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Tue-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Sloane Saturdays presents the Designer DeeJays and special guest DJ Young Twin, this Saturday the 21st. Guest-list only. See you there!
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The title of this place says it all! I walked in and the air was thick with the scent of fresh fish and whiskey.
The restaurant itself is expansive and sexy. The furniture is modern, the lighting is romantic and the service is awesome.
Let's get to the best part though.. shall we? The drinks and food! Their sashimi platter was the absolute best fish I've ever had. It was so fresh, so beautifully presented and so flavorful. The same goes with the raw uni, the deep fried shitake mushrooms. TO DIE FOR!
For a cocktail I thoroughly enjoyed a tasty Sazerac. This was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had.
A friend had her birthday dinner here :) We sat upstairs in the lounge-y area, where it was blasting Latin American music.
The good and bad:
+ service was attentive and friendly; took our plates away quickly
+ menu had a good variety of food
+ apparently nihon has a great whiskey selection ?
+ cozy, vibrant and lively atmosphere
+ ample parking all around
- prices are very very high and portions are very very small
- sushi rolls were all spicy or had tempura in it (samurai was really spicy!)
- super hot upstairs with no ac of any kind
- awkward seating: low tables, high chairs
The food and flavors were good but the prices were crazy expensive! And it looks like at happy hour, everything is like 50% off!! Not worth it for dinner, but I would probably come back for happy hour.
The cod is nothing special, the chicken wings were alright but I have to say, the hamachi stuffed shiitake mushrooms were really, really good! So was my Ginger cocktail - it was delicious :) I guess cocktails were hit or miss because I ordered my friend the Wasabi cocktail and it was weak!!
Hello?! We're trying to her drunk here! Less juice, more alcohol.
Came here for dinner on my first night in SF. We tried to have happy hour here since it was half off cocktails and some foods, but there wasn't any seating and it's kinda small to stand around without being in everyone way. They have a huge huge whiskey list..it is a whiskey lounge!
We headed upstairs for dinner and its very dark, posh, and romantic. Food here is pricey but well worth it. My suggestions would be to get:
-seafood cassarole
-Nihon roll
-samurai
-lamb
-spicy tuna
we had other things, but all in all, try everything! I can't imagine from what I had, that anything here is bad. Oh- there is a room upstairs that's great for a small private party.. maybe for about 10-20?
Small plates...again another place with small portions and high prices.
I wouldn't recommend this place for a large group since you'll need to double / triple up on orders. They do have an interesting drink menu. The good thing w/ a large group is that you're able to try several things. We ordered the Kobe Beef - cooked like short ribs so you couldn't tell it was kobe, to die for toro avocado tartare served w/ shrimp chips, onigiri, bacon wrapped shrimp on a skewer - the boys raved about it but it was just ok, beef tartare, salmon sashimi, japanese wings - tasty, thunderbird and samurai rolls. The food was just ok for the price, knowing you could probably dine cheaper. Although, the ambiance was nice. Luckily we were celebrating my fave girl's birthday so it was a good night.
Honestly I would give this place 4 1/2 stars if it were possible because it is on the pricer side.
The ambiance is great. Since we had dinner and social drinks here I feel like being able to talk is most of the point. The music was at a nice level to set a nice mood but I had no problems conversing with friends. Lighting was a little bit brighter where people are eating and a little bit dimmer around the social bar area. Furniture and feel is modern and classy, but not snobby. Service is fast.
To eat, come here with friends. Since it is Tapas style food the idea is to order a lot of different small dishes. I read a few other reviews that complained about the portion size, but they describe their food as Japanese version of Tapas so... don't be surprised. Came here in a group of 4 and it was perfect. The menu has all kinds of different dishes to pick from and everything we had was pretty yummy. We ordered things from every part of the menu but my visit was a couple weeks ago so I can't really give specific recommendations. Nothing was bad... fish was fresh... kobe beef was very yummy, but i personally feel more into eating kobe beef when it is prepared in a way that i can really savor the quality of the meat - like a medium/rare or rare steak...which isn't tapas so I digress! sorry. i remembered the kobe beef here was cooked until tender in a savory sauce.
