Hime

No comment about the food — just to say, if you call the number listed for the restaurant, someone answers and says «no, we’re open!».
So, it doesn’t seem they are closed.
I put in 4 stars because Unilocal wanted something.

Let me save Unilocalers the trip. After receiving my ROTD,
I called Hime, Justin Lim was right, they are now closed.
I loved their toro and hamachi.
Now, …
Transforming to «a global tapas bar»
I have been in the food industry as a food writer and worked for Culinary School. Another restaurant victim to lack of operation management.
Hint.
{Don’t start a restaurant, start a food cart.
Make mistakes, but make them fast.
Customers are king. Listen to feedback.
Use social network for marketing. Build following,
find restaurant with value rent. Become destination.
Be remarkable. Remarkable = something worth talking about, try a 3 foot hot dog or a super big bowl of Phở}
Refer to: Ike’s Place + San Tung, they have a long outside. Go to Santa Ramen, they have a cult following. Bad economy is just a lame excuse.

Why am I writing a review of a place that’s now closed? I must really miss the food there.
This was the place that got me addicted to the miso-​glazed eggplant. I spent endless hour trying to recreate that sensation just after that one fateful bite. And then there was the O toro. I still remember how that softness and tenderness gently melted on my tongue. When I close my eyes, I can almost taste the smooth buttery flavor in my month. Was it really love at first sight? Or it was all just my mere imagination?
Hime you will live in my memory forever. One day we shall meet again.

Kinda bummmed that this place is closing tonight, considering my first time eating there was two nights ago. The customer service was epic. I was thrilled by the amount of Japanese conversations I heard while walking to our table. We ordered the seafood okonomiyaki, squid tempura, hamachi nigiri, and the princess roll. It was a great evening, only overshadowed by the sadness the sign by the door created: Closing. Recessions suck. :(.

As a sushi lover, I’m willing to travel near or far to try new sushi restaurants. & Hime, being over 45 minutes away, did not disappoint the numerous times I’ve been here.
Ambiance of the place was dope. The décor is sleek, modern & overall sick! The music they have playing is lounge music (one night they had a personal artist fave, Thievery Corp playing. good music always a plus).
Their customer service was superb, very attentive, but never overly attentive. Waitresses are very knowledgeable of the menu & drinks.
Perfect place to meet up with friends, have a drink after work, and even have a good conversation. The spot attracts trendy, good looking individuals. kudos! They have a private free parking lot on the sides & behind the building, again, much props.
All their food is very fresh & always hits the spot. Their Hime roll in particular is off the hook so TRY IT!.. their fresh sashimi should also not be overlooked. reservations accepted & the price is worth the quality of food they dish out. Also, they’ve got happy hour ($ 1 Japanese Draft Beer) Wed, Thurs & Sunday from 5:30 to closing.
If you decide to eat here with more than a party of two, I recommend making reservations, but other than that, it’s definitely doable for a walk in party of two.
Overall, great sushi great vibes great service

Mango Sake: deliciously dangerous-​overdrinking alert!
Okonomiyaki: seafood pancake done right, the 2^nd time I had it they kinda skimped on the seafood…
Braised beef: huge portion as an appetizer! It was delicious, the broth goes great with some white rice!
Princess Rolls: huge portion again! Not a huge fan of fancy rolls, but it’s pretty darn good.
Ankimo: delicious heavenly little bites!
This place is so underrated! The price is so reasonable, and the food is pretty great! Not a place you go for nigiri, but really good «cooked» food! Easy parking, cool bar, I love the place.

I booked a birthday dinner for 14 for for roommate here and was overall very impressed.
All the dishes were great (I was especially a fan of their monkfish liver) and the service was well coordinated for our gang.
They even put together sake bombs for us even though it wasn’t on the menu. Overall fantastic quality, nice venue and friendly service — I will definitely be back!
This would be a five star review if the food cost 20% less.

