Hamano Sushi

Unassuming facade but high-quality fish and expert preparation. The sushi is the star but their kitchen is absolutely fantastic too. All the fried items are really top notch. They have an unreal commitment to quality. On one visit they forgot to add bonito flakes to an agedashi tofu and brought a second one without us even noticing because the kitchen realized and wanted to apologize. Wow. This is jiro dreams of sushi in noe valley.

Delicious rolls that are creative enough to differentiate them from a typical sushi menu but traditional enough that you still feel like you're eating sushi. So far the Poke roll with white tuna and fresh shiso is my favorite, delicate and savory. Really nice green tea as well.

We had a delicious birthday dinner for my husband at Hamano Sushi. The Hamachi kama was tremendous! Such a big, tender piece...yum! All the nigiri (salmon, medium fatty tuna, butterfish, salmon) was fresh and melt in your mouth. The service was friendly and attentive. Thank you!!

Fresh and delicious sushi. Highly recommend the Mission Roll and any daily special Nigiri options they have. Amazing value for the price!

In the last few months, this has become one of, if not my favorite sushi place in San Francisco. Reasonable prices, and the sunset roll is the best I've had in this city, hands down. An "undiscovered" gem.

I love this place. I've been going there since I was a child and a good place for a special occasion. The selection of food is excellent along with the service. The feeling of the place is very simple or quiet on a regular day. On a day like Friday when everyone is out for sushi, the place becomes a little loud. It is a place I would recomend to any sushi lover. I once recomended this place to a friend who had never really liked sushi before, now he wants to go out whenever he can.

This laid-back iteration of sushi counters can be found in Noe Valley, and it is highly recommended for those who have the preconceived notion that all sushi counters are stuffy and unabashedly expensive. The well-trodden counter is a favorite among Chef Jiro Lin's loyal fan base. Each of Chef Jiro Lin's loyal fan base members enjoys quality nigiri at prices that are remarkably reasonable. While the dining room is ideal for larger groups looking for casual à la carte items like maki, tempura, and sashimi, the dining room is ideal for larger groups. The inventiveness of Chef Lin is put to the test when he pairs salt-cured tile fish, aged hamachi, and sea-perch with a potent dose of wasabi, Japanese chili pepper, and fish liver. This allows the chef to flex his creative muscles. Calling ahead for reservations is strongly recommended for first-timers to this counter, which boasts a large number of weekly regulars, including wine nerds who are particularly enamored of their carefully curated list.

The best neighborhood Japanese restaurant I've ever been too. Good sushi but also great entrees such as the Chicken Teriyaki dinner set and Udon.

Hamano is a perfect fallback for when Saru is full or has too long of a line. That's not really a dig because the food here is actually quite delicious! Hamano has a neighborhood vibe, unique rolls, and... doesn't have a line or cost $$$$$.

God I love this place. It's GOOD unpretentious sushi. Don't wait in line down the street. Just go here and do omakase. The interior is so much like a typical restaurant in Japan. I love it.

Some novel, delicious options here, like salmon wrapped apple (julienne cut). Other than that, it’s standard good sushi. The rice has excellent flavor and fish is high quality, though do note that they add the fake wasabi stuff between nigiris like a lot of restaurants. Outdoor seating comes in the form of a parklet with little individual booths which is neat.

It's become a regular in our dinner rotation. Fish tastes fresh. If I had visiting friends, this would be one of the places I'd bring them. It's a great sushi and sake place.

Arrived early before the crowd. The food we ordered are all tasty and fresh. Sashimi were great! We were amazed by the Gyusuji appetizer and every dish we ordered. The staff were all very helpful and attentive. They came to check and refill our glasses of water. Very happy to come enjoy our dinner.

Came here on a whim on a Sunday evening and Hamano did not disappoint. The American wagyu tendon was a great hot start to the meal and had a deep beef flavor. The oysters were huge and didn’t have an overly briny taste. The vegetable tempura was evenly battered and came with a wide variety veggies. The koshihikari rice that came with the chirashi bowl and nigiri had a great texture and there was no fake wasabi in sight. The fish wasn’t too cold, tasted fresh, and was definitely the highlight of the meal. Definitely planning on coming back!

