Nisei — Restaurant in San Francisco

Maybe it was my fault, I had high expectations for this restaurant! Having lived in Japan, this food does not honour Japanese cuisine.

Firstly, there were many good things, but almost none regarding the flavour (which is for me, the most important part). Service was special, quite good (tad pushy on the add-ons, it was already a very expensive menu for us and we felt uncomfortable at some points). The presentation of the dishes, the plates themselves, the cutlery and the way the food was laid out was very pretty and pleasing. The music wasn't loud and it allowed conversation without having to shout.

Now, the food: completely underwhelming. For starters, Japan is the mecca of rice - I couldn't believe the poor quality, flavour and dry texture of the rice that accompanied the eel. I think it would bring any Japanese chef to tears to serve that rice in such a supposed "high end" restaurant. Any restaurat in Japan actually. Many things I didn't like can be up for discussion as "personal taste", liking it or disliking it, but I totally failed to feel the "home cook Japanese inspiration" they sell to you when they present the food. The soy sauce that accompanied the egg (morel dish) was so salty, that reminded me of the cheap tamari sauce I used to buy at the seven eleven - I would argue that one was better. I'm particular about soy sauce, tamari, fermented...etc. and that one used...completely destroyed and took over all other falvours of the dish (taking into consideration the delicate flavour of the raw egg yolk, that's a shame).

Even for San Francisco, we thought this was a very pricey menu, that left us hungry and feeling guilty about wanting to go eat a burguer right after exiting (my husband and I joked about it, but we were actually tempted). For clarification: we eat often at Michelin starred restaurants (both in Japan, Europe and the US), we are not cromagnon diners, but this dinner left us indifferent and regretting paying so much for "appearence" food rather than umami food. As a Japanese food & culture connoisseur, I was very dissapointed. The textures and inventions are incredible - but the flavour is just not there - any small hole in the wall izakaya in any area in Tokyo (Otaku or Setagaya for example) will have better food for...

There was no single WOW course here because every course had a WOW factor and this is what I believe makes Nisei special...

There are restaurants that will leave you with one memorable course, but not at Nisei. Each dish is prepared in detail, with visual creativity, and complex flavors that even my mundane/peasant taste buds could appreciate. Each course here was a signature dish on its own. Its like having dining in 15 different places at once.

At NO moment, did we have the feel rushed to finish all courses so we could leave (and if you've been to enough places, you will know exactly what I'm talking about). The feeling of being underwhelmed but not courageous enough to leave early out of 1) courtesy or 2) loss of your $$ worth.

We completed the 15 courses. The rate of each course was customized to us (we don't like to wait between courses). Before we knew it, it was time for dessert. To be honest, our initial response was "this is it?" because there was nothing that "stood out". That is until we realized that its because EVERYTHING stood out! Realizing our foolish thoughts, we had even more admiration for our dining experience. Which in turn, made us appreciate Nisei even more prior to leaving. Worth it.

More importantly, the chef/owner is humble, kind, and pleasant during his introduction. I recently had a negative experience at another michelin restaurant nearby were the food was good, but the owner was cocky and arrogant, which ruined our meal. This is why I now like to explain how important it is for us to know that I'm supporting owners/chef that show respect for their customers and value our presence.

Also, one of us accidentally spilled the Sakura tea. To our surprise, another cup was poured and were told "we wouldn't want you to miss out on the wonderful tea experience". Thank you chef and best of luck. We were glad to experience before your future...

A few years prior, I was already impressed with their unique Japanese-American tasting menu that offered a fresh perspective on California cuisine. During my last visit, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much the menu had matured. Not only were California ingredients and Japanese technique incorporated in a more cohesive way, the presentation was also a noticeable leap beyond my original experience.

Nisei quickly earned a Michelin star within a year of opening, but it seems clear to me that chef David Yoshimura and team have their sights focused on even more. Between the approachable service and story-telling, combined with intentional presentation and execution, I thoroughly enjoyed the late spring menu.

I found myself audibly wow-ing at the visual feast that was this 15+ course tasting menu. I appreciated the dreamy, garden cohesiveness in the presentation, with plenty of greenery and floral accents.

The first bite is an edible bouquet, a nod to ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Other courses were served on a bed of pine needles, including a decadently creamy pine nut miso soup that I still salivate over.

The lovely venison tataki with hues of pink and artfully placed flowers and greens was a visual standout. I could see myself hanging a photograph of this on my wall. And as a pork belly fiend, I loved the crispy kakuni, a contrasting twist on the traditionally braised, soft pork belly dish.

Not to be outdone, pastry chef Ellie Estrada-Londo matched the energy with an incredibly detailed mini bonsai tree presentation that was an enjoyable black sesame cheesecake course, with pillows of goat cheese foam. And the dessert wagashi cart had two of my favorite fruits, mulberries and hachiya persimmons (in hoshigaki form, stuffed with...