Hinata is such a steal in the omakase world, offering 18 courses for $90. I was unable to secure a bar seat for my party of 2, so I'd call ahead and do reservation by phone instead of online to try to get bar seats. We enjoyed a bottle of the Dewazakura Dewasansan Junmai Ginjo sake, which was pleasantly minerally with a hint of sweetness. The appetizers were solid with Hokkaido tofu, snow crab leg, scallop, and an interesting seaweed and umeboshi combo. The fish that stood out the most in the nigiri course for me was the kinmedai and the smoked rainbow trout. I was a little disappointed that they gave chutoro instead of otoro. I also ordered the supplement of the satsuma A5 wagyu topped with truffles and gold flakes. That piece I think was more opulence than decadence in taste. I would come back but I think a lot of sushi places in LA definitely beat this place in terms of the fish selection. read more

Where do I begin? The restaurant is kind of hidden but once you walk in, the ambience is great. It's quiet and intimate so it's a great place for a special date. My girlfriend and I were seated at the sushi bar and our chef Kyle greeted us and gave a summary of the omakase course. This restaurant only serves omakase but you do have the option to add supplemental items if you're not full. We started off with some appetizers, then followed with nigiri, and a peach sorbet. The fish they have here is unlike your typical sushi omakase. There were fish/versions of fish that I have never tried before that were super delicious! I especially loved the seared mackerel and the peach sorbet was a perfect ending to the meal. The service was amazing! Hope to return again the next time we visit SF :) read more

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Hinata means sunny place and it is an attractive name. I came here after a long week, to relieve as well as relax over fine dining nigiri. Most, if not all, of the sashimi is from Tsukiji market, Tokyo, Japan! The gray and neutral artwork, was quite calming and put me at ease. They are pretty strict on the set times to be able to get seated. It is limited seating and it makes the ambiance cozy. Do make reservations ahead of time and table seating is only at 6pm or 8:30pm. The omakase style is of delight and each serving is an art piece! It's one of the many reasons I love omakase! My favorites were the Hokkaido scallop with miso aioli as a light spoonful appetizer, Spanish Mackerel nigiri smoked in cherry wood, and surprisingly, the dessert, unique Matcha Panna Cotta with black sugar syrup. The sliced cuts of the sashimi, was admirable with the textured and angle fish skin presentation. Great for picture taking! Do order up sake to pair the dining experience. Service was attentive and fair. I had an enjoyable, Omakase style time here! read more

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Sushi is definitely my food of choice to celebrate any occasion. Hidden in the busy streets of Van Ness, you'll find a nice omakase experience offered by Hinata. The restaurant is pretty low key. We almost couldn't find it because there wasn't a sign out front. Inside was nicely decorated and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Hinata does 2 seatings a night: one at 6pm and another at 8:30pm. We arrived 15 minutes early to our reservation and sat in the cute little waiting room while the parties before us were finishing up their dinner. We got seated at the bar and our Chef for the night was Kyle. He was really nice and easy to talk to! All the sushi pieces were very tasty, but I felt like it lacked presentation. I also found it strange that they pre-cut 6 pieces of fish at a time so the fish sits outside while the chef works on each sushi piece. I think they do this so that they can serve you within the allotted time frame of your reservation. However, I'd prefer having the fish remain in the fridge until it's time to prepare and serve the next piece. It just seems fresher that way and I don't mind waiting longer between each piece because I enjoy watching the chef prepare the sushi. Other than that, I did enjoy my dinner and think the omakase dinner is worth the price! read more

