Roger and Winnie well exceeded our expectations! This was by far the best omakase experience we've ever had! If you're expecting something trendy and quick, please do not come here. This place has so much character and is a family run restaurant with the one and only Roger as the sushi chef. His wife Winnie and daughter support the front of the house. Expect extremely fresh pieces of fish and large portions!! This is also not a set omakase menu! You tell him when you're tapped out! He will take you on a journey of educating you about pairings of sake and beers and crazy types of fish that you've never tried. The omakase is not set because it's all based on what fresh fish he can get his hands on! Please come support him and his family. They're lovely people!!! We snagged the 8pm reservation and left well after closing and we were the last group there. He's 68 years old guys. He's retiring next February so you should experience this level of omakase just once in your life if you're a sushi lover. (We got to 27 courses) read more

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I had heard good things about this place, so I was excited to try it. We ordered three appetizers, eight pieces of nigiri, and the chicken udon. We arrived at 5:30 p.m. They open at 5 p.m., and we were the first customers there. The place is definitely more of a hole-in-the-wall and appears to be family-run. I have nothing against hole-in-the-wall restaurants, but the restaurant was empty and extremely quiet. There was no music playing, so it was complete silence until another couple came in. Even then, I'm not a fan of restaurants that don't play some kind of background music--the silence made the place feel even more lifeless. Onto the food: The grilled sea bass was good. The seaweed cucumber salad was so-so. The mackerel that came with it tasted fishy, which could have been due to it being cured, but I just wasn't a fan. We also ordered the fried tofu, but it didn't come out until near the end of our meal. I'm not sure why it took so long, especially since the kitchen wasn't busy. I enjoyed the scallops and kani (crab). They were sweet, and the scallops had a good texture. The hamachi was my second favorite. Unfortunately, the madai and salmon didn't taste fresh. The toro was probably the worst piece of toro I've ever had--it was extremely fishy in both taste and smell. I've never had toro like that before. The unagi also had a slight sour taste. The stir-fried chicken udon was good. I was also confused by the order in which the food came out--it felt very disorganized. To make matters worse, my boyfriend has been experiencing stomach issues since last night's dinner and is still recovering. Overall, the cooked dishes were pretty good and decent. However, when it comes to the raw items, it may be safer to order more commonly requested dishes, as they're more likely to be made with fresher fish. read more

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Zushi Puzzle came HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended by a friend of mine that loves the Bay area and loves food. After my experience there I also now really really recommend you check this place out. Chef Roger is a gem and master at what he does. Here's a bit more about my experience: -I called and made a reservation about a week out from my trip to San Francisco. I scheduled it for a Friday evening at 6:30 pm -Parking was relatively easy that evening -Our bar seats were ready for us as soon as we arrived, the rest of the restaurant was about half way full. - This place is a no frills kind of location but once you head to the back you can see all of the fresh assortment of the finest fish - The beer was delicious - The food, 10x better. Nicely sized portions of fish (tuna, salmon, soft crab, toro, yellowtail and wagyu. Wooooweee it was all perfect - price was fine, we left so full - the wasabi ice cream & passion fruit sorbet plus the coffee/popcorn ice cream to end it all off - the only thing I didn't love as much was the fact that it took a really long time and we went in not sure what to expect and weren't told anything Chef's kiss Get a reservation asap at Zushi Puzzle read more

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We had reservations to do the omakase experience with Chef Roger, and let me tell you-- it was well worth it! Expect to pay about $400 for 2 including tip. I think if you want to splurge on an omakase experience this one is quite unique. I've been to plenty of omakase restaurants but nothing like this. The ambiance is more casual, but it didn't take away from the experience at all. Chef Roger has a great and hilarious personality. It was fun, the fish was fresh, and I will definitely be sure to return. Bring a friend or significant other to enjoy this experience with! read more

Came on a whim, no reservation or anything so I sat in the main part of the restaurant. I was early, came right at opening, and they were still setting up, so it took a while for service. Server seemed a bit flustered but no big deal. Fish was great and the soft shell crab is very flavorful. I could tell that sitting at the bar was the way to go from overhearing conversations. Nice find and reasonable prices. read more