So to the point. As you know it is a Whisky Lounge and they have more than enough to choose from and a big enough selection to try something you might have been curious about. After my three friends and I were done eating we went downstairs and met up with about 6 more friends to hang out and drink. Everyone tried something different, it was great fun.
this place is considered a whisky lounge. ive been here mulitple times for dinner, dinner at the bar, happy hour. all my experiences have been pretty good.
we had a group dinner upstairs and i remember it being a bit hot and stuffy. i think the menu has since changed since that dinner.
my most recent visit was happy hour on the friday before halloween. it was surprising to find this little place tucked behind best buy, packed soon after it opened at 5:30. happy hour is from 5:30 to 7. all the cocktails are half off and also all salad and appetizers. pretty good deal. we got edamame, mussles, wings (all drummets), sweet potato tempura. everything was really good. i also had several ginger delights and the drink was strong but tasty. the waitress was attentive and always making sure we had drinks.
Nihon keeps proving itself as a great and often over looked drink spot. This is a place for Whiskey lovers, but also for experiential drinkers looking for whiskey thrills.
I'm in that 2nd group but Nihon could move me over!
The cocktail menu has more to offer then you can consume in one trip, with classics like whiskey sours to crazy alchemy type stuff. However, the really awesome part about Nihon is the option to order a small taste of all of the whiskeys they carry. This means that if you want to know what a $280 bottle of whiskey tastes like, the buy-in is only $4-6. And if you want to go crazy and find out what it's like to drink an $1800 bottle, that is achievable for just $40.
Nihon achieves what I think the highest calling of any bar specializing in the appreciation of a particular thing, like whiskey, should be--to successfully evangelize to new drinkers.
A lot of urban legend surrounds Nihon as a good place to get upscale Japanese hookers, and I can… Read more »
Great food. Innovative flavors. Great price points for what you get. An amazing space... the polished white stone floor and pillars when you walk in are pretty impressive.
We ate just about everything imaginable off the menu last night. Dynamite, octopus salad, avocado tuna tartare, chicken kaarage, waloo, seaweed & shiso salad... like I said, you name it, we ate it.
The cod was especially good. The waloo was surprisingly buttery. The pickled vegetables were fine, though I was expecting them to be a bit more authentic.
The wine lists is decent. The cocktail list is where it's at.
We sat and ate here for a few hours last night. It was enjoyable down to the last bite. Service was spot on, efficient and helpful.
i will definitely be back when I need more waloo... oh, the waloo...
Go for the waloo.
like the atmosphere 4 stars
whisky sour good
not a super fan of the twists on japanese tapas
happy hour is probably the time to go
edamame, wakame, teba, fries, fire on the ahi, cod, tori, kobe beef
it's ok
Ok, so I read about this place from a San Francisco Magazine that my girl brought over. We are kinda unique foodies and can go from high end to low endin 30 seconds flat... I love this woman. We went there yesterday for Happy hour and WOW, amazing.
The place does not look like much from the outside, however once inside you get the fusion style of a place. very cool, very lofty and sofa's for bigger groups and a great bar.
Let's start with the whiskey's... 450+ brands of this alcohol. I didn't even know that there that many out there. No worries if you are not a whiskey fan, this place has a cocktail list that puts many upper lounges to shame. I personally drank a Luxury Mojito and as I have mentioned in previous reviews, I am a Miami guy, but this one had Sake and Champagne, hence the luxury part... BTW, at happy hour this drink cost $5 dollas... My princess ordered a lychee martini and loved it.
So, now the food, and BTW 50% off for happy hr. So we ordered some Octopus with some cucumber sauce, Delish, ordered wings, not bad, got some Yellowtail jaws, very nice flavor. Then we ordered mussels, Stop right there, Now so great Skanky taste and the couple next to us said the same. Don't order here, go to North Beach for that.
Net net, Great time, I will definitely go back. Happy hour here with my girl was a very good time...
Keep it up.
Why is this place a 4 star? Seriously?
Ok, the good; their whiskey/scotch selection is extensive n good. ok service.
The bad: Sushi, so not impressive, wouldnot order it again! Chairs downstairs are uncomfortable n their whiskey cocktails are pretty bad! The place seemed like it's in the middle of nowhere at some random place.
No, I will not be going back! Dissapointing.
