Sushi Main Street-Reviews

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Sushi Main Street

By A. Curatolo

Sushi Main Street is twenty years old.

Karolyn Shigeta, an Aquarius who I met in her Antiquities shop also partly owns Sushi on Main around the corner from her shop. Karolyn is trippy and friendly in a genuinely disarming way. She was at ease when I mentioned iLLogicalNews.com. She immediately checked the website out on the spot. The other sushi restaurant owner, Hirohito, is her former partner and friend. I hear through the grapevine that the sushi is better than the sushi in Japan and other sushi places... Yeah, it's iLLogical.

Hirohito and an interior decorator decided to create a Bali sushi bar. The restaurant is decorated in Bali antiques and wood. I really dig the stone tables and the sand wash on the wall. Yeah, the beach is on a slant. Fresh flowers steal the eyes of everyone here at Sushi Main Street. The upside down wood bulk act as chandeliers. Million year old volcanic bowls that went "POP!" are now used as planters. It is worth the trip to Sushi Main Street.

Hirohito is preparing a vegetarian feast. Karolyn had no problem with this. In fact, she was delighted and said, "We will feed you…" This is a sign of true hospitality. I love the fact that I do not have to ask for more ginger. Each table has a Japanese crock bowl filled with a small bamboo tong to place your gunpowder.

Like all master chefs, Hirohito is named after an emperor. He can accommodate any tongue with sacrificing his talent. True talent is accommodating without deferring. Sushi Main Street knows I am eating vegetarian. The presentation of the food is art. I would easily drive from San Francisco to dine at this Half Moon Bay jewel where many art forms collaborate.

While I was dining, Hirohito, checked on me. I had five courses and he said, "You can eat all that of this because you are cosmic. You can eat space." After flashing a warm smile, he went back to the sushi bar. Behind Hirohito's humor is a master keeping a sharp eye on all things. Sushi Main Street is a happy place. You, the reader, should visit. It will set you on the right road, whatever that may mean for you. When it comes to saki, the best is Wayuraku because it is young, fresh, light, and fragrant.

For desert I had coconut gelato with a sprig of mint.

Here, at Sushi Main Street, you are on a mini vacation. I am on a natural high. Great food and real, genuine, sincere people who care keep it turned on…

Sushi Main Street

696 Mill Street
Half Moon Bay, CA
650.726.6336
www.SushiMainStreet.com

Please return in coming days for a more complete site update!

Sushi Main Street - Half Moon Bay's Glory
May 15 '03 (Updated May 18 '03)

Author's Product Rating

Food and Presentation:
Ambiance and Decor:
Quality of Service:

Pros
Excellent eclectic sushi, reasonable prices, interesting decor.

Cons
Long waits at times.

The Bottom Line
Might just be the best damn sushi bar in the greater San Francisco Bay Area...

Full Review

Before we were married, my husband lived on the peninsula, while I lived in the east bay. He swore up and down that Sushi Main Street had some of the best sushi anywhere. I remained faithfully devoted to an undiscovered sushi bar in Oakland, which sadly is no more. Oh, I'd eat at Sushi Main Street on the rare occasion that I happened to be down in Half Moon Bay, and I could concede that it was good, very good sushi. It was simply too far to go to get attached to.

On our recent trip back to our old stomping grounds in the States, we planned our time in the bay area around where we planned to eat dinner rather than anything else we wanted or needed to do. Sushi Main Street was high on our priority list, despite the distance we'd need to drive to get there. All I can say is, the beatific sushi stupor we enjoyed was well worth the extra mile.

A little background on Sushi Main Street

The sushi bar actually sits just off Main Street, the main drag through the sleepy town of Half Moon Bay. It's not hard to find, especially on Friday or Saturday nights when a hungry line spills out the door and onto the sidewalk. It's a popular choice among locals and far enough away from the larger metropolitan areas to keep it relatively unknown outside of the immediate area. But the restaurant has a fairly small dining area, thus the sometimes lengthy waits on weekends.

Ambiance/Décor

The interior of Sushi Main Street certainly looks Asian when you enter it. But there's a little cultural dissonance when you begin to pay closer attention, because the decor is definitely not Japanese, but rather Indonesian. The owner also dabbles with selling Indonesian antiques and furniture in another storefront in town, and she has a nice eye for aesthetics. So the ambiance in the modestly sized dining room could be described as a rich mixture of subdued modern and highly decorated but formal Indonesian. Tables are spaced generously considering space limitations and popularity. Certainly, the overall effect is unusual and pleasant.

We arrived with a friend on a weeknight and were lucky enough to immediately obtain three seats at the sushi bar. The counter at the bar was unusually low compared to the surface the chefs worked on, (we sat in normal chairs rather than stools) and the counter was covered in large, dark, slightly irregular tiles.

The noise level remained moderate the whole time we were there. Everyone seemed to be having a quiet, pleasant meal with good friends and enjoying themselves.

