Waiting in line at Ko, the hottest all-you-can-eat sushi on Mission St.
Around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, it was 85 degrees in the Mission. A terrible day to wait in line, but also, a perfect day for sushi. Quite the dilemma.
But not for those who lining up at Ko, a small all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant at Mission and 18th streets. Opened in February this year, Ko's biggest appeal is the $25 all-you-can-eat deal for those who get seated by 5 p.m. After that, the price is $33 per person.
Located at 2193 Mission St., it took over the space of Chome , a Japanese izakaya that moved to 26th Street last year.
Kevin Chen, owner of the seven-table restaurant, said he'd like to "keep it low-key" and declined an interview.
But the sushi spot seems anything but low-key these days. People line up hours before the restaurant opens — around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, about 15 people were waiting at the doors, in the heat with no shade. Passers-by look curiously at the menu, pondering just what it is that draws the crowd.
Johnny, driving up from San Jose on Wednesday afternoon, came prepared, in shorts, sunglasses and a round-brim hat. His girlfriend, who lives in Antioch, will join him for dinner, but it was his job to arrive early and hold the place.
Standing first in line, Johnny arrived at 2:50 p.m., about an hour and 40 minutes before the doors open. His friend, who told him about the restaurant, arrived around 3 p.m. By that time, the line was already around the block.
So Johnny learned his lesson, and arrived 10 minutes early. Turned out it made all the difference, he said. He would soon be the first party to get seated.
Johnny is sort of a sushi all-you-can-eat connoisseur, having been to spots all over the Bay Area and beyond. His favorite one is in Reno, where he always goes after a snowboarding session in Tahoe.
"What makes it special is the all-you-can-eat plus all-you-can-drink," Johnny said, as if he's letting this reporter in on a secret. Most other similar places only cover food, but customers have to pay separately for drinks.
Ford Nguyen and Henry Ke, who heard about the restaurant on TikTok, lined up just after Johnny.
"This is the main event," they said when asked what else they did that day.
"I'm just curious how it tastes compared to SoCal," said Nguyen, who just moved to San Francisco a few days ago. The price point for a similar dinner in Southern California, he said, was around $40.
"I can't even eat raw fish," Nguyen announced and took a bite out of a donut. He would eat the skewers and appetizers, while his friend Ke takes care of the rolls.
Like Nguyen and Ke, others were also attracted to the spot by viral Instagram or TikTok videos. Gil and Kiana, waiting outside around 6 p.m. on Thursday, knew about the location from Chome but saw Ko "blew up" on social media.
"It's basically the cheapest sushi you can get in San Francisco," said Gil, who had tried the restaurant a month ago and was here a second time on Thursday. "I would say it's better than some other regular sushi places. I think it's worth the wait."
This is not the only spot where social media has brought attention (and lines) in the Mission lately. Tadaima , the newly-opened Japanese sandwich spot on 20th Street, also drew crowds that lined up around the block during lunch hours for a taste of its soft and aesthetic sandwiches.
For the younger crowd waiting to try out a hyped-up spot, it seemed it's more about trying something new with friends, or simply having a good time, rather than getting their money's worth from the all-you-can-eat fare.
Joanne and Ashlie, both in a group chat where friends send each other Instagram reels on new places to try, lined up around 5:50 p.m, but didn't know they had to put their names on the waitlist.
When Eric, the restaurant manager, called people to get seated at 6 p.m., the second group of the night, they were told the next round would be at 7:30 p.m.
Both students, one at City College and the other at San Francisco State, they did not want to wait another hour and a half for dinner.
"Should we go back to Ocean [Avenue]?" Ashlie asked after scouring the map to check a few places nearby. That was the end of their food adventure in the Mission that night, and they decided on another sushi place close to campus.
