"Dinner at Eiji, the snug Japanese restaurant in the Castro, always feels like gathering around a good friend’s kitchen table—and that friend happens to make the best sushi rolls, delicate ankake tofu, and lightly soy-glazed tuna belly. The theme at this somewhat pastoral spot is light, bright, and simple: A juicy halved cherry tomato to cap off the pickly ceviche roll, single shiso leaves to liven up slices of the spicy tuna poke roll, and a punchy and citrusy vinegar to marinate an intensely crunchy cucumber sunomono. When your server eventually drops off the dessert menu, never pass on the perfectly chewy mochi with whole fresh strawberry and sweet red bean paste—you wouldn’t want to offend the host, after all. " - julia chen 1, lani conway
