the store is an adorable concept and sells japanese and korean groceries. although the prices are higher than average, it's understandable as they're mostly imported and more rare in the city. there's a nice indoor seating area that wasn't busy at all so I could enjoy my meal in peace. the staff are friendly too! however I didn't really enjoy my spicy tuna omusubi ($4.45) and chashu pork omusubi ($4.75). the rice was unseasoned unlike normal japanese rice, and the filling wasn't as generous as I would've desired. the chashu was pretty fatty as well. overall they're big but mostly plain rice. note that there's also a 3% credit card surcharge. read more

Common Sage - spicy tuna omusubi, chashu pork omusubi - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

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When you need snacks or comfort food. This is the place. I am amazing bottle of sake for friends coming over last minute. Everyone that work there is so nice and helpful. Now, when you walk in is a little maker look and the back is this comfortable area to enjoy a meal and deco is so relaxing. A must visit. read more

Common Sage - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite kind of corner store where you can get a matcha or an Americano. And if you are hungry, a bowl of ramen. I sometimes come in to grab a packet or two of different types of ramen. Some (Japanese) snacks and drinks. Friendly staff. Conveniently located on Polk and Sacramento. read more

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Solid caffeinated drinks and I really like their selection of Japanese snacks and cooking ingredients. There's often a group of older people sitting outside. They seem to be big fans and I like how they are regulars! I like grabbing snacks at Common Sage before tennis, after pilates, or before going to a show or game. They have unique items and also pretty good spam musubi and omusubi. I like their matcha, black sesame, hojicha, and Thai iced tea drinks! Service can be hit or miss. read more

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This is a convenient store with a tiny kitchen. I grabbed a $1.99 Konjac Jelly Yuzu. It was good. At the counter, I ordered a $4.75 Chashu Pork Omusubi and $4.45 Spicy Tuna. The chashu pork omusubi was really good! Freshly made, nice and hot, and super flavorful. read more

Common Sage - Chashu Pork Omusubi and Spicy Tuna rice ball - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came in after my brother sent me a link about this establishment. I lived in Honolulu for 35 years and moved back to the city in 2011. I ordered their specials and ramen. I also came back to buy some take home food items. Service is excellent and friendly. Ambiance had a vintage feeling. Tables for those that want to eat their ramen inside! Support this small business' read more

Common Sage - Menu - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

The service was fast but the food wasn't too impressive especially for the high price point. It's really cool they have a vegan Ramen option but they barely added veggies other than corn on top so really it felt like I was eating mostly plain noodles. I would have enjoyed it more if it came with more toppings by default given the high price point. read more

Common Sage - Vegan Ramen - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this neighborhood market. It's a perfect spot to go to when you're craving a quick snack. I've tried both the Ramen and the omusubi here - the Ramen is just ok but the omusubi is really good. It's super big and filled with a decent amount of filling. They also have some delicious snacks here. read more

Yelp had an Elite event here that I sadly didn't get into. But I pass by Common Sage often and I decided to check it out when my parents were visiting. My dad ordered the full-sized ramen while my mom and I got the combo (half ramen, one onigiri of your choice). The broth is so comforting! It had deep umami and pork flavor. And splurge a little to get the egg to add to the richness of the broth. You won't regret it! The woman who took our order was the owner and she described her process on making the broth. It truly is a labor of love, which is why it's so good! The onigiri is large and pretty good. My mom got the salmon and I got the spicy tuna. They might have teriyaki sauce packets for the salmon if you want extra flavor. The spicy tuna wasn't too spicy, but still very flavorful. There's only outdoor seating, and not much of it. I think there's only 5 tables. I notice locals taking a table or two, but otherwise turnaround time is quick. There's more foot traffic on Polk, so if you want to eat with a little bit of peace, try to get a table on the Sacramento side. It's also an Asian grocery store carrying Korean and Japanese products. Common Sage is a mom-and-pop shop that provides comforting dishes and has a hometown feel. Definitely check it out and support local! read more

