Sushi Left Bay

So happy to find this ramen place near work. It’s $ 9.50 with pork belly or cha siu. It comes with everything you would need to add from other ramen places. They have egg, corn, bamboo shoot, green onions, and bean sprouts. yum! Ii love their tonkatsu soup ramen. I got medium spicy but I can’t wait to go back and order their spicy. The ramen portion is smaller but I think its perfect for lunch. The services was fast, great when you’re on your lunch hour. Will be coming back very soon.

As every other reviewer has noted, a very confusing restaurant name both a) because they don’t serve sushi and b) because the restaurant name is not posted outside. I suppose the mystery is part of the appeal of the restaurant. The ambience was kind of cool, with the very short menu painted on the black walls and the discreet entrance. It was, however, like sitting in a sauna eating a bowl of ramen. The ramen itself was decent (better than Ramen Bar, not as great as Ramen Underground), and I appreciate that they have TWO options of vegetarian broth (Shoyu and Miso)! Woohoo!

The name is confusing, as there is 0 sushi — but this place delivers a solid ramen with a rich broth and nice Sapporo-​style noodles (I call them squiggly noodles :)). I ordered the Tonkatsu ramen. given the name, I was expecting a breaded piece of chicken or pork, which there was not. It didn’t matter — I was happy. The noodles are a nice consistency. Nicely chewy. The pork was nicely cooked. My one wish: that there was more in the bowl. The person I went to eat with was horrified how fast I ate it. Slurp slurp gone. FAR superior than the egregious attempt at Ramen across the street.
Note: Cash only!

Sushi Left Bay: i really love almost everything about your ramen, BUT why are the eggs overcooked? they aren’t supposed to be hard boiled and it saddens me so. make a proper soft-​boiled ramen egg and you will be five stars for sure!

Important, there is NO SUSHI served here, it’s only 3.5 star ramen.
I asked the worker who said that it used to be a ramen spot, then the owner changed to sushi, which didn’t work out, but decided to leave the name. Unknown reasons why (biz change of name is a lot of paperwork and messy), maybe gimmicky, but for whatever reason, it’s ramen only FYI.
The ramen is definitely ‘good.’ It’s 3.5 stars and a better one in SF (on par with the popular Ramen Underground which is directly across the street a 2 second walk away). For the Bay Area and the world, it’s merely a 3 star, but SF lacks quality ramen (one of the few cuisines it’s missing).
The spicy miso is very solid. The broth has good depth. The bowl is solid sized with legit noodles. The char shu pork leaves something to be desired. Nicely grilled/BBQ’ed, but doesn’t have great flavor.
I do recommend it for city folks looking for ramen, just know the East Bay and San Mateo has a lot better.

Mildly confusing title since the main fare served here is Ramen. This is the best ramen I have had in SF. The broth is flavorful and packed with ingredients. There is a good variety of broths and you can customized the spiciness of your meal. Ramen Underground is right across the street and worth a try as well.
The one catch is that the space is tiny! There is at least one small table and an ultra-​narrow bar along the wall where you can sit.

I used to be skeptical of ramen shops — why pay $ 10+ for ramen when I can easily make ramen for less than $ 2 at home? But my experiences with certain ramen shops over the past year have been slowly chipping away at my disapproval of ramen shops while leaving me craving for more; Sushi Left Bay is certainly one of them.
Following a ramen craving, I researched on Unilocal before selecting a ramen shop to stop by for a quick dinner. I was really glad that I researched thoroughly, because this ramen shop is almost impossible to find if I hadn’t known of its exact location. The sign advertising the ramen shop was very small, and extremely easy to overlook. In fact, I accidentally walked past the shop the following day, even with the intent of tracking it down. Poor business execution, I must say, especially with multiple other ramen competitors around the block. (Very ironic that this ramen shop is harder to spot/​seems more underground than even Ramen Underground across the street with its bright pink lettering. Maybe those two businesses should trade names.) On the bright side, this may explain why there were very few customers in the shop, which made the service much faster for me.
Anyways, I step into the shop and am greeted with a very simple menu — three choices of broth, and a couple of topics to chose from. For an indecisive food orderer like me, a simple menu was extremely welcome. I settled on the tonkotsu ramen topped with pork belly. My order came out extremely fast, and the ramen won me over in even a shorter amount of time. Each spoonful of broth was very flavorful, rich, and contained the right amount of spice. The noodles were very fresh and addicting. The other ingredients complimented the bowl nicely, with the exception of the corn. I was glad to eat corn since I had been lacking in veggies during my trip, but the ramen might have tasted more authentic without the corn. My biggest complaint was the amount of pork belly that came with my bowl (see photo below); I would have been very upset had my bowl not cost less than $ 10.
I was also wondering if I would be judged for being a solo diner, but to my surprise, I was seated without any judgement. In fact, all 3 of my fellow diners were eating alone! If you are a solo diner and would like a place to eat without being judged for being alone, I highly recommend this ramen place.
Overall, my belly was satisfied and my wallet did not cry. I would call that a successful dinner, and would definitely stop by again the next time I am in the area!