The Menu and the Food

Sushi Main Street's menu features both traditional and nouveau/California sushi items. It would be fair to describe their range as eclectic. There are plenty of items suitable for vegetarians, and some even for vegans.

We ordered our favorite assortment of appetizers, since the place was busy and we anticipated some wait before our food arrived. The miso soup was profound yet delicate, not overloaded with seaweed or too briny tasting - easily among the best I've had anywhere. The edamame were cooked just a little longer than I consider optimal, but then I like my soy beans the way I like my pasta: quite al dente. I would also have liked them a bit saltier. The small green salad went the other direction. Though the greens were fresh, they were disappointingly overdressed with a too salty and too tart dressing that lacked distinction. Our friend had the kelp salad, seasoned with a light sesame dressing, which he enjoyed. The agedashi tofu was fantastic though. Four modest cubes of medium-firm tofu coated in tempura batter, garnished with radish sprouts and thinly sliced scallions did justice to the deliciously sweet and thick sesame sauce they were dressed with.

As for sushi, between the three of us we ordered the maguro, shiro maguro, smoked salmon, marinated salmon, hamachi and unagi nigiri, along with a spider roll, spicy tuna roll, wild mushroom roll and a vegetarian roll called the green dragon roll. The quality of the fish was outstanding, especially the shiro maguro. The dragon roll contained broccoli, green beans and some other vegetables, wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed) and tempura fried. This thin roll was then made into an inverted maki roll with the rice on the outside. It was excellent. I liked the unusual offering of smoked salmon nigiri, but not as much as I like regular sake nigiri.

The quality of the sushi rice here is extremely high, and the chefs season it in the Tokyo style (less sweet than the Osaka style), which is how I prefer it to be done. Nigiri servings are sometimes accompanied by delicate seasonings, such as a thin sliver of lemon with the hamachi or a tiny mound of freshly grated ginger with the shiro maguro. These garnishes complement the food well without masking the taste of the fish and rice. The sauces are complex and well balanced. The sweet sauce for the unagi did not overwhelm the eel, and the sauce for the spicy tuna roll was possibly the best I've ever had - a strong but bright flavor that mixed perfectly with the maguro.

The majority of the nigiri at Sushi Main Street cost a mere , with none more than. I found the size of the nigiri portions average to generous. The size of the rolls seemed smaller than average. They were all served in only four pieces, which taken all together didn't seem to equal the long rolls I'm accustomed to, although each piece was large enough for comfort. I didn't mind these shortened rolls, since the prices were low and there was plenty of food to go around.

The menu featured many unusual rolls, which we did not sample, and noted that the chefs would even accept special requests. An example of what I consider unusual would be the Half Moon Bay roll, with artichoke heart, avocado and radish sprouts , as well as the Oaxaca Mexico roll, which contains a fried jalapeño pepper, tomato, scallion, cilantro and avocado!

We've never had room for dessert at Sushi Main Street, despite our interest, which is a shame because I've heard great things about their banana tempura and green tea ice cream.

Liquid Refreshments

I usually only drink green tea and water with sushi, and happily, the pot of green tea that arrived at our seats with an attractive little wooden stand, was provided without charge. It wasn't my favorite sort of green tea (I prefer the taste of roasted rice or barley mixed into the tea) but when it's free there's not much room for criticism, still less for complaint. Sushi Main Street also offers a nice variety of hot and cold sakes, as well as the usual Japanese beers, mineral water and soft drinks.

Prices

I can easily say that the prices at Sushi Main Street are quite fair for the quality of the food.

Service

Our food came reasonably fast considering how busy the restaurant was. We didn't have to wait long at all for our drinks and appetizers, and the sushi arrived just as we were beginning to remark that we were ready for it. I did wish that the waitress had refilled my water glass when I finished it, but as my husband was splitting a large Sapporo Reserve with our friend, he let me finish his. As the chef broke down the sushi bar at the end of the evening, he chatted with us in a friendly way. And when I complimented him on the food he became even more talkative. When I asked a question about ponzu sauce, he promptly whipped up a generous single shiro maguro (my favorite!) nigiri piece and dressed it in the sauce before handing it to me gratis.

Sushi Main Street also accepts carry out orders so long as they are able to accommodate their restaurant customers at the same time. So 7:30 pm on a Friday would probably not be the best time to try this option.

Final Thoughts

I was very impressed and pleased with our meal here. I think, considering the quality of the fish and other food served up at Sushi Main Street, that the prices represent a very good value for your money. I would recommend eating here with a small group of friends or as a couple. Your best strategy for being seated quickly is to dine here on a weeknight or arrive early. I will certainly return to eat here again at my earliest opportunity.

