SF Michelin Star ⭐️ Nisei | Autumn Menu Review 🍂

Nisei, a Japanese-Californian fusion restaurant in San Francisco, has held a Michelin star for four consecutive years. The ambiance is intimate and refined, though the space is compact. Since they don’t rush table turnovers, the pacing between dishes is quite slow — our meal spanned nearly three hours. ⏳ A small surprise (not the good kind 😅): Shortly after we ordered drinks, the staff brought over sparkling tea and sparkling wine. As we were celebrating a birthday, we assumed it was complimentary — but it was added to the bill. We should’ve asked, but still, a tiny letdown. 🍂 Autumn Menu Highlights & Lowlights: One-Bite Appetizers 🍽️ Each was exquisite and memorable. Santa Barbara Uni 🌊 Unexpectedly fresh and sweet — a delightful surprise. Caviar Omurice 🍚 The sauce was overly salty, and we all agreed: more rice, please! It was so savory, it deserved more base. 😂 Black Cod 🐟 Perfectly executed — you really can’t go wrong with cod. Lobster with Pumpkin Foam 🦞🎃 Pleasant but not outstanding — neither a win nor a loss. Grilled Eel 🐍✨ The star of the night! Crispy, fragrant, and deeply flavorful. Miso Soup & Wagyu 🍲❌ The last savory course was a letdown. The miso soup tasted like creamy mushroom soup — too rich. The highly anticipated Wagyu didn’t impress, and the small portion of rice left us… speechless (in a not-so-good way). Desserts 🍧 Saved the night! Refreshing, tangy, and sweet — they even whet the appetite again. A lovely finish! 🍂 Final Thoughts: The flavors generally meet the one-Michelin-star standard, but for $300 per person (excluding drinks), the autumn menu felt somewhat lackluster. The ingredients were mostly sourced from the U.S., and the overall variety didn’t quite justify the price. Good — but not unforgettable. On a sweet note, they gifted the birthday celebrant a candle 🕯️ and a Polaroid photo 😊 — a thoughtful touch! #BayAreaFood #BayAreaExploration #SFFood #Michelin #SFMichelin #BayAreaLife #BayAreaWeekend #BayAreaVibes #Foodie #BayAreaMichelin