It’s actually a very nice ramen place. I pass it by many times and finally give it a try.
Unlike the ramen underground across the street, the wait time here is much shorter. But the taste is pretty nice. I think i will become a regular here.

I work closer to Katana-​Ya than Sushi Left Bay, but have noticed how expensive and slightly lower quality KY has been getting in the past few years. After seeing good reviews on Unilocal,I decided to call an order ahead for a comforting hot bowl of ramen to bring back to the office.
I like how SB gives you the option of different broth bases and protein (pork belly, cha su, chicken or veggie). I chose the medium spicy Tonkatsu broth with pork belly. My order was ready within a few minutes, so it was all ready when I got to the restaurant. As others mentioned it’s unfortunately cash only. After tax it was just under $ 11. I whisked away to eat this in my office’s break room and grabbed one of the small Ikea bowls we had. This did validate what others said — they do give you smaller portions than other ramen restaurants.
The tonkatsu broth was rich, spicy and packed with lots of flavor. There were three pieces of pork belly. Two of the pieces were more tender than the other one and had a decent amount of meat on them. Noodles were cooked fine and the bowl was also adorned with bean sprouts and bamboo shoots. They also provided half of an egg, which was nicely yolky though served cold. The ramen satisfied my soul, warmed me up and got my nose running. I do most of the time have a lighter appetite so it filled me up. Others with a heartier appetite may want to order an appetizer or have a snack on hand.
Overall, it’s a great option for ramen when you’re in downtown/​fidi. I will be coming back to try another bowl.

CASH ONLY! Come early.
The Ramen here is good but not worth going out of your way for. It’s definitely a lot better than Ramen Underground so I will be back on cold days.
I usually have the Tonkotsu broth with the Pork Belly and I take mine a little on the spicy side. The noodles are good but the sauce isn’t really as complex as I like it. It’s OK but doesn’t have the depth to flavor that I crave. What makes Tonkotsu Ramen special for me is the broth. Anyone can make a decent noodle and the meat you choose doesn’t have to the be the best if the broth can hold up. This broth leaves me wanting a little something extra.
If you come before 11:15 you’ll have your Ramen in just a few minutes. That’s awesome. Come early.
Don’t come late. I don’t understand why, in the heart of the FiDi, the most densely populated area for 3,000 miles, they only have two people working. I also don’t know why they only take cash. If I were to guess the guy and girl that work here work really well together and don’t need a crowd in the kitchen. I’m sure they make enough money during the lunch rush to not stress about it. Also, taking only one type of payment is a lot simpler but makes me go find an ATM.

First timer.
Short story: Come if you’re in the area. It’s better than Ramen Underground across the street.
I have only been here once. It’s got the same black interior as the old Ramen Underground. No biggie. There was no wait when I went with my boyfriend on a Friday evening. We did not have to wait long for our orders to come to us either. Miso and Tonkatsu ramen are delicious. They have creamy broths and already come with some toppings. Yes, you don’t have to pay extra to get the half soft-​boiled egg. There are different levels of spiciness available. You also have three meat options rather than being given the default cha shu. Options: cha shu, chicken, or pork belly. Pork belly is good — fatty and flavorful.
Yes, I will come again if craving ramen and in the area.

I really liked their ramen with pork belly — their tonkatsu broth is so much better than a certain establishment that used to be there and is now across the street. Their menu is simple and their service is quick. Steaming ramen especially with pork belly is perfect for a cool SF day — and especially in the winter. Loved it and I will be back!

Sushi Bay has some pretty solid ramen. It’s not jump out of your seat delicious, but it’s pretty decent. A step up from Ajisen ramen, I would say. They have good portions seeing that I was pretty stuffed at the end of the meal. I do wish that they gave more soup though because mines was depleted, leaving behind a heap of noodles.
This ramen shop is literally a hole in the wall. I don’t even think they have a sign out in front! Something that was really annoying were the gnats flying around. I keep finding myself swatting the flies away from my food and face.

