I remember when Pabu Izakaya opened in SF. It was a big deal - a new adventure for star chef Micheal Mina, venturing outside the standard fine dining mold. It got a lot of press, and along with being known for attracting talent in the kitchen, it was noted for fairly high prices, particularly for somewhere dubbed an izakaya, usually a bit more of a casual everyday sort of place. But given the prime financial district location, perhaps that price point was considered "everyday" for those on expense accounts?
I didn't ever go to Pabu in those first few years, as reports were that it was fine, but not outstanding, and definitely not worth the price. But I did attend a few events with Pabu making made to order hand rolls, which were always decent enough, and their sister establishment (Ramen Bar) offered up memorable Japanese style deviled eggs topped with crispy ramen. Ramen Bar has since closed. It was again, all fine, but nothing I'd seek out at their prices.
"A celebration of world-class sashimi, sushi, grilled meats from the robata, and a modern, seasonal cocktail menu. "
The menu at Pabu is definitely more higher end than traditional izakaya snack food, with expensive steaks and of course their version of miso black cod. They also have a full sushi line up.
Pabu managed to survive the pandemic (although The Ramen Bar did not), with a pivot towards more takeout, bento boxes, and packaged cocktails. So one evening, when I was really craving uni, just a few days after visiting Nobu in San Diego and finding them out of uni (!!!){TODO: LINK}, I decided to order delivery from Pabu, for exactly what I was craving: uni and a nice whiskey cocktail to go with it. I ordered via Door Dash, and although Pabu is just a few blocks away, it still took over an hour for my delivery, I think because the restaurant was fairly busy.
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I was impressed with the delivery experience, and I'd do it again if I really wanted pricey but reliable sushi.
Drinks
Classic Lolita. $15. |
Manhattan. $16. |
Sushi
Uni Nigiri. $20. |
I give my Door Dasher delivery person some credit for this arriving looking, well, perfect. Granted, Pabu is just a few blocks away, but, the sushi clearly wasn't jangled around.
The uni was ... ok. The portion was good, several large in-tact lobes in each piece. One tasted a bit sweet like I like, but the others definitely had a bit of funk. Not its-gone-bad funk, it still seemed fresh, but, just a bit of funk, and I suspect this was local uni, which tends to have that flavor I don't like as much. Still, it seemed fresh and good quality, and, well constructed generous pieces.
The sushi rice was very lackluster - it didn't have any seasoning, and didn't seem to stick together very well. For a restaurant of its calibre, I was quite surprised to have such mediocre sushi rice.
My nigiri came with soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi, all of which seemed very average quality - the wasabi in particular surprised me as it was clearly just paste, and not very flavorful. Compared to the wasabi I had from Nobu two days prior, it was night and day difference. Again, for a restaurant of this calibre and price point, I expected better wasabi, and better ginger.
So, overall, rice and condiments were lower end generic, uni was fine but not a variety I cared for. ***.
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