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TBH no pics for this, but I do remember the experience. Kept orders simple and got their meatless Shoyu Vegetarian Ramen. They were generous with their ramen--had a good amount of noodles and fixings were also generous as well. Broth was tasty. Got a few masubis and it was good! Got our ramen for take out online and it was available on time when we got there to pick up. Staff were nice. Seems like a mom and pop place. Small shop that also sold other food items as well. Packaged nicely, alright I wish they had a thicker bag for the food verses the flimsy and very thin plastic bag for the bowls of ramen and broth. Keep that in mind--if you're walking to get take out here, bring your own bag or something. Other than that--it was filling and I liked the simplicity of their vegetarian ramen. read more

Hidden gem if you know you know, it's pretty small but they have a wide variety of options from drinks, frozen foods, instant ramen, condiments, and candy. They have a hot bar menu with omusubis, ramen, sandwiches, rice dishes, and cafe items. The lady at the counter was lowkey rude or just seemed to hate her job lol. Minus 2 stars for the service. Cash is recommended as there's a $5 minimum spend on cards. I got the spicy tuna omusubi and passion fruit iced tea, grabbed a chocolate snack. My friends got the chashu pork omusubi, spam musubi, and tuna omusubi. They favored the tuna omusubi. Spam musubi was soggy and the sauce / flavor could've been better. Overall, I'd come here on a budget or if I'm craving some Japanese snacks. Next time, I'll try the matcha and ramen. It's like a Japanese convenience store on Polk. read more

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Stopped by here for a quick bite and really enjoyed the vibe and omusubi I ended up ordering. I ordered the salmon and chashu pork. They were both good but I think I enjoyed the chashu more! I do wish there was a bit more meat compared to rice ratio though! I like that there were instructions on the omusubi wrapper to inform us on how to successfully unwrap the seaweed portion to combine with the rice ball portion. The omusubi was also all made fresh and so it came out nice and warm! Staff was very nice and the store was very clean. Besides the freshly prepared food, there was also a supermarket area where you can find Japanese snacks and food items in general. read more

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A no frills Asian supermarket and ramen / rice ball place in the Polk area for a pretty affordable price Came by to order some rice ball and they made it very quickly. However, the protein to rice ratio seemed small so giving it one less star. I would come back and try the ramen again. read more

Superette Japanese Korean with a cafe and food ...ramen meat and omusubi ..called the onigiri omusubi and the catch is u wrap the sushi triangle. .got kimchi ..fun and different ..it's been for about ten years ..the nice lady read more

Common Sage - Omasubi salmon - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Natasha is a great host! She recommended options for our first time here from the Auburn (CA) area. The attention to detail and sharing her own experiences and favorites were a welcomed bonus for us as we stood looking at the board. read more

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my friend and I stumbled in while we were shopping nearby into this grocery store. we ended up ordering the spicy tuna omusubi. I will say that this one had more rice than I've head before but it was still really good! read more

Common Sage - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice little Japanese-Korean bodega on Post Street. Grabbed a few salmon onigiri and a Thai tea for lunch. Glad we stumbled upon this place. Will return on my next SF visit. read more

Common Sage - Lunch is served! Thai tea and Onigiri - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just stopped by for the first time & got a flat white. Very good strong flavor. Friendly customer service. Would go back again.

Food - ordered the asian sandwich and a thai tea asian sandiwch - i'd say it was like a 3/5. i don't live too far from the place and by the time I got home, maybe less than 5 minutes, the bread wasn't crispy. the sandwich also came with a lot of sauce, so the bread felt a bit mushy and overall sauce was drippy. thai tea - 5/5 SUPER GOOD! not too sweet and it tasted super creamy. highly recommend! Service - quick and fast. Walked in, ordered, food was ready in about under 10 minutes. Ambiance - cute little spot. Kinda reminds me of a convenience store because they also sell supermarket stuff but japanese themed. read more

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Wonderful selection of Japanese cuisine and merchandise. The service from Jinx was excellent. She was very attentive and friendly. The place was very clean and friendly, I found a lot of different things that were very nice. Overall my experience was very positive and I enjoyed it. read more

Common Sage - My Haul - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was mediocre for a really high price and the environment was overall depressing.