One of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve visited in SF. The sashimi is fresh and good. And a number of dishes wow me with diverse flavors and great presentation. It’s definitely a hidden gem for a good Japanese sushi and rolls night!

good food! as good as it gets especially when u compare to what you get in japan. their udon broth has a smoky bonito flavour. kaarage was done perfectly with not too much batter. sushi(especially the boston akami) hits the spot! from singapore

One of the best buds took me here for my birthday celebration back in February. She'd come here with her bf, from a local Bay Area ramen chef, who said he only goes *here* for his authentic Japanese sushi cravings. Well, well. This spot definitely reminds me of others in the city, where you've got your authentic Japanese omakase experience bar-side, and the casual Japanese-American sushi rolls experience table-side. But let me tell you about this omakase experience. The flavors. The traditional mixed with the fusion. Yesssss. I didn’t think each piece of nigiri could come out better than the next. Or even the cooked dishes! But they did. And that’s really saying something when you have that many pieces coming out and you gotta have each stand out. You can tell the chef has perfected his art. The only downfall experienced that night was the slowness in each piece coming out. Chef was attending to another group of 7 sitting at the bar as well (they appeared to be regulars). However, he was very apologetic, and worked as quickly as he could. It did become a 3hr dinner, which was a bit longer than expected. Esp for my buds who came out from San Jose for a Sunday night dinner. Either way, it was all that and then some. Hoping to return for another omakase experience in the near future.

Photos from two separate nights but we truly love the sushi here and chef Jiro. Such a gem. Also tried a few things aside from sushi (karaage, tempura, ikageso) and everything is perfectly flavored and resembles Japan. Must try :)

Phenomenal! Ordered pick-up, and everything was wonderfully packed. Order was ready on time, during dinner rush. Flavor combinations and sauces on the specialty rolls are intentional and delicious. My new favorite neighborhood sushi spot.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret… Hamano is one of the best Japanese restaurants in San Francisco! Don’t be fooled by its nondescript decor, because the menu here offers so much good food you won’t mind. The nigiri is always fresh and changes daily as they have fresh fish flown in daily from Japan. The produce and ingredients used are high end, and you can taste it. I ordered the Curry Udon and it was perfect; the noodles were fresh and the curry base had just enough “kick” to it. The service here is highly attentive and top notch! I know I’ll regret posting this review, because it’ll make it more difficult to get a table, but this place is one of the best, period!

The staff is so kind and attentive; get the dragon, Delores & Mission for the perfect spicy savory combination. The flavors are always exceptional and are nothing like I have had before!

Very flavourful sushi and super friendly staff - they greet you when you come in and also when you get out :-)

I recently dined at the sushi restaurant and found it to offer decent quality sushi and sake. While there was nothing particularly outstanding, the simplicity of the menu and the fresh ingredients used in their sushi made for a satisfying meal overall.

10/15/17 Update: Great sushi at the bar. Ask the sushi chef for their recommendations. The restaurant was recently remodeled and it looks chic. January 2017: Sit at the bar and let the chefs recommend sushi!!

Shauna Small

Phenomenal! Ordered pick-up, and everything was wonderfully packed. Order was ready on time, during dinner rush. Flavor combinations and sauces on the specialty rolls are intentional and delicious. My new favorite neighborhood sushi spot.

Scott P. Hu

I’m going to let you in on a little secret… Hamano is one of the best Japanese restaurants in San Francisco! Don’t be fooled by its nondescript decor, because the menu here offers so much good food you won’t mind. The nigiri is always fresh and changes daily as they have fresh fish flown in daily from Japan. The produce and ingredients used are high end, and you can taste it. I ordered the Curry Udon and it was perfect; the noodles were fresh and the curry base had just enough “kick” to it. The service here is highly attentive and top notch! I know I’ll regret posting this review, because it’ll make it more difficult to get a table, but this place is one of the best, period!

Miranda Smith

The staff is so kind and attentive; get the dragon, Delores & Mission for the perfect spicy savory combination. The flavors are always exceptional and are nothing like I have had before!

J. M.

Very flavourful sushi and super friendly staff - they greet you when you come in and also when you get out :-)

APRIL Z

I recently dined at the sushi restaurant and found it to offer decent quality sushi and sake. While there was nothing particularly outstanding, the simplicity of the menu and the fresh ingredients used in their sushi made for a satisfying meal overall.

Ken Wong

10/15/17 Update: Great sushi at the bar. Ask the sushi chef for their recommendations. The restaurant was recently remodeled and it looks chic. January 2017: Sit at the bar and let the chefs recommend sushi!!

Steve J.

It's become a regular in our dinner rotation. Fish tastes fresh. If I had visiting friends, this would be one of the places I'd bring them. It's a great sushi and sake place.

James Hsu

Arrived early before the crowd. The food we ordered are all tasty and fresh. Sashimi were great! We were amazed by the Gyusuji appetizer and every dish we ordered. The staff were all very helpful and attentive. They came to check and refill our glasses of water. Very happy to come enjoy our dinner.

Joseph Hsu

Came here on a whim on a Sunday evening and Hamano did not disappoint. The American wagyu tendon was a great hot start to the meal and had a deep beef flavor. The oysters were huge and didn’t have an overly briny taste. The vegetable tempura was evenly battered and came with a wide variety veggies. The koshihikari rice that came with the chirashi bowl and nigiri had a great texture and there was no fake wasabi in sight. The fish wasn’t too cold, tasted fresh, and was definitely the highlight of the meal. Definitely planning on coming back!