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Excellent food. Lackluster service, particularly from the price point. Most importantly, we enjoyed a great omakase meal. The flavor of each piece was amazing. We particularly enjoyed the umimasu. As others have stated, there is a lot of focus on preparation and dressing. One memorable piece was the hotate with zest and wasabi. Whether you enjoy that or not is a matter of taste. Sushi purists might be disappointed that the focus is not exclusively on the fish and rice. The presence of caviar (and a caviar add-on) did make me a little suspicious, although I enjoyed the dishes after all. The menu also changes frequently, so fish selection and quality likely vary. Because it is an omakase menu, you won't get a belly-buster quantity. There are additions available, which is nice. But, I wouldn't try to buy enough to feel totally full. The service unfortunately is rather out of sorts. The restaurant layout is part of the problem. The combination of table and bar seating complicates the service situation. Traditionally, a sushi restaurant with bar service has guests make requests to the chef directly, or else handle most matters themselves. In Hinata, service staff try to attend to both table and bar guests. The bar has one or two too many seats, which means guests are squeezed together and cannot get in and out of seats comfortably, and staff must talk on or reach over guests' shoulders. The staff are overly attentive, constantly reaching to refill glasses, ask questions, move plates... Really, they should remove one or two seats from the bar and back off on glass refills. It's just not pleasant to constantly have someone reaching over your shoulder. On a related note, we felt ignored by the chef, who was talking at length with the couple next to us, while they were both on their phones most of the time. He explained the dishes in greater detail to them, tried to talk to them about his own touches and preferences, and even tried to tell the story of how he made it to San Francisco making sushi. All the while we were trying to listen over music, as he spoke directly to the couple on their phones. Again, reducing the number of seats at the bar would make it easier for the chefs to chat with all of their customers, if they wish. All told, it was a delicious culinary experience, but with some rather significant service issues. Fun fact: they also keep a Japanese-language sign in the window that is always turned to open (営業中), when the opposite side would read closed (準備中), if they would turn it around. So, perhaps no one at the restaurant reads Japanese... read more

Hinata - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I started writing this review in 2019 by giving it 5 stars and didn't get to writing the actual review. What is clear from my memory is that I had an amazing experience and that I've been meaning to go back ever since. It was one of my best experiences eating sushi in SF. Everything was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend Hinata. read more

We had a great experience here for a recent anniversary dinner. Price is very reasonable for an omakase, and we were seated at the sushi bar and so had a great view of all the preparation. Service was quick and simple, and we were treated to a nice card from the staff and also a glass of sparkling wine if I recall correctly. Bookable via OpenTable or one of the similar platforms and tends to have availability even day before/day of. read more

Absolutely amazing experience. 10/10 would come back again. The sake and wine were splendid as well. Really liked the space, food, and staff. read more

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Delicious omakase and well worth the money ($90/pp). Unfortunately we didn't get to sit at the sushi bar and got to interact with the sushi chefs, but looking at them preparing our sushi was a great experience and show to watch. Friendly service, although a bit hard to understand the English, and some sushi take longer than others to get to our table. Overall, I really loved the experience at Hinata tonight. The omakase started with 4 appetizers - ocean trout, ikura with tofu, oyster, and seaweed soup. All were so flavorful and had great contrast in textures. 12 pieces of nigiri course - each wooden plate carved with "Hinata" was served with two pieces of nigiri sushi. The two pieces paired well with each other in terms of textures and flavor profile. The course started with kampachi and ended with seared chu-toro cured in soy sauce. I loved each pieces, some more than others, but all were really good. The only piece that I didn't like was the 11th piece, which I couldn't understand what it was when our waitress explained it to us. The bluefin tuna, chu-toro (so soft and buttery), negi-toro (loved the crunch from the seaweed and the crunchy daikon), cherry blossom trout (in season right now, wonderfully smoked and seared), and kinmedai golden eye red snapper (so rich in fish oils and the yuzu kosho was a great kick), were some of my favorites of the nigiri sushi course. Sushi rice was nicely cooked and flavored as well. A la carte items - ordered the Hokkaido sea water uni ($13/piece) and ama ebi with uni and caviar ($14/piece) as additional add-ons. Hokkaido sea water uni (recommended by the waitress as the uni arrives still sitting in sea water) was freakin amazing, served on a long wooden spoon. The texture was like butter and blended amazingly with the slightly warm sushi rice. Very sweet, deep ocean taste, super smooth, so amazing. The ama ebi with Santa Barbara uni and white sturgeon caviar also blew me away. The sweet shrimp was slightly crunchy, yet creamy and buttery. Super sweet like candy. The Santa Barbara uni was more briny than Hokkaido, a bit of bitterness contrasted with the sweet shrimp. Very good. Two perfect nigiri to end the sushi course. Fish miso soup with mushrooms - it was interesting, not my favorite, but nice to have something warm after all the sushi. Tongue had a bit of tingly feeling after. Desserts - got to try all 3 types of desserts, matcha panna cotta, black sesame ice cream, and yuzu sherbet. All three taste super different from each other. I like the yuzu the most since it was refreshingly tangy, but they were all really good. Service - basket for my bag, hung my coat, towel to wipe our hands to start the meal, finger wipe for cleaning our fingers between each nigiri, and water constantly refilled. They also brought out the dessert together with a lit candle for my mom's birthday :). Great way to end our wonderful experience here at Hinata. We all loved it! read more