Nihon is managed by the same people who handle Bar 821, which you should know by now that I'm in love with. In comparison, Nihon is bigger, brighter, and serves food. Plus, everything on the appetizers menu is half off during happy hour! What's not to like?
Our food orders:
Hamachi kama x4
Chicken wings x3
Agedashi tofu x3
Fries x2
Tako poki salad
Hamachi shitake
Raw octopus
Wasabi hi (shoot, what was this again...)
Seaweed salad
Drink orders:
Luxury mojito
Lychee mermaid
Tokyo sparkles
Negroni
Anchor Steam
Guinness x2
Total, including tax and tip: $129.94. Ridiculous, right?
I used to pass by this place every day on the bus. It always looked interesting, and mysterious,… Read more »
Let me first preface this review by putting out the disclaimer that "I am not a fan of whiskey". Dare I say this...but...to me, whiskey kinda tastes like the smell of rubber cement (please don't shoot me whiskey lovers).
Upon stepping foot into Nihon to surprise a friend for his birthday, I noticed the extravagant collection of whiskeys - row after row of beautifully labeled bottles of aged liquor waiting to be enjoyed by the proper and discerning taste bud. The decor at Nihon is really cozy and if you sit there long enough, you'd almost lose yourself thinking when you step outside the big beautiful glass door, you'd be in Tribeca in Manhattan or the Vegas strip. However, reality hits hard when you are blinded by the large beaming neon "Food Co" sign on Folsom Street while the harmless neighborhood vagrant almost runs you over with his stolen shopping cart...such an obscure location for such a beautiful lounge...
The boys ordered whiskey tastings. I enjoyed sampling 2 of them -- one which opened up all my nasal passages and the other, a dessert whiskey, which smelled like maple syrup but didn't quite taste like syrup. For non-whiskey drinkers, Nihon has a good plump list of cocktails, beers, and wines. I ordered myself a lychee mermaid (sparkling wine, lychee, and a cube of sugar) http://www.yelp.com/bi.... It was very refreshing and tasty. I can't wait to come back for their happy hour menu (1/2 price baby)...
Halfway sipping down a tasting of Johnny Walker Blue, I had the sweet sensation of relaxing out late on the Vegas Strip. The laid back atmosphere and chilled out music playing at the lounge made me wish this place opened 24/7. The rare San Francisco heat just added to the vision. Nihon seems like a transplant of a Sin City Hotel lounge.
I did not get to try their food but I felt a little suspicous, yet curious about their menu. But for certain, Nihon's whisky selection was eye popping for a whisky lover like me.
I stuck with a couple of old reliable brands like Macallan and Johnny Walker but went with their 15 year and "blue" respectively, that I've not tried before. Both were outstanding as always. I also tried a few new brands like a Glenfiddich 18.
All and all, the whisky was superb and hanging out with great friends made the experience, a complete one.
What a strange concept! Whisky... and sushi?
What a selection! Everything on the whisky list is available in half-ounce "tastes", one-and-a-half-ounce "pours", and "bottles". You can't go wrong trying out taste after taste, even when you'll still never be able to sample everything because there are so many to choose from.
What a spot! Great atmosphere, pretty laid-back and low-key. Good service from the bartender, funky DJ playing on a Friday night.
A totally fun place that just exudes quality all over.
Happy Hour 5:30-7pm
1/2 off cocktails and beers.
1/2 off salads & appetizers.
Tako Pokki Salad (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) The tako (octopus) was fresh and chewy. All was good, mandarin oranges, nori, tobiko...except the salad greens. No dressing, nor flavor.
Hamachi-Shitake (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Hamachi stuffed inside shitake mushrooms then tempura fried. Served with a sweet chili + soy sauce sauce. The fish was warm and flakey. Yummy little bites!
Hamachi-Kana (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) LoOved it! The skin had a great crispiness and sweetness. Crunchy and hot, super freshly made. The meat is moist in all its deliciousness.
Teba Karage (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Japanese style buffalo wings. The wings weren't spicy as expected, but still very good. Just the right amount of flavoring and frying. First bite was as good as the last.
