Lion West Portal

LOVE this place! We’d been missing a great vegan sushi place ever since Tataki Canyon closed, and I’m so glad Lion opened. Everything we had was delicious, and the little carts going around, Dim Sum-style, were a nice treat. Service was wonderful. The no-tips model makes me feel good about patronizing an establishment that pays its servers fairly rather than forcing them to rely on tips. We’ll be back here frequently.

You can taste the quality in the food. The fish tastes so fresh and the flavor profile is elegant and well balanced. An experience overall! Service is also just so great. I love how they come out with different appetizers in a cart to choose from. Mun & Suki were wonderful!

I visited during their soft open, it was just their fourth night of business. The service was still getting itself worked out, so things were a little slower than I would have liked, but things were on par with other soft open operations I've seen. The food was really good and more than made up for the front-of-house hiccups. The dishes were unique and filled with a host of flavors. We ordered one main from the menu and then had a bunch from the cart. This place will be GREAT if you have a mix of omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. We ordered "Paul the Pilot", named in honor of a customer which has followed the chef in various restaurants through the years. The dish is cooked table-side using open flame, it's really an experience. What emerges from the foil is a delicious combination of flavors. Next the restaurant has a cart that comes around every 5-10 minutes with small plates that might be sushi, maki, or a variety of other interesting creations. I can't remember exactly all the things we ordered, but they included scallop sashimi, vegan "salmon" sashimi, a couple of rolls, and bean curd pockets filled with rice and sea urchin. A great "bonus" for this place is that it is tip-free. I love not having this pressure. I thought the prices were reasonable, and if I take 20% off, the prices are quite good. Thank you to the chef/owner who decided, "let's just put the real cost on the menu"! Do GO HERE if you want a calm atmosphere to enjoy unique dishes, in each of which you will find a complimenting set of flavors, and an interesting dining style, thanks to the mix of menu and surprises from the cart. Do NOT GO HERE, probably, if you're looking for a fast bite as parents with a couple of kids. The service is likely to be a little slower than you want and the dishes might be a challenge for picky or nervous diners.

Saw on NextDoor about this new restaurant, then realized Tamir "Tom" Erdenbat had opened his new place. I was one of his fans and a regular for Saturday lunch when the place was "Fuji" before it eventually closed. I’m talking like back in 2004-2009 when Tom was - as their website says, a "cub" -- and in college at the time. He was an excellent young sushi chef even back then, and has only grown his talents. So, reserved a table last night. His food is truly special, not just because I have fond memories of the old days - his ingredients and recipes left us admiring of his success and accomplishment as a world class sushi chef. The quality of the fish is top notch very fresh and his ingredients only enhance the fish, instead of overpowering it. He left Fuji, and opened so many successful restaurants - COVID clobbered the food scene in SF. So it was heartwarming to both see him again and how he has come full circle to a neighborhood that loved and still loves him. If you love sushi, you should go there. We ended up with his Omakase sashimi, then two rolls, The Mr. Herb Roll, and the Night Nurse Roll. Night Nurse in particular explodes with flavor in your mouth, so many well placed ingredients with a Hamachi base. He serves a vegan selection which we didn't try, so veggies would like it here. Nice selection of saki, beer, wine. The atmosphere is cozy and chic and well planned. And Tom is slaving away in the kitchen with some loyal employees. Service is very caring and cheerful. We had saki, beer between us so spent a bit more but it was worth it - It's a top 10 place. And West Portal is a charming area of town if you've never been. Old school San Francisco with a community of long established folks generationally. I'm just so happy to have Tom back in the hood. And his story from "cub" to "Lion" is inspiring, especially as small boutique restaurants have had such a hard time post-COVID. Thanks for a great meal!