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Experience at the bar was amazing Food was impeccable. Never had such an amazing time eating seafood before. Changed my mind on how icky uni used to be and how amazing it tastes when prepared just right. Taken on a mouth watering and mouth orgasmic ride. So many courses I tapped out before the end Will definitely be back to make it through the entire course. Thank you!! read more

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Enjoy sushi restaurants ..mystery ..sushi SF ...old times sushi ..funny ..in marina ..lots of sushi ..California roll

Unreal experience! Did omakase with another couple and it was incredible. Sat at chef Roger's table I believe there are 8 spots and it was such an intimate experience. Some of the best quality fish I have ever had. The hand roll was to die for as well as the salmon and toro. Can't wait to go back and experience it again! read more

Zushi Puzzle - Omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Make a reservation at the bar and let chef Roger take care of the menu, an unbelievable sushi experience. Can't recommend it enough. read more

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This place is authentic and provides excellent quality fish. They have daily specials with unique fish options that vary daily. Friendly staff and nice spot with Japanese decorated interiors. read more

Zushi Puzzle - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is the best sushi in San Francisco. First thing you need to know - make a reservation at the sushi counter for casual omakase, not a regular table. Second thing you need to know - Roger is a sushi master. An absolute master. Eat whatever he gives you, because each subsequent bite will blow your mind. The sushi is such high quality that it melts in your mouth, and you might even try to try incredible types of fish you've never had before. I couldn't possibly recommend this place more highly, and we'll keep coming back time and time again! read more

I haven't been to this bad of a restaurant in a long time. I'm so confused how these reviews are good. Ambiance was very depressing. We walk in to 4 tables of 3 people or less and the waitress tells us she is stressed bc they're in SLAMMED?? She was not helpful at all and seemed to purposefully ignore us when we were looking for service or had a questions. The food was all bad. I like grocery store sushi and this was severely worse. We got gyoza (fine), hamachi (eh) and tuna hand roll (AWFUL) and then cancelled the rest of our order. I would NOT recommend. read more

My go-to casual sushi spot in a neighborhood with many solid choices. Dinner here is no-frills, well-priced, and fresh. The service is quick, and we were given a small bowl of complimentary edamame. On my recent visit, we ordered the following (~$60 without tip): - Agedashi tofu - SO good, light and crispy - Best handrolls (off-menu) - must order, delicious softshell crab & spicy tuna - Caterpillar roll - Romeo & Juliet roll read more

Zushi Puzzle - Caterpillar Roll, best hand roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great sushi! All of the rolls that we had were wonderful and fresh. Everyone was very nice. We really enjoyed this little spot! Highly recommend! read more

Ordered Romeo & Juliet and the chef put expired salmon inside and tried to mask it with sauce. When I opened up the roll, it smelled rotten and ended up vomiting at home. Nigiri was fresh bc the chef cannot hide the old product. read more

Chef Roger gave us an incredible omakase experience. The place is modest looking, but putting ourselves in Roger's hands turned out to be a great decision. He gave us many delicious, and unconventional, pieces, and explained quite a bit too about how to eat and what we were eating. Please go! read more

Wow, incredible dining experience ! Make sure you sit with Roger at the back sushi bar ! He is funny & knowledgeable and makes the most incredible dishes ! He just brings out plate after plate out, you don't event have to bother to order ! Each plate was aesthetically pleasing & mouth-watering good. His selection of fish were delicious , ended with a great dessert. Nice selection of sake too ! 20/10 recommend ! Will definitely be back. read more

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Great service and all star quality sushi. The sushi is always fresh and hits the same each and every time. Hands down the best toro I've ever had in SF. read more

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We really wanted to like this place, but it's not authentic Japanese. The salmon lover we got came with Unagi sauce which my daughter didn't like. the five piece sushi with hand roll also ended up with some unagi sauce. Not impressed. The chicken udon broth was off too. Chinese owned Japanese that is a bit more Chinese. We will not be back. read more