It was one of those days where you just crave sushi. I scrolled through my bookmarks and landed upon Hime. We got there around 7:30, and the place was packed. There was a large party coming in, so we had to eat at the bar… the alcohol bar… there’s no sushi bar. Eating at the bar wasn’t too bad. Our waitress was attentive, and helpful for recommending sushi.
Here’s what we ordered:
–Hamachi Jalapeño Sashimi Style (
)
–Dynamite (
)
–Marina Roll and Yakuza Roll (
)
–Hime Roll (
)
All of the food was very good. The sashimi and sushi was very fresh. The Hamachi Jalapeño was yummy. The jalapenos were just perfect… not too spicy. The sauce on the Dynamite was nice and creamy… so goood! The Hime Roll did us in. We didn’t know it would be that big, and we were stuffed! The beer and sake probably didn’t help either.
Hime is a cute little restaurant with nice décor. I would recommend making reservations, especially for a Saturday night. Eating at the bar is definitely doable for a party of two. The best part about this place is that they have a parking lot. Free parking in SF!!!

in a city filled with superb sushi joints, hime just can’t compete. Relative to the options, it’s just mediocre.
I ate here with a group of 8 friends on a Friday night. The place was sadly only half full, a bad sign for a place in the city with free parking.
highlights included the lobster roll, the jalapeño/​tuna sashimi, and unfiltered sake. mishaps were the tuna tar tar (it was cooked!?) and the mojito (really rum and lemonade in disguise). to top things off, they didn’t have mochi.
Nothing compelled me to want to eat here again.

I came here to celebrate my friend’s 19^th birthday. It was a small party of four. The restaurant was a lot smaller than I anticipated. When we got there, there were only two other tables filled.
I ordered the Dynamite Roll. It was delicious. There were six pieces topped with little scallops and shrimp in some sauce. The birthday girl ordered the California Roll. She could’ve sworn it was tuna and not crab though. She really hated it and asked them if they accidently put tuna instead of crab. They reassured her it was crab and even offered to make her a new roll but she said it was fine.
They also accidently brought us a soda that we didn’t order but they let us keep it anyways. Their bathroom was amazing. It was super clean and sparkly. It was great that there was parking right next to the restaurant. I kind of thought the price was a little high. It was $ 10.95 for the roll alone. I don’t think I’ll be back soon.

Great place to enjoy Japanese food with a group, especially if not everyone likes it raw. Not nearly as fancy as the website pictures suggest, which is a good thing. Yes, they have their own parking, but those spots get filled up quickly so be prepared to do some eagle-​eye scouting.
Our group of 8 tried a variety of things, some better than others, but overall everyone was happy with the food and service. We ordered way too much, so you get the advantage of our opinions and gluttony.
Order:
Spicy Scallops on Crispy Rice — highly recommend — moist scallops on top of a flattened arancini-​type cake, spicy mayo, jalapeño.
Calamari Japanese Style — has a little kick, hearty but not too heavy
Seafood Gyoza — good but hard to share
Seafood Okonomiaki — part of the fun is watching the bonito flakes wave at you as they set down the plate. Different. Good.
Organic Green Salad — simple greens, but the yuzu dressing makes it special.
Rolls: Lobster, Heaven, Geisha, Samurai, Ninja, Yokozuna, Marina
Skip:
Tuna Tartare — as it says on the menu, this is ground tuna, not the gem-​like cubes that I prefer. Consistency is more like cat food than fish, so order something else
Kobe Style Beef Croquettes — I was expecting more of a beefy taste with these beef balls. All I tasted was potato, which to me is a waste of the kobe. Somewhat bland.
Rolls: Kobe
Also, reasonably priced. All of this with drinks came out to about $ 50pp, with all of us leaving with very full bellies and a reasonable buzz. If you like Izakaya-​style eating, this is the best you will probably get in SF.

