Everything on the menu was delicious, it was one of my first vegan restaurants in the city, and really a great unique spot. The price are similar to sushi with raw fish, but it makes sense given the uniqueness of each plate. It's a really small place so I'd recommend making a reservation ahead of time. A lot of their dishes are a little bit, but still not too salty which I appreciated. in one of the dishes, they're supposed to be one sushi piece that is spicy with a shot of sake in the middle of the bowl but for some reason, none of us felt like we got the spicy one so they're spice level here is pretty mild IMO. I'd still prefer raw fish in sushi, but a great spot for anytime I want to eat sushi with a vegan friend. read more

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TLDR : Wonderful ambiance, good vegetarian food, quick service - but wait times to get a table can be long. Been visiting Shizen with friends who love Sushi and want to try vegetarian options. Shizen provides an wonderful experience while accommodating dietary preferences which is amazing. They have a great selection of Sake and the cocktails are good as well. Highly recommended. read more

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This is my go-to spot for sushi that never disappoints. Every visit leaves me feeling perfectly satisfied. I've made my way through most of their specialty rolls, and each one is a masterpiece--beautifully balanced and expertly crafted. The atmosphere is wonderfully welcoming, and the sushi chefs are a true pleasure to talk with. They're clearly passionate about their work. A meal here is the perfect excuse for a day out, and I love that it's just a short trip from the ocean for a post-meal walk. Don't be afraid to explore the menu; you really can't go wrong! read more

Body and soul roll is mouthwatering. I love love eating here. My partner took us here for our anniversary. The staff overheard and brought us a dessert on the house. The staff made our day feel extra special. The food here is incredible! The ambiance is great for anniversaries or celebrations! I can't wait to be back for more goodness. read more

Yes yes yes! Love the creativity at shizen, I would recommend this spot to everyone and not just vegetarians and vegans. I really love the pumpkin roll that we got and the concept of surprise ending could be a fun roll to enjoy with your friends. Basically there's one piece of sushi that is extremely spicy and of course I got it and it was the first piece lol read more

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Amazing food, best vegan sushi! Great service! Very nice and cozy ambience! Must try and recommend their top sushi read more

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Incredibly unique restaurant with delicious vegan sushi! Ambiance & Service: The interior is modern, clean, and trendy. However, the service was a bit disappointing. I understand they are super busy, but we felt overly rushed and the servers weren't very attentive. Food: - Miso Soup: Very light and tasty, but I wished for more tofu--I only got two tiny pieces. - Boddy and Soul Roll: Absolutely delicious! Loved the spicy tofu and aioli paired with the fresh saffron. - Candlestick Roll: Also a winner! It's like a vegan California roll. Would order again! - Yuzu Cheesecake: Super soft, creamy, and not too sweet! Loved the balance between the yuzu and fresh blueberry compote. TL;DR: The food is fantastic, but we felt a bit rushed, and the servers could be more attentive. Definitely order the Boddy and Soul and Candlestick rolls! read more

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Had a reservation but went early and got sat at the bar. Their fryer was not working that day so my favorite rolls were not available. I got the grilled mushroom starter where the enoki mushrooms were phenomenal. The prime suspect roll was good but the sauce was too sweet for a gochujang aioli. Both the inari and okra nigiris were great. I got the spicy miso ramen but did not think the broth was salty or umami enough. The dessert was fun though with mochi donuts, strawberry ice cream, and chocolate covered strawberries. It's a cute date night spot and I will be going back but no ramen next time! read more

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Don't be turned off by the idea of vegan sushi - this place is incredible! Honestly one of my favorite sushi spots in the city and I'm not vegan. Absolutely everything I have ordered has been delicious. My favorites include: the surprise ending, which is pictured here, eggplant nigiri (also pictured), and the gyoza. I have yet to try the ramen but it is next on my list and I'll update this review when I have! Service is always great, very attentive without being over the top. As an FYI, you do need a reservation, even on a week day. I've been lucky enough to score same day rezzies but normally have to plan a week+ in advance. read more

