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Bay Shabu Sushi Sake - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
68 W Portal Ave(between Claremont Blvd & San Lorenzo Way)
San Francisco, CA 94127
Neighbourhood: West Portal
(415) 564-3364
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
99 reviews for Bay Shabu Sushi Sake
Review Highlights
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"Co-owner James hooked us up with some free rounds." In 4 reviews -
"...skimp on the portions for any of their sushi or sashimi." In 13 reviews -
"looove the dipping sauces." In 6 reviews
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan L.
San Francisco, CA
11/10/2010
After witnessing my friend complete the Pho Challenge, we decided to scout this area to see the Whale Roll. We found out you have to call in advance to order the roll. Apparently, it takes the chef a while to make. Luckily, the table next to us ordered the Whale and we could see why it takes a while. It is freakin' huge. About 4-5 inches diameter and about 15 inches long. From fish to wasabi, it's stuffed with practically every possible sushi ingredient. 4 pounds of Frankenstein-like sushi. For $25 though, it's a pretty good deal to split among friends.
Anyway, here's what we actually ordered. Drunken Tiger Roll, Volcano Roll, and one other that I can't remember at the moment. Regardless, all the rolls were delicious. I especially liked the Tiger Roll because they wrapped in the roll in foil and lit it on fire. Very visually appealing and tasted great, too.
Service was so-so. It's a bit slow and there was only one waitress. Though she was very friendly, it sucked we had to wait almost half an hour for food.
Hopefully, I'll be back soon to watch my buddy do the sushi challenge. I think if service was better, this would get a solid 4 stars but as it stands...
3.5 stars. -
Review from Nickie H.
San Bruno, CA
10/8/2011
So this was our first time here and it wasn't a 5-star visit. THEY WOULD NOT/COULD NOT CHANGE THE CHANNEL TO THE 49ERS GAME FOR SOME REASON. They also served my dad warm beer and water with no ice. When dinner came around, the food was very good but they kept forgetting items that we ordered. The udon broth was very blan and the soft shell crab was burnt. We waited for over 20 minutes to receive that too.
Overall, the place has very yummy food but needs improvements on simple things. -
Review from Maria M.
12/29/2010
Dear yelp,
This restaurant is now closed -
Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
I'll try to keep this short and sweet since this is my third review. Bay Shabu is my favorite little sushi spot in SF now. Every time I come back they seem to impress me more and more with the quality of sushi and customer service. I used my third http://Restaurant.com gift certificate here and all this week!
We ordered Lychee Soju Cocktails, really good. You don't realize they are strong until the bottle is gone. *giggles*
I'm a fan of their sashimi, they always have fresh sake, maguro and hamachi. You can't go wrong. We also ordered a half dozen Fanny Bay oysters, they are big and tasty and go straight to my head. *hehe, giggles*
We also ordered a hon roll, which is giant and was tasty. The only thing I didn't like is the imitation crab. It wasn't bad, but I love real crab. I'm a crab snob. It was so tasty we took multiple pictures as it was an accomplishment to finish.
They have a Killer Whale Sushi Roll eating contest, the pictures are all over the wall of the challengers. The roll looks like 3 burritos, end to end and it's about 4 pounds of sushi. I wonder how many people actually finished that challenge. Sounds like a challenge for Man vs. Food!!!Listed in: Restaurant.com Adventures
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/17/2010
I just can't get enough of this place and their specials! I'm so in love with Seafood, I could not… Read more »
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Review from Brian L.
8/10/2010
SHABU HOUSE STOMPS ON BAY SHABU SUSHI SAKE!
bay shabu sake gets 1 star... for being around the corner and down the street 3 min away from my place
for real??? your beef says "kobe" but it looks like "shaq" (old, ugly, and over-hyped)
don't really mind how good/bad your english is as long as you know how to take an order... however, i do mind when you move at the speed that grass grows.
4lb killer whale sushi challenge? do you really want to pay $40 to eat 4lb's of nasty sushi??? no thanks... lucky for you there are sushi eating monkeys out there that engage in that gimmicky food challenge.
wasn't good when it was bay shabu and it's not good as bay shabu and sushi either...
the shabu is over-priced and small in portion. their large looks like a small and their small looks like an appetizer. maybe i could over look that if there was an all-you-can-eat so i wouldn't have to order 2 dinners worth just to fill up.
do i get to choose my broth or do i just have to eat what you give me............ chicken broth? i wish you had some spicy miso... or at the least, an option.
if you like shabooty then drive up 19th and go get that marbled-fat meat at shabu house. you can eat and drink all that your belly and liver can handle. 2 large plates of kobe beef, extra mushrooms, 1 tall kirin, and 3 tall sake sets the bar for me... and a steal for $39.95
... and they just got some fresh cuts of pork tenderloin in. i believe it's organic fed and free of hormones. all i know is i had some last night and am still thinking about it now.
without even breaking a sweat...
SHABU HOUSE STOMPS ON BAY SHABU! -
Review from Tom A.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 7/8/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I'm not thrilled with how BSSS handled a http://restaurant.com gift certificate, and I'm updating accordingly!
