Shima Sushi

We ate here before trying out the symphony a block away. We had a really nice server and they had a good selection of rolls and sashimi. We can tell that they use fresh fish so all the rolls very good. They also allow you to upgrade the CA rolls for a nominal fee to include real crab and Jenny actually ate all of them which is rare.
Our only disappointment is that the website says that there is a happy hour discount for their specialty rolls and sake. When we asked for the happy hour menu, the server informed us that the special ended two months ago and that the website was wrong. Ummmm hello? It’s your site!

Just a typical Americanized sushi-​tempura-​teriyaki place. Nice large dining room. It’s now CLOSED. It was very convenient to dine here, if u came to see a movie at the Opera Plaza Cinema.
In this area, for better quality go to: Kyoto Sushi, Wayo Sushi or that new karaōke place YamaSho. At least the food was a bit better than the horrible Sushi Hana, a couple of blocks away. Sheez, why didn’t that place close instead of this one.

It pays to explore! I was headed to Max’s Opera Plaza on Van Ness for lunch when I discovered Shima Sushi in the same plaza.
What a great find. The place is clean and larger than it looks from the outside. I noticed a large private dining area that could seat many people in addition to their restaurant and bar seating areas.
I ordered the 2 item Bento Box– California Roll and Chicken Teriyaki. It is also served with miso soup and a small salad.
Everything was very good. The miso soup was very nice.
Service was quick and efficient. We were in and out in an hour.
Next time I will explore the many different types of rolls that they create.

I could kick myself for not coming here sooner. Seriously. I’ve been working at the Peet’s Coffee here in Opera Plaza for almost two years now and it’s taken me just as long to actually stroll right over to Shima and grab some dinner. Heck, the people there practically know me already since they’re MY regular customers.
Anyway, thus far I have been thoroughly impressed with Shima. The few times I’ve eaten here and gotten takeout have been great experiences. Their sushi is incredibly tasty, and I’m surprised how inexpensive the specialty rolls are compared to most other Japanese restaurants; usually you’ll see fancy rolls going for $ 10−15+, but at Shima the majority are under $ 10, which is awesome if you plan to grab a platter. The dinner menu seems to consist of other Japanese staples like donburi, udon/​soba, and such, but it seems far more pricey than the sushi itself. The quality though is very top-​notch.
In terms of the atmosphere Shima is pretty classy. It’s a nice big restaurant with plenty of tables and a long sushi bar at the back, and can easily accommodate large groups. The low lighting and glossy furniture make you feel like you’re fine dining, for sure, and I kind of feel underdressed when I stop by on my lunch break for take-​out.
The staff is incredibly friendly, but I may be biased here because I already know them from working at Peet’s — though I’m sure they’re all nice people in general!
I’d definitely recommend Shima to those who like their Japanese food a little classy and don’t mind paying a bit more for good food and excellent service. Even though it’s tucked towards the back of Opera Plaza it’s a prime location if you’re stopping by the opera down the street or want to grab a bite before heading up the hill to the AMC1000.

I’ve eaten lunch here several times, but yesterday was the first time that I had dinner here. It was sort of quiet and not that crowded when we were here for an early dinner, but the restaurant definitely picked up as the Symphony crowd showed up for pre-​dinner food.
My 8 year old son has a love of sashimi, and my husband ordered sashimi as well. My other son ordered a more kid-​typical udon, and my unagi donburi completed our order. When our food arrived, it was delivered by a different waiter than the one who took our order. She automatically assumed the two sashimi dinners were for the two adults, but when we gestured that it belonged to our son, she gave him an impressed look and fussed over him just enough that he felt important without making our other son feel left out.
We had a lovely dinner, our tea cups and water glasses were filled without any requests, and the waiters were all unobtrusively attentive.
We enjoyed this restaurant, and we’ll be back.

Hi Unilocaler’s
I just dinner at shima sushi its the 2^nd time i eat there and the food is great. Good service good prices fresh food and lots to choose from. On top of all that i found out they deliver to your place witch i think is a big plus. I recommend this place to anyone try it out at dinner time you wont be sorry and u will leave stuffed. They also have a location in san jose off of camden ave.

