San Francisco’s culinary scene thrives on diversity—just ask any wagyu lover. From vintage steakhouses with their machismo and dimly lit mahogany to more exclusive and sublime institutions offering deconstructed appetizers, there’s no shortage of bovine bliss in Fog City.
And yet, one call continues to stand out from the rest. Renowned for its exquisite Japanese and California fusion, Niku Steakhouse has earned its position among California’s premier steakhouses. This Michelin-starred status quo prides itself on its eye-opening in-house dry-aging program, A5 Japanese wagyu, and cuts sourced from Australian and Californian farms. (The A5, in particular, that holy grail of marbled indulgence, is a legend among locals).
Inside, the intimate area that seats up to 60 resembles a secret society committed to the veneration of the ribeye. The open kitchen is the gladiator arena, where executive chef Dustin Falcon and his team preside over the roaring binchotan, a charcoal historically used in Japanese cuisine. .
Aya Yanagisawa, Niku’s interior design mastermind, has envisioned an area that combines Japanese architectural principles with a modern and welcoming atmosphere. “We seek to create warmth and privacy despite the high ceilings in the area,” Yanagisawa told me. So we used a giant ceiling above the chef’s counter and a glass pendant lamp to create a sophisticated glow in the candlelight. “
The fabrics selected for Niku’s interiors also tell a story. The walls are decorated with charred dark wood Shou Sugi Ban, an ancient Japanese strategy that preserves wood by charring it. Not only does this give the wood a rich, deep color, but it also connects diners to the process of grilling meat.
Beyond the interior design, Niku’s attention to detail extends to the gastronomic delight itself, from the menu (crafted by consultant diners, from lighter, leaner cuts to richer, larger steaks, the menu allows consumers to create their own tasting menu to indulge in) to the end to the dishes. Customers are even invited to purchase their own steak knives from a collection sourced from around the world, as well as custom-made pieces from Wildfire Cutlery in Oregon.
Niku’s Chef’s Counter, the focal point of the dining experience, offers visitors an interactive and engaging experience to connect with the culinary process. “It’s almost primitive, like sitting in front of a campfire and watching the embers flicker,” Yanagisawa says.
Chef Falcón also emphasizes the importance of visual appeal in plate design, not just what is on the plate, but also how it is arranged. “Everyone eats with their eyes first,” he told me. “We spend a lot of time preparing dishes that not only taste amazing, but also look great. For example, our bone marrow dish is carefully arranged so that the bite is consistent, ensuring an intuitive dining experience.
Niku’s chef, Dustin Falcon.
We sat down with Aya Yanagisawa, Niku’s in-house designer, Executive Chef Dustin Falcon, and Pauline Yang, Head of Marketing and Communications at Omakase Restaurant Group, to learn more about how successful design elements permeate each and every facet of the outstanding steakhouse’s cuisine. experience.
What was the main inspiration for the design and interiors of Niku Steakhouse?Can you share any express cultural or artistic influences that played a role in shaping the mood?
Aya Yanagisawa (AY): Niku is a new kind of steakhouse, combining Japanese and Californian sensibilities in the menu and design. Niku’s 18-seat chef’s wrap-around countertop, facing the charcoal grill and traditional wood fire, is a nod to the immersive Japanese teppanyaki experience. Diners can see and hear the drama of steaks cooked to perfection through the chef and his team. There’s something almost primitive about being able to see the grill. It’s like sitting in front of a campfire and watching the embers flicker in front of you. of you.
How do design elements such as lighting, furniture, and décor contribute to Niku’s overall dining experience?
AY: When designing the space, we took some of the basic principles of Japanese architecture. Through symmetry, connecting between areas, and maintaining simple, blank lines, we create a cohesive, sleek, modern, and trendy look for Niku.
While Japanese architectural principles brought a sense of cleanliness and minimalism to the interior, we also added curves and rounded fixtures to blend the area and set the Japanese influence. For the personal dining room we bought tradition and furniture as well as traditional wall coverings from France. Subtle touches like a brass soffit around the bar, plush leather seating, and textured plaster also enhanced the sumptuous feel of the area.
Both the bar and the chef’s counter have rounded edges, designed to offset some hard surfaces to make them more welcoming and accessible. These small, sophisticated touches charge and create a cozy atmosphere.
We covered the walls with a charred dark wood created through Shou Sugi Ban, a centuries-old procedure to preserve the wood cladding by deliberately charring it and covering it with a protective oil. The procedure gives the wood a dark, gray or black color, and naturally waterproofs it. We wanted visitors to feel the warmth of the material, as well as a connection to the procedure of grilling wagyu beef using binchotan, a type of charcoal historically used in Japanese cuisine.
Niku’s grill.
What demanding situations did you face when balancing aesthetics and capacity in the dining room configuration?
AY: Creating an intimate dining room in an area with high ceilings was our first challenge. To solve this problem, we created a giant ceiling above the chef’s counter that reflects his rounded curves. We also installed glass pendant light fixtures in the area to create a sophisticated glow, so that visitors feel as if they are in a warm candlelit room or in front of a fireplace.
Can you tell us more about the cutlery and cutlery selection?Where did you get your dishes from, what was the concept of your selections, and how does the tableware complement the food?