Shizen - Eggplant Nigiri, asparagus Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wait what? A vegan sushi place?! My friends who are not vegan also love the place. Shizen is a unique experience. Speciality rolls are out of the world! Boddy and soul is a must try. The service is fairly quick which I appreciate. The place is cozy. read more

Was a little hesitant coming here initially since I haven't had the best experiences at vegan restaurants, but wow I was so impressed by Shizen. Located on a quieter street in the mission, the entrance is subtle and unassuming, but you walk into a long rectangular dining room with dim lighting and wooden arches on the rooftop. very intimate setting mainly for smaller groups or parties of 2. there's a large selection of sushi rolls on their menu and I loved the unique plant-based options they offered. My friend and I ordered 2 small plates and 2 rolls: Gyoza: well fried with a crispy bottom. There was celery in the filling so that most prominent flavor. Very simple but flavorful appetizer Agedashi tofu: Very large pieces, and I liked how the tofu was firmer with a thin layer of crispiness on the outsider. The shoyu seeped into the tofu nicely and the scallions were a refreshing final touch Proud peacock: Loved how light and refreshing this roll was! Each bite was packed with flavor, the seaweed pearls provided a different texture to the otherwise very smooth vegan fish Boddy and soul: slightly spicy, which gave a nice kick to the rolls. the tofu was fried so it was very flaky and crunchy, and there was a really good combination of spicy and sweet. Super fast service and our waitress was really nice. The food was incredible and I honestly didn't realize I was eating vegan sushi at all. Highly recommend getting a reservation since they have limited seating and popular. Definitely on the pricier end but well worth it if you're looking for a lowkey, classy well rounded dining experience! read more

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Be sure to make a reservation or prepare to wait 30-50min during a busy weekend dinner Once seated the food orders arrived promptly and we enjoyed every order from the karaage to the shio ramen and specialty rolls! read more

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This place lives up to the hype. The shiitake mushroom tempura appetizer was out of this world. Enjoyed everything on the menu - specialty rolls, seaweed salad, soba noodles, etc.... and especially to the dessert! Very unique, with two donuts, some strawberry sorbet, fresh strawberries... plate dotted with flowers. A wonderful way to end the evening. The service was perfect, lovely ambience. One minor comment, early seating lasts 1 1/2 hours before they seat the next reservation... Not something I knew going in or we would've been a little more time efficient. read more

Shizen is one of the best Japanese Restaurants in SF. Great food, Great service and Great ambiance. We have been there dozen of times and it is always five star. read more

very flavoroful and yummy vegan sushi! I wish I couldve tried more but was full off of two rolls and the tofu katsu. The mushroom miso was also really nice to drink. Definitely on the pricier side for sushi and vegetables. Thought the ambiance would be more high end based on the reviews but it felt more casual on a Tuesday evening at 5 pm at least. Service was average. Pretty small restaurant so I felt like I was in the conversations if the people around me read more

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I have been to Shizen multiple times and every time I leave impressed and satisfied. They have several unique and interesting options and I especially love the Body and Soul roll, their shishito peppers, and the miso soup. The staff is very attentive despite how busy and popular it is, and the ambiance is cozy and inviting. Several self-declared carnivore friends of mine end up loving this place so I highly recommend making a reservation as soon as possible! read more

Shizen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food is simply fantastic. Great vibe, wonderful staff. We had a smashing time And will certainly return.

Has always been fantastic. Been coming here for years. Wish the menu switched up every now and then but love it.

This is seriously good vegan sushi spot with a vibrant variety of items to please vegans & omnivores alike. The service & ambiance is alright. It's really all about the food that makes up for the pleasant experience. read more

This was a great vegetarian sushi experience. The portions were good and decently priced. Be sure to make reservations as this place fills up quick. We went with the chef's suggestions. I really enjoyed the prime suspect. The karaage could use more flavor. Service was quick and the ambiance was cozy. Overall a pleasant experience. read more