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This is a good place to start your sushi/omakase journey if you're new to it. Food is good. Been here a few times over the years. Quality is pretty consistent. Pretty causal/laid back atmosphere. Would recommend for all spectrums of sushi lovers. read more

I dined here last week and kept debating whether to write a review for this place. This modern Japanese restaurant serving omakase comes in at a 3.5 stars, which may be surprising to some. I have had a number of omakase dinners and this place has really great pros but given that there are many amazing omakase restaurants, the cons (though not very many) will likely keep me away for a 2nd visit. Pros: -was able to make same day FRIDAY reservations! I feel like that's unheard of, especially considering its popularity in the city. -unpopular opinion: they have bar seating AND table seating -- I prefer table searing. I always feel awkward sitting in front of the chef when eating omakase, always feeling constant pressure to make conversation. I understand this is 100% personal and many LOVE seeing sushi chefs at work. But if you're anything like me, it's something to you may want to consider when deciding to dine here :) -relatively affordable pricing. This is a great option if this is your first omakase. I would recommend Hinata to those who are curious about this style but have never tried. -very friendly service. Staff is attentive and courteous. -unique music selection of 90s and early 00s songs playing lol. Cons: -selection of fish lean toward cheaper end. this is NOT to say that the fish is low quality - quality is great. however, they're not very exciting or unique. -awkward wait times between the sushi pieces/tastings. sometimes you'd wait quite a bit between servings and sometimes it's immediate. -whenever they brought something out, they would let know what they are serving you but only the japanese name of it. yes, please tell me the name of the dish or ingredient in japanese, but would be nice to know what it is in english as well :) just my opinion. read more

I loved everything they served! Recommend sitting at bar, our chef was super cool! I enjoyed watching him prepare the sushi. $115 for omakase $33 for supplemental $36 for 8oz sake Chef told us all the fish is from Spain, they were all soooooo good! If you like sushi, this place is worth every penny! I enjoyed uni and squid, although I don't eat those often. Otoro and fluke and seared Spanish mackerel we're probably my top 3. I'd def come back. Great staff and we also sat next to fun guests and conversed around the bar. It was a great experience. read more

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Chef Gavin is everything. Came here again for my birthday dinner and finally got to sit at the bar. I will say if you're going to come to Hinata, the bar is a MUST. The entire experience is heightened and I truly felt like I had the entire omakase experience. We became friends with the couple next to us and drank with the chefs- service this time was 12/10. The starters are generally consistent, but the fish did vary between the 2 times, which I appreciated!! Standouts were spanish mackerel, toro, and deep sea uni (supplement) Highly recommend ordering at least 1 supplement at the end of the meal. All in all, Hinata is one of the most affordable omakase experiences in SF without compromising on quality. Thank you Hinata for the perfect birthday experience- I will be back ASAP!!! read more

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What a great way to celebrate a birthday! My friend and I were so excited to have an omakase experience to celebrate our birthdays, so we decided to visit Hinata. The price for their omakase is definitely one of the more affordable ones in SF, with the cost being ~$90/pp without additionals or drinks. That night, my friend and I ordered sake to start. The sake was ok...I like how it was warm, but it was a little too dry for me...I would have preferred a sake that was lighter with more subtle hints of sweetness. It started off with four small appetizers, and they unfortunately didn't amaze me. They were small, not very flavorful and most disappointingly COLD (as if it came out of the fridge)?! Though my first impression wasn't too hot, the nigiri course was MUCH better! There were some pieces that I didn't like too much, but overall I could tell the fish quality was amazing. The portions are really small here, so don't feel bad if you're not full after the menu. We both ordered an addition nigiri, with mine being the toro, uni and caviar combo--talk about indulgence on indulgence. The dessert was also whatever, a light yuzu sorbet or a green panna cotta. Overall a great price if you're looking for an omakase experience, but the appetizer and dessert rounds didn't wow me at all. Best nigiri that night was definitely the toro, uni and caviar! read more

