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I have been to japonica on and off throughout the years and it's one of those rare places where quality AND quantity seem to be the themes. The cuts of fish are large and the rolls are too big to fit into your mouth. If that doesn't bother you then this is better than your trendy joints that are more about presentation. Personally, I think if you do not order a la carte or you order rolls, even the best sushi joints will give you secondary cuts, which is true even at hatsuhana. that being said, sit at the sushi bar and be willing to pay if you want the best. japonica does actually have a nice chirashi special if you are looking for a deal. quality fish though it is too large to finish. come hungry. also their tempura is to die for.

The food was excellent, they had a wide variety of dishes enough to satisfy even the pickiest palate. The view is wonderful, the restaurant itself is gorgeous. The service is great. The price is fine as it contains wonderful deals. The bento box is a nice sampler. The sweet potato tempura, edamame, miso soup, and house salad are to die for. They have a wide variety of rolls including regular, sushi, sashimi, inside out, 'hand roll', roll with fish eggs. This is a wonderful restaurant and a great place to get sushi or sashimi if your in the city!

We have been customers for years, and can always rely on a tasty and consistant meal. It is pricey, however the staff is always friendly and helpful. The food is fresh and yummy so it is worth the splurge every so often.

Usually I love any asian food. But Japonica made me doubt about that. I ordered soup (with a little bit of everything in it) and a salad. Salad was just a greens, I've expected at least to eat a piece of tomato or cucumber, but it was just a greens. Then I got my soup. Can't even explain. Ate 4 spoons and that's it. Didn't like it at all. Salad comes with a soup. So the price for a soup is like 25 bucks, bloody mary is 8 (tiny glass) so I left 40 dollars for my empty stomach and promised myself not to visit this place again. Never ever.

After growing up in NYC I became an SF foodie and sushi snob. Sure the sushi on the west coast is hard to match but Japonica- which I have been to about 7-10 times has never disappointed. The buri is off the charts incredible. The service is great, the fish tender and fresh- I feel bad for the last reviewer. Sushi isn't cheap and good sushi in Japan is an arm and a leg. For what it is, delcious, fresh and unpretentious- I think Japonica is more than reasonable.

I haven't been to Japonica in about 4 years. I visited tonight with two friends, and we were disappointed. The sushi was about as tough as shoe leather. The "pop rock shrimp" appetizer was flavorless beyond belief. Each piece of my ala carte sushi ranged in price from $5 to $8 per piece, and at those prices, I expect fabulous sushi....not the pathetic fish that ended up on my plate. I have frequently dined at high level sushi restaurants. While I didn't expect Japonica to be at that level, I did expect to at least enjoy my meal. The check came to $240, (for 3 people) and we had no wine or sake. The service was unremarkable, and the atmosphere was nothing to write home about. I would not go back even if someone else was paying. In fact, I don't think I'd go back here if someone PAID ME to eat here. Seriously.

I agree with the previous post: this place has been around so long that many people take it for granted or look down on it, maybe because it's not trendy, maybe because it does price items pretty high. Still, the quality is almost always very excellent. Cheap and sushi don't go together: there has to be care taken in the choice and execution. They do straight-forward sushi very well, and some of their rolls are standouts (rainbow, eel deep fried). I've been going for many, many years and I don't regret it.