Hamano Sushi

Arrived early before the crowd. The food we ordered are all tasty and fresh. Sashimi were great! We were amazed by the Gyusuji appetizer and every dish we ordered. The staff were all very helpful and attentive. They came to check and refill our glasses of water. Very happy to come enjoy our dinner.

good food! as good as it gets especially when u compare to what you get in japan. their udon broth has a smoky bonito flavour. kaarage was done perfectly with not too much batter. sushi(especially the boston akami) hits the spot! from singapore

Came here on a whim on a Sunday evening and Hamano did not disappoint. The American wagyu tendon was a great hot start to the meal and had a deep beef flavor. The oysters were huge and didn’t have an overly briny taste. The vegetable tempura was evenly battered and came with a wide variety veggies. The koshihikari rice that came with the chirashi bowl and nigiri had a great texture and there was no fake wasabi in sight. The fish wasn’t too cold, tasted fresh, and was definitely the highlight of the meal. Definitely planning on coming back!

One of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve visited in SF. The sashimi is fresh and good. And a number of dishes wow me with diverse flavors and great presentation. It’s definitely a hidden gem for a good Japanese sushi and rolls night!

One of the best buds took me here for my birthday celebration back in February. She'd come here with her bf, from a local Bay Area ramen chef, who said he only goes *here* for his authentic Japanese sushi cravings. Well, well. This spot definitely reminds me of others in the city, where you've got your authentic Japanese omakase experience bar-side, and the casual Japanese-American sushi rolls experience table-side. But let me tell you about this omakase experience. The flavors. The traditional mixed with the fusion. Yesssss. I didn’t think each piece of nigiri could come out better than the next. Or even the cooked dishes! But they did. And that’s really saying something when you have that many pieces coming out and you gotta have each stand out. You can tell the chef has perfected his art. The only downfall experienced that night was the slowness in each piece coming out. Chef was attending to another group of 7 sitting at the bar as well (they appeared to be regulars). However, he was very apologetic, and worked as quickly as he could. It did become a 3hr dinner, which was a bit longer than expected. Esp for my buds who came out from San Jose for a Sunday night dinner. Either way, it was all that and then some. Hoping to return for another omakase experience in the near future.

Sushi is OK. I wish the fish was fresher. Rolls are just regular. Rainbow, Castro, Sunset, Alaska rolls were decent but not spectacular. Decor inside is cute and quaint. Service is good.

This review is about their non-sushi offerings. I ordered the teriyaki plate, kaki-age udon, and tempura calamari. All were spectacular. I also tacked on the soba panna cotta at the end and it was such a delight!

This place was fantastic! 4.5!! I sat at the bar and had a couple of rolls for dinner. I kept it simple. It was my first time there so I had California and Alaska rolls. They were delicious. The service and staff were very polite and fun to talk too. I highly recommend this restaurant for a quick bite or stay longer and have the sake sampler. Enjoy!

Great customer service. Average sushi. Had the rainbow and dragon roll to go for ~$40. Appropriate pricing for sushi, especially in Noe Valley. Date night ambiance. Street parking. Thanks!

Casual neighborhood sushi place. Lots of families with kids come in the early hours. Friendly staff. We love - miso soup, tamago egg, karaage chicken, salmon sunset roll, eel dragon roll. Fresh food, friendly ambience.

Amazing fresh, high quality sushi and variety of fish that you don't see elsewhere. Eating at the sushi bar and watching the chefs was a treat! Great sake selection, fun ambiance and service.

The food was good, I would recommend getting the rolls here! We also got assorted sashimi and udon. They were also p good (udon broth had a nice smoky flavor), but the Mission roll stood out. The nigiri we got (black seaperch) was disappointing. Some drawbacks are the price (too much for the sashimi and nigiri). The service was also very very slow.

I am a regular, at least 2-3 times a month. The food is amazing and the service is usually great. The last three times have been horrendous. 1. Understaffed 2. Food takes forever; they will bring dinner entrees 10-20mins in between! The owner needs to really evaluate what is going on.

Although I live in the Outer Richmond, I am always happy to take two buses to have dinner at Hamano. The nigri sushi, especially the 8 or 9 on the daily special list, is absolutely top notch. So fresh, with a texture like butter. It's a little hard to pull yourself away and order anything else but there is much more good stuff on the menu. Many of the rolls are unique to Hamano. This time we loved the Dolores and the Sunset both full of interesting vegetable and fish combinations with a visual wow factor thrown in. The tofu appetizer is as silky, and as good as the fish. Luckily, the meal is light so there is always room for some Japanese cheesecake, not too sweet with an amazing texture. All this served in a friendly unpretentious atmosphere with knowledgable and friendly waitstaff. If you love sushi but don't want to hit the fancy omakase places, try Hamano for some of the best sushi in San Francisco.