Foods are ok, nothing special, pretty excited when we saw the blue fin tuna, the quality cannot compare with what we ate in Hawaii. The rolls and other sashimi are relatively good read more

I popped in unaware of the life altering journey I was about to go on. Roger is a king, he rules the small sushi bar in the back like an unapologetic ruler of all things sushi. If you go you must sit at the bar and let Roger guide the experience for you. We just sat down and didn't even glance at the menu he knew exactly what we needed. He treats sushi like an experience and a moment to learn and correct all of the mass produced bs we call sushi in our modern world. He uses the freshest of fish sourced from Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Australia, Spain, and Korea. Zushi Puzzle is not a fancy looking place, he is not very kind but you have to let yourself go in the moment and truly enjoy the pilgrimage. read more

Delicious Sushi, sitting at the bar with Roger makes it an evening to remember. Pricing is honest for the quality of the food but worth every morsel read more

Sat at the bar and Roger gave us an unforgettable night of classics with unique twists plus rare and one-of-a-kind dishes. From the delicious and perfectly paired sake to the specialty hand roll (one of the best I've ever had), toro flights including aged toro and kama toro, to the wagyu nigiri with shaved foie gras, halibut and shaved monkfish liver, and perfect finish with dessert, this was our first but will not be our last time stopping in. read more

Sat at the bar for my wife's bday omakase dinner and Roger, the sushi chef/owner, did not disappoint! Some of the best fish I've ever had, great conversation as well, Roger is very knowledgeable! Some of the major highlights. 2 kinds of uni on soft tofu (Roger prefers it this way and wow it's good), yellowtail nigiri, blue fin tuna a few ways , soft shell crab hand roll and last but not least a5 Japanese wagyu nigiri with shaved foie gras! Had about 15 courses each, came out to $200 each and that's with a big bottle of sake, tax and tip. Worth every penny! 10/10 read more

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We came here because of the good reviews and our friend recommended it. As soon as we stepped foot in the door, it smelled fishy like a pet shop. We decided to stay because our friend recommended it. We were sat and given complimentary edamame. It was just okay. Then we ordered several rolls and nigiri. It wasn't awful but nothing special. Everything we ate was a 4/10. The service was good, our server was very nice and attentive. I would not return to Zushi Puzzle or recommend this restaurant. read more

Wow! Sit at the bar and say yes to everything Roger offers. We had the pleasure of getting the best seat in the house right next to Roger and going on a 2.5 hour journey with him as he shared his passion and love for creating a seriously memorable and engaging omakase experience. It was our first time here, I wasn't sure what to expect but I was intrigued by the other high reviews and praise from other guest's reviews. I can now confidently say this is a true diamond in the rough. It's an unpretentious space and while Roger can seem a bit gruff at first, he is an absolute delight. We felt as if we were dining in his home and his staff only added to the welcoming atmosphere. Rogers style is his own and he has it down pat. You just have to trust his process and experience the magic. He has been sharing his gift for the last 22 years and has received many years of Michelin and Zagat praise as well as a serious following of supportive customers. This is one of those meals that will stay in my mind forever. I am honored to have had shared this experience with him and look forward to the next visit. read more

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This is an ok sushi establishment - not a great one. I'm not saying this out of spite, but rather in an effort to give ZP the honest review I think it deserves. The two glaring issues that stood out to me were: (1) the amateur-ish way the chef cut the fish - while tasty, the presentation quality did not represent the skills of a well-trained sushi chef; and (2) the pacing of the wait service was way off - it felt brash and rushed throughout the evening (i.e. not very Japanese). I understand that this is not a Japanese-owned place, but the experience could be improved by applying these simple rules: 1. Only come back once to politely ask patrons if they're ready to order. 2. Don't push a dish unless patrons ask for suggestions. 3. Ask if guests are done before removing items from the table. 4. Bring out the food in the correct order - i.e. appetizers, then entrees, then dessert. 5. Never give your patrons the impression that you're in a hurry to get their order in and get them out. There's more I could say, but as I said - I'm not trying to ding them for not being traditional. The thing is, if you're are going to charge a premium for your food and represent yourself as a "sushi restaurant," you have to expect reviews like this. BB read more