Mountain Potato, Sweet Potato and Taro Fries (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) My least favorite. We spent some time debating which was which. The regular potato one was obvious. But the purple sweet potato and the round taro balls threw us off. The fries were flavorless but served with a sweet dipping sauce and salt. Flawed system! Sauce first, end up with too much salt. Salt first, doesn't stick.
My Luxury Mojito was strong! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Everything came out to be around $5 each. Whoohoo!
PS. It would've better if they had bigger tables so we weren't all squished together.
PPS. How can they be out of Smoked Calamari and Steamed Mussels when we were one of the first ones there?
I like it here because it's cute, the DJs (at least the ones I've encountered here) are good, and it's a bit off the beaten path (i.e., not on Valencia). The first time I came here, I thought the cocktails were spectacular. But after stopping by a few times, I realized that the cocktails here are not *always* good. Yeah, the issue with consistency, like many other places (I think Alembic, Beretta, XYZ, 15 Romolo, and Rye are more consistent).
As for the food....I'd describe the food here as "low-to mid-end izakaya quality Japanese food that has gone through some Americanization process." Not horrible but not quite good either. I'd say for an establihment with a focus on drinks and style (and a kitchen that's open semi-late), the food scores a passing grade. If this were a serious restaurant that mainly competes based on the quality of food they serve, I'd downgrade it. Overpriced, definitely. But I guess you are paying more for the ambience and convenience.
This is a multi-functional spot that can be used for after-dinner/ before-dinner/ after-work chilling.
Whenever I think of Whiskey and sushi, my mind takes me to Murray's character in Lost in Translation - always a fond, if somewhat unattractive association. I myself love Whiskey and I love sushi...so though they might not seem to go together, the concept here works. Don't leave without trying one of their handcrafted whiskey cocktails. I ordered the "final word," and then, as is my custom, I had another final word.
Ambience is mixed here - downstairs you have a high-decibel tipsy meet-and-greet of a bar. Upstairs is a quiet, sexily lit dining area. I liked the short tables and wood grains everywhere - warm lounge feelings all around. Service was not neglectful but not really present, either - no complaints. Food came out with good pacing, though ordering and the first dish (seaweed salad) took a while for a sushi restaurant.
As for the food - Hamachi stuffed shitake's won the show for me. Soft and crispy, savory and a little sweet, finishing with a spicy kick, the textures and flavors were perfect, even if presentation was lacking just a little bit*. Black ahi was my least favorite dish, but even then it offered fresh fish and beautiful plating. The rolls are high intrigue, large-serving art pieces. Satisfying yet delicate.
Do go for dessert - our bourbon-soaked ice cream was outstanding.
This is a hip, classy stop for sushi and a great pick for a date. Even if it is a bit off the beaten path, it's right near Chez Spencer and the neighborhood has plenty of parking and felt safe enough.
*after all, how do you make a fried mushroom look beautiful?
Ok, so it's actually been a few weeks since i went here, but it's been on my mind. Well, to be more specific, the "Devil's Manhattan" is on my mind.
This place makes positively DELICIOUS cocktails, and their appetizers are quite stellar as well. Mussels say WHAAAAAT? (so good!)
Anyhoo - while this might be my most sparse of reviews, if you're in the neighborhood, or just want to try a really nice, albeit fairly reasonably priced cocktail spot (GO FOR HAPPY HOUR!!!), I suggest giving Nihon a shot. The Devil's Manhattan alone is worth it. Possibly one of the best manhattans I have EVER had.
Oh yea, and the waitstaff is super cute!
Went here with my wife on a Thursday night to celebrate a new job. I dig this place. It wasn't very crowded. In fact we had the whole upstairs area to ourselves. The space: Not to big, not too small. Nice low key lighting. Nice design and layout. The Menu: A little expensive but not insane. We ordered about 7 different things from different parts of the menu + 2 drink each and it was $150. The menu has lots of choices (mostly small plates) for a restaurant of this size. I liked some things better than other (thumbs up to the coke kobe and smoked calamari) but everything was tasty and well plated. Service was very good, very attentive. I'll be back to get adventurous with the whiskeys. If you just come here for drinks, and want to get dinner somewhere else, Chez Spencer is fantastic and just down the block.
The private room upstairs is ideal for an intimate dinner party. Super comfortable sofas make you feel right at home. The Sushi is amazing and the service on point.