Details, details…

Address: 696 Mill Street, Half Moon Bay
Cross Street: Main Street
Phone: (650) 726-6336
Hours: Lunch – Monday-Saturday 11:30 - 2:30; Dinner every day, 5:00 - 9:00pm
Closed Sunday lunch
Corkage: $10.00
Credit cards: all major credit cards accepted
Smoking is not permitted in any restaurant in California.
Dress: quite casual, unless you want to dress up
Website: http://www.sushimainst.com

Recommended
Yes

Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends

Sushi
Main Street
696 Mill Street
Half Moon Bay, CA 940195
Phone: (650) 726-6336

On a slow but steady exploration of Bay Area raw fish restaurants, Dr. Sushi and I have gone to Main Street Sushi twice in the past few weeks. Oi. What a find! Though, seven years into the business, Main Street isn't anything new. Still, hands-down, it's gobs better than any other sushi joint we've toured. Including Sushi Ran over in Sausalito which has been a strong contender for Best Sushi (and Most Expensive Sushi). Cheap but not scary, great atmosphere, and delicious, all draws to Main Street Sushi.

Don't you find that most sushi restaurants have a clinical feel to them and about as much ambiance as the oral surgeon's office? White, stark, not cosy, definitely not date night material. Not here. Main Street Sushi has a Pacific Island theme that says stay awhile and drink more sake than you might otherwise. Hip without the techno. No attitude with your sushi here.

Over the last few visits, we've stuck to sushi. But for the fishophobic there's a great selection of noodles and clay pot dishes. The sushi is unusual. No boring old dead fish with mediocre mayo here! My favorite was the elegant smoked trout and lemon roll. Delicious. Another great choice was the Princeton (ginger and green onion with mouth-melting albacore). For the spice lovers, try the Oaxaca roll complete with a fried jalapeno. I didn't. Try it. If in doubt, ask the waitstaff. They're helpful and seem to have tried everything and have an opinion.

The clientele? Loud, tan, surfers and locals. Make a reservation. And if you're driving down from the North, head on down Highway 1 and enjoy the sunset. Ohh, stop it. It honestly doesn't take that much longer.

- Susan MacTavish Best, 5/29/2002 06:25:51 AM

Reproduction of material from posthoc is prohibited without written permission.

editor@posthoc.com

Friday May 28, 1999 San Francisco Chronicle

By Vicki Elliott
Chronicle Staff Writer

Half Moon Bay Review Magazine
May 1999

"Asking our readers to choose their favorite restaurant is a little like asking a mother to pick her favorite child - an impossible task when each one is unique, when each one has its own special qualities. But ask we did, and in this issue you will find the results of our Reader's Choice survey - the best dining on the Coastside......
The food at Sushi Main Street is delicious and beautiful, and I can eat guilt-free when I'm in my health mode. It's also a place where I feel comfortable dining alone, a place where I can pull up to the counter, read a book and enjoy my dinner with the thimble-size cups of warm sake....."

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Wasabi hobby: Don't count on a loud Konnichiwa!" greeting when you enter Sushi Main Street. The winner of the Best Asian restaurant has a serene, gentle atmosphere. (Yes it used to be on Main Street, by the way, and is now on Mill Street, just off Main.) And the food is not only good, it's good for you: Sushi Main Street also took the award for best Healthy Eating

BEST ASIAN:

Sushi Main Street

Something's fishy in this category - the excellent sushi at Sushi Main Street, which won again in this growing field of competitors. Thai and Chinese food establishments Bangkok House, Siam, Gin Wan and Moon Bay battled it out for the second spot on the ballot, each receiving roughly the same number of votes. But look out, Coastside, three Chinese restaurants in Pacifica each received one vote. Sushi Main Street, 696 Mill St., Half Moon Bay, 726-6336.

BEST HEALTHY EATING:

Sushi Main Street

Main Street Sushi is the main place to stay fit and have a good meal. High in protein, low in fat - with all that goodness, you can eat a lot more. Two Fools Cafe, which tied Sushi Main Street for first last year, came in a close second. Sushi Main Street, 696 Mill St., Half Moon Bay, 726-6336.

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Where to eat?"

Even the owners of local restaurants are faced with that question. Granted, they do eat at their own establishments - but they also venture out to get a meal.
Here are the favorite restaurants of some of our favorite restaurant owners.

Maria Roberts, owner of It's Italia: "Oh, Sushi Main Street - that's the only place I really go at night. It's a good place, and I love Japanese food.

THE INDEPENDENT (San Francisco's Neighborhood Newspaper)
Tuesday, November 18, 1997
Dining around the Bay With Jan Francisco

The Best of the Coastside '97
Results of our Readers' Choice survey

Best Other Ethnic	Best healthy eating
This one was nearly a Thai. Sushi Main Street may no longer be on Main Street but Coastside sushi lovers still know where to find the best ethnic food on the coast. It is not only delicious but a work of art as well. ...	With half the students at Half Moon Bay High sworn vegetarians, healthy cooking is at a premium on the coast. If the school campus remains open during lunchtime next year, you will be able to spot them at Sushi Main Street, which our readers voted the best local spot for healthy eating. ... Sushi Main St., 696 Mill St., Half Moon Bay. 726-6336.

http://www.montara.com/HMBReview/Features/96.03.27.feat.sushi

San Jose Mercury News - Extra - Wednesday, January 3, 1996

by Marti Soudanis

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