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Made a reservation for a table for 4 on a Wednesday night at 8. Highly recommend reservations as this place seems to always fill up! We were seated within a few minutes of arrival. The menu was very elaborate with a lot of different options. Enjoyed my time. As someone that hasn't had real sushi but has had a lot of alternatives, I wouldn't say these are the best vegan sushi rolls I've ever had. I found overall the lack of protein variety (most were tofu based protein options) to be underwhelming. However the vegetable dishes (Brussel sprouts and yuba salad) were phenomenal! My favorite roll was boddy and soul. The ambience is very pleasant and you can tell Shizen takes pride in their rolls. I think for someone craving real sushi alternatives this place can hit the spot! I'd definitely love to be back read more

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What a pleasant surprise. I really had low expectations but this meal blew me away. I didn't miss the meat at all and the flavors were so exciting to taste. Secret weapon was outstanding. Just so. much. flavor. Skip California rolls unless you really like them - I just wanted them as a backup if something else wasn't great (everything is great). The mushroom appetizer is so bomb. I can't wait to come back and try the ramen, ceviche, peacock roll. Everything! We live super close by and we're able to be seated at 5 right when they open. There was already a line but we didn't have to wait at all on a Wednesday night. Good service. read more

Shizen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Wow this spot was amazing from the standard of any restaurant and ESPECIALLY because it's fully vegan. Reservations go quick here, and for good reason. I'm already looking forward to coming back on my next visit to SF. First off, the menu undersells all of the dishes and the descriptions are for the most part pretty straightforward and lackluster, but DON'T LET THAT FOOL YOU!! The presentation of the dishes, taste, and flavor were phenomenal even though the menu descriptions sound kind of boring. We ordered the Bean Curd Katsu, Brussels sprouts, Boddy and Soul, Secret Weapon, Foxy Scarlet, and Surprise Ending. The Brussels sprouts you cannot skip. Those are some of the tastiest Brussels sprouts I've ever had, and they were cooked with the perfect crisp and very flavorful. The bean curd katsu was okay, I liked it, but I wouldn't say it was a heavy hitter on the menu in my opinion. And now to the rolls--the Boddy and Soul was life changing. I wish I had ordered two of those rolls to myself, it was delicious. The Secret Weapon was also really tasty. The Surprise Ending was a fun little dame of roulette. And the Foxy Scarlet I could do without just because I'm not a fan of sweet potato in savory dishes. I loved this restaurant, and I can't wait to come back to try the other menu items! read more

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As a vegetarian, I love trying meatless sushi places and was excited to see a Michelin star one! Walking in you can tell it's a busy place - the servers made sure we knew there was a time limit to our reservation. Nice ambiance, very woody and natural decor with natural lighting. Tables seat a max of 4 and we had a group of 7 so they just sat us at adjacent tables which was nice. Servers were all business and very timely. The food was so good! I loved the specialty rolls best and it was fun to play "sushi Rolette" with one of the dishes that included one secret spicy roll. There was also a roll with a flame - some creative options. TBH it wasn't the BEST veg sushi I've had, but it's definitely in my top 5. read more

Honestly delicious. Fun flavors, great textures, and an amazing vegan option in the city.

This place never ceases to amaze me. Amazing food amazing atmosphere. And out of this world prices with it be sure you save up before you come have a date night here you'll be dropping a pretty penny and probably be hungry a few hours later. read more

Absolutely amazing delicious dinner. We made a reservation in advanced so we could have dinner here while visiting the Bay Area. We both loved all our food. Everything was delicious and we were very happy. The architecture is very cool and unique. The rolls were delicious, dessert was also unique and delicious. I like how everything is real food not substitutes everything was so delicious!! read more

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Food: everything we ordered was a hit! Personal favorite was the Open Invitation roll with pumpkin tempura. Nuanced and beautifully presented. We also had the Boddy and Soul (recommended as a crowd pleaser) and Surprise Ending ("suspense" is a listed ingredient) rolls. The asparagus and okra nigiri dishes were also delicious. Drinks: we sampled all three cocktails, secret sake with pineapple was the table's favorite. Service: great from check in to table-side. We received detailed recommendations from our server, who also coordinated with the kitchen to let us know which piece of sushi was spicy (see "suspense" note above). Side note: I ate the spicy one and it was the kind of hot that sneaks up on you. It washed down nicely with the sake shot that came with it! Decor/vibe: wooden panels + greenery = can't go wrong. Low noise level despite it being modestly crowded. Overall: a great place to share dishes and enjoy vegan food in a new and exciting way. Can't wait to come back for more! read more