Went during the soft open - was very good and I am excited for them to do well as they bring a different type of sushi experience to West Portal. The sushi dishes were very innovative and had interesting combinations, and the quality was excellent. The bluefin sashimi with house made soy sauce and truffle salt was very good, and the omakase nigiri had unique pairings - such as uni on top of tuna. We also couldn’t say no to everything they brought over on the carts in addition to what we ordered. It’s clear they are running at reduced capacity right now while they move toward a full opening so would give the service some grace as they figure out their groove. The upstairs looked nice for a future sushi bar/bar setting. Also a no tip or service fee restaurant.

This is the most unique sushi experience in SF. I’ve had several great meals here already. It fills up quick, so worth a reservation if you’re not an early eater. The sushi bowls are amazing. The photo I posted is tuna. We have also tried uni, scallop, and the chirashi. I don’t know where else you can get anything like this outside of going back to Japan.

Just ate the most delicious sushi meal of my life. The fish was fresh and the rolls were creative. They also have a sushi “cart” where they bring a selection of chef’s choice items, so it was an opportunity for an omakase experience where you can preview the items. They also had several vegan selections in the menu, which is a terrific addition. The decor was unique, and the vibe was elegant and casual. The service was friendly. I had some initial sticker shock, but the rolls are huge, and very high quality, so we got value for our money, but beware and don’t over order.

Dined this evening for the first time. We had the dragon roll which was fabulous and Paul the Pilot entree which was warming, tasty and presented as a flaming dish. Also tried one of the sweet potato with rice ball in tofu appetizers. We wanted to try the salad but didn’t think we’d have room! Sushi is Interesting with unique ingredients. Service was quick and efficient. Great new addition to the West Portal restaurant scene. Note: Gratuity is already included in the price of each menu item.

My husband and I loved this new addition to the neighborhood! I guess the current owner/chef Tom used to work at Fuji Japanese Restaurant back in the day, and came back to open this Lion West Portal. The restaurant has been completely remodeled, and feels nice and fresh. Even the concept is different too, featuring only sashimi, sushi and vegan sushi - none of your familiar Japanese favorites including the Chicken Teriyaki, Tempura, etc. We came here on the earlier side at 5:30ish, and I'm glad we did! Even though the restaurant only had 2 other tables filled at the time, the place was packed by 6pm. The restaurant is small, but does have an upstairs seating too. There's no longer a sushi bar, which is a little sad, but I do love the interiors - wooden panels, and modern. This place is very family friendly! Almost all of the tables were families! My 19-month old daughter fit in great. For the 3 of us, we shared Edamame, Salmon Avocado ($15), Rainbow Roll ($28), Dragon Roll ($29), and the Mom' Right Roll ($28). All of the fish in each roll was FANTASTIC. So fresh. It tasted like great quality sushi, you could tell. It definitely is 10x better than the Chinese-owned Japanese restaurants like Sushi Zheng up the street. Also, the rolls were pretty thick, and many pieces - even though they sounded expensive, they were also well worth the price. That being said, getting back to the Vegan sushi - I just can't hang myself to try the Vegan sushi. I eat sushi because I simply love the taste of raw fish, what can I say? The prices are on the expensive side, but what we didn't really understand until we got there was that the gratuity is already included- no tipping needed for this restaurant, so the prices of what you see, is what you get. Our whole meal was actually pretty reasonable, I think it came out to $117 out the door! All great things can always improve though: Their website is not the best, they could use a menu. They could also be more explicit about the no tipping no gratuity needed. It would be nice if they could display some pictures of the inside of the restaurant too. Their instagram is the same info as their website, which is a bunch of post its with customers saying how much they love the food. Honestly, I would like to see more content on the menus, the inside of the restaurant, hours, etc. I also think the ambiance is nice, but I feel bad that the windows are shaded off. The restaurant is really charming, and it's a shame that they're not visible to the public, like the Fui restaurant used to be. Honestly, that was kind of the charm of Fuji - driving by during rush hour, and people watching the customers dining in the window of the restaurant. Something cozy about that! Even if they did have the windows transparent though, the tables are not sitting on the edge like they once did, sadly. Regardless of these minor details, my husband and I (and daughter!) have quickly adapted this restaurant into our neighborhood and rotation of restaurants!