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Pretty good! I wouldn't say it was anything crazy, to be honest. But it wasn't bad for the price point. Personally I'd rather pay more for more pieces and quality. We sat on the side and the sushi chef was which wasn't my favorite spot. All the pieces we had were delicious. Some were really good especially the chuutoro and the mackerel. I think personally I'm realizing that past a certain level of quality I'm more gourmand than gourmet when it comes to sushi. A lady got asked by someone what omakase meant and she couldn't answer and that was...interesting Overall I could see myself come back here but maybe trying the add-ons but Tbh I'd rather try some Other omakase spots in the city first. One pet peeve though- they charged us 11 bucks for sparking water. I really hate when restaurants sneak stuff up like that on you without telling you. Not a big deal or a lot of money but I always think it feels scammy. read more

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My bf took me here for our 7th anniversary and he made reservations just 2 days before for the 6pm time slot. That's the same time as they open so we got there about 15 mins early hoping we could sit by the bar for the fill experience. Their doors were still closed so waited outside till they opened. Unfortunately we couldn't sit by the bar because the hostess said it's already full but if someone shows up late, we can take it. (Everyone showed up on time). Not sure how far in advance you have to make reservations to sit by the bar. The menu was $90 a person and consisted of 4 starters, 12 nigiris, soup and dessert. You can pay extra for the supplement which we did and I HIGHLY recommend doing so to make it worth it. You can also add separate nigiris as well. Upon sitting they give you a basket to put your belongings under the chair and a hot towel to wipe your hands. They bring out 2 nigiris at a time and the waitress will tell you which each one is. Our waitress had a suuuuuper thick accent and I could not understand what she said which sucked because I had no idea what I was eating. I understood about 10% of what she was describing. Overall we enjoyed our dinner and my bf especially loved the A5 wagyu that he received from the exclusive supplement. I loved the toro handroll and the last 2 nigiris from the regular omakase was the best. The crab salad that we got was so delicious as well. We paid about $400 which included tip. Super expensive and I think with that price we could've went to a better omakase restaurant which included more premium pieces but i think it was a great place to enjoy our first omakase experience. read more

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Was going to give this place 5 stars -- the food was amazing, one of the best omakase I've had in the area and the hostess and servers were friendly. However.... We sat at the bar and I commented silently to my partner that the way the chefs were plating the dishes seemed like "an art". It was a compliment. BUT the Asian chef with the tattoos overheard and scoffed saying "an ART??! It's just fish on rice." I was so taken aback because what in the world would warrant such an offended response especially to a paying customer? Weird. Listen, for these omakase prices, it better not just be "fish on rice", bud. Save the sassy remarks for when the customer leaves. Basic customer service 101. read more

Been seeing pictures of the food all over Instagram and Facebook so I had to give it a try and it's definitely worth the hype! The standard omakase comes with 18 items: 4 item appetizer, 12 piece nirigi, soup and choice of dessert for $78. I chose to add the $58 supplement to get the full experience. Great value for what you get! It took about 2.5 hrs for our dinner. I booked months in advance to accommodate everyone's schedule. Got lucky to seat at the bar. Our chef was super funny and masterful at what he did. The wait staff were nice and attentive, always refilled our water throughout the dinner. Every piece of fish was highlighted in their own unique way. Quality was superb and melt in your mouth. Highly recommend this place to anyone! read more

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Came here not knowing what to expect. We got the omakase with the supplement menu. For a total of 110 a person, I thought this was a tremendous deal given the quality of the fish. There were a huge variety of fish served, some oily, seared, uni. The appetizers they start with is also extremely flavorful and it's a nice way to ease you into the main course. The tomago was also really interesting since it had ground shrimp in it (which I've never had before). Normally very sweet, but this was more of the savory side, which through me off tbh. If you really want to cut back some costs, I would just eat a little before you come here, pass on the supplement and stick to the normal omakase. The eel had too much of that bbq sauce and couldn't taste the quality of the eel that well. The crab was covered in miso butter, and butter on crab is nothing special (it was tasty tho) Another thing is if you like chatting with your chef, this was a great place for that. Very nice ambiance and yet very classy too. read more

