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Nisei (San Francisco, CA)

Nisei opened in August of 2021, an exciting addition to the San Francisco dining scene. The restaurant first started out as a pop-up before the pandemic and settled into its own physical location on Russian Hill, replacing the long-tenured fine dining restaurant La Folie.

David Yoshimura is the chef here, most recently the Chef de Cuisine at Michelin-starred Californios. Yoshimura is half Japanese, and Nisei (the Japanese word for second generation) is an ode to his heritage and blend of Japanese-Californian cooking here. He is serving an elevated version of washoku cuisine, traditional ‘homestyle’ Japanese cooking but with plenty of Californian influence. The restaurant has Michelin star aspirations with a price to match – the tasting menu currently runs $192 before any supplements and a 20% service charge.

sushi ondo
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Sushi Ondo (San Francisco, CA)

Sushi Ondo is part of a wave of San Francisco restaurants doing more reasonably-priced omakase meals (~$100). While I haven’t found anything quite like Sugarfish around here, I have been interested in what kind of quality / value these restaurants can offer. Sushi Ondo opened in 2019 and is part of a group of restaurants that includes Sushi Hon, Barnzu, Sushi Hakko and Izakaya Hon.

black cod @ SingleThread
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SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA)

SingleThread is one of the up-and-coming fine dining restaurants in the greater Bay Area. Opened at the end of 2016, it has garnered two Michelin stars, 4 stars from the SF Chronicle and was recently named a ‘One to Watch’ by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants team. Chef Kyle Connaughton and wife Katina run this restaurant, which is part of the inn and farm that they also operate. The cuisine here is a blend of Japanese and Californian; tickets were $295 each, gratuity-inclusive.

momofuku pork buns
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Momofuku (Las Vegas, NV)

Momofuku Las Vegas opened earlier this year, sure to be one of the most notable openings of 2017. This is David Chang’s first foray west of the Mississippi, a huge restaurant at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The restaurant doesn’t duplicate any singular concept in his empire; rather, it’s a mash-up of a few of his concepts, particularly Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar. The famous Milk Bar has also opened next door and provides the desserts for the restaurant.

orsa winston
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Orsa & Winston (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

It’s been some time since I’ve been to Orsa & Winston. This was my third visit here and it seems like the restaurant hasn’t changed too much. The food is still very much Italian and Japanese-influenced, although the menu does appear to feature vegetables more prominently. This isn’t surprising, reflective of chef Jose Centeno’s latest desire to cook/eat (his latest concept, P.Y.T., is almost vegetarian).

$85 buys six courses here with a couple of optional supplements that change often. Some of the ‘extras’ – an amuse bouche, a pre-dessert, and mignardises kind of makes it feel like a nine courser before supplements. If that’s still not enough, there’s still a 20-course super omakase is still available at the bar with advance reservation.

shunji sushi
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Shunji (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Shunji Nakao’s eponymous restaurant has been a sushi staple on the west side since opening in 2012. Nakao has been at the forefront of sushi in Los Angeles for decades since being one of the opening chefs of Matsuhisa. After Matsuhisa, Nakao has also been chef at notable restaurants Asanebo and The Hump.

I’ve been to Shunji once, for lunch, and had an enjoyable meal (it was a great value too). I was excited to come in for dinner and try a little more. We went with a sushi omakase, adding a few cooked dishes to begin with.