RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
The Backstory: Since opening in 2021 in Russian Hill, Japanese American fine dining restaurant Nisei has kept its cool. Rising star chef and certified sommelier David Yoshimura came from Californios, as well as powerhouse restaurants in New York (the erstwhile, famed WD-50) and Tokyo (the still impossible-to-book Kagurazaka Ishikawa). Nisei means the second generation or American son of Japanese immigrants, and Yoshimura’s first solo restaurant takes that personal perspective.
The Experience: Pull aside the noren curtain at the door, and it’s a dramatic black box of a dining room flanked with white banquettes, colorful paintings from artist Maya Fuji, and a silk kimono. The tasting menu starts at 12 courses for $251 per, with options to add wine, whisky, wagyu, and caviar. Memorable dishes include the oyster with cool cucumber and earthy matcha, thinly sliced venison tatake dotted with berries and flowers, and a pine nut miso soup poured from an iron tea pot. For dessert, Nisei’s talented pastry chef is making a cheesecake that resembles a mini bonsai tree.
Why It’s FOUND: Nisei distinguishes itself with the distinctly personal way Yoshimura showcases Japanese ingredients and techniques, leveraging his distinct perspective as a second generation Japanese American chef grounded in California culture and foodways with the ambition (and talent) to tell that story. –Becky Duffett
→ Nisei (Russian Hill) • 2316 Polk St • Wed-Sun 5-9p • Reserve.