Used to go here all the time 25 years ago. Not sure if the owners have changed, but the sushi bar brought back memories. Ordered both nigiri and their rolls and they are all good. Very fresh and well appointed with small accents. The size of the nigiri and rolls are very small compared to some other sushi restaurants, so be aware. Taste was A but fish serving size was C.

Good food and very good service. We came here on a whim and we got seated outside and it was quite warm despite being outside. Cute little place to get Japanese food!

Love this place! Great neighborhood spot and the food is delicious. I recommend sitting at the sushi bar as it's the best experience.

I was jonesing for some sushi and this popped up on my Yelp radar. I think I've eaten here once before, sometime in 2010's, but I wasn't an avid yelper back then. I trust the sushi is going to be good because the sushi chef is from Japan. I ate a bunch of stuff here but the uni here is really delicious. It's brought in from Hokkaido and it is so creamy and decadent. A bit pricey, but so delicious. The ootoro just melts in your mouth here too. I also had the chuutoro which is a little more fishier and more firm than the ootoro. I enjoyed both. If you come here for just rolls, I say you're wasting a good experience if you don't have their nigiri sushi.

Very delicious meal! I'm actually surprised by how low the current yelp rating is because I had a great time. All the food was very fresh and tasty. I imagine it can get busy so I got there on the early side around 6/6:30 and got in without a wait and service was perfect. Highly recommend getting the yellowtail collar, it was so tender and melted in my mouth.

A cute neighborhood sushi spot. I've come to visit my sister several times since she lived in the area and this was one of our go to spots. They do omakase at the bar and regular menu at the tables. We usually get several appetizers like chicken karrage(which is one of the best ones I've had) it's super crispy and tasty with lemon and aioli. Agedashi tofu is also another fave appetizer, the dash broth and the perfectly fried tofu is always good. I've gotten toro and salmon nigiri previously and it was pretty fresh and had a good fish to rice ratio. We've gotten several rolls in the past and they have all been pretty good. Service is really fast and we haven't had to wait super long times once we order. One of the best things is usually their dessert, one time we had a hojicha panna cotta and it was so tasty and not too sweet. Had a really good tea flavor and it was super smooth . Definitely will come back here if I'm in the neighborhood!

amaebi and sea urchins are always my favorite must try akagai nigiri;!!! so good. crunchy and crispy.

What a great neighborhood spot!! Very inviting back dining area and sushi bar. Some other views mention slow service- but they were quite attentive and good arrived at an appropriate pace. We tried several different rolls- the mission and sunset were our favorites, but all were quite unique and special!! I was impressed with the quality of not only the fish but also the vegetables and other items in the roll. Looking forward to returning!

I'm going to let you in on a little secret... Hamano is one of the best Japanese restaurants in San Francisco! Don't be fooled by its nondescript decor, because the menu here offers so much good food you won't mind. The nigiri is always fresh and changes daily as they have fresh fish flown in daily from Japan. The produce and ingredients used are high end, and you can taste it. I ordered the Curry Udon and it was perfect; the noodles were fresh and the curry base had just enough "kick" to it. The service here is highly attentive and top notch! I know I'll regret posting this review, because it'll make it more difficult to get a table, but this place is one of the best, period!

Lisa was my server at the bar. They were very friendly and had a great sense of humor. They spoke Japanese and English to other customers which is pretty cool for a Japanese restaurant!! They took great care of us during our visit. Very attentive, I don't remember ever having to ask for a refill. Lisa also recommended we try the beef tongue appetizer, which was amazing! It even comes with a little grill, so cute! We also ordered the sake toro nigiri which I highly recommend. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. Great service, great food, and great atmosphere!! Will definitely be back! :)

Gf and I love this place, it's our neighborhood sushi spot. Staff is nice, and the place is always clean. Some of our favorites are: the grilled hamachi kama - it's a pretty big piece, Noe roll, and Mission roll. As well as various nigiris, depending on our mood. The fish is always fresh and excellent. The sushi rice is perfect. And there's a good fish/rice ratio.

1 pc of tobiko 4$ 1pc mackeral4$ 1appetizer + 1 roll = 38.27. Bought it cause I ordered it but will Never go there again. They charge this because we let them. NOPE.