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Whenever I go to SF I absolutely have to go for an omakase. Living in the country, I can't even pretend for a second that we have access to good sushi. HInata's price is good. The dining room was nice - on the small side and minimalist. A little bit stuffy IMO. We had a table as opposed to the sushi bar. There were many courses, each one delicate and interesting. I enjoyed all of them. Pleasant service. Good champagne. Unfortunately after all those little dishes, I was still hungry. You can order more if wanted. I guess I should have done that. 4.5/5 stars read more

Dined-in 10/31/20 with a friend. COVID precautions were good for me, but if you are on the safer side, things are just close which is unavoidable in a space like this. There is the safety glass between the bar and the chef, and waitresses are gloved, masked, and face shielded. Temp check coming in which is standard as well. The menu was put together well, the chef was nice and chill, and everything was prepared great. Casual atmosphere which I prefer. I went with a friend who does not drink so saved some money on the sake side. Ordered a couple beers though and I would suggest pour your own if you order, lol. We had a positive experience overall. To be honest any dine-in experience would have been better than omakase to-go, our original plans, but I definitely would have been just as satisfied with this price/quality/experience pre-COVID. I would definitely recommend this place for people who enjoy the omakase experience. It will not be your number one, but you will also not be disappointed to check this off your list. read more

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Too many times I've had sushi delivered and it was inedible or I was terrified I'd get sick. Yet I always find myself during the weekend (and now, all the time during lockdown) still willing to give it a try. Look no further than Hinata. Hands down, the best takeout/delivery sushi I have ever had in this city. Price is so decent, as well. $32 for all of these rolls and miso soup. I spend more on two rolls from mediocre places. Miso soup is fantastic, sushi is exceptional quality. I will be ordering from here many more times to get me through this quarantine. Thank you! read more

Hinata - Miso soup, Moriawase to-go. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Anyone craving Japanese food or sashimi?? I know I been craving it for the longest time! Craving has been satisfied! I seen so many food blogger come here before and it's always been on my list to try! After trying this dish : Chirashi Delux , I am officially a fan and definitely wanted more so I ordered their Otoro Don! OMG!! Their seafood is so fresh and flavorful, taste just like the ones I had in japan! Also majority of their fish are from Tsukiji Fish Market, so not surprised why the fish are so fresh and delicious!! Totally worth the price you are paying for, especially since they ship the fish directly from the famous fish market in japan! Definitely will be coming back for more! You should come try if you never been! Oh and can't wait for them to open back up for omakase too! read more

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My girlfriend decided to treat me to this Omakase that I've been longing for. Hinata sushi has to be one of my new favorite Omakase restaurants! The flavors pair so well together, no piece of sushi tastes the same here unlike for some of the big price tag omakases! There's nothing but love put into every course that's being served to you. This is a must try! read more

Got the chirashi bowl and oh my gosh! The fish was so fresh and soft! I can't even imagine how much better it'd be if I got to sit down at the restaurant instead of getting it to go. The rice was well seasoned and had bits of eggs in it. The pickled veggies on the side were refreshing! Definitely coming here again! read more

Hinata - Chirashi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

As I walked into the restaurant, it wowed me on the space. I loved the ambiance and decorations. When the server checked us in she showed us to a table. Big kudos to her that when I told her that I put in the notes on my reservation that I wanted sushi bar only and she was able to accommodate my request. As for the food, I really wanted to like Hinata. The price was affordable, less than $80 for an omakase. It started off really well with the quad triple appetizers. They were all really good. The braised octopus was my favorite because it was super tender and delicious. The nigiri fish selection was super fresh and prepared well, just that nothing blew me away. They used the same soy sauce for all the nigiris. It was just okay. There were 2 highlights of the night and both were on the additional a la carte menu, Kegani and O-Toro Remix. The Kegani is the Hokkaido horse hair crab meat with miso crab butter. The richness of the miso crab butter enhanced the salty sweetness of the crab meat. The O-Toro Remix is pure decadence. It's starts off with a piece of seared tuna belly, then topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin, freshly shaved black truffles and topped with gold. The sushi chef, Gavin was great to talk to. Not only was he was passionate about sushi, he was a major foodie, just like us. It was fascinating to hear his thoughts about food. read more