I went back to BSSS for dinner last night, $25 http://restaurant.com gift certificate in hand. I told the waitress, had a good dinner (I still like the sushi...check out my pic of the "flaming dragon" roll), but I was dismayed when the bill came.
Due to the constraints of the gift certificate, you needed to spend $50 before it would go into effect. Fine by me. However, the waitress balked because my total ($52.32) was above $50 only after tax was added, so I had to order a $3 thing of edamame to get it above $50.
Well, that's when I got mad. The new bill came back with the 18% gratuity added in (which was specified on the certificacte) AFTER tax. If they're going to compute the bill only on the before-tax amount, the same should be done with the tip.
Aside from that debacle, the food was good, but the service was poor (water refilled only once during the course of a 45 minute meal, inattentive, etc.). I can't help but believe that there's a strong connection between a preset tip and crappy service...
Sorry, BSSS, but I'll be heading to Sushi Bistro next time.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/9/2010
This is a solid lunch spot.
There are about 8 or so choices for the lunch special ($8.95, including… Read more »
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Review from Marian G.
San Francisco, CA
9/14/2008
* Chopsticks Shabu Basket
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My Shabu Shabu Pot
Jason G. (the insurance man) had his lunch on November 2, and Anna C. (Hi Sophie & Lulu) also had her lunch on November 4 at this Korean owned Japanese Shabu House. Their Grand Opening was on October 31, Friday.
They each gave 3 stars, but since their review, I think Sonia (the owner) paid heed to their critique.
My guest and I were greeted as we walked in (we were the 2nd customer) and once we sat down, we were served with a hot cup of tea and to view their luncheon menu.
We each order the large lunch order (9 oz. of Beef), the rice and fresh vegetables are included along with their sesame and ponzu sauce.. I must have been ferociously hungry, I inhaled my lunch and Sonia kept refilling my rice bowl and refilling my tea - at least 5 times , in addition to refills of 2 glasses of iced water. The finale of the soup after eating all the mixed flavors that we boiled in their broth was satisfying and the best part for me, No MSG!
I enquired about the dinner menu since the prices are $3 more than the lunch for the beef, lamb and seafood. Sonia (the owner) increase the small and large orders 3 oz more. My recommendation is that they would offer a larger portion of the meat and fresh vegetables for the increased price. Since there are other Shabu restaurants offers a "eat all you want" for the same price.
The Loo (Bathroom): Like the decor of the restaurant furnishings, Asian fusion, 5 stars clean and well maintained.
Note to Anna C.: One of the condiment jars aren't onions, but minced radish. -
Review from Mona C.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2010 8 photos
[M]ona: 3 Stars
[W]ayne: 3 Stars
Average: 3 Stars
+ Good for big groups
+ Accepts credit cards
+ Killer Whale Challenge
- Their Sushi were nothing special
[W] So Mona noticed this place when we were walking to a taqueria spot at the West Portal and decided to check this place out as well. Bay Shabu Sushi Sake kind of reminds me of the atmosphere of Miyake's in Palo Alto because it's a fun environment for parties. When you come here, I challege you to take their "Challenge". It's basically a "Whale Roll" that is a $30, 4lb roll of sushi! If you can finish it, it's free BUT the catch is you have to clear it out in 30 minutes?!? WTH???? It sounds like a heart attack ready to happen.
They have a similar challenge at Pho Garden in the Richmond District but it's only a big humongous bowl of Pho, and you get AN HOUR to eat it all. I think this shabu spot is trying to tae you for your money haha. When we went, there was a table in front of us with 4 guys. 3 of them were some scrawny boys and one BIG BOY. Of course the larger fellow took on the challenge and one of the little guys as well. The big guy finished his food and so the restaurant took a picture to put him on the hall of fame wall I guess. It was just funny because the guy had the face where you're so full you're miserable, but at the same time had a little smirk like "oh that was nothing, I could do another" haha. The little guy on the other side had to tap out.
The only weaksauce thing was that you CAN NOT just order the Whale Roll by itself and you HAVE TO do the challenge if you want it. Bleh, we wanted to share it together so boo for them.
Anyways, back to the food. We ordered the Rainbow Roll (Crab, Avacodo, Cucumber, Tuna, Salmon, White Fish) http://www.yelp.com/bi..., Drunken Tiger Roll (fried prawn, cucumber, crab, avocado topped with salmon, red tuna in special cream sauce) http://www.yelp.com/bi..., Baked Scallop Roll (baked scallop with spicy mayo over California roll), Dynamite Roll (garlic salmon deep fried and spread with cream sauce), and the Volcano Roll (crab, avocado, salmon baked with Mozzarella)http://www.yelp.com/bi....
