Yokai is the new culinary adventure from San Francisco celebrity chef Marc Zimmerman. Previously at Alexander’s Steakhouse, Chef Zimmerman opened locations in San Francisco, Taipei and Tokyo and leveraged his connections in Japan to create one of the Wagyu systems in the country.
Inspired by his rich cultural reports from his extended stay in Japan, Yokai is San Francisco’s new Japanese-style listening bar. Opening restaurants throughout Asia, including Tokyo, Chef Zimmerman found inspiration in Japan’s exclusive Hi-Fi and Jazz Kissas bars. These intimate spaces, known for their incredible sound systems and deep appreciation of American jazz, left a lasting impression.
The concept that such venues arose not from luxury but from necessity, providing original auditory delight in the absence of live performances, paved the way for Yokai. This fascination sparked the creation of this hi-fi bar and charcoal grill, a position where atmosphere, music, and atmosphere are carefully selected as the menu.
At Yokai, visitors can expect a quiet and welcoming atmosphere steeped in San Francisco’s history, with brick-and-wood architecture over a hundred years old setting the mood. More casual and casual than its previous fine-dining establishment, Yokai’s menu is a departure from Gozu.
It offers an eclectic combination of sashimi and raw seafood dishes; a variety of skewers ranging from A5 wagyu and Hokkaido scallops to king salmon belly and quail; larger dishes such as grilled Japanese mackerel and Kurbota ribs, as well as a variety of vegetarian and seasonal rice dishes.
Prepared over high heat, with Japanese and Northern California ingredients, the restaurant’s menu changes seasonally and promises an evolving dining experience that may not be boring.
We spoke with chef and owner Marc Zimmerman about his travels through Asia, what to enjoy at Uokai, and more. This is what he had to say.
I spent quite a bit of time in Asia and Japan over the years opening restaurants. I’ve said that genuine Japan shows itself once you’ve been there for more than 3 weeks. When I opened Alexander’s in Tokyo in 2016, I was absolutely immersed in the culture. I came across a hi-fi bar in a community close to my space and the owner was betting rock classics, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, etc. It was a comforting feeling as I was feeling a little homesick and I needed it. familiarity in my life.
The stand was small and only had the owner as the record selector. The bartender and sound formula were amazing. Since then, every time I’m in Japan, I keep an eye out for hi-fi bars and Jazz Kissas. The whole idea of how those offerings rose to prominence is not out of luxury, but out of necessity, it has a kind of fixation.
The Japanese have long been enthusiasts of American jazz, and in the early 1960s, access to concerts was not widespread. The solution to look for first-rate generation and get as close as possible to the truth. There is an immense price in this total process. Craig Mod writes intensively about this data arbitrage.
Yokai
This concept surely FASCINATED me and awakened the need to start building Yokai.
We most commonly play jazz from the 60s and 70s, with much of the hard bop subgenre. John Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith are just a few of the artists we feature. We recently indulged in some jazz funk and went wild later in the night.
The atmosphere is calm and peaceful. The area is over a hundred years old and steeped in San Francisco history. Bloodless brick, wood, and riveted metal columns that predate the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Dim lighting, cuisine, and creative cocktails from Jordan Abraham await you.
Our head chef, Shanna, and I fill in all the time. Right now, we’re making a very clever tomato salad with red wine ponzu, shiso, and toasted nori. We also offer a special Berkshire red meat katsu. I am passionate about everything. of this, but now in particular, we are working with some excellent wagyu farms in Japan.
tomato salad
We have a wonderful variety of sashimi that we bring from the Toyosu market in Japan and the skewers segment of the menu is fun before moving on to the main courses. Premium bone-in ribeye is one of my favorites, as is grilled mackerel. There’s no better way to finish than with a blueberry cheesecake, shaved ice (kakigori), or a double chocolate mochi cake and a sip of Japanese whiskey.
Yokai has an extensive collection of aged and rare Japanese whiskey of over 120 selections. We have giant allocations from Chichibu, Suntory, Nikka, Akkeshi and other small Japanese craft distilleries. We have a cocktail program led by beverage director Jordan Abraham and, as I mentioned, a wine list.
Yokai is loud and lively. We serve an a la carte menu with something to suit all tastes. Lots of Japanese seafood, wagyu skewers, a spectacular hamburger, vegetarian dishes, salos angeles, steaks, etc. . . We have a wonderful wine list, hilarious cocktails and 0-proof drinks.
Gastronomy is not having it easy at the moment, because the climate of the city has changed a lot. We’re also transitioning from Gozu and offering a new, more comfortable dining experience called The Wild.
The savage
The Wild is an exclusive, casual experience featuring Spear St. Chefs Peggy Tan, Mark Lieuw and myself. I wanted to create a place where other people in the community could come several times a week for a drink and something to eat. A wonderful place for a date but not too expensive. Gastronomic quality, technique, service and atmosphere at a lower price.
Our cuisine begins with sourcing pristine, wild, and cultivated ingredients from California and the West Coast. There is a high heat hearth in the middle of our kitchen. Our purpose is to create delicious dishes with intention, while reconnecting with our roots and the simplicity of nature. .
We offer an a la carte Los Angeles menu ($12 – $45) and a chef’s choice of menu ($130). Our menu is accompanied by a physically powerful array of American and global spirits, cocktails on tap, and a wine list aimed at iconic small makers in California, Oregon, and Europe.
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect other people through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange ideas and facts in one space.
To do so, please comply with the posting regulations in our site’s terms of use. Below we summarize some of those key regulations. In short, civilians.
Your message will be rejected if we notice that it appears to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we become aware or if users are concerned about:
So, how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our Community Guidelines. Please read the full list of posting regulations discovered in our site’s Terms of Use.