Sushi Zen

Chels: There is no possible way for me to convey the awesomeness of Sushi Zen. Both words and pictures will always fail to do it justice. So many countless good times have been had in Sushi Zen. Many a date night has ended with Justin and I rolling ourselves down Taraval to our old apartment (it should be noted that Sushi Zen is the #1 thing I miss from my old neighborhood).  I have a yearly tradition of consuming sushi and imbibing sake on my birthday, three of the last 5 have been at Sushi Zen. While Sushi Zen is amazing both day and night, the lunch specials are what really push this place from awesome-hole-in-the-wall-sushi to BLOW-YOUR-MIND-BEYOND-DELICIOUS-BARGAIN-SUSHI (obviously you can infer from that I am cheap, and enjoy not spending money - or is that Justin?). The lunch specials offered are out of this world, both in flavor and cheapness. Being located across from a high school does have its perks for Sushi Zen, they have a virtually endless line of little groms waiting for food around lunch time (AVOID PEAK LUNCH HOURS 12 PM - 1 PM), it can get a little crowded during this time, but nothing you haven't seen before (remember, you live in San Francisco). But it's thanks to these little brats that the lunch special prices are so insanely affordable. I almost don't want to tell you about the specials, but with all this development that would just be bad form, but I don't want this little secret getting out. I trust you, but only you, so don't go blabbing about this to your interweb friends. HUGE BENTO BOXES - $7 (Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Ca. Roll, Miso Soup, Salad)  DOUBLE SUSHI ROLLS - $7 (Super Dynamite + Shrimp Tempura)  TEMPURA UDON BOWLS -$7 (they give you soup BEFORE your soup)  The list goes on and on really, something for everyone at a price for every budget.But if/when you make it out to Sushi Zen (I will admit that it's officially in the boons) be sure to do yourself a favor and order the Winter Wonderland roll. This roll is incredibly delicious and original to Sushi Zen. No other roll has ever tasted as good, or been as filing as the Winter Wonderland. PS - THEY GIVE YOU FREE ICECREAM. FREE ICE CREAM.

Justin: Another mainstay during our Parkside days, Sushi Zen is one of my favorite sushi restaurants of all time. It’s a hole in the wall, nothing to write home about from the décor standpoint. Yellow walls and hundreds of photos of satisfied sushi fanatics plaster most every open surface in the place. They have a small sushi bar and a very friendly chef who will happy take a shot of sake with whomever. This place is right around the corner from a high school, so every day it over run by a thousand punk high school kids. This means one thing: awesome, cheap lunch special menu. Also don’t go there at noon on a weekday. The lunch menu is awesome. They a have a shrimp tempura/dynamite roll combo for less than 8 bucks that’s an incredible value.They also have cheap bento boxes which are a common choice of mine. If you go in the evening, the selection is a little more expensive, but still cheap compared to a lot of the “theme” sushi restaurants in the city. Here’s what makes it stand out: the sushi. This place knows how to make a fat, tasty, perfect roll. Try the WinterWonderland roll. Shrimp tempura inside, crab and some kind of teriyaki sweet sauce and tobiko on top. Incredibly decadent and delicious. For the longest time it was 9.99, now I think it’s a few bucks more. Worth it. This was a go to place when we lived on Taraval, and we make a point to stop in whenever we head back that way. Hell, it’s the main excuse we have for going to Parkside, period. Free Ice Cream is not a myth. Just wait. It always appears magically, right when everyone is ready to hit the door and heavily laden with some of the finest, most affordable sushi in the whole of San Francisco. Almost cruel! If given a choice, I recommend the mango.