My home town is in San Francisco, which arguably has some of the best restaurants in the USA. While there are many Japanese restaurants, only a handful are truly wakusho, which is the true art form of the food of Japan. Wakusho is about the focus on perfection and taste, with that hint of restraint in seasoning to allow the umami of the flavors to come out and permeate the taste buds. In recent years, there has been a growing list of restaurants offering excellent true Japanese food, where the chefs have been trained in Japan. Here are some of the ones I have visited:
Sushi:
Sushi Yoshizumi – Part1 Part2
Sushi Sasaki
Kinjo
Kusakabe
The Shota
Sushi Nagai
Wako
Omakase with Guest Chef Hiroyuki Sato
Ramen:
Marufuku
Noodle in a Haystack
Ramen Nagi
Mensho
Taishoken
Izakaya, Kappou, and Other
Izakaya Mayumi
Kappou Gomi – closed but read if you want to learn of Osechi box
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