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Hinata is POPPIN'!! I made a reservation here for 4 people on a Sunday night and it was super easy! I requested for bar seating (for the FULL omakase experience), and was very happy that they were able to accommodate us even though we were about 5 minutes late. My party was served by Weida? I believe to be one of the owners of the establishment. It was a wonderful experience with top quality fish! Our chef was super friendly and talkative with us, and welcomed any questions that we had. Our waitress and hostess were also great, our water glasses never got empty nor did our teas ever get cold! We all opted for the 78$ pp and added the $32 supplementary option at the end of our meal. The omakase comes with in house made dessert of 3 options, my favorite was the sesame ice-cream! Soooooo yums. The yuzu sorbet was also very delicious and refreshing. On mamas, I recommend ordering the A5 wagyu, AND the o-toro remix (seared toro topped with uni). Those were my absolute favorites and you won't be disappointed. Thank you for such a wonderful experience, I'm already planning for my next visit back!!! Warning*** if you cancel within 48 hours or do a no-show, your cc will be charged $90 per person! They will also automatically cancel and make this charge if you are more than 15 minutes late and have not notified them. read more

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On Easter Sunday, my family and followed the Yelp reviews to Hinata. It's a small Omakase sushi restaurant that only has two seatings a night. 5:30 pm and 8 pm Hinata is located near the corner of Eddy and Van Ness. Reservations are harder to come by as the popularity and 5 star reviews grow. The space decor is very simple and clean with high ceilings. The daily Omakase starts at $78 and there are two options of additions $25 and $35 along with individual fish items. We had the following : Appetizer Seared Hokkaido scallop with miso aioli Shoyu braised octopus Shrio Shoyu braised monk fish liver Nigeria​ Kampachi amber jack Hon Maguro blue fin tuna Kasugodai baby red snapper Sakura Masu cherry salmon Hotaru firefly squid Sahara Spanish mackeral Mozuku Okinawa seaweed with sweet vinegar Kaki. Kumamoto oyster Umi Masu ocean trout Kamasu Japanese barracuda Kinmedai golden eye snapper Uni sea urchin Shoyu Ikura cured salmon roe Engawa halibut fin Owan Fish broth with red miso with nameko mushroom Dessert Black sesame ice cream Matcha panna cotta with Okinawa black sugar syrup The entire meal was excellent with the cured salmon roe , Engawa and the Matcha panna cotta Service was over the top excellent with a descriptions of each item and refilling of our drinks. The only slight knock of the entire evening was the pace of the meal. There was a lot wait time in between the individual sushi pieces. Hinata met all of my expectations of the 5 star ratings read more

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Solid omakase experience! We didn't sit at the bar, but welcomed all the delicious nigiri and small bites provided. Definitely easier on the wallet compared to kusakabe, although the location is a bit hidden (search for the sign "sushi", haha!). The fish quality was definitely fresh and premium cuts. I do think it's comparable (if not a smidge below) to Sushi Ota in San Diego for a similar price point. The staff are very welcoming and the matcha green tea was very refreshing while indulging in each bite of fish. Portion size is just right if you're not looking to stuff yourself, because it's great to slowly enjoy :) The salmon was my favorite! A lot of unique cuts of fish can be found here, which is why I highly recommend checking out Hinata if you're looking for a different (and true omakase) experience. read more

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At first I thought why would my Son take me to a Sushi Bar that's totally empty (hahahah) laughs on me as soon as I finished the thought within minutes place is full. All my friends out there you need to try this once in your lifetime, I know the price is high but save up and soooo worth it. I was soooo impressed I believe it is worth every penny. This restaurant I will give it top star due to the quality of seafood. In Hawaii we are blessed with great yellowfin, onaga, opakapaka and so many other fishes we get by with, and that only the Hawaiian Islands offer. So good luck, take care and be safe. read more

