The presentation immediately stood out. Even as takeout, the sushi arrived in an attractive box with thoughtful packaging, a beautiful orchid garnish, lemon slices, fresh wasabi, and neatly packed ginger. It felt much more upscale than the average grab-and-go sushi. The fish looked vibrant and fresh. The salmon had great marbling, the tuna was rich, and the white fish was clean and delicate. I especially enjoyed the specialty rolls--the one wrapped in tuna with tobiko had a nice balance of texture, while the salmon roll with avocado and spicy crab filling was creamy without being overly heavy. The rice held together well and wasn't overly packed, which made each bite easy to eat. Portion-wise, I thought it offered good value. There was a nice variety of nigiri and specialty rolls, making it feel like a complete meal rather than just a few pieces of sushi. A couple of small suggestions: the takeout lid reflected light a bit, making it harder to appreciate the beautiful presentation until I opened the box, and a little more garnish separation would help preserve the clean presentation during transport. Neither took away from the quality of the food itself. Overall, this is a solid choice if you're looking for fresh, well-presented sushi in SoMa. The attention to presentation and the quality of the fish make it feel like a step above your typical neighborhood takeout spot. I'd definitely order from Kombu Omakase again. read more

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Uni tasting: 9.5/10. I was absolutely delighted by this. It was so unique and creative! The saltiness of the uni and the fish eggs are offset by the richness of the quail egg yolk. It coats it to help reduce how salty it is. We broke the yolk before eating it. I ate it all in one bite and loved it that way. The presentation is beautiful. The only reason I'm docking 0.5 off of it is because it's very rich, so it's hard to eat more than one, and it's also expensive for three spoons of it. Various pieces of sashimi: 9/10. Very good. There were some fish that I don't have too often, and those were really good! Examples include umi masu (ocean trout) and sake belly. They were sold out of some of the fish today, though, so that was a little sad, but I get it - it was a weekday night. I'd rather it be sold out than have non-fresh fish. A5 wagyu special roll: 6/10. I didn't think it was that great - the wagyu was good but didn't feel as high quality as wagyu that I've had at other places. I also didn't think it went super well with the vegetables inside of it. I think if it were deconstructed, it would have been better. It really had a lot of potential. Toro special roll: 10/10. I loved this roll. I don't normally see a roll with cod roe on the outside, but it was beautiful and delicious. 49er roll: 7/10. Basic roll and pretty good, but nothing special. Rainbow roll: 7/10. Basic roll and pretty good, but nothing special. Sunflower roll: 10/10. I also loved this roll. It was delicious and beautifully presented. I really liked that the cod roe was piled up on the top roll, but it would have been nice if the cod roe was better dispersed onto the other pieces without us having to do it. But since it was for presentation purposes to mimic a sunflower, I get it. The place is small, so it's hard to eat with a large party. Since we were a party of five, we had to pull up a chair and share a table typically meant for four people. read more

Kombu - Uni taster - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came in on a Tuesday night and had their omakase. The fish quality was very good and they gave a good assortment of nigiri, including toro, Wagyu and uni. I imagine that's where most of the omakase cost goes towards. The pieces were also well-proportioned on the larger side so I left feeling full enough. They went a little heavy on the sauce for every piece. The main downside was the lack of chef interaction. No greetings or hello even though I sat alone at the sushi bar. I saw other reviews saying the omakase comes out all at once, but I was hoping it wouldn't be the case at the sushi bar. The waitress even came around to give me the tray instead of the chef right in front of me. Overall the sushi and portions were good, but they could warm up the experience more. I would say a 2-3 for vibe and a 4 for food. read more

Kombu - Omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Service was quick. Sushi was fresh and delicious. A small bone was found in the last price of the Toro roll...so that was slightly disappointing, but overall a great meal. read more

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I absolutely love Kombu! It is currently my favorite sushi place in SF. I got the omakase there and every single piece of fish was prepared beautifully. Ever piece of fish had a great bite to it and the rice to fish ratio was also good. The fish was cut on the thicker side, scored on the top to spread, and I felt it was the perfect bite. The fish was handled well, nothing came out super warm, nothing came out mushy, nothing came out with a stark fish smell, everything felt and tasted fresh. I came in hungry and was quite satisfied after. My favorite was the kurodai and o-toro. The place is on the smaller side with only counter seating for about 6 and table seatings to fit about 20. I liked it and would definitely take a date or business partner here. There's a small selection of drinks but it's condense enough to have exactly what you need. They had also given me an appetizer on the house which was incredibly kind. On the menu it's called crispy cucumber salad, but it actually is incredibly crispy. I don't think I've ever had a cucumber like that, it was so pure and fresh. I would definitely get it again. What's more is they have fresh wasabi! Yes grated and lovely. Everything here is high quality and it really shows. I have extreme respect for this establishment and will be returning as often as I can. read more