I think the one that I really liked was the volcano roll. The rainbow roll was good, BUT for some reason, no place can top Miyake's YET. I would say to avoid the scallop roll because it just looked like mush when we got it. Even when you picked up a piece of sushi, it was already watered down by the scallop and everything broke apart so it was kind of like eating porridge. Not very amusing to see and not that good to taste neither. I hope when you come to make sure there isn't a big party because you won't be getting the service you want. Obviously they're going to service the big party because they'll be ordering more food. And of course they want to make their money BUT kind of neglect the other customers. We had to flag them down a couple of times for water and other things so that wasn't pleasant. -
Review from jason g.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2008 4 photos
What can I say ..........they just opened up. It was very clean. Vegetable broth with no msg. A little pricey for shabu compared to the other places. Portions are a little small 6oz or 8oz. My friend had to get an extra order so the average price per person for beef shabu shabu would be 20 dollars a pop for lunch. You can probably get an all you can eat shabu for around the same price or a little cheaper for lunch at any other shabu places in the city.
The two sauces were ponzu and sesame which comes with garlic, radish, and green onions as condiments on the side. It includes your basic napa cabbage, baby carrots, baby spinach, enoki mushrooms, and tofu. Everything else however is a la carte here. Egg, ramen, udon, potstickers are all priced separately. I think they should have included it in the meal except maybe the potstickers.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The server was prompt, nice, but is a little wet behind the ears because they just opened. He probably made the dining experience better. Tea and broth were always refilled.
The beef had a little too much marbeling in it and the ramen had too much flour in it. Look at the picture I took of the beef and judge for yourself. I think this place has potential to be a 5 star if they started an all you can eat menu, if they get a slimmer cut of beef, and an alternative hot sauce. The sauces were a little bland. I believe the owner of Cafe for all seasons opened this place. Didn't get a chance to talk to her. I will come back to try it again when they are a little more established.Listed in: Hot Pots
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Review from Tim S.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2010
I came here for a birthday dinner with a group of friends. There was a reservation for 13 people at 7:00pm. (Note: this turns into a rant very quickly.)
I arrived on time at 7:00pm and some of my friends were seated already. Apparently the staff asked us when the rest of our party was arriving at 6:55pm. During this time, we had two of the larger tables reserved so we'd be more comfortable throughout the dinner. We told them they'd be here at 7pm since the reservation was at 7pm. The wait staff seemed a bit frustrated, and decided to give half our table away. STRIKE ONE. Then asked us to move to a smaller table in the back... there they would add a smaller table to accommodate the 13 people. At this point we were pretty frustrated, but decided to stick it out. This dinner can't possibly get any worse, right? WRONG.
We are now seated in the back, and the staff moves a table (which usually accommodates two (2) people to the end of our large table. We are given four (4) menus for the party of 13 people who are now packed like sardines in a can. Maybe they'll make sushi out of us? It'll probably tastes better than what was served to us anyways. STRIKE TWO & THREE.
Half of us are served tea (which tasted burnt) and the other half waited about 15 minutes to get theirs. STRIKE FOUR. After we placed our orders, we were given our utensils and bowls. Bowls had rice on them. STRIKE FIVE. 3 of us ordered large beef and pork shabu ($16/person) and the rest of us ordered some sushi and donburis. I can tell from everyones face that they were NOT satisfied during the meal.
I tried some sushi from a friend. The sushi fell apart every time I picked one up. One of my friends stated that his "unagi was rubbery" and thought that he was "chewing on a rubber band." Portion sizes of donburi was skimpy at best. My other friend, who ordered three (3) rolls, which included a 49 roll and a Caterpillar Roll, was still hungry after she finished. Such mediocre rolls.
Shabu beef and pork (large order) was also unsatisfying. Ordering three large shabus for three people seemed equivalent to ordering a $1 bag of Doritos. Although it came with vegetables and rice, it wasn't enough. Is this some type of trap or trick to get us to order more? To top it off, one of our burners didn't work so they had to heat up our soup at a different table. STRIKE SIX.
We then decided to leave. We got the check, paid for it and was about to walk out when the waitress stopped us and said "we under charged you." ARE YOU SERIOUS? IF ANYTHING, YOU OVER CHARGED US AND TOOK TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE. After briefly trying to figure out how she undercharged us, and asking another waitress, she finally said, "Okay, never mind. Everything is ok." STRIKE SEVEN.
Decor was typical of a Japanese restaurant. Nothing fancy, but was up to date and not dingy. Seemed like it was recently remodeled.
Overall, this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. Service, quality of food, taste and portions ruined the experience. I think the only thing sustaining this place is that killer whale challenge.
I WON'T go back. -
Review from Susy C.
12/30/2008
WOW. people are HARSH!!
Anyways. They are still a new place, they are working out the kinks. Have any of YOU people run a restaurant before!? What a nightmare.
Anyways. I checked this place out last night on a whim. I'd been hearing that there was a new shabu joint on West Portal, and when the bf spotted it, he said "let's go"
I am not one to turn down shabu.
The waitstaff was helpful and friendly. She gave us tips and pointers such as how we'd know when our udon was ready, how to pick it up, etc.
They came around to fill up the broth in our pot, check up on us, etc.
I had the large order of kobe beef (did you hear that? kobe beef. AND IT WAS PERFECTLY MARBLED. each slice was a buttery soft slice of heaven in my mouth!) with a side order of lamb and udon. Yes, i'm a foodie.