This is also a great place for evening drinks since they specialize in Whiskey. My favourite drink though is the un-filtered carbonated Sake they serve. I've never had carbonated Sake before and will always look for it on the menu from now on!
First off, I have to say I didn't chose to go here... was up visiting a friend in SF w/a group of about 10 and she had plans to go to here for a HH so we basically tagged along. :-)
The bar is TINY...and I wouldn't even say there was 'standing room' only -- it was like 'no room only' unfortunately. We eventually opted to get seated for dinner upstairs because there was simply nowhere to even order food, even though the HH menu looked enticing.
I do give them props for being able to seat 10 for dinner at the last minute but I have to say that evenso, the service was ridiculously slow and came out in such odd increments. People who ordered last got their dishes first when they were the same dishes or easier dishes? Eventually, the waitress noticed our disdain and must've called for some back-up cuz the service did improve as the evening went on.
The food was pretty good -- a few original dishes and a lot of dishes that based on their description looked like they were trying too hard, if you know what I mean. Regardless, it was all tasty and we left with happy bellies but leaner wallets, as I did think many of the rolls were overpriced for what they were but I guess that's the price you pay for 'hip sushi' ;-)
Would I go back? Eh.. maybe if my friend dragged me to a HH there again but it wouldn't be my first choice.
Note: This is a review from a non-drinker. I have been to many bars/lounges in the city, however.
I have not been to a bar this price-conscious (customer-facing) and somewhat rude to people who just can't take alcohol.
Having passed by many times on the way to/from Rainbow Grocery, I was always curious what this hip-looking lounge would be like. I came here for a friend's birthday with a large group of 15+ people.
The ambiance and decor was nice--well suited for a standard lounge. On the Friday night, the DJ was playing and the music was unfortunately rather loud. This isn't a nightclub or a lounge with a dance floor. Why is it that a lounges can't be more casual so that people hear other people speak?
The group I was with enjoyed the whiskey and mixed drinks, particularly the mojito. But when I asked the bartender for some non-alcoholic recommendations, she nearly laughed at me. Quite often in my experience, this is a sign of poor service and lack of customer consideration. Why scoff at me?
Worse off, when I got the bill...I found out that my non-alcoholic drinks were nearly the price of the alcoholic drinks equivalent. (Only a dollar difference). Is there something wrong with the pricing? Why is a glass of cranberry juice with lime nearly $5? And a glass of soda water with mint, sugar and ice...$9??? A fellow bartender in our group even mentioned that he wouldn't charge such extraordinary prices. Of course, some would say that I am paying for the experience. But what is this experience exactly? A loud, nearly empty lounge? (This was Friday night at 10 pm)
I hear the bathroom has a dungeon-like theme. And that several customers started banging on the door after a friend went inside for just 30 seconds. What does this say about the clientele?
This is a unique place which makes it a good place to check out.
They do NOT card at the door because I guess it's just a restaurant but people mainly come thinking it's only a lounge. They will card at the bar. So this means people underage can come through but just can't order without an ID.
I'm not the biggest fan of whisky but they have the largest assortment I've ever seen--shelves and shelves of whisky. I wanted to try the food, but when I got there at 11:00PM, it was too crowded and there were no tables to get food service.
I am a fan of trying new beers and they have two rare Japanese import beers here so if you're unsure what to order, I would suggest ordering either an Orion or an Echigo beer. Both of those beers are tasty to me.
The crowd is mostly Asian although it wasn't completely Asian. The crowd is older as well (average age of 26 I would say).
I came here for a friend's birthday. Supposedly, if you want to reserve a table upstairs and have your party chill there, your party is not allowed to go down the stairs and must stay there the whole time. This doesn't really make sense but that's what my friend said. So if you're planning to reserve a table, check with the restaurant on how that works.
I don't give it 5 stars because the drinks are pretty expensive and what happened with my friend' party plans. Parking is easy to find though.
Just because of its uniqueness and they serve interesting Japanese food, I would come again. Be sure to try some of the food, I wish I did!
