I expect a far more upscale experience; just look at other restaurants with three $ signs in the city.
Never to go back here.

OH EM GEE THIS PLACE. This is going to be a somewhat unhelpful review because I have no idea what I had the night I came to Ichi for omakase because there was so much and I was in a rapturous sushi-​induced pleasure blackout, but ALL OF IT WAS AMAZING. Like, everything that came out was mind blowing, and I kept saying «oh my god» throughout the entire experience. One thing I do remember: this is the only place that uni hasn’t horrified me. I finally see the light! It doesn’t taste like licking a rock pulled from the deepest depths of the filthiest harbor! It’s delicious. Alas, it also ruined it for me because now I’ll never get uni that good again (ok except in Japan). Just do it, get it all, give yourself (and your wallet) over to the skilled hands of Ichi’s chefs, and prepare to die of happiness.

Sublime.
Less than 5 stars comes only from someone with A) impossible standards and B) no clue.

Underwhelming. I loved Ichi when it first opened across from Safeway. It was amazing. It’s been downhill since then. I am also extremely irritated at being told how to eat my sushi. I know. It feels condescending. I’m paying and I’ll eat it t how I want. Once or twice a year I cave and go back because I’m craving sushi and it’s close to me but I usually regret it.

So this place was interesting. Their shtick is the omakase which ranges in price from 60 to 100 per person. We decided to try it for the experience. We had about 16 prices of nigiri, a couple light salads, some fried shrimp heads and 2 hot courses. Everything was good but nothing was exceptional. The nigiri were prepared meticulously but to me they were a bit pretentious — marinaded in this, sprinkled with that, a shiso lead here, a shiso lead there, etc. the flavored were ok, but I found the fish to rice ratio unacceptable and with the variety of flavor a being added here and there I really didn’t get my favorite part about eating sushi — tasting the fish. Also, fish portions were wildly thin which didn’t help things. Combined with the high price point I left disappointed.

straight crack. probably some of the best prepared sushi ive ever had. omakase for the win
Foodie tip**** try everything

Yikes, Ichi was extremely underwhelming and disappointing at the three dollar sign price point. It’s not even remotely comparable to other high-​end sushi restaurants like Kusakabe, Omakase, etc.
The fish on top of the nigiri was so thinly sliced that I could see through it!
The happy hour chirashi at $ 14 (add $ 7 if for uni) is probably the best chirashi deal in the city, but you get what you pay for… a tiny little bowl that most likely will leave you hungry.

I hate to give ICHI such a low rating but I’m afraid I was really disappointed by the overall meal. Perhaps if I were to try their omakase I would be more favorably impressed, but having tried other omakase in the city such as Pabu, Kusakabe, Zushi Puzzle and more, I can’t see myself shelling out money for ICHI.
My friend and I happened to get in during happy hour time, so we each got the chirashi with uni and then split some nigiri and a roll with ocean trout. I think my favorite was probably the ocean trout roll, which was fresh and flavorful. The chirashi had good sashimi, tamago, cucumber, and the rice was properly cooked. I was mostly disappointed by the nigiri, my wagyu was overseared and I wasn’t impressed by the flavor, and the nigiri pieces were incredibly small. I appreciated that they seasoned and customized all of the pieces, but I didn’t find the quality to be on par with the price, especially compared to other amazing sushi places in the city.
It’s a chic, trendy atmosphere, but unfortunately I wouldn’t go back for more sushi.

Amazing!!! Had the omakase and highly recommend it. Sit at the bar and let the chef work his magic!

The food experience is amazing, specially when you have Omakase. The chef takes you to different flavor experiences based on fish and other ingredients. Wasabi comes in the right portions and tuna is definitely a must here. Will come back for sure. If you come, please stay in the bar as you will have multiple food experiences

Considering that ICHI Suchi + NI was one of the better deals for SF Restaurant Week 2016, my friend and I decided to give it a try! This super hip and trendy place is located close to 24^th Street BART, so it’s easy access for those of us who prefer public transit.
(Link for restaurant week deals:
)
For $ 65, you get a choice of rosé or sake, a cucumber salad with miso tahini dressing, 6 pieces of fresh sashimi (the fish was so good. as my friend said, «It tastes like fishy butter!»), Bincho Tataki, which was seared albacore tuna, 2 rolls of chef’s choice (1 was spicy tuna and 1 was veggie), miso clam soup, Mitchell’s green tea ice-​cream w/​shortbread. It doesn’t look like much food, but it was definitely very filling.
I thought the service was great — each plate was presented with a thorough explanation. Also, everything came out at a decent pace. I’m glad I got to try this place for restaurant week. Maybe I’ll have to try their Omakase next time!
(1÷100)

I came here for restaurant week thinking it would be a good deal ($ 65 for a 5 course meal and 1 drink), but was pretty disappointed. The décor is very hipster-​ish with dim lighting and I actually really enjoyed the background music, which was 90s hip hop. The food was bleh… the best courses were probably the sashimi and dessert, only because I’m a sucker for fresh fish and green tea ice cream. There was supposed to be a hot entrée with clams in special broth, but they ran out and gave us flash fried trout instead. The «chef’s choice rolls» were very underwhelming — spicy tuna & california rolls. The service was great, but there are definitely better options for sushi in the area so I won’t be back.