No it's not all you can eat, yes it is pricey, but you are paying for a higher quality of meat. I guarantee you that other shabu joints like Shabu House, Shabusen, Shabuway, etc etc DO NOT use such a high quality of beef. So shut your mouths and eat it already! hahahahaa -
Review from Jacinta D.
San Francisco, CA
9/2/2010
If you love shabu shabu.. DO NO COME HERE, I repeat do not step foot in here! You will be disappointed and leave mad, sad, disappointed and jipped!
I came here after buying a $25 gift certificate for 3 bucks on http://restaurant.com and left paying more that $40 bucks after the gift card. Not only did i pay more for something that did not come close to any shabu i've ever had, i left hungry!
We had 2 regular shabu and got one pot of water, 2 xsmall looking plates of beef and a small plate of veggie with maybe 4 pieces of spinach, 6-8 pieces of small napa, and 2 carrots with no udon. All for 2 people. Are you serious, nope.. thats exactly what you will get. Not only are the portions small the meat sucked and the broth.. well it was just flavorless water. I felt like we ordered off the kids menu and got a baby meal.
What was even more disappointing was the young waitress that did not understand anything we asked, im not even sure if she understood english because everything we asked she basically never brought it around until we had to ask for it 2-3 times. Throughout the night we got responds suck as "ok", "hello", and nods. I'm not trying to be rude and mean but seriously i felt like i was talking to a 2 yr old. We had to ask for water refills, more green onions and all those lil goodies you need for shabu. At the end of the night the date and I just wanted to pay the bill and leave because it was so fustrating. Our bill came out to be around $48 and some change with out the 18% gratuity that is "added prior to the discount". We handed the gift certificate to her and she said she cound not take it because our bill was under $50, so she made us order 2 orders of ice cream.
Why did i mention jipped earlier? Just like fellow yelper Tom, When i told the dumb waitress about how the tip is suppose to be added to the bill "PRIOR" to the dscount i wouldn't have ordered the 2 scoops of ice cream and the bill would have been more than $50 bucks and we would have been on our way out sooner without having to go back and forth about the damn gift certificate. On top of that she added the 18% tip after our ice cream order. If you are seriously going to accept and promote these gift certificate, please educate the staff on how to use and accept them. Definitely not worth ever...ever.. ever coming back and with the gift card paid more than i would have at a regular shabu shabu place. If you are looking for anythign authentic skip this place and save your self the trouble and money. -
Review from Salina L.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2009
Apparently shabu shabu is the new sexy thing to hit the streets (that would be great so I can go back to my ramen places). The first time I had shabu shabu was in Vancouver at Posh, which touts itself as the first Japanese hot pot in North America. I don't know about that but it was pretty damn good (and affordable!)
Bay Shabu Shabu, quite simply, was not.
We ordered the regular beef plate and the Boo tried to order the combo. We had a bit of confusion over trying to order the beef AND lamb but were told we could only order one meat with one seafood. Except this point took about 5 minutes and two servers to get through to us. The service was incredibly awkward. After just saying forget it, we'll just have the lamb and seafood, the waitress came back and told us she'd make an exception for us so we could have beef AND lamb instead of seafood. It was nice of her to help us out but the whole interaction was a bit off putting and confusing.
We also ordered a side of udon (which was tiny), an egg (which normally comes with, no?), and extra tofu. Everything came out relatively quickly but the portions were extremely disappointing. $15.95 for a tiny, tiny amount of beef plus a sad and sorry vegetable plate (most of it was cabbage). The sauces were OK but the broth was bland even with generous helpings of green onion and garlic.
This place needs some serious upgrades to be a good restaurant. Maybe it's a good introduction for those who haven't had hot pot before but otherwise....... there's way better. -
Review from Emily L.
San Francisco, CA
3/29/2010
I rarely give 2 stars because I generally like everyone and believes in 2nd chances. This was my 2nd time @ Bay Shabu and they really did not come through for another star.
1 Star for Good Shabu Meat.
and 1 another star because they accepted the $25 off http://Restaurant.com AFTER I told me they weren't accepting it on Friday and Saturdays. NO WHERE on the Coupon says so!! I think it was they're way of not accepting the Gift Certificate, so I give them One Star for Accepting it.
Here we Go... the reasons why I can't give another star further..
1) The waitress tried to seat us when the customer was still sitting @ the table and stared @ him so he could get up. She told us to "come and take a seat", I said, please clean the table first.
2) There was a fly (a dead fly) in my Ponzu Sauce. The waitress didn't apologize or even acknowledge it, she just said "I'll get you another one".. i'm like.. no i'm sorry, this won't happen again?! OMG. OMG.
3) I ordered Ramen w/ my Shabu Meal and Waitress lady came and served me Rice. She came back later and I told her she gave me the wrong Carbs. She said, ok, I'll bring you a Ramen. Of course, she forgot my ramen after 20 minutes.
4) The Owner came by and asked how was it going. I told her I wanted Ramen and the waitress did not bring it to me yet. She said "Well, you touched the Rice already so TOO BAD!".. YES! She said TOO BAD! OMG OMG.. really?! Too Bad?? I'm not kidding. After that she gave me my ramen but It was beyond pissed.
