Elephant Sushi (Hyde St) Review

Located in one of our favorite S.F. neighborhoods, don't be deterred by the exterior. It's perfect. For what they don't put in the outer trappings, they put in the sushi. Yes, get there early because the line starts forming at 5:30. Better yet, call in for a reservation. They call you ahead of time to make sure you're coming, then call your name again to seat you ahead of the line. A mix of young and older customers and no real off-putting hipster vibe. We're seasoned sushi people and everything here was spot on. We also discovered something new, The Flaming Seabass. I know, I know, heated sushi dishes are not for the purist but this one is truly special. Just get it and you won't be disappointed. Trust me, you'll be using the little white spoons to scrape the cracklin's out of the bottom of the dish. Made it on to our all-star list. Great food, great atmosphere and helpful, friendly sushi chefs. And, contrary to some other posts, we didn't find it to be overly expensive.