A Noe Valley neighborhood sushi spot that is packed on a Friday evening. If you're looking for a casual place to catch up with friends or be on a date, Hamano is a great choice. There's no shortage of food options to choose from, and it's very easy to share the dishes. Ask your server for the dessert selections, as there isn't a menu for them! The service was quite slow, and dishes came out at different times rather than all at once or in sprints. There are two gender neutral restrooms in the middle of the restaurant that were clean. There are a few stairs to access the back half of the restaurant, but before the restrooms.

Sat at the sushi bar, and ordered the Alaska, sunset, rainbow, noe, and poke roll. All were delicious!! The staff were very friendly, and the fish was fresh! Ambiance was busy but relaxing overall. Will definitely be going again!!

Excellent sushi, super friendly staff. Jiro and Jimmy did me right! Now my go-to spot

We have, or shall I say had, been coming here for years. Sorry to say, no more. Food is good but experience is now zero. Much of their business is to go so no attention is paid to sushi bar patrons. Where our bill could well have been over $200. It was only $126 for 2 people for a birthday celebration. My advice, order to go or don't go

I am back to being underwhelmed. The avocado was not fresh. The greens were not fresh. No one even bother ed to put any asparagus in the tempura roll, as usually done. (Probably would've been wilted anyway.) Even the accompanying ginger and wasabi seemed old. If I had not been pressed for time, this would've been a return. Hopefully I'm not going to get a bellyache. Next time I'll just go to Whole Foods for a snack.

Look, they actually have gluten-free soy sauce. Listen to me, they had it. Big sigh of relief. Fave rolls: Shisito tempura with Japanese eggplant roll + California roll Service was great, and I was in and out quickly.

Rude, possibly racist. Loudly accused my friend and I of not paying when we left a 20% tip for subpar service. Don't pay in cash! It will disappear. The bill was 86 something. Each of is had three 20 bills. We put $100 on the treaty and asked for the extra 20 to be changed. When the change came I gave my friend $10 and our 3 more for a $17 tip. We waited for the waitress to pick it up before we left, (cause they had been acting funny towards us already) going to the bathroom before heading out. we were leaving one of the staff blocked our way and said loudly in the middle of the if the restaurant. Your bill is $86 and you didn't pay, waving the check in front of us. We were shocked and embarrassed. I said have the waitress $103. He said (loudly) no! Only 83. So my friend fished in her pocket and gave him another 20 as I had cash on me. When we entered the sushi chef said something nasty about us. I don't speak Japanese so I couldn't say but judging from the shocked look on everyone's face, it must have been pretty rude. my friend who btw is an internationally know artist said "yeah I came here last week without Danny Glover and they greeted us at the door with 'What do you want?', Danny said 'we want to eat!'" She knew and loved the owner, Mr Hamano and the sushi was decent but it took over an hour to get a waiter to out table the first time we had to call them over, they forgot food, rude upon entering and leaving. Won't be back.

I have been coming to Hamano for over 20 years and have really loved the food and service in the past but my last experience there was an absolute nightmare. After ordering, my wife's food arrived and I waited, and waited and waited. Finally a half hour later, I asked where my food was and the waiter just said the kitchen was busy. He probably messed up the order but did not want to admit it. I had seen quite a number of folks seated after me get their food. Finally, after 45 minutes (I was starving already when I ordered), I asked the waiter to cancel my order and bring the check. He brought me the check but with additional items on it that I hadn't ordered. I did not want to upset anyone so I said nothing, paid the actual amount I owed and left. The evening was ruined and I was still starving and now seething internally too. It will take me a while before I return here and I hope that this incident was a one-off. It's really a shame because this place is actually very good when the service doesn't suck.

I live just a few blocks away and have been wanting to try this place as it's so close and looked decent. I was definitely let down. The inside is cute but the food portions along with the prices are just not worth it. The chirashi bowl was $35 but the cuts of fish were smaller than poke squares. I've never seen a chirashi cut up like this before. Talk about skimping as well as VERY hard to eat with chopsticks. I feel like the whole bowl was mackerel...I was very let down. Most places charge less and you get way bigger cuts and variety. I was surprised to find out how much they charge for TEA as well. $6-$10 depending on what kind you want? That is ridiculous. Not to mention the green tea I chose had almost no flavor. The tea came out almost clear color and barely looked green. The rolls were okay, probably the best part of the meal. Would I come back? Probably not. Bummer.