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Great sushi, okay service. We went for valentine's day and the vibes were nice. It wasn't too loud, so I was able to have a conversation without yelling and the tables are far enough apart where you're not having anyone listening in on your conversation. I really enjoyed the california roll as it had a good amount of snow crab in it. My fiance really enjoyed the salmon nigiri too. There was only one server, which I was sympathetic to, but there were only a few other tables while we were there and no one was really getting checked on. We had to wait about 15 minutes to be able to order our drinks. This usually wouldn't be a problem, but because it was valentine's day, they let us know ahead of time that we would only be able to dine for an hour (we had to let them know our order a few days before), so having to wait a while to even get drinks was annoying. I would go for the sushi again, but I wish the service was better for what we're paying for. read more

Wanted Japanese food in the downtown/soma area and came across this place on yelp. Location wise, it's right next to the Whole Foods and it is a cute small clean space inside. We ordered a couple different appetizers and rolls, as well as sake and I felt the prices were very fair for the quality and portion sizes. The wagyu roll was interesting but not my favorite. Somehow I didn't love the temperature of everything nor did I love the asparagus inside. Overall everything was very fresh tasting and I would definitely come back to try other items on the menu. read more

Kombu - Seafood Poke Salad, Hamachi Carpaccio - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Made a reservation for a party of 3 on a Tuesday at 6pm. There was a lot of seating available when we first came in but as the night went on, it got busier! We ordered 3 rolls to share and a few handrolls individually. The highlights for me were definitely the Lion King roll and the handrolls. The rolls felt a bit pricy for what they were but the handrolls were decently priced! My one regret is not letting them know to remove wasabi ahead of time from my handroll :( Service was good - it does take some time to receive the food ordered, but they were very kind to let us continue using our table way past eating to chat! read more

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Solid nigiri here. All I ordered was the "omakase". The fish tasted fresh and the nigiri was well put together. Was around $100 for lie 9-10 pieces? read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent sushi. Omakase at lunch on a weekday was a little interesting. We arrived around 11:30 and they said it would take 30 min for omakase to be prepared. Unfortunately, it wasn't omakase that I was used to; for such a high end restaurant, it came out all at once. 5 stars for quality!!! I felt like for the price point, service should have been a bit friendlier, but that might be the style here. read more

I concur that the sushi quality is excellent. Think it is overpriced though. Also thought it lacked soul maybe it was the lackluster service? Or I visited during Monday lunch when there was only another table present. read more

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Exceptional To-Go Quality -- Fresh, Balanced, and Generous Portions I ordered several items from Kombu -- the Cucumber Salad, Seaweed Salad, Seafood Poke Salad, and a mix of Tuna, Salmon, and Hamachi from their poke bowls -- all to go and combined into one large bowl. Even as a takeout order, the quality and presentation were top-notch. The fish was fresh, clean-tasting, and clearly handled with care -- buttery hamachi, rich salmon, and perfectly firm tuna. The mix of salads added great contrast: crisp cucumber, flavorful seaweed, and bright poke greens that held up well even after the short trip home. What impressed me most was how well everything traveled -- nothing soggy, nothing bland. Every bite had balance: sesame, spice, umami, and freshness in perfect proportion. It tasted like something you'd expect to eat right at the counter, not out of a takeout bowl. Kombu clearly doesn't cut corners, even on to-go orders. Absolutely worth the price and easily one of the best poke experiences I've had in the city. Highly recommended. read more

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Got a treat from my daughter to celebrate Mother's Day. The Omakase is simply amazing!!! Each piece is made to perfection! The sushi rice is made perfect and the fish is so fresh and delicious! Love the Uni with ikura and the Wagyu A5 is really excellent! Every piece is just heavenly and I took time to chew because they were all so good! :) The cucumber salad is so refreshing!Don't forget the Toro Special Roll! This is the best Omakase I have ever tasted! Quiet environment, perfect place for good food and enjoying time with loved ones! The waiter is excellent. Good service! This place is a hidden gem! Highly recommended! read more

