Russian Hill, San Francisco · restaurant
A stark, black-carpeted dining room in Russian Hill—with a white banquette and little else—keeps the focus squarely on a 12-course washoku tasting menu where every dish looks restrained and tastes anything but. The potato croquette hides uni and smoked pepper relish, the unagi arrives grilled over binchotan with just two shishito peppers, and the suimono broth looks like water but tastes impossibly complex. A Michelin star arrived in the restaurant's first year, and the $223 tasting menu makes a strong case for a special occasion.