I tried absinthe for the first time and I liked it. In the form of a Sazerac, which I will translate to: "May be small but it carries a big stick". I had been detoxing for about a week when I ordered this drink. When the waitress brought out the glass only filled to 1/4 its capacity, I felt myself pout a little inside. After a week of nothing bad going into my body, my big celebration back into the world of toxins would be limited to just a few sips? It turns out, there's a reason this drink is minimalized. The first sniff is intoxicating. When I tipped the glass and the icy sweetness kissed my lips, I wasn't sure what to expect. I swirled it around, pondered the flavor for a moment and then swallowed. From beginning to end, this drink delivers in a big way. One was all I needed.
My partner in crime ordered a mojito and it was amazing. The drinks at Nihon are pricey but the quality is on par with the price tag.
Coke Kobe - Excellent. 4 stars.
Bacon wrapped prawns - Meh. 2 stars. (Incredibly over priced.)
Samurai roll - I myself, didn't try this but everyone (including a non-sushi eater) loved it.
Thunder roll - I tried. I couldn't eat it. Just too fishy tasting for me.
Hamachi stuffed shitake - OMFG - Amazing. 5 stars, 10 if possible. Do NOT miss this dish!
The atmosphere in this place is great. It's softly lit but not so dark to be troublesome. By having the bar on the first floor and the eating areas on the 2nd, the louder more boisterous groups are appropriately isolated from the more intimate parties and casual conversations.
Whether you are planning on visiting with a date or with a group of friends; Nihon fosters good times and special moments.
This was were I spent my first happy hour when I moved to SF and they did not let me down. The drinks were strong and the appitizers were good. The only draback really was that if you were not looking to have dinner there, there were not many options nearby to walk your tipsy self over to, though with better preplanning I am sure this problem could have been avoided. Great atmosphere and all around good time.
We were here on a Friday night and will definitely come back. The DJ was playing a mix of great music and I absolutely love the decor! Compared to other lounges, this place is very classy. It wasn't too crowded, so for once we didn't have to scream over the music and people. My husband is a scotch connoisseur and he absolutely loved their selection. The 1/2 oz pours are the way to go! I really enjoyed their champagne cocktails. We didn't try the food, but I'm sure we will next time. The prices here are definitely more on the expensive side, but comparable to other clubs and are definitely worth it.
Don't bother getting appetizers here.
Had the Toro Avocado Salad and all we tasted was LOTS of avocado and barely Any toro- felt like such a rip-off
Grilled Rice Balls were ok
The sushi here was pretty good though; had the Thunderbird, Firebird, 1974 and Samurai- all were yummy.
But kinda pricey for 3 people and bad apps.
$60 each (with a couple of drinks between us)
The doors. The first thing you notice is that the front door (and the bathroom door later) looks like a genuine sanctuary door, right out of an interior of a castle. The ambiance is dim but not dark and very cosy. A big glass case showcases the premium bottles of scotch that get as expensive as $4100 per bottle. Did I mention this place isn't cheap? If I didn't, this would be a good time to do so. Yes, some money is necessary to enjoy this place.
They do have a happy hour, 5:30 - 7, when the cocktails and appetizers are half off, makes this alot more manageable.
Their appetizers vary, the rolls - obviously more expensive than in most sushi restaurants, look good.
The stuffed shiitake mushrooms on the other hand kinda taste like they are stuffed with wet cat-food. Maybe its just me.
The "fries" are fried potatoes of three different types, simple and beautiful.
The cocktails that I was privy to were all quite good. They have a unique twist to all of them that is a welcome alternative to a regular bar.
Blood and Sand - sweet and tasty, would order for myself next time.
Legend - as it sounds, this is certainly a man's drink. The peaty scotch that is used has a tail a mile long and is very much appreciated. Its kinda like stirring a brandy and rum cocktail with a cuban cigar.
Kentucky Suicide - The 100 proof rye and the Lucid Absinthe make this a cocktail that is memorable, to say the least.
Be sure to try the bourbon ice cream. The sweet bourbon and the very vanilla ice cream give an excellent contrast.