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I was looking for a really nice sushi restaurant to take my wife for our 10th anniversary, and Hinata was recommended by a food blog I follow. After checking out the website, I made my reservation through Yelp for an 8:30 PM seating on a Friday night. We arrived a few minutes early, so we sat in the lobby. The hostess offered us hot tea, as well as the sake menu. We accepted the tea graciously while we perused the sake menu. When the waitress came to take us to our table, she wished us a happy anniversary (always make sure to mention any special occasions when making a reservation). We sat at a table in the back, away from the rest of the patrons. Hinata is quite intimate, with seating for about 20 or 25. Our menus were already on our table (and our mouths started watering in anticipation after perusing it), and we ordered hot tea and cold sake. Shortly, our food arrived in stages. Each course was explained in detail by the server or chef. The appetizers were served all together (4 on the plate), then the nigiri two at a time. Before the soup course ended the savory dishes, we were offered the a la carte menu, if we wanted to order any additional dishes. Finally, we had a choice of 3 desserts. The highlights for that night were: * The shoyu braised octopus appetizer had a texture unlike any other octopus dish I've ever had. Instead of the expected chewy consistency , it had a more pleasant mouthfeel, softer and easy to bite through. It was surprisingly delightful, especially for my wife, who doesn't prefer octopus or squid. * The Spanish mackerel and Japanese barracuda were served together, making for a perfect pairing. These were the best two bites of the evening, tasting like the sea, stronger than most of the other nigiri, but not too overpowering. * Off the a la carte menu, we shared Supplement A. She enjoyed the Bafun uni (sea urchin), while I was treated to Satsuma Wagyu beef. In their own unique ways, these bites were luxurious and decadent. * The soup course (served at the end of the meal) was really refreshing, especially after all the seafood we consumed. * Lastly, we ordered the black sesame ice cream (for me) and the matcha panna cotta with okinawa black sugar syrup (for her). The ice cream was really dense, while the panna cotta was light, but not overly sweet, even with the syrup. The desserts came on a tray with a cute Happy Anniversary card, accompanied with 2 glasses of sparkling wine (on the house). Throughout the evening, the service was very attentive, but not too intrusive. The servers came by regularly, offering fresh cups of hot tea to replace our empty ones. The evening was perfect, a cool 2 hours of wonderfully exquisite (mostly seafood) courses. read more

Hinata - Tonight's menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Really liked this place. 5 star highlights goes to the "Toast". This Christmas I'd like Santa to box 10 of these babies up and I'll take that for Christmas because I've been a darn good girl this year. No seriously it's that good. When I think of coming back, it's especially for that dish. Most nigiri dish was well seasoned. I hate underseasoned nigiri. And I feel like an ass asking for soy sauce or salt, but flavors shine when it's appropriately seasoned. Overall omakase progression is good, quality was good, service good. Price point not too bloody. read more

We came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and Hinata did not disappoint. We got the omakase + supplement + other a la carte items and it is perfect for sushi lovers. Each piece is creatively curated and delicious! Chef Toga was friendly and explained each nigiri he served. This place is definitely worth trying out! read more

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It's worth every penny to eat here! The fish is like the wagyu steak version of sushi. Flavorful and nearly melts in your mouth, overall was very satisfied at the end of the night. It wasn't too much food either, the way they paced each course was on point. The ambiance was perfect and the servers were very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend hinata if you're in the San Fran area The only downside would be the parking situation. Since parking is majority off Van ness I would recommend not leaving any valuables in the car. read more

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This my second time coming back to Hinata and the food was delicious. I do have to say off the bat, you must order the supplements and the TOAST for the full dining experience. The regular omakase was good but nothing extraordinary. However, this TOAST was shockingly good. I regret not ordering two read more

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I have an addiction to making restaurant reservation, I really do. You may scoff, but I've been told I need to get help by some close friends. Of course, some of those friends are enablers, going with me to these restaurants or taking my reservations when I can't make it. On my latest reservation mishap, I forgot I made a reservation for Hinata about six weeks in advance, and was reminded when I got a text message to confirm. The main problem - my husband's schedule changed so he wouldn't be able to make it. After being unable to find a friend to take his place, my daughter stepped in to go with me. Lucky me, or actually, lucky her. Upon arriving for the 5:30 PM seating, we checked in and took a seat in the waiting area. The place has a dark, but minimalist style, which was quietly comforting. We felt at ease and appreciated the casualness of the place. Weida was our chef and he was very friendly and entertaining. Since this was my daughter's first omakase experience, she was excited and took a ton of pictures. Weida was good at helping set up some of the pictures, even using the crab body shell as a backdrop for her. We went with the regular omakase menu for $78, which felt like a bargain for the 18 piece menu. A person next to us ordered the grand omakase, which I would probably order next time. Each piece that was served to us was so fresh and delicious. I anticipated the taste of each piece so much that while my daughter was taking her pictures, I was picking up my nigiri to devour. It was that good! This is a great place for date night or for a small gathering of friends. I'm still not sure if I would order the grand omakase or just stick with the regular as there is an a la carte menu provided right before dessert. You can order any of the additions, or order one of your favorites from the regular menu. Many thanks to Weida for making our experience fantastic. I hope to come back again soon! read more