5) Dinner Done and Can't wait to get the hell outta there. Presented a credit card because it says they do accept and low and behold... They said CASH Only tonight.
Owners: I'm sorry but, please I hope you read this. Please check the ponzu sauce before you serve it to customers.
This is my LONGEST Review on Yelp, ever.. WOW, it bothered me this much but i do wish you luck and improvements.
Cheers. -
Review from Peter L.
11/20/2008
Good location as there's no other shabus(sp?) nearby. Clean and well-ventilated. Other shops and places to hang before or after. Those reasons are for the two stars.
Small portion for the price.
Foods tasted bland (only chicken stock? soup), no other soup base.
Too much hands-off & leave-you-alone service, which is not good in this case.
Dipping sauces were light, which again, is not good.
No alcohol served yet, but they're waiting for the permit. Will return, not sure when though... -
Review from Carole M.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2008
Disappointed. I really wanted to like this place, as we love the neighborhood and looove Shabu Shabu.
Some tips for the owners:
- When someone calls to make a reservation, don't just answer the phone "Hello?" How am I supposed to know I have called your restaurant? (Silly me to have called for a res-- there was only one other table occupied when we came at 7:30).
- Playing K.O.I.T. on the sound system does not count as "ambiance". For heaven's sake, invest in a CD player. They're $20 at Target.
- What are the flatscreen TVs on the wall for if you're not going to play anything on them? Take a cue from Blowfish Sushi and play Anime or something.
- I'm pretty sure the cords running between the tables to the wall are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
- Give your servers a script to acquaint your diners with cooking Shabu Shabu. Our server scolded us when our pot was boiling to hard-- how were we to know?
- No liquor license! Ai yi yi! We would have stayed a lot longer and spent more money if you served wine and beer. Get that taken care of, PRONTO.
- Do you really have to keep the heads of the prawns on? I don't need those beady eyes looking at me!
Some tips for would-be patrons:
- Stick with the beef. I mentioned the prawn heads (shudder), the "crab" is imitation, and the mussels tasted a little off.
- One "order" serves two people. Yelpers complaining about the cost probably ordered too much. We had dinner for two for $18-- not bad at all!
- Wait 'til they get their liquor license! Nothing goes better with some tasty Shabu Shabu than a nice cold Asahi or Sapporo. -
Review from phillip w.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2009
not too bad of a hotpot place, funny how hotpot places are springing up left and right.
Tables are a bit longer than I would like them to be but I guess to incorporate a little electric stove you have to extend it so we have room for the food. Service was polite, the beef had a bit too much marbling but was still good. Broth wasn't too salty and there were not cheap on the sauces.
might come back again for some more. -
Review from Shelley W.
Berkeley, CA
7/28/2010
First, it's important to point out that this restaurant changed ownership in November 2009, and recently acquired a new sushi chef in the last two months. I learned this by chatting with the staff over our really yummy meal. This was my first time coming to this place, so I was surprised to see the yelp reviews after our dinner.
So here's my review.
I went here on a recommendation from a friend for their shabu and sushi rolls. I was not disappointed! I loved the shabu, but was more surprised by the yumminess of the sashimi and sushi rolls! They have a quality sushi chef sitting behind that small, four seat sushi bar! Something you might not expect from a shabu restaurant. And don't stick to the regular saucy, fried american rolls. They have some elegant and more traditional dishes back there if you ask for them. :)
I enjoyed the nice, casual atmosphere with the shabu tables, red lamps, and vaulted ceiling with a skylight. Our table of 4 people ordered shabu to share and then we asked the sushi chef for "omikase" (chef's choice of daily selections). The shabu broth was really good and flavorful. I noticed that most people were ordering sushi rolls around us, but our chef prepared some really elegant sashimi and nigiri dishes (e.g., halibut with saffron, and hamachi with pineapple slivers) as well as some awesome, unique rolls (e.g., big foot roll, and others I can't remember).
The waitress (I think an owner) were so nice and friendly and made the experience really enjoyable by talking with us about the food. This restaurant has a very homey, energetic good vibe to the place!
I give this place 5 stars since the food is very good for the price! -
Review from Simmone G.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2011
I have been to this place a few times thinking that it would get better and it didn't.
The portions are small, the food could be better and the staff is not very good.
If I could I would give this place ZERO stars!!!!
If you are in the mood for shabu go to the Shabu House on Geary Blvd... a little bit of a drive but definitely worth it -
Review from Linda P.
Elk Grove, CA
3/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
Shabu and sushi is the way to go if you have someone to share it with. I came here with my bf and his friends for a bday dinner and really enjoyed it. We started off with a sake bomb and were taught the chant that went with it. One Two Three Sake Bomb Ichiban! My bf and I shared the Drunken Tiger roll and Lamb Shabu. Portions were great for the price. I was a little hesitant to come here after reading the other reviews bit glad that i came because I really liked the seaweed broth for the lamb shabu. It was very tender and tasted great with the dipping sauce
We got banana splits for dessert which is uncommon for a Japanese restaurant but it was delicious and on the house!
