sebo, san francisco (hayes valley)

My parents have been running a Japanese restaurant for close to half of my life. Therefore, I have always held a critical (but fair) eye towards Japanese cuisine. Most sushi places I have visited in San Francisco have all been pretty good; I don't think you can really get away with offering bad fish in one of the food meccas in this country. Additionally, it's a coastal city and the Japanese heritage is intertwined deep into its fabric. Thus, most establishments range from fair to very good.

The best sushi meal I've ever had was probably at Kaygetsu in Menlo Park. Sebo (Say-bo), a Japanese restaurant in Hayes Valley, is another establishment in the upper echelon of Japanese cuisine.

Sebo resides in the charming Hayes Valley district of San Francisco. It’s not a tiny hole-in-the-wall but seating is fairly limited as they reject the idea of cramming as many tables as possible. The décor reflects the menu - minimalistic. Unlike most sushi bars, the chefs at don’t hide behind the usual elevated sushi refrigerator that divides the patron from the sushi man’s creations. Here, the fish are stored in a flat chest – almost like a glass coffee table that props open. Folks sitting at the bar have full visibility into each preparation. I enjoyed this element very much. You bear witness to the grace with which the chef deftly constructs each piece.

My cousin, a sous chef at Namu, suggested the place as he is an acquaintance with one of the head sushi chefs – Fukashi (sp?). We sat at the sushi bar opposite him. He had a kind face and was helpful throughout the night in explaining the dishes. It really pays to dine with a chef; they appreciate discussing technique and ingredients with each other. Fukashi expounded on each course that he placed in front of us.

I immediately identified several nigiri pieces on the menu that I had never seen before and learned that Sebo only serves fish delivered from Japan. I was in for a treat! The basic difference between Japanese and American flavors is the simplicity. Nothing is drizzled in a sauce; all additions serve to highlight the fish’s natural flavors. For instance, they prepare their unagi (fresh water eel) with a sprinkle of sea salt compared to the American tendency to drown it in a rich, sweet reduction. 

Every piece was unique to my palate, tasteful, and firm (extremely fresh). We had several different pieces, all of which were excellent and new. And the ika (squid) - one of my favorite pieces of sushi is prepared both with the body meat and also with the tentacles that are lightly grilled. They are able to offer preparations like this because the fish is often distributed as whole pieces. We watched the sushi men scaling and de-boning at times, which is pretty rare and fun to observe. 

Towards the end of the menu, we were treated to some off-the-menu dishes (It's awesome to have family connected in food; I am looking forward to taking advantage of this more frequently). The highlight was an uni and maguro dish. Fukashi placed some diced tuna into an empty avocado rind and poured some mashed up uni and some other ingredients into its contents. It was really delicious and imaginative.

The menu is relatively expensive, but it really can't be compared to your average sushi restaurant. There is obviously a much higher cost from the quality of product and the distribution process. I am a huge fan of the minimalist approach and no frills menu. Check out some of these laughable Yelp reviews and you’ll see that it’s not intended for the average sushi eater. You get what you pay for. Check it out (and take me).

I need to go to Japan...

I didn't take this picture, but wanted to share this because Sebo makes their own tamago. It is very delicate and has a nice, subtle sweetness to it. It makes for an interesting dessert.

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