Restaurant Review: Ebisu Restaurant, San Francisco

Tucked away in the inner Sunset is a really great Japanese restaurant, Ebisu. Yes, there are hundreds, no-probably thousands of Japanese restaurants in San Francisco, and since I'm not a native, I've probably eaten in at least a dozen of them. Many restaurants in San Francisco are the kind I like to frequent, family restaurants that are not much more than little holes in the wall. These establishments prepare homestyle Japanese cuisine, true to its rootes, and without the flash and flair of a Benihana.

It wasn't just word of mouth or the numerous local awards that Ebisu has won throughout the years. We knew it was going to be a great restaurant experience by noting the line of customers spilling out the door and onto the sidewalk. If you don't get there early, expect a wait. The interior of Ebisu is small and doesn't seat many.

The sushi menu is extensive and creative. My son had the Dragon Roll, which is large enough to share. My love is sashimi, and it was fresh and tasty.

We also sampled the gyoza, which can differ greatly from one restaurant to another. My son proclaimed it very good! and the ponzu sauce, obviously homemade, had a strong flavor of citrus, which is a very nice touch. I also had the standard teriyaki chicken (teriyaki sauces can vary as well, and this was just the right combination of sweet and soy) while my son had the steak teriyaki.

The service was quick and seamless. Ebisu is in a very small space, but the restaurant was crowded, even the sushi bar. Better to come early like we did, before the dinner crush, where you could possibly wait an hour.

Ebisu in the Sunset is currently closed due to remodeling and a revamping of the menu, and loyal customers are waiting patiently for the grand reopening in January. While closed, try Hotei, the sister restaurant across the street. Hotei specializes in Japanese noodles, and you will find the same attention to detail here as well (www.hoteisf.com). Ebisu also has a small restaurant in the San Francisco International Airport.

Ebisu is located at 1283 Ninth Avenue, San Francisco. The phone number is 415.566.1770. You can find them on the web at www.ebisusushi.com.