I would come back for the shabu. -
Review from Christina W.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2010
This place is so lucky that they have the sushi challenge, otherwise they would be GONE in an instant.
The good:
-Service (fast and polite... though our waitress had issues understanding Englilsh)
-Big tables
-Interesting pictures
-Flaming Dragon roll and (I think it was called) the Kappa Roll (it had a tempura fried shiso leaf and spicy tuna on top) - these are the only two rolls I'd get again, all the other rolls sucked.
The bad:
-Meat wasn't great. I had the beef and lamb and the lamb was so dry looking it looked like jerky! The beef was okay, but when they boast "kobe beef" you'd think it would look better than a slab of steak I could get at Safeway.
-Sushi had bones and shrimp shells in it - what the hell?? Biting down on the bones and shells wasn't a good experience on the teeth.
-Sushi fell apart EASILY and when you're sharing it with the table, it'll fall all over the table.
-OWNERS TAKE NOTE: you need to SWITCH your rice batches... the sushi rice is WAY too dry and hard (gross!) while your shabu shabu rice is WAY too MUSHY! I mean, it was disgustingly mushy, almost like porridge.
-They didn't ask you what kind of broth you want... mine looked like chicken broth, honestly.
-The sauces were mediocre although i'm sure the ponzu came from a bottle.
-The sukiyaki was salty and i'm sure there was MSG in it.
The conclusion:
Coming out of the restaurant, I thought this place wasn't bad. However, this morning was a different story. Let's say that the toilet has built a grudge against me for what i've done to it. As a shabu place, it is the worst one i've tried thus far. As a sushi place, it isn't the worst i've had but it doesn't even come close to the best. As I mentioned earlier, it is a good thing that they have the killer whale challenge, otherwise this place would fail miserably.
My suggestions for other restaurants:
-Sushi: Shimo's on Taraval St. or Chin's Sushi Bar & Restaurant on California St.
-Shabu: Shabuway in San Mateo, or even Shabu House on Geary is better than this place (and they have all you can eat). -
Review from Jen P.
Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2009
yelp's definition of 2 stars puts it perfectly: "Meh. I've experienced better."
I live in the area, and bay shabu shabu was the new place I hadn't tried yet. I didn't have a problem with anything, but at the same time there wasn't anything I particularly liked. The service was fine, the food was average, the atmosphere nothing special. I guess if you're desperate to try japanese hot pot and you're in the area, try it out. But I can name 5 restaurants within a 2 block radius that are better worth the money. sorry, b.s.s... -
Review from Summer T.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2008
More cons than pros.
Cons; not so friendly staff, overpriced, small portions of meat/seafood, cold atmosphere.
Pros; great location, unique.
Bottom line don't waste your money, a disappointment to the hood.
Hope something else moves in that can meet the standard of the area. -
Review from Catherine L.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2009
This spot has been revamped by new management that has paired great sushi with awesome atmosphere. I do admit that the trek to West Portal from SoMa is a bit long. However the journey is totally worth it! The new owner (James) is friendly and you'll find him socializing with the patrons throughout the day. Charlie the bar manager has mixed up a great sake & soju cocktail menu (try the "spa treatment").
My 2 favorite items from the meal last night:
Live uni - yes LIVE... the spines are still moving when the dish is brought to you... so rich & tasty!
Kappa roll - sashimi & avocado rolled in cucumber skin. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!
Oh, and the oysters... soooo fresh.
Definitely a great place to go for sushi (even if the restaurant is called bay "shabu shabu"). -
Review from Dave H.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2009
So far everything said about this place has been true. The atmosphere was a little cold and stand-offish when my wife and I went last week. Not a very warm welcome from the staff (really only two people there in the front of the house). They had a pretty decent crowd there, maybe 70% full, but it still seemed fairly quiet. The tables are situated so that each group shares a pot, so this is not the Shabu Shabu that I am used to, where each person gets their own hot pot. This may be a concern for mixed groups of non-family members of people who are just meeting for the first time or not that familiar with one another.
First timers will appreciate the effort that the wait staff puts in to education, but I felt that there was often a communication barrier when ordering and asking for things. I don't speak Japanese and they don't speak much English, so that could be a challenge for some. I foresee a newbie using a lot of pantomiming and pointing.
With most shabu shabu places, the food is pretty much what you make of it, so I can't comment too much. They have some pretty good pre-mixed dipping sauces, but it's up to you how you want to doctor up you soup base.
Overall, a neat experience for the bay area, but there are places with way more atmosphere and more hygienic table arrangements. I might swing by if I don't want to go all the way to Jtown and fight the traffic and parking. -
Review from Chelsey G.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2010
Wow, the waitress was so fucking nice. So nice. 5 STAR nice. I wanted to put her on a keychain and keep her forever. I liked the atmosphere it was late, mellow, and they were playing jazzy guitar music, getting me hot for raw fish, and hot tea.
On the wall, I was delighted by the pictures of the many mighty losers who tried to take on the Killer whale Roll challenge. I would never ever do that, it was making me sick just looking at it and thinking about burping up that sushi yulelog for the next month.
