A lonstanding SF favorite, you'll come to Koo in the Sunset, sit at the sushi bar and surrender control to their master sushi chef. Omakase is the way to go, as he'll serve you the freshest fish both on and off the menu. If you have any room left, order the Spoonfulls of Happiness, consisting of uni and ankimo that pair perfectly with a sake shot. Aptly named.

Nestled in its intimate, original location is ICHI Sushi, the top contender for SF's best sushi spot for over 10 years. You and your date will arrive, sit shoulder-to-shoulder with other diners at the bar and be glad for the jostling, because you've gotten a spot here, and you're about to have an unparalleled sushi experience. Oh, and the extensive sake list doesn't hurt either.

You'll enter Robin dressed to the nines. And yet somehow you'll still be outdressed by the walls, which are literally dripped with a gold resin to look like molten gold. Robin does not mess around, and their chef with experience at some serious restaurants will be bringing you sushi like yellowtail with preserved yuzu and cara cara orange, plus selections of different sea urchins, inluding a live option.

Stashed away on the ground floor of a small, outdoor mall in the Castro, you'll enter Sushi Time under their neon sign into a small dining room decorated with Japanese toys. Slightly claustrophobic in a way that lets you know you're at a legit spot, you'll order the GI Joe Roll or the Barbie Roll. You seem to be sensing a theme here.

It's rare to actually want to head to a restaurant near Union Square, but Akiko's is that exception. You'll walk in past the wooden sushi bar to a cozy table in the back with exposed brick and plaster. Reward yourself for braving the tourists with a sake and some sushi from a daily changing menu, with fish brought to you both locally and from Japan's Tsukiji fish market. You both worked hard to get here.