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Came here for a corporate lunch and this place was yummy! We ordered honestly one of every roll since there were so many of us and everything was really fresh and delicious. My favorite was the wagyu roll and toro roll. They give a good amount of pieces which i appreciated. The rolls ranged from $25-$30 each so definitely on the pricier side. They also serve omakase set as well as have other a la carte items like hand rolls, edamame, cucumber salad etc. this place is located in soma area so parking is a bit hard. Def recommend if you are craving high quality sushi! read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The salads are out of this world & the service is attentive & very kind. It's in an out the way area but if you take some here you'll look like you really know your Japanese hot spots. So the atmosphere turns out to be clever. read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

solid roll, appreciate the fresh wasabi. ordered takeout so can't speak to service nor ambiance. read more

Kombu - 49er Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Quality seafood, great portions, and delicious traditional flavors. This is the new sushi restaurant in the neighborhood and I'm glad to have tried it! Everything tasted amazing and hit the spot. Their sashimi platter does seem like it's on the pricey side but they cut big portions of fish and give a good amount. I honestly felt like it was worth it. (5/5) A5 Wagyu tartare was torched on the top and added on rice which was different from traditional tartare. It was on the smaller side but it seemed like less meat because of the rice (4/5) Nigiri platter was fresh and had a variety of fresh fish and seared fish. (4.8/5) Chawanmushi was perfect texture - not too firm and topped with ikura. I love starting off my meal with a light appetizer like this. (5/5) The service was amazing - my cup never went empty and they always checked in with us. I'll be back for more delicious sushi read more

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Kombu is a solid sushi spot. I liked everything I got but there were little things that keep me from giving it a higher rating. The $88 omakase nigiri is a decent price but for the number of pieces (10) it did seem like a lot. They clearly put a lot of effort into each piece- it took some time to come out despite not being that crowded. I did like that it included some bites that you often don't get in a omakase especially at this price- A5 wagyu, uni, etc. Everything was tasty but was it good enough to be $9 a piece (more with the service charge and whatever) ? Maybe not. Also a minor thing that did make the eating experience was less than ideal was that the fish and rice weren't sticking together so pretty much every piece fell apart when you ate it. Usually I find sushi places use some wasabi or something to stick the two together (there definitely was wasabi but I think it was more in the rice than on top). Some people say they got miso soup and/or salad when ordering this. They did give me complimentary edamame which was nice but some Miso soup would have been preferable on a cold and rainy day (and would have rounded the meal better). Also tried a toro roll that was upwards of $25. I get this is an expensive piece of fish and they were generous with the portion and it was delicious but still a lot. That being said, I actually think the toro roll was maybe the thing I'd come back for over the omakase. San Francisco has a lot of sushi spots. The fish here was great but the overall experience I found just alright. Service was good and they explained all the omakase pieces but I just wanted something more, maybe in the ambience or the menu or a tiny thing like having hot sake on the menu. I think the omakase is maybe worth doing but wouldn't come super hungry. The sashimi combo at $68 for 12 pieces also looks interesting although you don't get as much variety and no wagyu or uni. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars based on my experience. I would maybe come back but not rushing to which is why I went with 3 stars. read more

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Can't recommend this place enough. The food is incredible. Fish is fresh, high quality and prepared with love and care. My wife usually can't eat rolls because of the seaweed but even their seaweed is light and does not overpower the rolls. We will be back again hungry for more. read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I agree with other reviewers that the omakase isn't worth it, but everything else was great. Highly recommend the uni tasting, otoro nigiri, and unagi sashimi. They have a great supplier for all of these. For anyone interested in the omakase, be warned there's wasabi in every piece. It was an unfortunate sour surprise in each bite, and they gave it all at once so I couldn't ask them to adjust the rest. If wasabi isn't your thing, be sure to let them know! read more

Really nice place! I came here for lunch today and the food was really fresh. I believe Don was my chef and Allen was server. They were both friendly and nice. I loved the poke salad very much.. I'll definitely be back read more

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The setting is nice and clean, good presentation is great and it taste great! The menu does look like Sushi Chef in North Beach, but regardless a solid spot! read more

Kombu - Poke Salad, Salmon Sake Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Kombu is undoubtedly one of the highest quality omakase experiences in the Bay Area at a fair price under $100. The pieces are super fresh and huge. Service was super nice! We even got a complimentary dish from the chef. Has a nice dark modern atmosphere as well. Perfect for date night. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Amazing little sushi spot. The place had about 5 four person tables and. 8 seats at the sushi bar. The vibe was pleasant and the music playlist was enjoyable. It was a Tuesday so the place was slow. The sushi tasted really good. The only miss was the uni that was part of the tasting appetizer. Was some of the worst uni we ever had. Everything else was really good. read more

