24 Hours in SF - Ozumo

Ozumo

There are times when the details of life slip into sync and it feels like everything has been orchestrated for my benefit. Two days before Christmas was one of those rare days. We had rolled our dice on Priceline and blindly booked a hotel right at the base of the California cable car line in the Financial District. Union Square was a few short blocks away, the Ferry Plaza was literally across the street and we had scenic views of the Bay Bridge all at a fraction of normal room rates. Little did we know at the time that our hotel was also connected to popular Ozumo, known especially for its robata grill and sake selection.

Ozumo bar

Our dinner reservations for Myth weren't until 10pm, so we asked the front desk manager to recommend a light bite to hold us over. Without hesitation, she suggested Ozumo, confiding that they often slipped next door for the happy hour Rock 'n Roll sushi.

Ozumo is what happens when a traditional Japanese aesthetic lands in a contemporary, urban neighborhood. Dark wood, sleek metal and pools of candlelight create a warm and inviting space for dining and lounging. The restaurant is divided in to different areas with very different ambiance, but we stayed just in the bar area with it's hipster vibe and mellow trance music.

"Shishiyaki"

We started off with glasses of Fukunishiki Junmai Sake ($4.00, happy hour special) and an order of Shishiyaki ($4.00, happy hour special): robata grilled Shiitake Mushrooms and Shishito peppers. The sake and mushrooms were both good without being memorable, but the peppers were outstanding. Grilling brought out a smoky overtones to the moderate heat of the peppers, making me strongly consider a second order. But time was short and the menu was long, so we moved on to our next plates.

Rock 'n Roll & Zuwaigani

We had to try the recommended Rock 'n Roll Sushi ($4.50, happy hour special) and also picked up an order of Zuwaigani Sashimi ($10), raw king crab pressed in to succulent fingers. The Rock 'n Roll was comfort food sushi, soothing our appetites with well-balanced eel, cucumber and avocado. The Zuwaigani was spectacularly fresh-tasting, as we had hoped in light of the higher price. We paired these two plates with an unfiltered Nigori sake ($4.00, happy hour special). The sake was delicious, but we should have chosen a filtered sake as the creamy sweetness of the nigori style overpowered the lighter sashimi.

By this time we'd taken the edge off our hunger and quit before we filled up too much to enjoy dinner later in the evening. Our table would gladly be used by someone else for the waning happy hour. Speaking of happy hour, it was the discounted pricing that made this visit so worthwhile, without which a visit to Ozumo would make a sizable dent in the wallet. As it worked out, life was in sync that day and we had excellent food at a reasonable price.

This post is part of our whirlwind 24 Hours in San Francisco mini-vacation.

Other sites about Ozumo:
→ Reviews at Yelp - People love it or hate it.
→ TravelLady Magazine - The history of Ozumo.

Ozumo
161 Steuart Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-882-1333
Happy Hour: 4:30 - 6:30pm, M-F