The vibe of this place is cute, like a Japanese convenience store. There's not much seating, but I was running an errand on Polk St so I stopped by for a quick bite on the weekend and it was empty. Got the miso ramen with pork 1/2 combo with an omusubi (think I also got some type of chashu pork for that one). The omusubi is pretty flavorful but has too much rice and not enough filling imo. Ramen was flavorful but also too salty. Overall good for a quick pick-me-up but don't go looking for top notch quality! It's a homey corner spot, would recommend trying the omusubis they have interesting flavors. read more

Common Sage - 1/2 Bowl of Miso Ramen Omusubi Combo - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

stumbled on this place after a class at bodyrok down the street. I was looking for a hojicha latte and a snack and this was perfect. it's only a short walk from boryrok. I appreciate how there are a lot of items on the menu that are vegetarian/vegan and also do not have onion and garlic. I tried the nori paste, ume, and kombu omusubi and I must say the nori paste is very delicious. Ume is a classic that is always great, but I feel like kombu was on the sweeter side and there wasn't much filling. It's also a small mart selling asian snacks and seasonings. Hojicha latte was pretty standard, but it tasted just as I expected. read more

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Came here because I was craving some onigiri. I was confused s when I first walked in since the onigiri is not in the menu. I spoke with the friendly staff and they mentioned that all the Omusubi on the black board was the same as the onigiri. I was very excited to see all the options they had. I ordered a few for my partner and I to share and eat during the week. We got the spicy tuna, tuna, salmon, chashu pork, and the wakame. Each came warm to the touch. I really enjoyed the spicy tuna which is flavored with a spicy mayo. My favorite was the chashu pork. The pork was grilled and had a sweet flavor to eat bite. The tuna and salmon were good but need a little spice. And the wakame tasted like a seaweed salad which is pretty delicious. They also have little snacks you can purchase. They had a variety of chips my partner and I were curious to try. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. I def wanna come back and try more items on the menu. read more

Common Sage - Menu - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Big menu of omusubi, all made fresh to order at the counter. So awesome. I'd come here all the time just for this. Came back again the next day and tried the ramen, which was a bit disappointing, but okay for the price. Just thought it was going to be better, after getting the omusubi. read more

Super cute ramen spot I stumbled upon walking on polk street and was such a gem to find! Everything was well priced and they had a lot of authentic goodies and sweet treats as well. The ramen was super delicious and staff was wholesome, will definitely be back. read more

How did I not know this place was here? Apparently, it's been here for years! Great small place for limited Japanese goods. Pocky sticks, snacks, cup of noodles, drinks, miso, that sort of thing. They also sell matcha drinks here and coffee. Not crowded with nice staff. Got some small Japanese cheesecake things and tea here. read more

Common Sage - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a very fun time going to this Yelp Elite Event & wanna say 谢谢你 Xièxiè Nǐ ありがとうございました Arigatōgozaimashita 감사 해요Gamsa Haeyo Cảm Ơn Merci Danke Schön Grazie Gracias Tack Thank You To Dominic for setting up this Yelp Elite Event!!!! I also met a Ñûèvä Ñęẅ Yelp Elite Member Ďỳñäñňå!!!!! Who was very friendly and helped me take pictures of myself!!!! And what I had was a Ŝaĺmòñ Òmùšùî & Vàñìĺľà Ĺàťťê Which Was Very Delicious Delicioso Delizioso 可口的 Kěkǒu De 美味しい Oishī & The Best Thing About it is that... 料金を支払う必要はありません Ryōkin O Shiharau Hitsuyō Wa Arimasen I Don't Have To Pay For The Ŝăľmõŋ Őmüŝî & Vãńìĺľä Ļäťťę!!!!!!! read more

Wonderful little market and restaurant. Cannot recommend it enough. Great selection of Japanese and non-Japanese food and drink. Highly recommend the Ramen and musubi combo. Great ingredients and flavor and texture, not over seasoned not underseasoned. Not overcooked and not undercooked. A lot of thought and care went into the food. And the staff is lovely and kind and helpful. I love that you can buy whatever beverage you want from the coolers to have with your meal. I will be back again, and often. read more

Common Sage - Combo: 1/2 Miso Ramen and Omusubi - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

great affordable yummy food! the salmon omusubi is the best. good matcha too. 10/10 neighborhood spot.

