Sushi on the Day of Love

Loud music, large plasma TV’s, and big tables consume the small dinning area of San Francisco’s sushi spot Sushi Rock. This lively, modern, and upbeat restaurant is definitely not the most romantic place to spend Valentines, but more of a friendly, group-outing venue. Seemingly intended for a younger crowd, Valentines Day brought Sushi Rock a variety of customers. A group of rambunctious, most likely, single girls sat in the back, laughing and occasionally getting up to dance, an older couple dined near a window, and a large group of rowdy adults sake bombed at a long table in the middle.

For a busy day, the service was fast and expedient. Our group was sat minutes within walking in the door, and we were met by a long table with miso soup and cucumber-seaweed salad at every place setting. The menus were neatly placed next to glasses of water and a complimentary “refreshing towelette.” The arrangement was accommodating and sophisticated.

The menu had a number of selections, including other dishes besides sushi. Sushi Rock not only caters to those who may not be sushi fans, but also to those who are sushi fanatics. The diverse array of selections made it hard to make a dinner decision. The order was taken on a small palm-pilot looking devise and the server conveniently offered to split the bill in to separate checks. As our table waited we sipped on our warm miso soup, which brought joy to our taste buds as we anticipated our main dishes. No longer than ten minutes after placing the order, our food was delivered to the table.

The teriyaki salmon was cooked to perfection and the proportions were accommodating to my appetite. The salmon was complimented by the perfect amount of sweet teriyaki sauce along with salad and a medium sized bowl of rice. The presentation of the sushi looked a bit messy, regardless the taste was superb. One of the sushi rolls offered called the “phoenix roll,” composed of shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, and a layer of shrimp, was described by a customer as “A good, confusing mix of food that created an explosion in my mouth!”

The quality of the food and service outweighed the few things I did not like about Sushi Rock. The server did not offer our table drinks before ordering our meal, or at any time during the meal. And, when it did come time to order our server waited too long to check back after we were seated. Also, without asking if we were finished, the eager bus boys cleared our food. The last downfall was the one-person bathroom for the reason of inconveniency.

However, the pricing was fair for the proportions of food and excellent service. To top it off, at the end of dinner they brought out little cups of complimentary ice cream. Coming from a non-sushi lover, I would definitely go back to Sushi Rock.

my rating: ***

no star= none

* good

** very good

*** Excellent

**** Extraordinary

Sushi Rock information:

Address:

1608 Polk St.

Phone number: (877) 345- 1690

Hours:

Sun-Thurs: 11 am- 10:45 pm

Fri- Sat: 11 am- 12:30 pm

Happy Hour: 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Free Parking!