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Ryoko's

Foreign Cinema sparkles at night
sanfranannie @flickr

The restaurant question we get asked more than anything is definitely: "Where should we go for my friend's birthday party?" Generally speaking, the situation involves a party of 10, more than a party of 200, but this restaurant short-list can accomodate a wide scope of food preferences, ambiance and number of people. Since we're of the mindset that hard booze never hurts, we've put a star by the restaurants with a full bar. Go ahead now: Celebrate good times. Common!

12/05/06 6:53 pm
Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ryoko's+,+sf&sll=37.794389,-122.420654&sspn=0.013158,0.026522&gl=us&g=1441+Polk+St.,+sf&ie=UTF8&ll=37.797645,-122.41765&spn=0.026315,0.053043&z=14&iwloc=A

One of a few subterranean restaurants in SF, this casual sushi joint, open until 2 a.m., is located on the basement level of a building in the TenderNob. Somehow walking down stairs to get into the windowless room—complete with a bar and DJ on weekends—makes for the ideal cloistered ambiance for a late-night bite. The crowd skews young, including chefs just off work.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The nigiri here is always solidly good, but after a long night of drinking, it’s downright delicious. But sushi doesn’t make up the whole menu. Try the ohitashi (cold, steamed spinach), pot stickers and grilled yellowtail cheek or the grilled saba (mackerel) along with a bowlful of rice. A small list of cold sakes and soju is also available.</p>