Jim Tan

One of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve visited in SF. The sashimi is fresh and good. And a number of dishes wow me with diverse flavors and great presentation. It’s definitely a hidden gem for a good Japanese sushi and rolls night!

Weiyong Lee

good food! as good as it gets especially when u compare to what you get in japan. their udon broth has a smoky bonito flavour. kaarage was done perfectly with not too much batter. sushi(especially the boston akami) hits the spot! from singapore

Jennifer L

One of the best buds took me here for my birthday celebration back in February. She'd come here with her bf, from a local Bay Area ramen chef, who said he only goes *here* for his authentic Japanese sushi cravings. Well, well. This spot definitely reminds me of others in the city, where you've got your authentic Japanese omakase experience bar-side, and the casual Japanese-American sushi rolls experience table-side. But let me tell you about this omakase experience. The flavors. The traditional mixed with the fusion. Yesssss. I didn’t think each piece of nigiri could come out better than the next. Or even the cooked dishes! But they did. And that’s really saying something when you have that many pieces coming out and you gotta have each stand out. You can tell the chef has perfected his art. The only downfall experienced that night was the slowness in each piece coming out. Chef was attending to another group of 7 sitting at the bar as well (they appeared to be regulars). However, he was very apologetic, and worked as quickly as he could. It did become a 3hr dinner, which was a bit longer than expected. Esp for my buds who came out from San Jose for a Sunday night dinner. Either way, it was all that and then some. Hoping to return for another omakase experience in the near future.

Maitri Soga

Photos from two separate nights but we truly love the sushi here and chef Jiro. Such a gem. Also tried a few things aside from sushi (karaage, tempura, ikageso) and everything is perfectly flavored and resembles Japan. Must try :)

This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE sushi in the city. Everything is EXTREMELY FRESH ALWAYS. We’ve been here 10+ times and it’s excellent every time. Could not ask for more.

Went for my birthday dinner on a Wednesday night and had no problem getting a table, it was comfortably busy. Our server was really on top of everything, the menu is more traditional Japanese than a lot of sushi places I've been to in the area. I got one of the chef's sets and it was very fresh and perfectly proportioned. My husband got an udon and said it was just like the ones in Japan - fresh and simple, but good. Definitely recommend!

Kristine Craig

This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE sushi in the city. Everything is EXTREMELY FRESH ALWAYS. We’ve been here 10+ times and it’s excellent every time. Could not ask for more.

Hannah Richter

Went for my birthday dinner on a Wednesday night and had no problem getting a table, it was comfortably busy. Our server was really on top of everything, the menu is more traditional Japanese than a lot of sushi places I've been to in the area. I got one of the chef's sets and it was very fresh and perfectly proportioned. My husband got an udon and said it was just like the ones in Japan - fresh and simple, but good. Definitely recommend!

Good sashimi set, fair price and good portions

Delicious sushi. The flavors dance in your mouth in a way I can't remember having experienced before. The Elizabeth and Midori (spelling?) rolls were extraordinary. I have never tasted anything like them and I wish more restaurants would offer such creative and innovative vegie combinations on their menus. My 11 year-old daughter is a gobbler of Ikura and she was ready to eat herself into a coma - and this is where my rating goes from 5 to 4 - the sushi is too expensive for me to ever take her there again. Luckily I wasn't paying and she ate to her heart's content. The pieces were fat and the quality is unparalleled but absolutely unaffordable. The other menu items were a little more expensive than I am used to but so is the neighborhood and the prices aren't prohibitive. I would happily return to eat at such a great Japanese restaurant and go to Church Street for sushi. Maybe they under price other dishes and try to make it up selling sushi for more than twice the price. And, don't get me wrong, I wasn't there for cheap all-you-can-eat. Fresh, well prepared, sushi costs money. That's why I don't eat "mall sushi" in Japantown. But, I bet that I am not the first customer to avoid ordering pieces of sushi because of the price. I don't run a restaurant so I don't know how to price a menu. However, they could add a buck or two to all the menu items including the sushi and, although I would have noticed it was a little more expensive than what I am accustomed to, I would figure that's expected in a higher commercial rent district like Noe Valley. What I am saying is, charge me $7.50 (instead of $4.25), and make the portion slightly smaller, but GIVE ME 2 PIECES! We would have bought a ton more sushi and dropped a lot more dough on the place if my daughter could have ordered 4 times without causing me anxiety and panic. I would have ordered more and my mother would DEFINITELY ordered more. She was paying and she can afford it but she is frugal. I could tell she was affected by the per piece price because she ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and nothing more. I shared everything I ordered with her and we had to prod her to order a piece of Ikura for herself. Thankfully, my well-heeled friend was with us and he encouraged us to stop fretting and enjoy ourselves by offering to pay for half the bill. A good time was gad by all. After saying all that, let me repeat my sincerest praise for the uniquely delicious symphony of flavor. Haute cuisine sorcery is conjured here to take your senses to a higher level. It is worth the price. I just can't afford such high quality magic.