Anyway, on to the food, fresh raw oysters $1 each!!!!!! So good!!! Me so happy!!!, then me so horny!!!! (late to work the next morning)
The rest of the sushi, (hamachi, uni, spicy tuna hand roll, rainbow roll) was good. No 5 star, oooooohhhh eeeeeee...but good, open late, friendly, looked clean, tasted fresh and those oysters. rar.
3 and 1/2 stars, looks like a fun place to drink too. -
Review from Sandrella T.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2010
I came here with my bf and a few friends to try this place out just because I had a coupon from http://restaurant.com ($50 off $100). I ordered the regular lamb shabu which was about $15ish and a big roll, and it was okay, I wasn't completely full, but just okay. I thought the lamb shabu wasn't enough, that's for sure. I can probably eat like 5 plates of those, seriously; now that kind of made me wonder why didn't I just go to a all you can eat shabu for about $23ish.
My other friend ordered some sashimi salad, and it was so tiny. We were thinking, "Where's the greens??" He had to munch on some of my food from starving!
Overall, the service was pretty good, but the food was just okay. I wouldn't come back here for shabu since the price and portion wasn't worth it. I'd rather pay $23ish for all-you-can-eat shabu at Happy Shabu Shabu! -
Review from Kevin D.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2010
Four words: This place is evil!
Horrible service and overpriced sushi. I've been here twice. The sushi, though delicious, is strongly overshadowed by the horrible service. On both my visits, I've had to wait over an hour to get my food. The chef was dillydallying outside, talking on his phone, eating his lunch and then finally decided to make our food. I honestly could have gotten the same sushi, for way cheaper and way quicker at the Stonestown food court. -
Review from Dustin E.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
Interesting to read the mixed reviews here.
Came on a Friday night and had a pretty good experience. Had the Flaming dragon roll (it's literally flaming when they bring it to you!) and it was very good. The fish is half cooked from the vodka-flame treatment so you get an interesting texture with the cooked/raw fish juxtaposition. The roll was HUGE...I actually had to take some home.
Also had some Hamachi Nigri and it was decent, borderline average.
The service was really good as well.
The only thing that would keep me from being a regular is the prices...they seem a little steep. The wife, who is with child and cannot eat raw fish, ordered the shrimp/Veg tempura dinner. $15.50 for that? really?
That said, worth a shot.Listed in: My Neighborhood
-
Review from Joice K.
San Francisco, CA
Just a regular sushi place, same like others. Nothing special in this place. The Dragon Rolls was good though.
-
Review from ashley y.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2010
First off let me say that I love Shabu Shabu & I'm pretty sure I know my shabu stuff :)
There was one waitress working who was quite occupied talking with some delivery guy completely ignoring the few customers in the place.
After dropping off everything, she brought back sauce like 10 minutes later. Aside from the slow service, the soup and quality of meat was alright. She didn't bring a strainer to skim the fat off the soup until much much later into the course of the meal. And as I was about to put more veggies into the pot, I found a dead FLY on my choy.
Disgusting. -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2010 4 photos
A solid 3.5 stars
They're open late, the fish is fresh, and the rolls came out better than I expected. You know what I mean with some places where they make the rolls perfect for the printing of the menu and let it go to shit after - not here! Plating is pretty.
The rolls really hit the spot when there were twelve hours between lunch and dinner. Brad's choice and the cherry blossom roll were especially tasty. The spicy tuna roll, however was just a generous tuna roll, and my tea was bland and tepid. I do appreciate my cup being kept full though and the servers were attentive and friendly. -
Review from Jay B.
7/27/2010
Came here because it was recommended by our friend's cousin and....the verdict is out. We LOVED it!
Not only was the food rockin, but the drinks flowed and good times were had by all!
We pretty much tried out a bunch of their rolls...so many that I can't remember the name if them; but two of them that stuck out were the Dynamis Roll(there was salmon in it) and the flaming dragon roll - which was exactly what it sounded like, they set that baby on fire!!! We had several bottles of soju and even had the lychee flavored one, which was really good also. Even the escargot dish(on ice with seaweed was excellent)...didn't get a roll I didn't like at all!
They have an eating challenge there, I think it's the Whale challenge? But there's no way I could ever finish that...$40 dollar gigantor roll that's free if you finish in 30 min. We saw a guy probably twice my size come in and fail...AND he was the winner of some Pho challenge already...try it if you think you can beat it.
Service - manifique! The servers were really nice and very helpful and even James the mgr came out and hung out with us for a while and even got the Karaoke night started and soon enough we were all singing along and having the best time.
Parking is on the street, so it can definitely get crowded. But this place rocks, so come often if you want to have good sushi and good company. -
Review from Erica A.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2010
So the first time I came here with the boyfriend, we had the ahi salad, tempura appetizer and a Mickey mouse roll. The first time, everything was delicious. The ahi salad had fresh fruits & greens, and they did not skimp on the fish! The tempura was cooked perfectly, not too oily or too battered up. The Mickey mouse roll was adorable, and it had the same salad in the middle without the ahi. Oh, and I liked dinner so much I even got a dessert there! That's a bit uncommon for me because I always like going to different places to get dessert after dinner.