We were so excited to check out Lion this weekend and it did not disappoint. The food was excellent, highlighted by a surprise cart with $5 rolls, bites, and even salmon collar. Of course, the meal was made even more enjoyable by the amazing staff and servers. Next time, I plan to try the omakase. We loved the Mr. Herb roll and halibut sashimi. The space is warm and inviting and we can't wait to return! Another excellent new addition to West Portal. Don't miss it if you're looking to try exciting, creative Japanese cuisine.

A new take on traditional Japanese cuisine! The yatai cart experience was so unique and the items change daily. There are many rolls to choose from and vegan options as well. Everything was really tasty and the Paul the Pilot roll was even cooked over a flame. The sushi here was fresh, and the Blue Fin Bites melted in your mouth! The presentation was nice and the staff were very attentive! No tipping needed! Overall, a great addition to West Portal!

Beware super careful if you decide to dine here. If you have any food allergies you absolutely cannot trust this restaurant. We confirmed with the server our issue (allergy not preference) and they assured us that there was no problem and they could accommodate the allergy. Well, unfortunately they did not, and I had to pay the price. Please consider dining elsewhere, I'm bummed this restaurant was so careless. Outside of this experience - the food was just okay. The Mom's Right roll was pretty good. The Soy California roll taste was primarily mayonnaise (barely any imitation crab, which they cover by calling the imitation crab by another name). And the hot sake was tiny! It filled three small sake glasses. Not a good value, there are many better sushi spots in SF.

What a great addition to the neighborhood! My wife and I liked Fuji (the sushi restaurant that was here for many years before it was closed by a fire). We were both impressed by how fresh, innovative, and delicious our food was at Lion. Our server recommended a dish that cooks over an open flame at your table. (Ironic considering what happened to Fuji.) Her recommendation was spot on. That might be the most delicious sushi roll I've ever had. Support this great new local business. Your taste buds will thank you.

Definitely an elevated and awesome sushi experience. We have been here twice & each time was fantastic. Everything is top notch!!

We just tried this great new neighborhood addition. The food was delicious, inventive, and reasonably priced. The service was great and everyone was so friendly. We tried some new to us dishes that were all so good. The space is very attractive and well designed. Can't wait to come back!

Saw on NextDoor about this new restaurant, then realized Tamir "Tom" Erdenbat had opened his new place. I was one of his fans and a regular for Saturday lunch when the place was "Fuji" before it eventually closed. I'm talking like back in 2004-2009 when Tom was - as their website says, a "cub" -- and in college at the time. He was an excellent young sushi chef even back then, and has only grown his talents. So, reserved a table last night. His food is truly special, not just because I have fond memories of the old days - his ingredients and recipes left us admiring of his success and accomplishment as a world class sushi chef. The quality of the fish is top notch very fresh and his ingredients only enhance the fish, instead of overpowering it. He left Fuji, and opened so many successful restaurants - COVID clobbered the food scene in SF. So it was heartwarming to both see him again and how he has come full circle to a neighborhood that loved and still loves him. If you love sushi, you should go there. We ended up with his Omakase sashimi, then two rolls, The Mr. Herb Roll, and the Night Nurse Roll. Night Nurse in particular explodes with flavor in your mouth, so many well placed ingredients with a Hamachi base. He serves a vegan selection which we didn't try, so veggies would like it here. Nice selection of saki, beer, wine. The atmosphere is cozy and chic and well planned. And Tom is slaving away in the kitchen with some loyal employees. Service is very caring and cheerful. We had saki, beer between us so spent a bit more but it was worth it - It's a top 10 place. And West Portal is a charming area of town if you've never been. Old school San Francisco with a community of long established folks generationally. I'm just so happy to have Tom back in the hood. And his story from "cub" to "Lion" is inspiring, especially as small boutique restaurants have had such a hard time post-COVID. Thanks for a great meal!