I know jack about whiskey, but I know lots of "Jacks and Jills" who are expert indeed. Although curiosity vaguely lingers, since my fiend friends say that the really good stuff (~$500/bottle) tastes divinely buttery. Like *really* buttery. I suppose entering a certifiable whiskey lounge with certifiables should have made my visit to Nihon practically a field trip and I should've tested flights and taken notes. But, first, I don't care what you say, people, whiskey isn't ever going to trump the regality of wine. Second, what I wanted to revisit was the Mermaid (lychee Champagne cocktail), to check if it was still like the good ol' days. Yep, still good.
It's true, though, Nihon boasts an impressive wall of whiskey bottles. You can have them neat, trying quarter of an ounce pours for about $4-$6. Or, if you're feeling daring, invite the bartenders to spin you some whiskey cocktails. A friend had the Hemingway (I had a sip, recoiled, and fondled my Mermaid) and started strumming an air guitar all night. Like all the way down to South Bay, the fool.
The food is all right. It's Japanese izakaya and is good for snacking on while you enjoy drinks. However, I wouldn't recommend this place specifically for food. Nihon is part of the Dajani Group and they own Tsunami Sushi in NOPA, which to me is major "meh."
Ambience is very nice with its flickering candlelit glow, come-hither plush seating, and simply styled wood-paneled floors. It goes from quite chill in the early evening to verging claustrophobic on the main floor. I haven't been upstairs, as that area is for large reserved parties. If it weren't on Folsom next to Food Mart and on the same street as 1015, I probably would've come here more. It's located on the most random corner.
A grain of salt: I don't like whisky. Nihon has "Whisky" in their name. I'm probably not the best suited to review the place.
But, still: Spotty service (decent on first visit, lousy the second, both with a table of 6), good but not amazing sushi, and the whisky focus is at the detriment of staples like saki (small selection) and plum wines (none!).
Nihon's bar is awesome for a whiskey-rookie. The bartenders know their shizel and are more than willing to lend a helping hand when it comes to selecting a particular scotch to your liking. Unlike many places, it's easy find a bottle that you may recall seeing/having/wanting because it's all alphabetized instead of being separated by regions. My favorite thing about this place is their option of a 1/2 ounce pour. This gives the rookie, like myself, a chance to try 2-3 different options without committing to a pricey variety that you may end up not liking. I can't wait to go back and try a few new single-malts I want to check-off from my list.
"Izakaya" isn't something I'd experienced before as my japanese experience has been 80% sushi and 20% teriyaki rice bowls. Thus, I was interested in Nihon mostly for the cuisine versus the acclaimed whiskey selection. Yet my first experience at the restaurant was with a single malt scotch and an extremely knowledgeable and pleasant bartender that walked me through my choices for my warm-up beverage. Impressed.
The whiskey: I enjoyed it and even more my mini education from the bartender
The izakaya: Pretty frickin delicious especially the stuffed shitake mushrooms, duck, tataki, and kobe beef. We went with the octopus seaweed salad as an appetizer and it didn't dissapoint.
All in all, I was very impressed and will make a 2nd appearance at Nihon very soon.
(can you tell im trying to catch up on my reviews.....sucks trying to rebuild)
Im giving this place 4 stars because of their ambiance and their wide range of whisky selection. Its dimly lit with great sleek decor. Very intimate feeling when dining here. The food was good but very tiny. When im hungry, i like a big enough meal to fill me up.....unfortunately the night i dined here, i left still hungry, and ended up grabbing a late dinner elsewhere.
Ive been to Nihon many times and I say go here to lounge and enjoy drinks, dont come here starving. Their whisky/scotch selection is awesome. I have tried their champagne cocktails, which unfortunately i didnt like, but the champagne alone was great. They're really known for their whisky and imo thats what you should stick with. I did a whisky tasting one night of maybe about 10 different bottles, and WOW, i was blown away. I just about creamed my panties. Nice & smooth going down makes you want more.
Come prepared though, drinking here is a bit pricey, but you can you really put a price on the good stuff? No.
Good gawd! I've never seen so much whiskey!!( http://static.px.yelp.... )
My friends wanted to come here for happy hour(1/2 off appetizers and cocktails). I personally don't drink whiskey anymore because I had too much of the brown stuff in my younger days. Unless you want to see pukage, keep that stuff away from me! Luckily, they have an extensive menu of other drinks( http://static.px.yelp.... ). I went with the Lychee Mermaid( http://static.px.yelp.... ) and Luxury Mojito( http://static.px.yelp.... ). Both were very good, and I wanted more, but I gave myself a 2 drink limit, and actually stuck to it since it was a Tuesday night.