This place was fantastic! 4.5!! I sat at the bar and had a couple of rolls for dinner. I kept it simple. It was my first time there so I had California and Alaska rolls. They were delicious. The service and staff were very polite and fun to talk too. I highly recommend this restaurant for a quick bite or stay longer and have the sake sampler. Enjoy!

This review is about their non-sushi offerings. I ordered the teriyaki plate, kaki-age udon, and tempura calamari. All were spectacular. I also tacked on the soba panna cotta at the end and it was such a delight!

Vivian Li

This review is about their non-sushi offerings. I ordered the teriyaki plate, kaki-age udon, and tempura calamari. All were spectacular. I also tacked on the soba panna cotta at the end and it was such a delight!

Alan D

This place was fantastic! 4.5!! I sat at the bar and had a couple of rolls for dinner. I kept it simple. It was my first time there so I had California and Alaska rolls. They were delicious. The service and staff were very polite and fun to talk too. I highly recommend this restaurant for a quick bite or stay longer and have the sake sampler. Enjoy!

Review for omakase only - much improved and good value for what it is, the old menu simply didn’t deliver on the quality for the sticker. These new options make more sense given the fish coming in and the smaller size of the nigiri

Worpal (ThanLastTime)

Review for omakase only - much improved and good value for what it is, the old menu simply didn’t deliver on the quality for the sticker. These new options make more sense given the fish coming in and the smaller size of the nigiri

I enjoyed the ambiance. Service lacked attention to detail, service staff seemed busy doing nothing. Share plates and water refills required asking. I thought the preparations were creative and well executed, however, broadly under seasoned— especially lacking salt. Very fresh, clean approach which I appreciated in its authenticity. Maybe I’d come back and sit at the bar… I had The Sunset Roll, Noe (especially delicious imo with a bright, citric profile), Age Dash Tofu (under salted), gyoza (quite good, however they did not have any sriracha so offered me Tabasco?), Negi Udon, several nigiri as well and those were very good. Like I said, the freshness of ingredients and technical approach is superb.

I come here often because it's so close to me. There are a ton of really awesome sushi places in SF, so I only gave it 3 stars, but the sushi definitely isn't bad. They have a few unique rolls, that are pretty good, including some deep-fried ones. I like the casual environment though, and the value is good.

We used to love coming here, but since having a child we don't feel accommodated anymore. The food is still fantastic but it's not family friendly, there is no changing table nor do they have highchairs. If your looking for good sushi you've found your spot but with a baby or young child you'll be better of somewhere else.

Great friendly service. Usually there aren't long wait times, and it is oddly spacious, even though it's not a huge restaurant. There's a good selection of rolls. So it's an ok sushi place if you're in the area and need a sushi fix quick. However the portions are ridiculously small!

Not the best. Rolls are 6pc, that's why price seems lower in the menu. Average quality, not reach. Rice has brown color and you can feel it's sour. The fish was fresh though.

Sushi is OK. I wish the fish was fresher. Rolls are just regular. Rainbow, Castro, Sunset, Alaska rolls were decent but not spectacular. Decor inside is cute and quaint. Service is good.

Natalya M

Not the best. Rolls are 6pc, that's why price seems lower in the menu. Average quality, not reach. Rice has brown color and you can feel it's sour. The fish was fresh though.

Bon Manhkong

Sushi is OK. I wish the fish was fresher. Rolls are just regular. Rainbow, Castro, Sunset, Alaska rolls were decent but not spectacular. Decor inside is cute and quaint. Service is good.

I do not recommend this place. I ordered a green salad to start and it had 0 dressing on it. Apparently they forgot to dress it. The sushi itself was just okay. They had one roll that they completely overdid with Shiso leaf. You literally can't taste anything but the leaf.

The atmosphere is pleasant, but that's about all they have to offer. My tuna roll came out with minced tuna, (a new experience for me), although there was decent looking whole tuna in the case. My mackerel nigiri, came out as salmon on the first try. I sent back only to receive mackerel, that was well... slimy. Finally, I was billed for the salmon along with the Mackerel. If you're stuck in Noe Valley, this might do, bu otherwise, there are better sushi places in town.

Overpriced for the portion size. Sushi rolls typically come with 8 pieces, but here, they only come with 6, yet the rolls are just as expensive or pricier than at comparable locales.