Well damn! Our second time there, the boyfriend wanted to get the exact same thing. IDK why, but I agreed to it. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!!??! It was the exact same thing... How was everything so different? Okay, so the ahi salad, was just plain leaves and ahi. The fish wasn't bad, but I was expecting the mango, apples and everything else that was oh so very awesome last time. Bleh, disappointing. The tempura was SO OILY I couldn't even eat it. I felt bad because my boyfriend finished it all (we don't like wasting food). I felt gross just looking at it. Anyways, the mickey mouse roll came & I don't know.. It just didn't taste good. The rice was really mushy. Oh & well, the salad was just leaves.
2 Stars because the first time was awesome, but ONLY 2 stars because the food AND service is inconsistent. I don't want to complain too much about the service because the waitress did let us know that she was training, so whatever. -
Review from Natalie R.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2009
Sometimes Yelp fails me.
The Boyfriend and I wanted Shabu-Shabu but didn't want to drive to Japan town, so we decided to give this place a shot. We said to hell with the negative reviews.
I thought the Large beef plate with all the veggies were a good portion size. I was stuffed. It was $15. Besides, when you go to the all you can eat places all you ever eat is the meat so you get your monies worth-this way you are paying less and eating some veggies.
But baby carrots? Thats an odd choice to have on the veggie platter. Everything should cook quickly....
The food was fresh, but I'm not quite convinced that the Beef is from Kobe. In my amateur opinion, I think it tastes like American beef. (and I just ate Kobe beef IN Kobe less than a month ago!)
What the hell are you doing ordering anything besides the plates at a Shabu-Shabu restaurant anyway? Let the beef be the star. -
Review from Conchita B.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
I yet have to try the 4lbs sushi challage, YAH RIGHT! I so would not finish that in the time asked.
Tempura dinner, is alot! I recommend that this plate be shared.
Sushi REALLY GOOD! I got the Baked Scallops never seen small scallops but it was pretty good. -
Review from Joanne L.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2010
The Average 3-star rating for this place IS very accurate.
My sister and I came here because of our http://Restaurant.com certificate. For $5.00 we were able to get a $25 gift certificate here, as long as we purchased $35.00 worth of food. N
Now the food was just OK! We ordered a regular Shabu with Beef and seafood broth. The broth was very tasty and the beef was tasty and tender. However, for $13 the portion size is NOT worth it. I rather get a bowl of pho for $5 and be just as full.
Since we had to order up to $35 worth of food we got a Mickey Mouse roll and a Volcano roll. Again, the rolls were just OK, nothing special to get excited about. They were around $12 each, i guess the pricing was just about right.
Service is probably the worse thing about this restaurant. The servers seem EXTREMELY inexperienced. Not once did they come by to clear our dishes, you would think they would since the tables are so crowded. Also, you have to beg for their attention. With 3 serves on a Wednesday night AND in a tiny restaurant, this shouldn't be a problem at all.
I don't enjoy barking at servers for over-priced food. I may be back with my http://restaurant.com coupon. -
Review from Kristina L.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2010
This place is pretty average..
The hot pot.. is expensive and they give you really little....granted the lamb and beef was tender.. but almost $20 bucks for something so little.. there are waaaay better places with more food at other locations.
The sushi... pretty simple.. nothing great... not super fresh...
I think the only redeem factor here is the super sweet lychee soju and watching other people do that 4lb sushi challenge.. otherwise.. never coming here again.. -
Review from Sabine S.
Alexandria, VA
3/5/2009
I would give this place 3.5 stars.
Honestly, I was kind of scared to go here, based on some of the negative reviews, but since its close to where I live, and since I've tried pretty much every other Shabu place, I figured I might as well try this one.
This is not an all-you-can-eat type of place, so if that's what is meant by "value" then this is not the place to eat. You order by the plate ($16), and if you want more, you order another plate ($8). The vegetables that come with the initial plate are a bit sparse, and soba noodles, if you want them, are a couple dollars extra.
We had 1 large plate, 4 side plates, 2 orders of soba, 2 orders of dumplings, 1 order of tofu, and 2 drinks. It came out to about $60 and we were absolutely stuffed.
Compare that to a $24.95 all-you-can-eat deal, and you're not saving all that much.
In fact, I think I preferred the flavorful broth here, the quality of the kobe, and the tasty, non-watery, ponzu sauce with fresh garlic on the side.
Even if I didn't live so close, I would still return to eat here. -
Review from Kellie P.
Oakland, CA
8/3/2010
I was running around like crazy one day, famished, and needing some good clean uplifting nourishment. I ended up hopping off the Muni at West Portal station because I was starving.
I walked in to Bay Shabu, it was quiet and slow, for that I was thankful.
The chef suggested the Sashimi salad. Really, I am drooling thinking about it.
I cant even remember what else I had...
I sat at the bar and watched him (I think his name was Eric?) make it... I asked for no salmon, he was more then happy to replace it with a different type of delicious fish.
For this alone, I will return.
I would even go out of my way to end up there again!
