Nisei

David Yoshimura named his restaurant after the term for American-born children of Japanese immigrants, and that specific cultural identity drives the cooking here. It is not strictly traditional washoku, nor is it standard fusion – it is a specific, personal lens on Japanese-American cuisine using Northern Californian ingredients. The dining room on Polk Street is intimate, holding just twenty-six seats, and feels less like a showroom and more like a private residence, albeit one decorated with eccentric, slightly risqué Japanese art. Dinner is a long-form event. The tasting menu often spans a dozen courses and can easily last three or four hours. You will see the kitchen staff moving in and out of the dining floor, as chefs frequently deliver plates themselves to explain the components – perhaps unagi grilled over binchotan charcoal or a savory custard with uni. The pacing is deliberate, ending with a wagashi cart wheeled tableside for traditional sweets. Because the footprint is so small, you are sitting in close quarters with other diners, and with only a single restroom for the house, a line often forms between courses. If you arrive before your seating, the team typically directs you to wait at the sister bar next door until your table opens up.