Nisei

Very cute place. Small and more private of some of the places which I like! Makes it feel special. ( don't expand )Service is always top notch at MichelinsThe food was incredible. The displays were some of the best! Thoroughly enjoyed the meals! And the drinks omg! Incredible. I will be back. If anything I want 10 of the omelets yum! Also if u get more stars.. down lower ur quality. What I was noticing is... the more stars a place gets the worse the quality and more food... more food doesn't equate to better food.

Nisei is a Japanese fusion restaurant that serves about 12-14 different dishes for you to try. You will not leave hungry, towards the last 3 dishes I needed the help of my husband to make sure nothing goes to waste! They do have accommodations for allergies, so if you don't eat beef or seafood, never fear! My husband got us a reservation for our anniversary and they sat us at a window table for special occasions. Their service was top notch and they try to be so accommodating whenever you need. The ambiance is a bit dark, dreamy, and romantic. My favorite dishes were the uni, eel, and tuna bites. The dessert that looks like a tree changes every so often. I definitely recommend if you're seeking a romantic date night!

What a wonderful experience. Right away it felt so cozy and friendly. Staff was fun and kind. Vibes were perfect. Dishes were fresh takes on traditionals. And the plates and glass ware? Ugh sooo dreamy. No notes. *chefs kiss*... But actually real life notes: parking is a pain. Two hour parking till 9pm. Metered parking is difficult with a lot of yellow meters tricking you. I know street parking is hard everywhere but there's also no parking lot nearby so just give yourself time.

I came here for Valentine's Day earlier this year.I'm sorta hesitant to review this place because it was like, the worst Valentine's Day ever, but it wasn't really Nisei's fault, I think. It was a fantastic meal - I loved the sake pairing, and because it was Valentine's Day, there was a complimentary champagne and caviar course! So good.But let's just say the meal didn't taste as good the second time coming up. I think that's mostly my fault - I don't do too well with a lot of richness and sweetness, and I think the meal + the sake + Lyft ride through the hills was too much. And I was maybe having some stomach issues at the time? Woe is me. Bizarre though, I still don't know what happened because the meal felt really light.Even with the terrible aftermath though, I think it was worth the dinner.

Nisei is an absolute gem! The 13-course tasting menu is a perfect balance of Japanese-American flavors with a creative twist. Every dish felt like a masterpiece, and the service was warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. The crispy kakuni and black sesame cheesecake were personal favorites, but honestly, every bite was a delight.Heads up: Street parking here is a nightmare, so do yourself a favor and park at Old First Garage (Polk & Sacramento), just a 7-minute walk away. Nisei even sends a text reminder to use this garage or Uber/Lyft... super thoughtful!If you're looking for an unforgettable fine-dining experience in SF, Nisei delivers in every way. Can't wait to return!

came here for an early valentine's day dinner. highlights: 1) "chowder" with black cod, shirako, and sourdough mochi 2) omurice caviar 3) pine nut miso soup 4) black curry 5) uni tart 6) bartlett pear. unagi was well grilled but was seasoned rather plainly. service was very warm, team members gave great cocktail recommendations and also noted flavors we should pay attention to in our sukiyaki wine pairing. overall good and interesting dishes but nothing i'd immediately come back for

I came here for a date night and didn't realize it was a Michelin Star. Good: - So much variety with the courses - we started with small bites and ended with giant portions of meat and 3 dessert courses- The dishes all were so pretty and aesthetic - Super nice service - each waiter was incredibly nice and helped us - the chef David even came up to us and started a conversation! We felt like we were royalty there - The uni cocktail was amazing - it was nice that we shared it with 2 people - The ambiance is so nice, we were there for almost 3 hours and felt like we had a private conversation Bad: - Expensive! $37 for one drink Overall this was an amazing experience, I felt from start to finish that it was a unique food journey.

Dinner review. Asian-american. Michelin*Kaki Tea Ikebana. seasonal greens. pear. salted cherry Pumpkin miso tart Sakura shrimp. tomato. local seaweedSawara. misozuke apple. shisoOchazuke. Hog Island oyster. matcha. cucumber. pineVenison tataki. ponzu. gooseberries. geraldton wax flowerOmurice. cavair. vegetable demi-glacePine nut miso soup. pickled pine nutLiberty Farm duck. persimmon. hatcho miso. pickled fennelCharred sweet onion. Japanese black curry. Jimmy Nardello peppers. cilantro. beef heartUnagi. wasabi radish. misozuke garlicSweet nori. shoyu egg custard. uniPumpkin cheesecake. miso mousse, pepita pralineBartlett pear. buttermilk. ginger. pineAssorted wagashiSalmon furikake. nori. sesameOverall, the unagi dish in particular was amazing. "As good as it gets."

Love the emphasis on a seasonal menu. Everything tasted super fresh. My favorite dishes were 1. the dessert tree cake, which was super unique, 2. the fish on a cracker and 3. the pine nut soup. The service was amazing. Everyone was attentive and charming. Overall really enjoyed the experience. The alcohol selection was also delicious. Maybe my favorite michelin star restaurant i've been to. Definitely very expensive but had an amazing time

Our meal here overall was fine but it wasn't that impressive to me. Throughout the meal, I thought about how much I preferred most of the other fine dining restaurants we've been to both with and without Michelin stars. Of course Nisei was unique to these but this was comparing how much I enjoyed the experience.Obviously I don't have the most refined taste but I didn't really appreciate the flavors here except for the desserts, which were my favorite. There are many times in general that I might not enjoy the flavors of dishes but I can still appreciate them. This was not the case for me with a lot of the courses here. We also added the caviar and sourdough mochi supplement which I regretted wanting to get. I even had my fiancé finish my portion because I didn't appreciate the mochi's flavor and it was too greasy and salty for me.Plating was pretty which was an expectation but also not that impressive to me except for the desserts again. The service was very nice but the wait time between each course was extensive and very noticeable.We were excited to try out Nisei but the meal and experience was underwhelming in my humble opinion. Starting from a few courses in, my fiancé and I agreed this was definitely on the lower end of other Michelin rated restaurants we've tried together and unfortunately that still held true at the end of our meal. I personally wouldn't be excited to come back here again.