In an unlikely place

Dad & I were in San Francisco the other day and it was lunch time. We found ourselves on Ocean Avenue, and just decided to stop whenever we saw something promising. The something promising ended up being Kamakura. Kamakura is a famous spot in Japan, that probably explains why there are two others with the same name (I think different owners...) in San Francisco.

I really need to listen to the waiters better. I was forewarned that the calamari rings may be a little 'chewy', and I ordered them anyway. Have you ever been to a Japanese bar where they serve saki-ika (dried squid)? It is a normal bar snack, think - beef jerky. It is TOUGH and CHEWY. Parts of these calamari rings had that texture. I wouldn't recommend it.

And then out came our salads and miso soup. The salad was nothing special, but it was fresh and crisp. The miso was fine, but not spectacular.

I had the salmon (pieces) donburi, which was quite nice. Think oyako-don using salmon and extra veggies. There was a bit too much sauce/liquid for my taste, but the waiter immediately improved it by bringing and extra bowl of plain white rice. If you like your rice under the toppings soupy and saucy, you'd like this dish the way it was served.

My Dad had the two-item bento box, with teriyaki chicken and shrimp tempura. He felt it was generously portioned and liked the flavors. I'd like to come back and try their sushi, as the menu showed some creative options. Other than the misstep on the appetizer, the food was fine, but not exciting.