Shizen - Open Invitation roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Be careful if you have a gluten allergy or other dietary restriction. They served my friend with celiac disease gluten-contaminated food, even though we notified them and requested a separate preparation space in advance, in accordance with their policy. Even though our server admitted to us that she messed up, she tried to rush us out with a full-price check. When we asked to talk to the manager, Ray Wang, he kept interrupting us to blame us, saying it was our fault for not specifying "celiac" verbatim. He then blew up and raised his voice at us, screaming over and over that he'd comp the entire meal but "will not be lectured" and angrily stormed off. Shizen used to be my favorite restaurant. I always recommended it to friends. It was really disturbing and scary to be yelled at by Ray for their own service mistake, which made my friend sick for days. We didn't even want, or ask for, the entire meal comped, we just wanted an apology for their error. read more

Shizen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fun, tasty, vegan sushi. Really like the ambiance here. Getting a seat is sometimes confusing / a pain (they seem to change how they seat people every time I visit) but otherwise a great place to take visitors. read more

Great food and ambiance. I am not big on seafood, so this place fits perfectly. The one room for improvement I can think of is that they do not allow online reservations for more than four people. read more

Best damn vegan restaurant in the city, I swear. Speciality rolls are incredible, agadashi tofu is tasty. Great sake selection. Service is swift. Place is a bit cramped and can be cold in the winter but it's not an issue really. read more

Shizen blew me away. We were seated at the counter as that was the only spot available but turned out to be a great experience. Every roll we had was delicious and really tasted like sushi. I did not feel like I was missing out on fish. The service was superb and the waiter and sushi chef were very friendly, answering all my questions (mainly "what's this? What's that?"). Looking forward to returning! read more

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It was a dark and stormy night when we stepped into the warm and welcoming confines of shizen vegan. My wife is an ovo-lacto vegetarian, and has generally refused to eat in Japanese restaurants because usually there are only 1-2 menu selections that fall within her diet. Thus, an entirely vegan Japanese restaurant is both novel and welcome. The crowd waiting/hoping to be seated, while there were empty tables inside at the time, established that it was a good idea that we had made a reservation several weeks in advance. As a result, we were seated immediately. The menu is quite expensive and imaginative. Thankfully, it is not a matter of making tempeh look like "meat". My wife started with the Nameko mushrooms miso soup. It is a good portion for one person and on a cold night a good way to warm (although I will say that the restaurant was not cold while we were there). The flavor of the miso was a little milder, with the addition of the mushrooms, which had good texture. We then had the shishito peppers which come several on two skewers, and the tempura vegetables. Both are designed to be easily split between two people. The tempura batter had a little bit of saltiness to it, and the peppers, a good char without being burnt. My wife had the lychee cocktail which had good lychee flavor, and bear in mind will be sweet. I had the lemonade, which was sweeter than I was expecting. I also had a glass of the Cabernet, but I would say you are better off going with the sake, than any of the grape-based wines. Following our small plates, we then had the inari and the tomato from the Nigiri memo menu. The inari has an appearance that reminded me of a chiton and the tomato could pass for fatty tuna (see pic). The wasabi is a little mild and did not mix easily into the soy sauce. We then moved on to the specialty rolls: colonel's pipe, foxy scarlet, and surprise ending. The colonel's pipe is a deeper red in appearance because of the beets than the foxy scarlet. This roll includes cashews, which gives some crunch. I was actually surprised not to see more nuts in use on the menu. Although I will observe that sushi is not usually crunchy. On the foxy scarlet, I'm not certain I noticed the black truffle flavor, but it did give a nice appearance similar to black caviar on the roll. We finished with the surprise ending, which is beet forward in flavor, except for the one portion which has the "suspense". The suspense is that one of the portions has habanero aïoli, hidden beneath the beet and wow! I got it on the first portion I selected. Rather than exploding with heat, the burn built up in my mouth or one might say the suspense builds. :-) The order includes a shot, glass of sake for the "winner" who experiences the suspense. The server will warn you before accepting your order for this item. It is worth noting that the service here is collegial. We started by ordering, just the soup, small plates, and Nigiri and drinks. as we were working through those, we then decided to order the specialty rolls. The server who took our initial order was not nearby, so we gave it to another server who placed it for us. Oftentimes a server will not do that, but instead will say they'll get your server to come and take your order. I'm glad that they look out for each other. The bathrooms are clean and the wood seats just comfortable enough to finish your meal in. We are already planning our next visit! PS I would like to see a variety of pickles available as sides. And what about an oshinko roll? read more

