Nisei
Fine dining restaurant · Polk Gulch
2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Highlights
Japanese-Californian tasting menu with creative dishes and stellar service
Japanese-Californian tasting menu with creative dishes and stellar service
"As soon as you finish the first course—a miniature creamy potato “croquette” wrapped in a smooth potato chip and topped with uni and smoked pepper relish—you'll know Nisei is something special. This fine dining spot goes all in on a 10-course tasting menu based on seasonality and washoku (Japanese home cooking), and has also done the seemingly impossible: make dishes that look deceptively simple taste bold and new. From the button-sized dorayaki filled with banana to the pear and ginger kakigōri that feels like eating a spoonful of snowflakes, Nisei is a spot you should experience at least once. Be sure to check out their swanky cocktail spot, Bar Iris, next door." - team infatuation
"Leave your expectations at the door upon your visit at Nisei; instead, experience chef David Yoshimura’s refined menu of California-influenced Japanese cuisine, emphasizing seasonality and balance. (1 star)" - Eater Staff
"Retained its Michelin star; chef David Yoshimura remarked that the ceremony was a good one, complimenting those in attendance and the coverage." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Nisei" refers to the American-born children of Japanese immigrants, which Chef David Yoshimura is; and the synthesis of that heritage forms the basis of this cuisine. Dining is taken seriously here, where the service team is personable and the chef is especially engaging. The kitchen employs both boldness and subtlety in their cooking, which abounds with personality and technical finesse, and the tasting menu is equal parts tradition and invention. Savor a bowl of creamy pine nut and miso broth before enjoying a dish of unagi sourced from Maine, prepared ike jime style, and grilled over binchotan coals. Savory and sweet have equal billing in the uni egg custard dotted with blue and pink flowers. Wine and sake pairings are worthy, and the wagashi cart is a delicate treat." - Michelin Inspector
"Ever since opening its doors in 2021, Nisei, the brainchild of chef David Yoshimura, has been a stylish special occasion restaurant worthy of parting with $300ish per person — plus $50 Wagyu supplement, if you’re feeling especially festive. The elaborate tasting menu is a love letter to Japan, with nods to the San Francisco dining scene: Unagi with milk bread and tomato, Liberty Farm duck with persimmons, and anything else on the menu, arrive at the table theatrically presented and artfully plated. Service is always impeccable, and the jewel box-like dining room adds intrigue to the whole experience. The one-Michelin-star restaurant also partnered with star designer Noz Nozawa for an artful update of its dining area. Reservations for Nisei are available via OpenTable." - Flora Tsapovsky