We’d had our eye on ICHI for some time. Especially recently, the spot has gotten some great press and rave reviews from a few culinary notables. Come restaurant week, we decided to give it a go. We managed to snag a last-​minute 8pm reservation on a Friday night. The place was jam-​packed when we walked in, but the bar seats seemed to turn-​over quickly, so we probably could have walked in sans reservation.
Anyways, our table was a little on the uncomfortable side. Hard wooden seats and an awkwardly small table. We were seated on-​time and placed our drink order quickly. About 20 minutes passed and still no drinks, or water. We ordered a beer and the restaurant week menu sparkling rose, so it wasn’t like we were waiting on craft cocktails…
I actually had to get up and ask the waitress about the hold-​up. A few minutes later our drinks came out. I went with the RW menu while the hubs opted for the omakase. The pricing and quantity for the omakase is a little ambiguous. You pretty much tell them how much you want to eat and they gauge accordingly, so the fish pricing varies your overall cost. All in, I was pretty underwhelmed. I thought the sashimi was ok, the salmon being the best. The two rolls (CA and spicy tuna) were forgettable. There was a strong mayonnaise flavor which masked the fish. The last course, clams in broth, was also a huge miss. Sadly, I couldn’t get past the look of the dish. Honestly, like a bowl of sewage water. The broth was overly-​salted. Boo.
Service did improve and they comped our first round of drinks which was appreciated. The food was nowhere near the quality I was expecting, though. Sadly, ICHI missed the mark for us.

Came here with a bunch of friends and not only was the service was great
but the food and drinks were tops! I so will be back here.
Thank you for a full belly and quench my thirst.

The food quality, service, and ambiance at Ichi is definitely there, but I can kind of see why the Unilocal ratings is only 3.5. The fish here is super fresh, the Hokkaido uni was absolutely phenomenal. However, for the amount of food, this place is definitely overpriced. Be mindful that there could still be a wait even if you made reservation.
The service is great though. Our waitress was super attentive and brought us some complimentary goodies for the wait.
Definitely worth a try!

I went here over christmas with my family.
First off we made reservations for four well in advance. Despite this we were seated at a table meant for three which meant one of us had to sit at the corner so the entire meal was uncomfortable.
The waitress suggested we try the omakase so we decided we would and told her our diet restrictions, no meat for two of us and one of us is allergic to eggs. Despite letting the waitress know this we were served two egg based dishes and at the end of the night the pescatarians were still hungry because there had been only one vegetable substitution in the hot part of the omakase.
Finally, it took forever to get the food. We were hungry which we let the waitress know but despite that there was still about a half hour break between each dish. Its not like they are cooking any of it, it should not take that long to cut up raw fish and put it on a plate for us.
Also, the waitress was impossible to get a hold of. Took forever to get our check and would have liked more drink refills than we got.
Probably the most important part was that the omakase was super fucking expensive. Thanks for the heads up that this meal was going to be close to $ 100 bucks per person.
Would not recommend. Never going again.

I can’t for the life of me figure out why Ichi has 3.5 stars on Unilocal.Are you people drinking scalding hot coffee before you sit down to eat their fish? Let me dissect this problem because it’s mind bogging.
If you can’t tell already, I’m a massive fan of this establishment and EVERYTHING rolling out of their kitchen as the nigiri is among some of the best in San Francisco. I’ve read through the lower stared reviews and from what I gather, these people love to eat «California Rolls» and anything with «Japanese Mayonnaise». That’s NOT Sushi.
The owners have gone to such great lengths to capture what it’s like to eat great nigiri in Japan and the varying, daily selection is proof of their commitment to the craft.
Sit at the bar, ask for the omakase and let it rip. To all you naysayers, fish of this quality is expensive. So, before you knock the price per piece I’d suggest you check out the Safeway down the street and eat your sushi at home. :)

This is the place I want to go when I’m feeling like sitting at a sushi bar and having the chef prepare an omakase for me. I’ve been here close to a dozen times dating to their original space, and they always deliver a delectable variety of nigiri with each piece uniquely seasoned with its own bright and unique accents depending on the fish. Some of the cool things they add are shiso, green tea salt, soy reduction, and yuzu. I usually ask for a 10 piece, but I am sure they will accommodate any size tasting you desire and cater it to your tastes. I pretty much like to try everything, so I leave it in their hands.
Because they adhere to sustainably sourced fished, you’ll get some fish that isn’t as popular (like Red Eye Snapper and Ocean Trout, for example)
More and more places do this, but don’t execute it quite as well as Ichi… Whenever you order a piece of sweet shrimp nigiri (Ao Ebi), you will also get the deep fried head to go along with it. Whenever I have ordered it, the head has come out piping hot and super crispy. If there was a menu item of just the heads, I’d order it in a heartbeat.
The other thing I like about this place is the music. They always seem to play a selection of music from my Golden Age (the 90s) which will always earn some points with me.
Overall, one of the better sushi bar experiences in the city.

