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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Sanraku

Followed the recommendation of a local member of the San Francisco clan and went to Sanraku for a sushi dinner.

The menu was as vegetarian friendly as a typical, no concessions Japanese sushi menu is. There was agedashidofu, edamame, miso soup (with bonito), avocado rolls, cucumber rolls, a tofu salad, and a veggie roll. Missing was the "this is a little something special for the vegetarians" tofu roll. I ended up ordering a veggie roll and a spicy tofu salad to get some protein.

The spicy tofu salad was a beautiful, carefully arranged spread of steamed vegetables and a small brick of fresh firm tofu smothered in a salty, spicy black bean sauce. I found the sauce to be too salty, but the artful arrangement compensated for that deficiency.
The veggie roll was nice enough. It was a large roll (a challenge for the one bite per slice routine) full of green beans, steamed carrot, sprouts and miso. No complaints.
As a vegetarian eating sushi, it is hard to get into the "OMG, this is AMAZING" mindset that fish eaters can get into when eating a piece of really exquisite sushi. I think this is because the qualify and freshness of vegetables and tofu isn't quite so varied as the quality and freshness of fish. Sometimes veggie rolls are better or worse in one place over another, but it is hard for me to declare that one place has AMAZING sushi the way that fish eaters can when they come upon something really spectacular.

The waitress brought out two unexpected plates of fruit to finish the meal, which I thought was a nice touch. Of course the remaining 5 folks at the table had so stuffed themselves on beautiful fish, eel and softshell crab rolls that I more or less ate it all myself.
Sanraku
(415) 369-6166

SOMA
101 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Sanraku on Urbanspoon

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