Don’t miss out on trying this hidden gem of a sushi restaurant tucked in Opera Plaza especially if you’re in the area for shows and performances or just looking for a great place for happy hours! Since I only got to grab a taste of their lunch menu, I’ll be sure to come back for more and check out their sushi boats too!
The rolls are creative, artistic and flavorful. The Ninja roll surprised me with a creamy house sauce to complement the prawn tempura, crab, tobiko and avocado. There are a ton of specialty rolls named for various ingredients and excursions, such as Northstar roll, Alpine roll, and Mount Rose roll. It’s no wonder why the restaurant is named «Shima» after «island» to take your mouth full of taste buds on a variety of adventures away from the city to experience the exotic Asian influences of Japan and Korea.
Surprisingly, this restaurant can seat a cozy party of two to a dynamic group of 60 folks in a private room who just want to indulge with fresh fish and drink for a good time. The happy hour deals with ½ price drinks (e.g., soju cocktails, beers, sakes), $ 6-​$ 7 for specialty rolls and $ 3 for hand rolls after 7:30pm everyday are worth checking out for a blast with every buck you spend trying their large assortment of appetizers, dishes and rolls.
Service is fast and friendly. Parking is ample and validated after 5pm for 2 hours. Plus, the owner and staff gives a warm welcome of hospitality to all guests even if you’re just ordering a box of rice to go.

LOVE Shima Sushi! You can’t see it unless you are in the Opera Plaza but it’s definitely worth a try.
We went there recently for a girls night and we had a wonderful time.
The service was beyond impeccable. The owner and waiters were super welcoming and the food was very fresh and the rolls /​appetizers super tasty! I cannot wait to go back!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I came here with my boyfriend, his mom, and his sister today for dinner. The staff here are extremely friendly and the sushi are AMAZING!!! We ordered the following:
**Poki Tuna Salad (on there special menu)
**Shrimp Tuna (special menu)
**Baby Octopus (special menu)
**Bay Scallop Roll– MUST HAVE!!!
**Cukani Maki Roll– Has a refreshing taste with cucumber skin wrapped over.
**Heavenly Roll
**Monster Crunch Roll
**North Star Roll
**Turk Roll
**Dragon Roll
**Golden Gate Roll
The sushi was so good; we almost ordered all there specialty rolls!
They even gave us free edamame and red bean ice cream ^_​^
Too bad they ran out of oysters today, but I’ll be back for more food!
Note: They also have 2 hour free parking for the dining in after 5p.m. located in the parking garage where the building is. Hrm… What more can you ask for?

Loved it all the way. We went to celebrate ladies night. some 9 of us and had a great time. The owner is very kind and welcoming and the staff is very nice. All the appetizers, rolls, etc was fresh and would melt in the mouth! We got the Sushi boat which was a huge selection of everything and it was gone in no time between all of us!
I am a big sushi buff and its hard to please me when seafood is involved. but this restaurant exceeded my expectations and i would certainly be going back for other occasions, and mostly in a group as I wanna try the sushi boat again and again!
The restaurant is located in the back so hard to see or locate as you walk by the neighborhood but its a true find in itself!

I just went here earlier today, and well, this place was a pretty nice place to go to. Now, I noticed that they had a vegetarian menu, it was a huge plus in my book. I wanted to order it, however, being the meat lover I am, I chose to get salmon teriyaki and california rolls. This place was very spacious. I enjoyed eating here, and it was actually quick for us.
Now, it got a four, because of price issues. I understand it’s much more pricier than regular Japanese restaraunts, but, seriously they do use fresh fish. The waiter even asked if I wanted with imitation or real crab in my California Roll.
Pretty much, it’s not good, if you’re not willing to pay over $ 10 on 3 item bentous, along with some sushis.

If you have a long lunch or a job that isn’t a stickler about a 1 hr lunch, then you can eat here. They’re not very fast. They actually take a long time to get you your check even if you’ve asked for it 4x (true story, it happened yesterday).
I’ve come here a couple times because i’ve given up on Sushi Hana for lunch. The udon here is just so so… Bento box seems pretty pricy to me, $ 12.50?! Are you serious?! Outrageous. Bentos are usually $ 8-​$ 10.
The freshness of the fish here is a bit better than Sushi Hana, that’s for sure. I’ve eaten chirashi here and didn’t get food poisoning but they definitely skimp you. The slices of sashimi are VERY thin and TINY. On top of that, they put the chirashi in this huuuuuge display bowl so when it comes, it looks even more skimp. Really Shima, it’s not necessary. Your interior may be a bit more upscale than the other places on Van Ness but you’re not all that and a bag of potato chips.
Yesterday a waitress spilled tea on me, but she’s lucky I didn’t even care or think about it since my friend had just given birth to a baby girl!!!
I dono… This place is just so so but I don’t really see it as my «omg i have to eat there for lunch» type of spot.
Oh, and what people say about the tempura is true — way too oily. My friend got sick from it yesterday.

