Tabemono In SF – Sushi Nagai

I first learned of Sushi Nagai from an ad on Instagram. The ad noted that the Chef and Co-owner, Tomonori Nagai, graduated from culinary school in Japan and worked in Japan, Hawaii, New York, and Singapore. It highlighted that while in Singapore, he worked at one Michelin star Shinji by Kanesaka. Curious, I tried to look up information on the Chef and very little information came up. I’m assuming Sushi Nagai is following recent patterns of luring disciples from top Japanese sushi-ya and showcasing them in newly opened sushi-ya. However, what truly caught my eye was the focus on traditional edomae style sushi and I could not resist despite the steep price of $200/ person. Reservations were easy to make and they had same-day availability. We went in May which I like to note as omakase is about seasonal ingredients and will change quite often.

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Tabemono in SF – Kusakabe

Kusakabe is a well known and established sushi omakase restaurant in downtown San Francisco. The restaurant is owned by Chef Mitsunori Kusakabe, of which the restaurant is named after. He likes to go by Nori-san for short, and he made a name for himself when he previously worked at Sushi Ran in Sausalito. He has a strong culinary background which includes experiences in Kyoto, Nobu in New York and Miami before his time in Sushi Ran. He opened Kusakabe in May 2014, and had a couple of years with a Michelin Star, but not in recent years.

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Tabemono in SF – The Shota

The Shota is one of the many omakase restaurants that opened in the last couple of years in San Francisco. The chef/owner is Ingi “Shota” Son. Chef Ingi is familiar to me as he made sushi for me when he worked at Omakase (another sushi spot in SF). I remember that he had a soft, quick, and delicate touch to his sushi making. I also remembered that Omakase’s shari (sushi rice) was not a favorite of mine as I found it soft and under-seasoned. Since Chef Ingi was only one of the many chefs at omakase, I know he did not oversee the direction of the sushi. I read that he went on to work at Hashiri and had prior experience at Morimoto in Napa. Now, having his own restaurant, I was curious to see if his sushi aligned more with my preferences.

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Tabemono in SF – Hashiri SF

mekaru
Chef Tokunori Mekaru grating fresh wasabi on a shark skin grater.

May 13, 2016

Sushi Hashiri SF’s pedigree is a less renown restaurant in the Daikanyama, Tokyo location that opened in 2012.  In looking at Japan’s #1 restaurant rating site, ww.tabelog.com, you can only see seven reviews that averages to a 3 out of 5, which is mediocre by Japan’s standards.  Granted it is a small sample size.  However, the Hashiri SF opening appears to be a much more ambitious endeavor that focuses on a very upscale blend of both kaiseki and sushi experience. Continue reading “Tabemono in SF – Hashiri SF”

Tabemono in SF – Guest Michelin Chef Hiroyuki Sato from Tokyo and more at Omakase

Cutting a Young Blue Fin Tuna
Chef Hiroyuki Sato at work, expertly breaking down a young  Blue Fin Tuna for the akami, chutoro, and otoro nigiri.

June 8th, 2016

What a treat to have scored reservations to Omakase where they were hosting guest chef Hiroyuki Sato, who owns Michelin star resturant Sushi Tokami in Ginza. This event had the added bonus of two wagyu courses and a Ruinart and Dom Perignon champagne pairing.  Sushi Tokami was on my list for an upcoming trip to Japan, so I was trilled to try this sushi here in my home town. Continue reading “Tabemono in SF – Guest Michelin Chef Hiroyuki Sato from Tokyo and more at Omakase”