The appetizers were delicious! Since they were 1/2 off, we almost ordered everything on there! Happy hour is a great way to sample a variety of food.
-Hamachi Kama( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Steamed Mussels( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Stuffed Shitake( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Seaweed Salad( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Smoked Calamari( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Agedashi Tofu( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Tako Pokki Salad( http://static.px.yelp.... )
-Uni on the Spoon( http://static.px.yelp.... ) **not 1/2 off, but we HAD to get it!
-Fries( http://static.px.yelp.... )
The service was excellent. Our waitress always came to check on us, so the drinks and food were always flowing. The Lounge itself is pretty small, so if you have a large group, go early to grab a place to sit. Its a cute little venue, so I'll definitely be back for another happy hour!
Still good, but *really* disappointed that they took Kobe Hamburger Rolls off the menu! At least they held on to the "fries". The Samarai rolls melted in our mouths, and some of the others at our table were really digging the octopus.
The consensus seemed to be: a bit expensive for what it was. But damned tasty.
Okay, I'm no sushi-holic, but this place hit the spot for me. The ambiance was great, and there was… Read more »
A family friend came into town from Tokyo, so naturally where did I take him?
Back to Japan.
Nihon is a place I have been dying to try for awhile but never found the energy to go to. As a scotch and whiskey fan, I've always wondered how different scotches can be from one another. The answer is (much like any other fine product, wine, beer, tobacco, food) VERY.
You can order a small taste, a glass, or a bottle here, which allows you to sample, sip, or chug whatever you fancy. Being in a Japan mood, I tried the Yamazaki 18 (very smooth) and the Nikka Black (which tastes like Johnnie Walker black). My friend had the lagavulin 16 which smelled and tasted like bbq smoke (very smoky flavor).
The interior is gorgeous and the bartender was a cool guy who took some time explaining differences between highlands and lowlands.
I really want to come back to try their happy hour specials and food. One visit here though has turned me into a scotch/whiskey snob (just like churchkey turns you into a beer snob). Enjoy!
AWESOME happy hour!!! all their specialty cocktails and appetizers are half off from 5:30 to 7:00, and they're all frickin' delicious!
we visited on the friday before memorial day, and got in just in time to snag the last of the little tables. all i needed was two (tasty tasty tasty) drinks and i was good for the night. the appetizers were like icing on the cake though--the chicken wings and wasabi octopus were my favorites, and we also had the mixed fries and grilled yellowtail collar (hamachi kama) which were equally excellent.
would totally go back again! too bad it's so far from fidi... perhaps a blessing in disguise in terms of crowd control??
At Nihon whiskey lounge, you can expect several great things. Other than fine décor and ambiance, the food and beverage is ecstatic. It's not just a normal dining experience, its beyond traditional Japanese cooking. Imagine taking fresh ingredient and creating a combination of flavors and texture together into this American/Japanese influence.
In the end, you will find the experience to be delightful and yearning back for more. One of the items to try is the octopus salad, Then move on to their mussels. Although, we thought the broth was a bit salty yet flavorful. The sushi rolls was amazingly delicious; Kamikaze, Yamato, and Samurai. Surprisingly, you don't need to add soy sauce and wasabi. I know some people prefer it, but do you wanna taste soy and wasabi in every bite, I think not. In some instances, it might be an insult to the chef.
What I like about this place the most is the appeal of the restaurant and the huge selection of whiskey. The music and food is up there as well.
I'll have mine straight please.
=)
Sushi and Whiskey. What a perfect combo????
Can't be better than that...
GET:
Glenlivets, Jack Single…
Read more »
Lots of whisky, great whisky cocktails, and a great 5-7 happy hour with half-price cocktails and appetizers. It's loung-ey and the Japanese appetizers I had while there were great! The hamachi-stuffed tempura shiitake mushrooms were excellent.
Definitely an older crowd than a lot of the bars/happy hour joints nearby in the Mission...
Happy Hour Draft Beer $1.75!
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
99 cents beer & hot sake
Neighborhood: Excelsior
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Lounges
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