I usually only come here for lunch cause my coworker really likes the hae-​dup-​bap. Since I’m not a sashimi fan, I order different stuff everytime. Their bentos are pretty good, but nothing special. They have a good variety of sushi rolls here. I was very surprised by their Lion King roll. In other places its usually just baked on a foil, but here they bake it on a clay platter. It was actually very good.
Food takes a long time to come out, but I think it’s because they wait till every dish is done and then bring it out to the party.

Sorry guys, I just moved into the neighborhood and decided to go out and have lunch. This was on the same block as my apartment so I strolled in. It was lunch hour and the place was in utter chaos. The waiters were running around, the sushi chef was yelling out orders, the slips were getting lost and here I was in the middle of it all.
I got sat within like 10 minutes, which I’m not used to coming from a restaurant business where we had to be at least greeted within the first 3. During my meal, not one person stopped to see how my food was, refill my tea/​water and it took me 15 minutes to catch a waitress to get my dessert order in.
For lunch, I had the sushi bento. It was okay. 6 california rolls and random rolls that were just the standard — tuna, yellowtail, salmon, etc. Nothing spectacular.
However, the reason this place gets such a low score is because of the dessert. The ice cream itself was okay, but half way through it I noticed there was blood in my mouth. That funny irony taste that just didn’t compliment the ice cream too well. Within a minute, I felt a crunch like I bit into a rock. I carefully rolled the small pieces in my mouth and licked it out on my fingertip.
Usually, I’m kind of a lazy eater so I’d ignore it and eat it anyway but then I noticed what I bit into wasn’t a colored rock, in fact it was clear… and sharp. It was glass. Somehow a thin piece of glass got into my bowl of ice cream and cut into my tongue and went down my esophagus.
Now, picture how this may have happened. You’re back in the kitchen, you grab a bowl to scoop the ice cream in. In order for the glass to end up IN the ice cream, the bowl would need to be either unwashed or you’d need to break the glass near the bowl and not bother to throw out whatever ice cream you had in there and replace it with new scoops. It just means this place is unsanitary no matter how you look at it.
I’m giving it 2 stars because the sushi were okay and don’t deserve one star. But I won’t be back here. When I showed the glass to the sushi chef, he apologized and offered to bring me another bowl, which I refused. He took the $ 4.50 off of my check. I was kind of hoping he’d just write off the whole lunch because that’s what respectable places would do for injuring their customers. But he didn’t so meh.
Go here at your own risk. I don’t trust this place. And I’m very sad for I love close by sushi places dearly.

Came here for lunch when i had a meeting in the area.
Not Japanese-​owned but the food was pretty good. The selection is pretty varied, both for sushi and non-​sushi items.
I got a 2-​item bento combination w/​tonkatsu and saba shioyaki. Both were quite good, and the tonkatsu had a good thickness to it (unlike some other crappy places that give you paper thin slices of fried pork). It was about $ 11 for the combo which for «just lunch» might seem pricey but for the amount of food and the quality of the ingredients I’d say is fair.
The miso soup is flavorful, which I enjoyed. The salad had a dressing I couldn’t identify but it was still good too, though it’s kind of a watery dressing and there was a big pool of it at the bottom of the bowl.
Would I go out of my way to come here? No. If I’m around and need to grab lunch I might come back though.

It’s a clean restaurant.
The people who eat here look clean.
The food is decent.
I don’t mind the price point because it provides a barrier to entry.

