Koo (d'etat)


My favorite sushi bar in San Francisco at the moment.

I had intended to write a longish original review of this place after a dear friend treated me to a meal there, but I got lazy and was consequently scooped by the Chronicle.

Hayakawa opened this 50-seat restaurant after working at some of the trendiest sushi places in town, including Ace Wasabi and Tokyo Go-Go. Both places made sushi very accessible to a young, non-Japanese hipster crowd. In his own restaurant, he hopes to appeal to a wider audience, from the roll- eating novice to the sashimi-eating pro.

Kiyoshi Hayakawa, the chef, used to be at Ace Wasabi and Tokyo-a-Go-Go, but his new restaurant (in the space formerly occupied by Hana, a slightly-bigger-than-mom-and-pop operation that was the antithesis of a destination restaurant) is more traditional and less hectic -- though I worry that the latter quality might change after a glowing review in the local fishwrap.

Kiyoshi himself is a great guy, and (at least when we went there) eager to engage in a discussion of his philosophy of balance in the the food he serves. I'd strongly recommend getting a seat at the bar, bending his ear when he's not too busy, and sharing thoughts with him.

Why are you still sitting here? Get your ass to Koo.

Posted: Wed - January 26, 2005 at 10:25 AM          

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