Bansho

An AMAZING discovery - Bansho brings omekase level specialty nigiri preparation at an extremely reasonable price! I couldn’t believe how unique and special each piece was - the delicate flavors, exquisite in enhancing the fish, exceptional quality and freshness of fish, I could go on. Total gem and I can’t wait to return - I will be a regular! Kind of want to keep this a secret but it’s too good not to share. Chef Ray is bringing something incredible to the SF sushi scene. Bravo!

Incredible flavors and top-quality ingredients. The Hokkaido Kaisen Don was fresh, rich, and beautifully layered -- every bite felt premium. The Chili Sea Bream Carpaccio had the perfect kick of heat and citrus, super refreshing and well-balanced. Both dishes were stunning.

Definitely recommend! Popped in to try this super new spot in the neighborhood and we were really blown away! Food: Everything was super fresh and delicious and cooked perfectly. We LOVED the sushi roll topped with uni and ikura but the skewers were the real stand out for us! Textures, temperatures, seasoning and sauces were all perfect. (Do not miss the meatball!) Service: Warm and attentive. Our waitress offered helpful descriptions and suggestions Space: Cozy and modern with a range of seatings options!

Pros: my beer was a pleasant temperature, and the waitress seemed like she was probably a nice person. The interior has been nicely redone. Cons: literally everything else. Portions, presentation, flavors, all of it… Bad. One dish didn’t even come with the ingredients listed on the menu and she just shrugged her shoulders. The chef forgot - But charged us the full price anyway. How bad was it? I’m sitting in the car after having just left the restaurant, writing this review.

This place is simply outstanding. One of the very best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever experienced — not just in the city, but anywhere outside Japan. The sushi is exceptional, and the izakaya dishes are just as impressive, with every bite full of flavor and authenticity. I’ve visited a couple times now, and each meal has been consistently incredible. Warm, attentive service and excellent value for the quality. I can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. A true gem — I’ll be coming back again and again.

Had the Hokkaido Don, great presentation and flavors, especially the rice. Friendly chef with lots of expertise. Can’t wait to try the Nigiri Box next time!

Great addition to the neighborhood!! I’ve been here twice now and both times were lovely. Whether you’re getting fish, skewers, or other plates, you really can’t go wrong! Love that they have the plum wine high ball too, I loved drinking those when I last visited Japan

Great neighborhood spot with high quality sushi/sashimi and delicious skewers. Much easier to get into than comparable spots nearby, and a nice cozy atmosphere

Came here on a Friday night and got seated right away. Looks like this place is fairly new, with just a few tables, but we sat by the counter. Service was friendly and attentive. The food was delicious, we had the Hokkaido prime kaisen don, which had the perfect rice-to-fish ratio and beautiful presentation. Another standout was the garlic hamachi roll, packed with flavor. The fried eel skewer was also a nice surprise. The only miss for me was the ankimo, a bit too salty for my taste. Otherwise, everything else was spot on. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving for Japanese cuisine!

I haven't written a Yelp review in many years, but I'm coming out of the woodwork to say you need to try Bansho! My partner and I went here after failing to get into Eiji on a Friday night. Everything we had was delicious and beautifully presented. I also appreciated the creativity that went into every dish, many of which I've never seen on a menu before. My personal favorite was the wagyu skewer with wasabi cream cheese. Phenomenal! We also tried a bunch of the sashimi (excellent), the chicken meatball skewers, fried eel skewers with Japanese green pepper (very good), tofu salad, miso soup, sea bream carpaccio (mouthwatering), and a garlic hamachi sushi roll that I would definitely recommend. Our server was very kind and attentive and the chef was nice too. As far as ambiance goes, the decor is really cute and there are nice big windows for people-watching on Church St as you eat. Really hope this place does well!

Walked in for a Saturday date night, and was quickly seated and welcomed. We had the Misty nigiri box, Hokkaido prime kaisen don, Bansho Omaki signature roll, and miso soup and sake on the side. Fresh and flavorful quality of food, and overall great new spot in the neighborhood. We would come back, and so encourage folks to show this place some love!

This is high quality fish that is prepared well. Don't expect westernized rolls (no California rolls, no sticky unagi rolls). Expect well seasoned sashimi and nigiri with perfect sushi rice. I went with my kids and we all loved it. The sashimi appetizers were all fantastic, and the rolls that they do serve are flavored by the quality of the fish and not by being doused in sauce. If you are local and love sushi, please go check it out.

We did the Nigiri box, the miso soup, bansho omaki roll and the Hokkaido kaisen don, it was all so tasty!! The inside is so cute and our server was very friendly, they even gave us a bottle of sake on the house because the place is new Don't sleep on Bansho, it's a great addition for the neighborhood

Visiting SF, random stop in. The Bansho Omaki is a must have. It's the chefs signature dish. Do not dip on soy sauce, it will ruin the delicacy of the aged blue fin tuna! The creamy salmon roll was also amazingly delicious. The chef himself prepared our sushi in front of us at the bar. Wonderful listening to him tell us about each dish. Excellent customer service!

Wow. New small spot with wonderful decor!!! Saw this when riding muni by. Decided to drop in. So glad I did!!! Food was excellent!! Service spot on. Must try date spot. Definitely coming back

Definitely recommend! Popped in to try this super new spot in the neighborhood and we were really blown away! Food: Everything was super fresh and delicious and cooked perfectly. We LOVED the sushi roll topped with uni and ikura but the skewers were the real stand out for us! Textures, temperatures, seasoning and sauces were all perfect. (Do not miss the meatball!) Service: Warm and attentive. Our waitress offered helpful descriptions and suggestions Space: Cozy and modern with a range of seatings options!

I am so blown away by my first visit here. We tried 3 different things and each was better than the next. The nigiri was out of this world. The chef told us that all the fish is imported from Japan and he is a master of his craft. We went here on a slow Sunday night and felt as we received a private omakase dinner. The service was amazing and friendly, the fish quality 10/10. This is a new gem. I just wish they had more sake by the glass options. Beside that, so glad they are in the neighborhood.

Ambiance was nice. Service was quick. But the food was so expensive. The "hand rolls" tasted great but they were single serve per order and tiny as heck. We went expecting some sushi we got small seaweed rolls with some fish or meat. Smallest servings I've ever had at a sushi place. And we left hungry after spending 180 for a two person meal. Never going back

An AMAZING discovery - Bansho brings omekase level specialty nigiri preparation at an extremely reasonable price! I couldn't believe how unique and special each piece was - the delicate flavors, exquisite in enhancing the fish, exceptional quality and freshness of fish, I could go on. Total gem and I can't wait to return - I will be a regular! Kind of want to keep this a secret but it's too good not to share. Chef Ray is bringing something incredible to the SF sushi scene. Bravo!

The food is so great and fresh. And the service was lovely. Great for a quiet dinner

Great place - food and service was amazing! Well done on the ambiance and artwork Welcome to the neighborhood!