Did the omakase as fellow Unilocalers suggested. Really fresh, high quality fish. Solid sushi, so 3stars. Just wasn’t wowed.
Also tried the skewers, which were very good and flavorful. I recommend you get those and order sushi a la carte, not omakase.

I had a great experience with my friend here. She wanted to try this place before she left to Vietnam. We sat at the bar and had nigiri sampler and some hot dishes. The Kama was juicy and delicious. The skewer sampler was succulent. I enjoyed the Japanese eggplant that looked like mushrooms. Uni from Japan was my favorite and Ikura! Yum. The sushi chef was very helpful with our questions. I will be coming back! Make sure you make reservation ahead because it’s super busy and full.

My entire night was great. I had intended on getting to the restaurant around 5:30 because they seem like they have a great happy hour, but I needed to get some work done, so I didn’t end up leaving until about 7. I got there, and there happened to be some people leaving and got to sit at the chef counter — definitely a plus! The chef in front of me was great at telling me what was in each nigiri which was great! My favorite was the tuna and shrimp nigiris. The shrimp one comes with heads deep fried — which had got to one my favorite parts of the dinner. I also ordered the miso asari clams — which have pork and clams together.
Next time — omasake!
Protip: sit at the chef’s bar if you can. Definitely so much fun!

This is for brunch only. I really wanted to like this place, but my Japanese breakfast was just ok. The salmon and egg were a bit overlooked, and nothing really stood out. Friends also had the cold Raman and thought it was just ok too. I know Ichi is a top sushi place so I will try dinner at some point, but brunch was just ok.

Dined here with a party of six last night and had a fabulous meal start to finish — from drinks to appetizers to hot dishes to sushi. And service was impeccable.
Rather than reviewing each piece of food, though I could easily do that from memory, I’ll highlight some revelatory moments for me. I will be interested to read other diners’ highlights from their visits to ICHI as I am sure there are many more than what I list here:
1. Nigiri: A large mural on the wall highlights some important points for sushi beginners (and even veterans like me) to know — it’s ok to pick it up with your hand, eat it in one bite, do not dunk it in wasabi soy sauce.
All the fish was super fresh, and the origins are listed on the menu. My wife has lived near the water for much of her adult life, but has always been wary of raw fish. Until last night.
The unsung hero of nigiri, the rice, was spot on, fresh and just the right flavor and texture for sushi rice.
2. Service: Our server knew expertly what each piece of sushi and each dish was, how it was seasoned, and where the fish came from. Same for the drinks. She (as well as the support staff) were somehow always there but not there, if you know what I mean.
3. Clams and uni (sea urchin) and eggplant: I have never been a fan of any of these foods, but since everything was so good I decided to get back into the game with all of them and was so glad I did. If you’ve ever had a bad experience with them, ICHI will redeem them for you.
4. Shochu: is a Japanese distilled spirit, usually about 50 proof, which makes it somewhere between sake and whiskey in alcohol and flavor. Although Japanese whiskies are all the rage these days, shochu is the national spirit of Japan. ICHI offered two: Iichiko — clear and fermented from barley — and Kakushigura — which is lightly aged in oak and has a slight tint therefore. I had one of each as well as a shochu cocktail. And will be heading to my local liquor store to pick some up to keep in the home bar.
I could say more, but you get the point. If you live in San Francisco (like my sisters), lucky you. If you are visiting San Francisco (like me, an ex-​pat), do yourself a favor and check out ICHI.

I like how the omakase here is not a pre-​set menu. They tailor to your table depending on what type of food you’re able to eat. IE: Are you OK with shellfish? Do you eat all types of meat? Any allergies? They ask you a few set of questions to determine what selections the chef will have prepared for you. There isn’t a set number on how many dishes will be served. It is determined by how full you are towards the middle. When they check in with you, you can definitely add more dishes or stop there. You can choose either a hot dish/​cold dish. Even dessert! The price range for the omakase is between $ 60-​$ 100. I really like this omakase option. Now onto the food!
They really specialize in nigiris (sashimi lying on top of rice). Their fish indeed are very fresh. They even have fish all the way from Hawaii! Their nigiris are flavored by the chef, so they do not serve it with additional wasabi and soy sauce. I enjoyed the hot plates much more. The clams were so flavorful! I recommend ordering that. For all the items I received for the omakase came out to be $ 100/​person (please reference my pictures).
Don’t forget to try their signature cocktail: Iceberg Cocktail.