There are plenty of sushi places in the city. But if you’re not looking to settle for tourist-trap mediocre fish or drop $100+ for super-high quality fish, there’s a desirable solution. That solution is Ryoko’s – by far one of the best sushi places I’ve tried within the $25 price range. It’s located in the Tenderloin just a walk from Union Square in an understated basement restaurant. In fact, the first time I went I accidentally missed it and walked right by the entrance. Once you enter the restaurant, be prepared to wade through a sizable crowd of people if it’s dinner time. This place has quite a following and gets pretty packed with people waiting for sushi or hanging by the bar area. It’s definitely a lively and loud place, with music playing to boot.
Usually if I’m feeling fish but not ready to commit to a huge sashimi/sushi meal, I’ll default with the Rainbow Roll as a great way to sample the restaurant’s fish. Now every sushi place makes these rolls, but it’s actually quite hard to make a quality Rainbow. The roll set before me at Ryoko’s was a work of art, with large cuts of fresh fish, chef’s choice. From tuna to yellowtail to salmon, every bit was as good as it was fresh – and it was a noticeable freshness! Loved the high-quality ingredients and left feeling satisfied and full. I’ll definitely be going back in the future whenever I’m craving fish!
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