Ordered a matcha late and there was barely any matcha in it. Felt like I paid $7 for milk and was pretty disappointed with the experience. The barista was nice tho and the service was good. read more

We were looking for a quick bite before heading out of the city for the day, and were happy to step into this shop. We got two onigiri and a sandwich from the small menu. Quick service, good food. read more

Common Sage - Asian Sandwich and Spicy Tuna Omusubi - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

An uncommon name and an uncommon experience. Half-grocer, half-deli specializing in Japanese food. I got the combo half-ramen plus musubi and found it delicious. The ramen was a moderate serving but the noodles were on point, and the broth passed the "Tampopo test" -- too hot to slurp right away. The musubi choices are varied and have something for everyone. I got the kurobuta pork which was basically an Aribiki sausage chopped in. The service was prompt and courteous, and they offer outdoor seating on Polk which is 24/7 good people watching. pro tip: if you get the half-order ramen, it doesn't come with an egg, so add that a la carte. That was my only miss. When I brought in my bowl I saw they had fresh spam musubi so got one for the road, it was excellent with a nice char on the pig. I also scored Maruchan nama (fresh) yaki-soba, they have it in three flavors, whiich I had never seen elsewhere, not even in Nijiya. I got the curry! read more

Upon entering staff will pretend you don't exist. The interior of the shop is just as confusing. A random litany of Japanese and Korean snacks are tossed about stands and fridges. Not much rhyme or reason to the way the store is organized, but I will say regardless of organization is very clean! I picked up a canned drink and waited several minutes for the staff to figure out how to scan in my canned drink. I also ordered a spam musubi that tasted dry, and looked unappealing after paying. I do hope they can improve their service as the location is convenient read more

High quality onigiri/musubi in about 6 flavors. This is a filling, healthy snack or something to eat out of hand while driving. I really like the ramen here. It is a lighter broth than the typical heavy Tonkotsu which you get elsewhere but I really like the lighter touch. For dinner, I have them add extra chasiu but for lunch the quantity of ingredients is perfect and the quality of the ingredients is fresh and made to order. I consider this a hidden gem when you don't want to deal with parking in Japantown or Clement street or if have a tight timeframe to eat but want your ramen fix. read more

Common Sage - cha siu ramen and hoji matcha - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

Musubi( rice ball) is so good! I and my daughter ordered " half portion ramen and musubi set". It was so delicious both of food we ordered. My stomach can't accept very rich and oily ramen soup even the taste is good. The ramen this place was not too oily and not too much MSG so I really enjoy it until I emptied the bowl! lol Even half portion of ramen, we both got full with the rice ball. We definitely will go back there soon!! read more

Common Sage - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very special coffee place/supermarket. They have big variety of Asian products and Asian food. I was very impressed and enjoy trying some new stuff . read more

Service was the worst I've ever experienced. ordered a bowl of ramen, waited for over thirty minutes while others received their food who ordered after me. I had to pee, and they had no restroom for the customers, had to leave because I couldn't wait any longer and they refused to refund me. Sad because I used to come here for years. this place has gone way down hill. read more

I am obsessed with their omusubi. Like to the point that I can eat it every day. I've tried onigilly on kearny as well and I can say common sage is definitely better. We are always ordering the Chashu Pork, Salmon and spicy tuna. Service is always quick, the wait is around 5 minutes. You can eat there as well, they have intimate seating inside. Haven't tried anything else because I'm stuck on the omusubi!! read more

Stumbled upon this place as I was going to a concert at the church down the street. I LOVE an Asian store. And I love an Asian store that sells onigiri and other yummies! They also have Japanese snacks and drinks. There is seating so you can eat there! And it's good people watching as people come in or walk by on the street. read more

Common Sage - Cooler with treats and yummies. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California