San FranCelia

Every time I am Downtown, I am surprised at the lack of good, cheap eats.  It seems that with the influx of tourists comes pricey menus that are not usually worth it.  Not only that, but they also always close super early, as if people only need to eat during the day and if, God forbid, at night, only before 9pm.   I was with some friends, one of whom lives right in the heart of the Downtown

shopping district, and we, like most people, wanted to get something to eat, only it was past 8:30pm…  Imagine my pleasure then at discovering a great little sushi spot nearby that’s open late and has tasty sushi, for reasonable prices.  Perfect.  Dojima-Ann, on O’Farrell St. between Cyril Magnin St. and Powell St., has lovely service and delicious sushi – a real treat in an area that doesn’t usually boast a lot of affordable fare that’s also high quality.  While not much to look at externally or internally, the people are both efficient and friendly, and again, it’s yummy, so décor is the last thing you think about.  There was a short wait here, so be prepared to hang out and talk for about 10 minutes – other than that, no complaints.

We ordered a variety of rolls, from the Spicy Tuna (which was actually really hot and spicy, wonderfully enough) to some flavorful salmon Nigiri.  Everything was fresh and smelled fantastic (which is always a test for me at sushi places).  The dining area was packed, and because of this, proved to have a lively atmosphere and fun ambiance, despite the lack of frilly decoration.  It’s an eclectic Downtown crowd, which is always an interesting mixture of tourists and local inhabitants. 

Prices range from $5 – $10 per roll/entrée, so it’s easy to have this place as one of your regular spots if you’re in Downtown often.  If you’re like me, it’s good to have a few of these in each neighborhood, that way if you have friends from out of town visiting (which, since we live in such an incredible city, happens more often than you would think) you have some spots in mind at all times that everyone can afford and are also tasty and fun.  Two key things when hosting friends in the City. 

Enjoy this ‘cheap eats’ spot – just because we’re a little broke as a nation, doesn’t mean we in the City have to stop pursuing the hunt for great cuisine!

Peace and love Xo

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Tsunami Sushi Panhandle in the Western Addition/NOPA district leaves you satisfied, and is a real treat.  Went there for my friend Liza’s birthday dinner, and we started by ordering a ton of appetizers, sashimi, and champagne (of course!).  We had these fried sweet potato wedges, with the ‘magic mushroom’ salmon sushi starter, and Cajun Ahi.  All melted in your mouth and left you with a warm feeling inside (you know that feeling you get from either great food or great sex…yeah that one.)  The service was a little bit eager when we began – she kept asking us if we were ready, when we not only had just gotten there, but also were clearly not ready.  I hate pushy service.  If you’re paying a lot or are a big party, I think restaurants should be like the French and let that group own the table for a time without feeling rushed.  She did ease up after a few minutes, however, so it was really fine in the end.  I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir since I can’t generally do too much champagne, and we all started to enjoy the ambiance.  It’s got dim lights and house music playing in the background with a bustling crowd to add to the surroundings.  We sat in the window booth for a large group, and the only complaint was that the shape of the booth and the music speaker location made it kind of difficult for the entire table to chat without getting a little loud. 

Everything that came out after the appetizers was amazing, as well.  Each of us ordered a roll, and then we ordered a couple more for good measure and decided just to family style it.  When it came out, the presentation was flawless and it looked beautiful (well at least as far as food goes – I really like to eat, so I suspect that’s why I see it as beautiful).  Some highlights – the Scorpion Roll, the Volcano Roll, The 5 Sisters Roll, and the Mama San Roll… delicious!  You could taste the freshness in the fish – when you can eat the fish without soy sauce and it’s amazing, you know it’s the good stuff.  I also love Inari when it’s done right, and they do it right.  For dessert we ordered the green tea mochi and cheesecake, and I’ve got to say, my new favorite dessert may be green tea cheesecake.  It was amazing – the perfect amount of cream, tea flavor, and crust… my mouth is watering as I write this… yumm! 

Cool spot overall, and the servers there turned out to be really nice, helpful, and hip – they could have had a little more of an clothing code for the atmosphere they are trying to portray, but it was ok.  Pricing was a little bit much ($30 and under – rolls start around $10), so only worth it on special occasions for the ambiance and scrumptious, fresh rolls.  One of the best things about this city is it’s amazing variety of restaurants that are really rather good.  This is another to be added to the list.  Go with friends and take you’re time when you’re there – it’s a perfect spot to for having a fun group dinner.

Peace and love Xo 

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