When me and my friends want to have good quality sushi , Kombu and Eat sushi (same owner ) are our pick! Great service. Fresh and excellent quality ingredients are the key words . This place has a nice pleasant soothing ambiance! read more

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Excellent sushi with fresh, clean flavors and beautiful presentation. The menu is limited, which keeps things focused but can feel restrictive, and prices run high -- especially for lunch. Still, the quality makes it worth a visit if you're looking for top-tier sushi in a stylish spot. read more

Ambiance and Service was spectacular! The place has good aesthetics and definitely a fancy feel. I ordered the Rainbow Roll and it was well made with good presentation. The service also provided complimentary Miso, cucumber salad, and Edamane read more

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Great quality sushi and sashimi! Great presentation. A little pricey but well worth the money. Will be back.

they have fresh fish and fun roll selections that also taste great the two times i went it was pretty empty which means faster service read more

Amazing Japanese food experience This Japanese restaurant was definitely the highlight of my recent dining experience. From the moment I entered the restaurant, the warm atmosphere and elegant decor made me feel as if I was in Japan. The chef's craftsmanship and dedication are on display, whether it's in the selection of ingredients, the finesse of the knife work, or the combination of flavors. Sushi and sashimi are the absolute staples of this restaurant. Each piece of sashimi is tender and rich in flavor, especially the salmon and sea urchin that melt in your mouth with the fresh taste of the sea. The rice in the sushi grip is soft, with just the right amount of vinegar flavor, and combines perfectly with the fresh fish, making it a truly blissful bite. The service was also outstanding. The waiter was attentive and always showed up at just the right time to pour tea, introduce the dishes, and recommend the right accompaniments based on our taste preferences. The whole meal was very comfortable and enjoyable. Whether it's the insistence on the quality of the ingredients or the perfect presentation of the essence of Japanese food, this restaurant shows a very high standard. If you're a fan of Japanese food, it's definitely worth a try, or even a repeat visit. read more

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Food and service was quite good but it's a bit pricey albeit this is SF so cost of labor is quite high. I couldn't frequent for lunch that often given the price. I was hoping there would be a lunch special. Inc tip and tax the total was $113.80. read more

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Tried the omakase and thought it was ok. The rice was too seasoned that it took away from the fish. If I knew I would only do sashimi or rolls. Decent drink. read more

This place was amazing!! We went for a late dinner one night and it was a great experience. Everything was very clean, I really loved the tableware and cutlery. The set up was also very nice, modern and new with a great design. Quick and wonderful service. We ordered the toro and uni hand rolls, both delicious and a very good price! The dragon and lion king roll were also very good. It was the service and attention to detail that made this place so great! Definitely found our go-to spot for a sushi craving. read more

Kombu - handrolls, Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Hidden gem discovered! Great price. Omakase $88. Great atmosphere. Nice fast service. Fish was fresh and delicious. Highly recommended. Support local businesses! read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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New sushi spot in soma! I had the wagyu tartare, ankimo, uni special, sake toro, ama ebi, and chawanmushi. The sake toro, ankimo, and wagyu tartare were especially great - very fresh and tasty. I always judge a sushi place by it's uni and all of it tasted amazing. Not fishy at all. On top of it they had my favorite sake - Dassai 45 so they know what they're stocking. They also have a very reasonably priced omakase that I plan to try in the future. Great service too. Plan to be back! read more

Kombu - Wagyu tartare special - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I decided not to overthink where I went for lunch and selected this place after a glance at the 4.5 star ratings. Ordered the unagi bowl and a seaweed salad, since the photo on the menu showed nothing but rice and unagi in the bowl. Cost: $35. What I got was a very small serving of what I thought was unagi (but turned out to be 2/3 unagi skin scraps) atop a bowl of rice with some unseasoned cucumbers thrown in. Result: I spent $35 on rice and cucumbers, and I will be very hungry when I leave work today. Not happy. The place was completely empty and looks like it's on the way out. read more

Tasty food - we had the lion king, rainbow roll, scallop nigiri, and Wagyu handrolls. I would come back to try other things. Everything was very fresh. They also have a small but decent selection of half bottle sake Ambiance is very laidback and a good chill experience. Excellent service - very attentive. read more

This place has nice ambiance, but the sushi rolls and fish for the habd rolls were undersized for the price you pay fore each. Watch out!

Although there's not much parking nearby,this is a great place to enjoy some Japanese sushi with an aesthetic touch. The staffs are also quite friendly and helpful. read more

Kombu - A5 Wagyu Special Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wonderful food the uni sampler was amazing. The high quality fish, presentation, & great service from everyone we interacted with. I'll definitely be coming back . read more

Kombu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California