Has underground ramen been dethroned?
I went to sushi bay actually looking for underground ramen. And found this spit instead (right where underground ramen used to be… but they have moved to a bigger space across the street.
The ambiance isn’t what it used to be… but gosh darnit if the ramen isn’t just as good! ⁷⁄₁₀ I need to see if ramen underground is still as good as I remember.

This is by far the most delicious ramen I’ve had in the city. Such an amazing hole-​in-​the-​wall gem. Remember to bring cash!
Here’s my go to ramen order:
Tonkatsu broth
Pork Belly meat
Medium spicy
** the tip is to add EXTRA black garlic!
Enjoy.

Much like the hermit crab occupies a discarded shell and calls it home, Sushi Bay has rolled into the former Ramen Underground digs (ironically right across the street from the new RU). Cramped and lacking adequate AC, its atmosphere is not unlike some of the ramen joints you find in Tokyo railway stations.
And like train track ramen, the quality is variable.
I found the tonkotsu ramen to be entirely adequate, and that’s not a dig. It’s not high praise either. The noodles a bit chewy, the broth had a hint of that peculiar spice I associate with Cup Ramen (never found in the real thing), and the spicy bit was just a huge dollop of okazu rayu. The chashu was fine, as was the menma. The corn a nice old school surprise.
Don’t know why they have sushi in the name but not on the menu. However that’s a good thing. You wouldn’t want to be eating raw things in here.
So I give it a gentleman’s C. Room for improvement, but in a pinch I’d eat here again. Maybe try the miso ramen.
The hunt for great ramen in SF continues…

I’m a huge ramen fan and this place is pretty darn good. Went in for a super late lunch and the place was empty which meant no queue for a hungry lady.
Ordered spicy (hot) miso ramen with roasted pork and it totally hit the spot. Also got the curry rice which was delicious.
One star off for the bathroom experience — don’t go unless you absolutely have to, no purse/​coat hook, toilet on fritz, needs some work.

Rude, and they don’t even have common sense.
I didn’t eat their food there, so this review is not about the food. I walked in on a Friday at 7:30PM to get some ramen by myself after a long day at work. For just one person, I was happy to sit at the bar next to whoever. However, the server asked me instead to «shared a table with another group of 3». I thought that would be really weird (because it’s a group of 3, and just myself alone!), so I refused. But then the waitress asked me to wait outside so she can seat other people at the bar because they have 2 people to fill the 2 seats at the bar, instead of a single person. Those people came after me! I thought this was really rude, so I walked away as my protest. She wasn’t even sorry. She happily sent me away and seated her two guests.
I will not go back. I thought ramen was great food for someone to enjoy a decent meal alone — I guess not for this restaurant!
I still can’t believe she asked me to merge table with a group of 3.

The ramen here is DELICIOUS. I am a very picky ramen eater and my Japanese friends and I agree that this place has really good ramen. So why the 3-​star rating? Because the service here was extremely slow and frustrating.
My three co-​workers and I got the only table of four. The space here is very small and there is limited seating. We were seated around 12pm, the waitress finally took our order 15 minutes later (including the time we were deciding on what to get), and then it took 30 more minutes for our food to come out. I had a meeting at 1pm and I had to eat my ramen in less than 10 minutes so I can make it back in time. We kept asking the waitress where our food was because everyone who was seated after us got their ramen before us. I understand it was rush hour and there’s only one waitress and one cook in the kitchen, but it should be first come first served.
Moving on to the satisfying part of our experience, the miso ramen here is absolutely delicious. I also tried a bite of my co-worker’s tonkotsu ramen and the broth was extremely flavorful, rich, and creamy. The miso ramen was actually similar in taste of the tonkotsu. I wonder if they make tonkotsu broth the base of their miso broth? I also got medium spicy for my miso ramen and it was pretty spicy. I recommend getting regular if you are sensitive to spiciness. You have a choice of pork belly, chashu, or chicken. The standard comes with menma (bamboo shoots), green onions, seaweed, corn, bean sprouts, and wakame.
I also really appreciated the Japanese menu on the wall. It gave it an authentic experience albeit the strange name. Come here during off-​hours as they figure their service out. I know I definitely will be.
Also, CASH ONLY!

This is my boss & I go to place for ramen during lunch time. We been here a few times and there is not much of a wait since service is pretty quick.
We usually get the Tonkatsu with pork belly. It was very favorable and I enjoy the presentation. All the condiments were nicely placed that I didn’t want to mix it cause I felt bad. It is pretty spicy for my tasting. I ordered mild and still felt a pretty good kick, however we did go on a really hot day.
This place is CASH only which I always forget. Therefore, the same routine every time, I make my boss run to the ATM: P