Moved into the hood and hopeful about Hamano as it looked cute and had a happy looking couple and dog sitting outside. Service was very mediocre for takeout, though there were many not-busy servers. Provided a ginormous brown shopping bag with 2 soy sauce packets and a pair of chopsticks, no napkin - had to ask for more wasabi as the small ball provided was enough for some maki if that. Second star to acknowledge that the rice was different - mixed brown - and the mushroom and pickles were ok. The chirashi bowl was really quite pathetic for $38 with no premium fish and basically each regular slice of sashimi chopped up into 2-3 to make it look more full. In fact, I'm up in the middle of the night because one of the types of fish was extremely mushy in texture, very unpleasant and likely the cause of stomach issues. This was one of the few times I tried a restaurant without first checking Yelp reviews, only to deeply regret it. Oh well! Back to Amami where fish quality is always above average, prices are fair and service while not first-rate, always includes napkins / sufficient wasabi (even fresh!) and appropriately sized packaging.

Another San Francisco restaurant with all hard surfaces. With nothing to absorb the sound, we could hear every word of the conversation three tables away from us. And no, we did not want to hear it. The food was fine and I don't have any complaints about the service, but tablecloths, some drapes, a carpet or a session with a sound engineer would be a major improvement.

My go to sushi after work. Consistently fresh and exciting and delicious. Haven't done yet done omakase but seems popular and chef takes great care with the presentation.

I grew up in Japan so I am a sushi snob. So I am very critical what "good sushi" is. Hamano sushi is So so good. Unlike some of those omakase in the city (sushi Hon, Ju nI etc...). You can actually taste the true flavor of the fish. Go sit at the counter and try the 10pic omakase. You won't be disappointed. Also their dessert is YUM!

Easy to park. Rarely a wait. Nice clean and tasteful interior. Good service by very considerate and polite staff. Good food. Good prices. Close to our home.

Yum! Service and food were both excellent. Came with a hungry stomach and left with a happy tummy. We sat at the bar for the omakase and every dishes were very satisfying! Parking wasn't too hard to find. The decorations and ambiance of the restaurant were nice. I'll definitely come back!

I go here often. It's my local Japanese restaurant and the food is always fresh and beautiful. Many things are excellent (egg custard, sashimi, tempura, salads), few are so so and some I have t tried (noodles). The restaurant is pretty too - the skylights in the back is amazing.

This is my favorite sushi restaurant in the city. Things to have are the Hamachi Kama, Spicy Tuna Roll and Spicy Scallop hand roll.

TLDR: Good food, bad service. If you dine in, be prepared to wait a while for your dinner to come out. Wanted to love it, but can't justify the frustrating service. Visited twice. First time, we waited 30 minutes for our appetizers and another 45 min for our 3 sushi rolls. Thought it was a fluke, so came back to try again. Sadly, AGAIN, we waited for more than an hour for our 2 rolls. Left feeling frustrated and disappointed.

Hands down, Hamano is our favorite omakase spot ever. Great service, fresh & house made ingredients, and fair pricing makes this cozy neighborhood joint one of our go-to spots whenever we want to celebrate something special, treat friends/family that haven't experienced it before, or fulfill our nigiri cravings. Chef and owner Jiro-San's omakase experience is always unforgettable. Seating: there are cozy booths equipped with heat lamps outside during COVID, and small group tables and counter seating inside. I definitely recommend doing omakase at the counter, nothing quite like it! Nigiri: our favorite nigiris include the salmon belly, salmon roe (ikura), sea urchin (uni), scallop (hotate), and sweet shrimp (amaebi). The rice is perfectly seasoned and at the right temperature to contrast with the chilled fish - not a lot of places can get this right, but Hamano's always does. Rolls: at the end of omakase, we always order a few rolls to either eat at the counter or take to go to snack on later that day. Even if I'm stuffed, I can't leave without ordering my favorites. The California roll is made with real crab, so we always get at least 2. Other favorites include the pickled vegetable roll with mushrooms, pickles, avocado, and shisho, and the Elizabeth roll with tempera shishito pepper and eggplant. Other dishes: the tempura veggies, monk fish liver (ankimo), firefly squids, and house made udon noodles are *chefs kiss*. We've had ankimo at many other restaurants, but it is so buttery, melt-in-your moth sweet at Hamano. Nowhere else can compare! Drinks: great sake, wine, and Japanese draft beer options! We haven't dined indoors at a restaurant for over a year, so when indoor dining opened up at limited capacity, we had only one place in mind. Dine in or take out - I recommend both either way!

Super fantastic omakase at this neighborhood sushi spot with excellent outdoor seating, quality food and super service. Loved this place and hope to go back again soon.

The food, kitchen, and sushi stuff are good. I went there a few times and will be back if I can. Servers are friendly and active.

Best sushi in SF, such a hidden gem. My personal favorites are the Elizabeth Roll and the Sake Toro. I also highly recommend getting an off menu spicy tuna hand roll with avocado. Jimmy, Frank, and Daniel are incredibly kind and generous.

