Closings

Hama-Ko in Cole Valley Closing After 28 Years

Hama-Ko
Hama-Ko Photo: George L./Yelp

Just when we were planning to make a trip back there, one of the city’s finer, tinier, pricier sushi spots, Hama-Ko (108 Carl Street), is getting ready to shutter. According to one Chowhounder Hama-Ko is planning to close by the end of September so that the elderly owners, sushi chef Tetsuo “Ted” Kashiyama and his wife Junko, can finally retire. The place has been in business 28 years, and has always banned the use of cell phones in the restaurant. They take their time serving authentic, non-sauce-laden sushi and other delicacies, and it’s one of Patty Unterman’s favorites — just this year she wrote about an amazing sounding meal there, with the owner sending out all kinds of special dishes, like a whole tai snapper stuffed with shrimp and mushrooms. You can also read a detailed and adoring account of a recent meal there from blogger Naina at Bites Out. And back in 2000, Hama-Ko was the first place she mentioned in a piece about local Japanese restaurants for the Chronicle magazine called “Quest for the Authentic.” Assuming this news proves true, you can expect an even harder time than usual getting a table the next couple weeks, and some farewell pieces about Kashiyama in the local press. [Chowhound via Tablehopper]

Hama-Ko in Cole Valley Closing After 28 Years