In all my years of working in public service at the Federal Building I had never tried this restaurant even though I saw it often and even had lunch on the benches outside of the restaurant within Opera Plaza. So judge declares a 2 hour, 15 minute lunch break, and I thought I’d wander around the Civic Center area for a bit, but suddenly heavy rain occurred and since I was already there I finally decided to try Shima Sushi.
The place is big inside with two large dining rooms and a long sushi bar. I was greeted by a friendly waitress and seated immediately at a small marble top table with soft vinyl seats. Along with the menu I was served a hot cup of tea. The tea was so good coming in from a cold and wet environment.
Because it seemed like the majority of the diners inside were eating bento boxes I decided that was what I was going to order too. I had mine as a three item option with salmon teriyaki, gyoza and California rolls. You have the option of choosing imitation crab or real crab for an additional cost. I stuck with the imitation stuff because often the real crab will be mixed with some sickening sweet dressing.
Along with a tea refill the waitress brought out a bowl of crisp green salad and a bowl of hot miso soup (
). The salad was very unimaginative using just iceberg lettuce and thin sliced cucumbers in a sweet miso dressing. When I got to the bottom of the bowl I found a pool of milky white runoff from the lettuce and the dressing. The soup was good, and it too was hot.
The wait for my food was a bit long. At least twenty minutes had passed before a waitress brought me my bento box (
). A bowl of rice came separately. The California rolls looked pretty bad, and its taste was up to par with what it looked like, lots of soft sticky rice and very little filling. The menu states that the gyozas are beef dumplings, but after biting and looking inside one I’m pretty certain the filling is pork and cabbage. The skins were quite thin but all three sides were fried up crispy so these were very similar to miniature potstickers. The salmon was a thin slice of flaky, grilled salmon drowned in a sweet teriyaki sauce. Perhaps the best thing in the bento box was the warm bean sprout salad which consisted of bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini and green bell peppers.

My first time in many years — it’s still nice. I feel it’s pricey for the neighborhood, but the quality is good.
Tekka Don (sashimi on sushi rice) was pretty and generous.
The bf had a Bento box with, he said, excellent rolls and very crunchy, nicely prepared Tempura.
I think they heard previous Unilocalers loud and clear about tea service. They were making an effort to replenish as necessary.
On FOOD ONLY I’d say almost 4 STARS.
SERVICE. 3, or 2 ½. Not bad just… very flat, little eye contact, rushed and a bit dour. The second server/​manager (?) was less rushed. They’re trying to cover busy lunch service with only 1 wait staff, 1 manager and what appeared to be no bussers. Ergo, the main server looked pooped and a bit grumpy. I don’t like pooped and grumpy with my $ 17 sashimi bowl. Sorry… But I wouldn’t let it stop me if I were in the mood for Japanese in this ‘hood. Precious few sushi spots around here.
Atmosphere. 3 Stars. Solidly attractive. A bit larger than necessary perhaps, but elbow room is welcome.
Value for money: 3 Stars. Ok — the parking helps make up for higher prices. I’ll try to remember to USE the garage next time.
Summary: Quiet, pleasant if you’re in the neighborhood. You won’t feel ripped off. But you won’t be pampered either.

Good Lunch specials (Tasty and decently priced)
Service was a little lacking (took ten minutes to get more tea)

I wasn’t feeling like my bagged lunch today and wanted a warm carbo loaded meal. There are very limited choices around Van Ness/​McCallister, so Shima Sushi it was. Ugggh, what a HUGE boo boo on my part.
I ordered the beef teriyaki and tempura bento box:
Salad=Inedible. The lettuce leaves were YELLOW. I thought lettuce was suppose to be green? The dressing was absolutely horrible. It tasted like ceasar dressing gone wrong from a bottle. Did they run out of miso dressing? It had a weird chunky consistency – YUCK!
Beef=Ehh, it was chewy and had a weird after taste; not sure it was from the grill marks?
Tempura=Extra oily and heavily battered. When you bite into it, oil squirts out of the uncooked batter that cling on to the vegatable. It tasted like raw dough with oil. GROSS!
I highly doubt they were having an «off» day, as I came here twice before and had similar issues with their food. But as I said, there are very limited choices in this area.
And, just b/​c your located in the «Opera Plaza» doesn’t give you the right to charge $ 12.50 for a 2 item bento box during lunch, especially if the quality is far worse then Sushi Rock, Ichiraku, Kiki, etc. (you get my drift?.) I’ve gotten cheaper, far-​better tasting bento boxes while working in the FIDI for less than $ 10.
When I was leaving, I couldn’t help but notice that the clean score was 80. That’s a little scary considering Sushi Rock’s score is 92; I don’t even want to know what goes on it the back.
Well, now I’m just my crossing fingers that nothing «comes up» in the next couple of hours…