Keiko à Nob Hill, San Francisco

Sample Menu:

• A5 Waygu beef with yuzu-soy foam and honwasabi
• Bluefin tuna
• ‘Hokkaido’ Uni Capellini with caviar

What Chef Keiko Takahashi is Known For: preparing Japanese cuisine using French culinary techniques. Chef Takahashi serves her creations during a different 13–15-course tasting menu every night.

Fish Fact: All of the fish at Keiko is sourced from Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market, a decision chef Takahashi made while visiting her native Japan.

When to Go: There’s only one seating daily, at 7 p.m. Expect to be seated for about three hours.

Inside Tips

• Make reservations. With only one seating per night and a small dining room, covers are limited to 25 on weekdays and 35 on weekends.
• Be prompt—all diners are served at the same time. One late party will delay the entire dining room and force hungry patrons to gnaw on silverware in the meantime.
• If you’re not up for traversing the 5,000-bottle wine list, go with the popular wine-pairing option. Pairings come at two price points and feature wines from owner (and husband of the chef) Seigo Takei’s personal collection.

Vocab Lesson
A5: the highest grade of wagyu beef. The ranking is based on its marbling, color, texture, and firmness.
Uni: sea-urchin roe, a delicacy popular on sushi menus.