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This creative ode to Japanese sushi bars - but with a very San Francisco twist - there's no actual seafood. It's vegan sushi in a contemporary and exciting way, focused on drawing out new flavors out of traditional vegetables. You'll never look at okra the same way again. The plating is superb, and most of the dishes work great. There's a higher-than-expected spice content, and at times the specialty rolls tend to vary in taste from bite to bite, which felt a little inconsistent. But overall, this is an excellent option. The kitchen can handle dietary accommodations adeptly, and we felt secure eating here (boyfriend has Celiac). He was blown away by the meal. I eat out a lot more - and this was very good. The company was my highlight. The food was superb. read more

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This place is astounding for vegans and exemplary still for non-vegans. The dishes here, especially the ones with mushrooms, are reminiscent of fish. The flavor, textures, and layers are innovative. That is not to say, this place does not have its weaknesses. The drink, their margarita, was honestly basal at best. The bean curd katsu is flat. The prime suspect does feel more like you're just eating vegetables, nothing too exciting. The ceviche is great. I think you need just a little bit more to fill up each chip that they give you but I'm happy with it. The stars were the secret weapon and the missing piece, in that order. It is spicy though, the secret weapon, as hot as like 1/8 of a habanero. The secret is great. Every one just gets the job done, no ego, no that's not my table. We didn't have any issues finding "a" server but we did have some issues getting our exact server. Besides that though, the decor aligns exactly with the experience. It's modern, clean, and chic. A great place to take a date to. There's plenty of parking around, even a $20 parking garage if you're so inclined. They have a small waiting area and in general, I recommend you book a table ahead of time. read more

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Shizen serves the best vegan sushi in SF--innovative, delicious, and surprisingly satisfying every visit.

The first and second experience were night and day coming to Shizen. The first time was amazing and that is why we came back - especially since we don't live in SF. We ordered our food right when we sat down and it took 45 minutes before we got anything. We were told by our server that the food gets made in the order it is on the menu - which makes no sense. We ordered the boddy and soul and that didn't arrive until 1.5 hours after ordering. The food was good but was it worth the wait - I don't know. The surprise ending was a cool take on Russian roulette. It was busy and remained busy the whole time. It was 8:00 and our server then told us that the kitchen was closing so we had to put in our dessert order. The kitchen didn't close for two hours. People weren't attentive and we had to flag someone down for the food inquiries. read more

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I'm not vegan or vegetarian, and I was blown away by the sushi rolls from Shizen. We got takeout from here and everything was so tasty, from the crispy lotus root garnished to the sweet potatoes as filling to the eggplant toppings that literally resembled fish so much (especially in terms of texture) that I was a bit shocked. Everything is very flavorful (and the spicy rolls are actually pretty spicy too...) Beware though if you want to dine in, don't come with a big group-- there's not much seating inside. read more

Shizen - Lots of rolls! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had been wanting to try this restaurant since many years and finally got a table at the bar. They have started taking reservations through Yelp or you could go in and get your name added on the waitlist too. The wait time on Saturday night was about 30 mins. The ambiance is good, since I didn't get a table in the seating area, I couldn't go to the far end area to check it out. But its a cozy and vibey place! The food was great, I loved the "body and soul " specialty roll. Its one the popular ones and didn't disappoint. We also got "Second Act" and it was okay. The ceviche was amazing, tangy and sweet! The gyoza was ok.. very generic. I've had better tasting gyoza at some places. I also tried the secret soda and it was nice too! read more

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