Loved this place. Found this place on Apple Maps and chose to go on a recent trip to SF with a friend. We sat at the bar and Chef Roger was absolutely amazing! You only order your drinks. He makes the sushi for you based on what he has. Make sure you try everything he has because he may not have it next time. We were the last ones there with three others and even after we paid our bill he was still talking to us and showing us pictures. Let's you know it's not just about getting your money. The experience was absolutely fantastic! I will definitely go back. read more

Pros: It's great fresh fish. It all tastes great. Affordable. Great staff. Will eat here again. Con: I feel duped with the rolls. Most of the cut rolls with "fish filling" are chopped up remnants of the fish mixed in with rice and then rolled into more rice. I eat a lot of sushi and haven't seen such a skimpy filling or the trick with the fish chopped up with rice and then rolled with rice. Inflation I guess. I'd still come back but just not get cut rolls. read more

Zushi Puzzle - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This restaurant is no doubt one of the best choices you could make. Read through some yelp reviews and you will as a long line of individuals who have gone through a shared experience. First, this place is not super "fancy" omakase. They make sure to take care of the things that matter, great fish, great service and a friendly environment to share a meal. I can undoubtedly say I would spend every dollar I spent here 10x over to the family that runs it. Fish was 15/10 and the feeling I had leaving the restaurant is something I believe I will cherish the rest of my life. Roger cares so much about the experience that every person has, and it makes it feel extra special. read more

AMAZING fish and sushi at very reasonable price. Pieces were big as well. I don't know where you can find a better price to fish quality place. They get their fish fresh from various parts of the world. The server was knowledgeable and recommended unique tasty fish. 1000000/10 recommend! read more

I don't even know where to begin. Just go. Do the omakase and don't ask questions. Just eat what Roger feeds you. We have had expensive Japanese in SF, this is by far the freshest and most innovative. Approachable, fresh fish done in a whimsical way. Would bring anyone here that I'm looking to impress. "Cooking is sharing, there are no secrets" -Roger read more

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So much to say about this place. The discreet appearance from outside would mislead anyone from thinking that they are about to have one of the greatest food experiences of their life. You must sit at the bar to truly appreciate the artistry of the star of the experience, Roger, the owner and chef. Sit back and let Roger explain the processes and approach that lead to the ecstatic sushi journey that roger will take you on if you let him. It's not just the great fish, its the passion that roger has in explaining how to best enjoy each cut, How to truly take in the entire experience. Please make this a must in your list if you really enjoy the art behind a great food experience! read more

Zushi Puzzle - Roger!!! Doing his thing!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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i came back to this restaurant on 1/23 in the evening, the cuts of fish were clearly ragged at the edges, not from the same quality of premium cuts I got when I came here for the first time. Some of the rice on two of the nigiris fell apart when I tried to dip it upside down in the soy sauce. I was clearly given the cuts of fish that were leftover from some other sushi roll that the chef made. read more

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This place is a hole in the wall, actually walked completely past the restaurant on my way there, but very good sushi - absolutely worth it! I went with a friend and we paid $35 each for edamame, miso soup, gyoza, 1 regular roll, and 2 speciality rolls. If you're not concerned about aesthetics, then this is your place. All around great food at a decent price! read more

Zushi Puzzle - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

OK I think the reason why this place has 4 stars is because lots of drunk people come here and they don't know what they're talking about because this place is pretty awful lol We ordered: - ocean trout nigiri - Scottish salmon nigiri - toro nigiri - PR roll - hamachi (or halibut) truffle sashimi The quality of the fish here is off, to the point where my friend spat out the Scottish salmon nigiri mid-bite. We notified the server and he took it off our bill so +1 star. The sauce on the hamachi truffle is probably the only good thing here. I wish I could say more about the PR roll, but it was like 90% rice and 10% everything else (see photo), so it mostly just tasted like... rice and soy sauce. The fish slices are just so thin even for the toro. It was one of the thinnest and grossest toro pieces I've ever had. Anyways, not worth your money. Go to Elephant Sushi or Kuma instead. read more