It’s 6:30pm on a Friday and Hime is deserted. Am I in Sacramento?!
Recently I’ve been to a bunch of sushi restaurants, of which some of them have impressed me in both quality and price. How Hime compares…
Appetizers: Small, didn’t really like the spicy tuna on crispy rice because it tasted like the rice stuck at the bottom of my crappy rice cooker.
Rolls: Pretty. Pretty pricey. Innovative. Not as tasty or affordable as Kabuto. Actually on par with Tataki.
Sashimi: YUM. Very fresh.
Dessert: Meh. Just added another $ 15 to the bill… crap.

meh

Sushi is incredibly fun in the company of people with little chopstick skills. My former roommate in London came to visit on Friday night, and I had a smashing time here watching her destroy every creation just by picking it up. Haha. (Just kidding, Betsy!)
We began with the Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice ($ 7). SO OISHII («delicious» in Japanese – indeed, it was so mouthwatering that I had to say it in the native tongue of the food). The spicy tuna was off-​color but on par with the best I’ve had, and the crispy rice provided a pleasant contrast in texture. I could’ve eaten all of this by myself (and I did), after offering my friend… one. Haha.
We then split the Dynamite Roll ($ 10.95) and the Yokuzuna Roll ($ 14.50). The Dynamite Roll had bits of scallop and shrimp, which I always welcome. It was solid and not overpowering – I absolutely hate it when sushi is drowned in eel sauce, spicy sauce, or god forbid – kewpie mayonnaise – and I can’t taste the rice. The rice is key! The Yokuzuna Roll was even better – it blew up the Dynamite Roll. There was a boatload of softshell crab AND crabmeat AND eel. I felt like the captain in this seafood paradise. Although on the expensive side, this roll is huge – I dare say you’re getting your money’s worth in the Marina.
I also had the Mango Sake, which was sweet and not strong – just the way I like it when I don’t want to fend off the Asian glow. This was a perfect substitute for dessert as well. Now that I have to eat more to keep warm for the Winter and exercise less to keep up with school, I enjoy avoiding dessert when possible.
This is a cool restaurant with cute servers and something for everything. You’ll need to bring your chopsticks skills, though, because the sushi is big and they don’t hold well – alternatively you can just eat edamame all night. I’ll definitely return.

Four stars for… ambiance, friendly service, creative dishes and the FEMALE sushi chef!
I’ve never seen a chick behind the sushi bar. She is my new hero!
My bf took me here for his celebratory bonus dinner :) He promised me the best hamachi in town!
How did Hime match up to our standards? I say not too shabby. We ordered two rolls with Hamachi, the Jennifer Roll and the Geisha Roll.
Jennifer was melt in your mouth divine! Geisha however was ook. I didn’t like that the hamachi was grilled. Bring it to me raw!
We also had the Tuna Tartare. Let me say that was the best chips and dip I’ve ever had!
Overall, Hime was good… I take away one star because it didn’t completely blow my mind. The décor from the dining room to the bathroom was impressive though!
Another plus… they have a parking lot! and… its free!
I think I’d come back :)