Nice vibe, japanese Japanese food. Lots of couples in here on dates. Surprised overall rating isn't higher.

One of the best buds took me here for my birthday celebration back in February. She'd come here with her bf, from a local Bay Area ramen chef, who said he only goes *here* for his authentic Japanese sushi cravings. Well, well. This spot definitely reminds me of others in the city, where you've got your authentic Japanese omakase experience bar-side, and the casual Japanese-American sushi rolls experience table-side. But let me tell you about this omakase experience. The flavors. The traditional mixed with the fusion. Yesssss. I didn't think each piece of nigiri could come out better than the next. Or even the cooked dishes! But they did. And that's really saying something when you have that many pieces coming out and you gotta have each stand out. You can tell the chef has perfected his art. The only downfall experienced that night was the slowness in each piece coming out. Chef was attending to another group of 7 sitting at the bar as well (they appeared to be regulars). However, he was very apologetic, and worked as quickly as he could. It did become a 3hr dinner, which was a bit longer than expected. Esp for my buds who came out from San Jose for a Sunday night dinner. Either way, it was all that and then some. Hoping to return for another omakase experience in the near future.

Jus call n see if we need reservations.. and I ask can we get sushi bar seats.. but staff say sushi bar only for omakasa and it's $120 per person... lol.. wow.. they better have better fish then usual neigbor Japanese restaurant...once got in the staff check ur vaccine with ur ID proof.. look at menu few fish unavailable... but for our 2nd dinner is ok..also bring ur full wallet to try everything from the menu..

Anything less than 5 stars for this place is a travesty. This is a homey neighborhood secret. The food is disproportionately delicious for the price, and the staff is always extremely friendly. Sit at the sushi bar for amazing recommendations that will take you out of your comfort zone!

The negative reviews on here are hilarious. San Francisco and Noe are lucky to have a place like Hamano where the food is on par with any of the SF sushi greats - but still accessible and familiar to those who have been coming for decades in the neighborhood. I guess if you know you know and if you don't... you leave reviews like that. The sushi here is great. Call ahead to get a reservation at the bar for Kaiseki Omakase. Some other thoughts on the reviews: - woman talking about the Chirashi... there are like 6+ different fish on that bowl. One of them is mackerel. And tea... every tea I've ever gotten there is nice tea that is individually assembled versus cheap mass produced sencha tea bags. - the fried items and edamame was soggy... you got take out dude. That's what happens when things that should be eaten fresh sit in an insulated plastic to go container... - I wish everyone could sit at the bar but that's how it is everywhere. I've sat at the bar for decades and honestly if I had a restaurant where people order 2 things and stay for 4 hours at what at all other omakase places is a privilege to get to sit at... I'd do the same thing - you're reviewing a sushi place based on a spicy tuna roll? Okay.

Super fast and friendly service. Fish was fresh and had a nice assortment of rolls on the menu but not too overwhelming. More than a couple of wines, which is hard to find at sushi spots sometimes. Nice parklets and space inside too.

Everything was AMAZING! Thank you chef so much for the delicious sushi. I am beyond stuffed. My new favorite place in San Francisco. Must TRY 5 stars!!!!!

Torn about this place. It looks like it used to be the place to go for sushi in Noe before Saru showed up. Don't get me wrong, the sushi was good, but for the price, I'd rather go to Saru. The Spicy tuna roll was good. They put in some extra vegetables that give it a really good citrus taste. The spicy tuna looks like it's made fresh to order and not just sitting in a bucket waiting to be rolled. The sunset roll was also really good. The tuna was really fresh and good. The castro roll was just so-so. The batter was pretty much all I tasted. Overall a good spot to go if you're looking for sushi and don't want to wait for Saru.

Let's start the review 0 starts if I could Party of 7 Avg time going out is 22% Waited for one last entire dish for our friend (ordered at the same time) and had to wait an additional 45 min for 2! Rolls, like cmon it not like I'm asking for a tomahawk steak to cook. Asked for refills (water, extra apps, sake, garnishes) never got them u til asking 5 times. If you are reading til now, let me surprise you, Waiters halt car in the street, asking for reasons of Tip (ikr) literally in the street, unprofessional, but I provided reasoning. Honestly some people around us didn't have to wait an hour but that's the luck of the draw. My experience is working in hospitality for 8yrs so I'm a credible source. Never will return or recommend. Management, please put a leash on ur wait staff as they are impacting ur preseatabilty to future customers. Worst sushi everience for spending 300+ in a place smh.