Executive Chef Dustin Falcon (DF): We have a flexible collection of dishes at Niku. Because we serve our food in a familiar style, combining dishes allows us to create layers of visual interest. In addition, many of our dishes have several components. For example, we use traditional teapots to brew tea from fresh harvested herbs, which are then poured into various bowls tableside.
Niku’s bone marrow.
I also wanted to ask you about the selection of steak knives: each diner has their own steak knife. How did this program come about and where do the knives come from?
DF: Having the opportunity to have your own knife makes the dining experience even more personal and also gives us the opportunity to draw attention to those gorgeously designed tools. Our collection of steak knives comes from all over the world. Some come from small manufacturers, while others are manufactured through larger corporations like Laguiole.
Many of them were made to order, which allowed us to introduce other colors and textures. For example, we were able to create traditional handles and blades for knives we ordered from Wildfire Cutlery in Oregon.
Are there any traditional design pieces or unique fabrics used in the table settings that you are proud of?
DF: A giant component of our dishes comes from two corporations that produce in giant series: Revol in France and Hering Berlin, the latter with which we serve our Japanese Wagyu. We also commission paintings from California ceramicists such as SVEN Ceramics and Match Stoneware.
How do you design the overall theme and atmosphere of the dinner at Niku?What considerations are taken into account in the visual presentation of menu pieces and how do they align with the restaurant’s brand?
Pauline Yang (PY): To fit our logo, the ambitious “knife cut” design sets the tone for a clean and complicated aesthetic that we want to incorporate into our menu. We use textured menu paper to load a tactile detail that conveys quality and sophistication. .
Raleway, the font we chose, offers blank lines and a modern aesthetic, making the menu easy to read while maintaining a clean look. Every element, from the food to the menu design, is designed to provide a premium dining experience. Our Purpose That’s why the visual appeal of our menu not only complements our culinary offerings, but also reinforces our commitment to excellence and elegance in all facets of the restaurant.
I’d like to know more about how the menu was designed to “flow” through the meat section, from the least rich cuts to the richest. (And just think about it, how it affects the dining experience, why it makes sense. )
DF: The menu ranges from lighter, leaner, and smaller cuts to larger, richer steaks designed for sharing. Other sections of the menu are organized, with dishes gaining warmth, richness and character.
Organizing the menu in this way allows our consumers to build their own tasting menu experience. A joke in the restaurant is that the reason we have a fancy steakhouse is because none of us have worked at a steakhouse before. All team members come from other fine dining dining venues, many of which offer tasting menus. When we expand new dishes, we first thought about what kind of dish we would include in a tasting menu and then thought about how to make it appealing to Niku.
Niku Grill.
How important is visual presentation in the design process of your plate, and what techniques do you use to make sure the plate is aesthetically pleasing?
DF: It’s incredibly vital because everyone eats with their eyes first. We spent a lot of time thinking about how the dish will look. Because we work with the seasons, we believe in the “if it grows together, it goes together” mentality. “. When we prepare a dish, we think about how to create the ideal bite. Our priority is to take the guesswork out of the restaurant.
Can you give me an example of a signature dish in which the presentation is as important as the flavors?
DF: Bone marrow is a plate where everything is expressly placed so that no matter where you put the spoon, you have the same bite as the user sitting in front of you. We make sure that the piece has the same amount of filling. We need food to be intuitive, without guesswork.
How do culinary and design teams collaborate to create a cohesive dining experience from the front of the guest to their departure?
DF: The excitement of walking to the door and inside sets the tone for the entire meal. At first, you can’t see through the glass, so you don’t know what you’re getting into. As you enter the space, you pass through the long bar and see the grill. This trail prepares visitors for their dinner, where they can see us slicing their meat to order and preparing it in front of them.
Niku’s grill.
How do you ensure that each and every element, from the interiors to the presentation of the food, contributes to a seamless and immersive dining experience at Niku? What feedback have you gotten from visitors about the integration of design and cooking and what effect has this had on your approach?
AY: We use a dark wood tone to bring a warm feel to the interior and amplify this feeling with tactile fabrics such as stone, ceramic, and custom-made wallcoverings. Our purpose is to offer an immersive and exclusive culinary experience. As you enter the restaurant, you are met with minimal and simple signage, contrasted with a charred wooden background.
Upon entering the space, you notice a large-scale bar wall filled with whiskeys imported from around the world, as well as dry-aged beef on display.
Finally, in relation to the design of the chef counter experience, what do you think about the psychology of seeing chefs looking at paintings while you eat and how it elevates the dining experience? And. . . Is it difficult to be watched all the time?
DF: We’ve done a lot of painting to make the chef’s counter fun and interactive. We try to leave as many paintings as possible so visitors can watch us go through the process of cutting the meat and cooking their steaks.
I’ve been to a lot of fancy restaurants with an open kitchen concept, and with the exception of the sushi counters, you don’t see much of the preparation process. Here we can bring visitors closer to the other stages of our work, or even spice them up a bit when we can.
It’s sometimes a challenge when we’re busy and I can’t spend as much time as I’d like, but most of the time I’m pleased to have the opportunity to answer questions and chat with travelers.
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