Have you been back to Hime lately? They’ve made some significant changes — for the good — adding some very interesting authentic Japanese food items. When people asked me if there are any good Izakaya (drinking places with small dishes) in San Francisco, I kept naming South Bay Izakayas like Gochi (
) or Hoshi (
), but struggled to name quality places in the city. Now, I can proudly direct them to Hime.
I enjoyed the new dishes at Hime because the quality and execution reminded me of the popular restaurants found in modern day Tokyo, not Izakaya dishes from Showa Period (one generation ago). I understand that many people don’t care about the quality of food at Izakaya, since the primary objective is drinking, but for me, I prefer places like Hime that uses quality ingredients with nice preparation. Unlike some places, they also don’t artificially enlarge their menu items by including easy-​to-​make («tenuki’) frozen food items. Therefore, if you like Izakaya with pages of choices like Izakaya Mai (
) in San Mateo, you might be disappointed, but know that Hime is proud of all items listed on their menu. You can even go there just to eat their yakitori.
DECOR: Same as before — hip and cool. Sure, not the typical Izakaya atmosphere, but who can complain for the place looking so nice?
DISHES you should try:
Kobe Style Beef beef suji nikomi ($ 5)
Kobe Style Beef Croquette ($ 4)
Mentai Mochi Okonomiyaki ($ 9)
Seafood gyoza ($ 4.5)
Tukune w/​poached egg ($ 3.5)
DRINKS: Draft Sapporo and Kirin Beer ($ 5). Pretty good sake list.
PRICE: Varies on what you get, but generally, prices are cheaper than old Hime.
A sample dinner for two:
$ 8.3 Suzuki Carpaccio
$ 5 Beef Suji nikomi
$ 4.5 Seafood gyoza
$ 9 Mentai Mochi Okonomiyaki
$ 3.5 Yakitori
$ 3.5 Tukune
$ 4 Beef Croquette
$ 2 Bowl of rice
$ 5 Kirin Beer
$ 5 Sapporo Beer
$ 11 Tip and taxes
— — — — — — — — —
$ 61 Total for two people
PARKING: Free parking lot next to the restaurant. 6 – 8 spaces, so arrive early.
— – My Original Review — — — -
Going to Hime, a sleek Japanese restaurant that opened in the summer of 2006, it made me think about ranking of the best looking Japanese restaurants in SF I’ve been to so far.
1. Ozumo (
)
2. Hime
3. Bushi-​Tei (
)
4. Chaya (
)
Hime means princess, pronounced ‘Hee-​meh’, not ‘Hyme’ or ‘High-​Mee’. To a Japanese, the name is ‘dasai’(not cool), and you won’t find too many restaurants in Tokyo with such name — perhaps cheap pub bar.
FOOD: As you might expect, when you eat at a sleek restaurant like Hime, you are paying for the décor, which means high prices for small portion sizes. There are occasions where you want the good atmosphere, so I don’t hold this against them. Owner makes rounds to the tables taking about the greatness of his restaurant, that workers come in early in the morning and works until very late at night, that they buy a whole fish (like tuna) and process the fish themselves. To his credit, sashimi did taste fresh and tasty. However, I was not impressed with anything other than their raw fish. Spicy seafood teppanyaki ($ 12.80) was a joke. Jidori kushi yaki ($ 12.80) was average to poor. Black cod saikyomiso yaki ($ 21) was definitely not worth the price. Their rolls were o.k., but not that good.
SUMMARY:
Japanese people will likely avoid Hime, which is fine, because I don’t think Hime is marketing their restaurant to serve the Japanese population. I give them above average rating because it’s a good place for me to take a non-​Japanese guest for them to try good quality sashimi. I would rather take people to Hime than one of those so-​called-​sushi restaurants popular for those creative American rolls. I do want to go back to Hime to try their Unagi (eel), which the owner claimed they cook themselves, which almost no Japanese restaurant in North America does.

I’ve been to this sushi place twice and on this second visit was underwhelmed.
First the good, the nigori was excellent, I love unfiltered sake, delicious. The seaweed salad was decent as well as the miso soup — not to salty just the way I like it. I enjoyed the tempura hamachi roll, and the the kobe beef was pretty solid if you’re in the mood for cow. I also appreciate the hello and good bye from the chefs. I just like the cheesiness get over it :).
Now the not so good. The menu had stains on them, the paper they were printed on was also somewhat bent, come on guys you can print out a fresh supply everyday if you want to look your best. The sushi came out in a mishmash of combos, so one person at our table didn’t eat until the end. There could easily be a better system here. Create one roll from each unique persons order then repeat until done. The python code would look like this:
while (!food_order.is_complete ()) :
items_​to_​cook = food_order.get_one_item_per_person ();
sushi = sushi_chef.create (items_​to_​cook)
server. delivery (sushi)
The bathroom was solid. I like the candles and mirror as you come out of the bathroom. That part of the restaurants has what the other part of the main interior lacks which is intimacy. This place is not a quite intimate spot. It’s better for groups of 6 — 8 that aren’t worried about getting laid tonight. Also, the other algorithm missing from this place is that they never remembered which person ordered which dish/​drink/​app etc. So they would come over with a beer and have no idea which seat position ordered. This could easily be fixed by having the server record the seat position with each item ordered so the delivery would be smoother. Eh what do I know I’m just a programmer :).
All in all I like this place for big groups. I would come back here just not in a rush and not for a date.