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Some of the best and freshest sushi I've ever had and I can't wait to come back here. My friend and I actually let our server order for us and everything he brought to the table was sooo good. He also recommended this delicious dry sake that paired very well with the sushi. I believe his name is John. He was an awesome server and knew all the right things to order for us. I highly recommend these items: Hirame Izukuri with habanero truffle ponzu Spicy tuna soft shell crab hand-roll (I don't think this was on the menu. Our server recommended it.) Hamachi (always a crowd pleaser!) Kanpachi (oh, this was probably my favorite fish we ordered. This and the salmon.) Salmon (from New Zealand. It had this wonderful hint of savoriness that you don't taste in Atlantic salmon) Ocean trout Aged tuna Fatty tuna Uni If you're not sure what to order, just ask the servers and I'm sure they will point you in the right direction. read more

We went for our anniversary dinner, and sat in the back sushi bar. Apparently, there is a world of difference between the front restaurant and the back sushi bar. This is a review of the sushi bar. Moving on! There is no set menu omakase, it's chef's choice, and you can tell him what you want/don't want, allergies, etc. 8 bar seats in the back, unpretentious and laid back setting. I've done a few omakase dinners, and have eaten plenty of Japanese food/sushi both in the US, and in Japan. Roger's is different. Not bad, just different! I love a good nigiri, but having a new spin on an old favorite is always welcome in my book. Roger seems to lean a bit more into sauces and toppings, often to great effect. So if you're looking for something just a bit different, I definitely recommend. Of note was the Mendocino uni, which he noted was live. It was nigiri style with a small tempura shiso leaf (love shiso), a touch of truffle oil, and a few sesame seeds. Yes, a lot of flavors, and you might wonder if the uni gets lost, but the strong uni flavor came through and was accentuated by the other flavors. I don't say this often, but I did not want to move on to the next piece, because the flavor and experience was lingering and it was so good. We sat with a fun group of guys celebrating a birthday. Have fun and get to know your bar mates, Roger also got our names and asked us things individually. The birthday guys said to go with whatever sake Roger recommended, it was very good (though $100 for the bottle!). A lot of reviews say Roger will talk with you about his craft, I think our experience was nominated because our bar mates were having pretty lively conversations, and a few of them were regulars. After they went on their way, we had some fun and informative conversations with Roger. We were there for a bit over 2hrs. I was told first seating is at 6:30, and second seating follows. We had reservations for 8:30 and we started around then. High quality sushi and fish, interesting spins on familiar dishes, relaxed setting, service was very good (server never let our waters get empty, took away empty dishes promptly), great atmosphere. Tldr: a slightly nontraditional delicious sushi experience, great atmosphere, I would go back. read more

Zushi Puzzle - Really good sake recommendation - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best sushi I've ever had. Came here on a recommendation to sit at the bar and Roger was great. We sat down and Roger asked us to go into the experience with an open mind. We thought we would order a few rolls and take his recommendations but that was not the case. We ended up having a 10-14 course omakase experience and it was great. Each one better than the last and everyone at the bar was having a great time. What we thought would be a 30 min dinner turned into a 3 hour fully immersive experience. Some of the freshest fish I've ever had and definitely a treat. There weren't any prices at the beginning so we had no idea what to expect but with the quality of the fish and the knowledge from Roger it was worth the experience. Expect around $300 for 2 people. That included all 10-14 courses plus drinks (we had 2 beers each). read more

I have to admit, I've always held Zushi Puzzle's name and location against it a little, even not having ever tried it. Finally got a chance to come here on a weeknight, and it was surprisingly empty in the front room even though the counter was absolutely packed! Probably have to book early if we want to try doing that next time. Tried the 9-piece nigiri that came with a soft shell crab hand roll - I'm not typically a fan of soft shell crab but this was absolutely delicious! The karaage was also very solid, but I really haven't met a chicken karaage that I've not liked. They also give out free edamame for the table, only complaint here was that our waiter abruptly took it away when he brought our nigiri (even though we only had two beans out of the bowl) and then was a little bit rude when we asked about it... read more