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Such a great experience! Came here with my boyfriend to celebrate his birthday since he loves omakase. I called beforehand to request that we be seated at the bar since that really enhances the experience, however I was told that all the seats at the bar were filled already but that they'd see if they can place us there. I also requested for the dessert to say "Happy Birthday" for my boyfriend's portion. When we arrived, we were sadly placed at a table instead of the bar. But when service started, a party didn't show up for their reservation and waitress came over to us and asked if we'd like to move to the bar instead since they noted down that I requested for the bar if possible! And it definitely changed our dining experience for the rest of the night. Our chef, Master, is so friendly and explained everything to us as much as possible whenever we had questions. We only got the base menu, so we didn't add any of the supplements, but everything was amazing!! When desert came out, they automatically knew to put the Happy Birthday desert in front of my boyfriend without me ever reminding them! Highly impressed with service, the interior was also just recently remodeled so it looks fabulous! read more

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* More like 3.5 * This was a miss for me. I should know better when omakase is $90. Overall casual atmosphere. The sushi chefs are way too chatty. And not your usual old Japanese uncles. They're all hip with man buns, making sushi. Unless you sit at the bar, expect to eat last in that round. Surprise, we didn't get a seat at the bar even though I requested it. The sushi chefs hand the pieces to the people sitting in front of him, then slowly makes the rest in waves. My issue is that there's clearly two sushi pieces ready to be served, but all six need to be on the platter before it gets served. The ladies are nice but obviously just waiting around at the mercy and timing of the chefs. I suggest the 6pm reservation because by the time it's 8:30pm, everyone is ready to go home and the experience is less and feels cut short. Overall, subpar sushi. The last piece was my favorite and the scallops. Fish and rice were very lukewarm too - probably held in the chef's hands for too long while he chats away. Lesson learned. I had high hopes but ended up disappointed. Protip: Day-of reservations are usually up for grabs, but don't wait until 4pm because they'll most likely be gone. So if you wake up feeling like eating omakase for dinner, claim your spot. read more

This was my very first Omakase experience. Before I get into the details, I just want to say I absolutely adore the name. 1. Because Hinata is a notable character in the widely acclaimed anime, Naruto (which has become one of my favorites) 2. And because of the meaning. According to google translator, Hinata can be defined as a sunny place, or towards the sun. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wow. I really like that. I made reservations about a month in advance to celebrate 2 years with my Hinata (*cough Darian cough*) for a 6:30 seating. I believe reservations are the only way to get seated... Of course, we chose to sit at the bar and ordered the Omakase $90 (this came with 18 courses) and the supplemental $45 which came with an extra 6. We both ordered our own personal teas which were only $5 each. I got the lime green tea FTW! These came in small kettles and were refillable at no extra cost. Our chef's name was Master - thanks for your delicious sushi! I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. The fish was prepared with great care. And explained to us with every serving. And the quality....I imagine to be high. At least, my palette said so. 10/10 would recommend. read more

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Not sure where to start to explain how great this place is. Aside from the pricing which is $90 PER person for the course meal, everything was delicious. It started out with a hot towel, which is for cleaning your hands and apparently something that is done quite often and traditionally in Japan. Our chef, Taku, then goes over the course and how it works since we were all first timers to the restaurant. Chef Taku was very engaging with his group so it wasn't awkward at all. Aside from that, all his attendees were his subscribers. I'm going have to say that all the sushi I've had, this was by far the best. They were not fancy or anything. It was just straight up the fish, little bit of wasabi, and rice. I was never a big fan of that but whatever it is that they did, I'm hooked. I personally like the Spanish mackerel smoked cherry wood and the Japanese barracuda. The barracuda has a kick to it and if you've seen my past reviews, you know that I love spice. Side note: you will not be getting a roll or anything. It is one piece of sushi only. One piece from each "roll" they make. So if 90 is a bit too much then keep moving on to the next place. (Omakase) read more

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