$ 10 for valet? What’s the point of having a parking lot if you are going to gouge your customers for every single penny that they have?
The sushi is fantastic, but it is expensive. I had 2 rolls (a shrimp tempura and a Philadelphia, the two most normal rolls) and 2 drinks and put down $ 50 for a group of 4. That is a lot in my book.
Their cocktails can use some work.
I’d go again. If I wasn’t planning on drinking or if I got a big raise.

Eichii and his staff have created something special in Hime (pronounced he-​may). You definitely forget that you just walked in off Lombard Street, that’s for sure. The name, Japanese for princess, is a perfect one. The interior space is intimate and inviting, with its bamboo walls and warm colors. There is a side almost hidden bar towards the back, perfect for a drink before or after your meal.
You’re in for a culinary adventure once you do sit down for dinner. The entire staff is gracious, and are more than ready to explain any of the dishes. Be warned, their enthusiasm is contagious! When I was there last week, we were entertained with a few fishing stories and some illuminating explanations about various sakes, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
The Japanese Garden is a fun way to start, as you’ll try vegetables with textures and sauces unlike most you’ve ever experienced. From here, move onto some raw seafood: I was very pleased with the wild salmon as well as the farm-​raised variation, the fresh unagi, and the blue fin tuna.
One small dish of special note is the Hirame Kobujime, which is fluke topped with a wasabi salt. The dish comes with the salted bones of the fluke — fried — and surprisingly tasty.
For big dishes, the Kobe style beef with yuzu pepper is like butter. I’m serious, it’ll melt in your mouth if you let it. I found the transition from fish to beef natural and complementary, once again kudos to the kitchen.
Hime’s sake selection is impeccable — my advise is to let your server guide you with some selections. Being a fan of True Sake in Hayes Valley, I’m still amazed by the flavors and complexities that sake offers.
I suppose the overall style of cuisine would be classified as Japanese fusion. I’ll just consider it really damn good food that’s fit for a princess.
P. S. Thanks Eichii, for bringing sexy back to the Marina.

From the same owner of Shabuway in San Mateo, this 4-​month new Japanese restaurant in the Marina is sleek and stylish and has a cool vibe. The location is probably not ideal for a hip restaurant like this — you might miss it because it’s situated between IHOP and some motels on Lombard. I had dinner here with Raoul, who was able to get reservations on Opentable fairly easily. We were greeted by a sharply dressed host and got seated near the back bar. The space is modern and furnished with espresso and rosewood tables and chairs. The lighting and music creates a sexy loungey mood, but it can get a little loud.
Our server was really friendly and informative, pointing out the different varieties of unagi and maguro on the menu and suggesting what we should try. I ordered the baked black cod in saikyo miso sauce, which was incredibly fluffy but a bit too salty to eat without rice. The presentation of the dish was wonderful, with great attention to detail to all the garnishes. We also had the dragon roll which was very good. The best part of the meal was the Chocolate Chocolate dessert, which I regret not getting an order to myself. The chocolate mousse was heavenly and the scoop of chocolate ice cream on the side was a perfect combination — not too rich or sweet. We also ordered the homemade milk Panna Cotta, which was silky smooth with a mound of tiny bits of mango on top. It was also good, but the Chocolate Chocolate was the absolute favorite of the both of us. Too good to share, really.
The menu is a little on the pricey side, but you do pay for the ambiance and quality of food. Try to go with a group of friends and order several rolls and hot and cold dishes to share.