Just last week Sozai closed down in the Sunset, and now owners Gil Payne and Mari Takahashi have turned their attention to Friday, when their new project, Nombe, opens in the Mission District. The late-night izakaya is a partnership with former O Izakaya chef Nicolaus Ballad. Its name means “someone who likes to drink heavily,” and the restaurant’s logo/mascot and general drunk-food theme bear that out. Lots of fried food, chicken, pork belly, potatoes, and classic dumplings, rice, miso and pickled dishes compliment a hefty beer and sake selection. The best part: The 80-seat restaurant will have a late-night window, selling Japanese street food until 2 a.m. on weekends. Finally, a viable option to El Farolito! Check out the menu below, and get ready to get happy on Friday.
Menu
House Plates
Kinpira Gobo 5
Spinach with sesame sauce 5
Roasted beets with grated wasabi 6
Dashi marinated cream cheese 5
Burdock and duck roulade 9
Fall vegetable gyoza, soy and chili dipping sauce 8
Pork belly karashi, stewed onion, shoyu tamago 9
Pork spare ribs kimchee, Maitake mushroom 11
Beef heart - sweet onion, katsuo bushi 9
Seared ribeye - nagaimo, whole grain mustard,
spinach, ribeye cap 14
Agemono [Fried]
Potatoes with wild nori - ponzu and scallion 6
Karaage - chicken thigh with lemon and sea salt 8
Chicken livers - garlic aioli 7
Brussel sprouts - mint, carrot, togarashi 5
Agedashi tofu - katsuo bushi, baby shiitake 6
Butternut squash kaki age - green tea salt 7
Rock shrimp stuffed mushrooms 8
Dungeness crab korokke - lemon, sea salt,
garlic aioli 10
Yakimono [Grilled]
Chicken thigh - ume shiso 7
Chicken gizzard 4
Tsukune with egg 7
Chicken skin 4
Chicken hearts 4
Pork belly with shichimi togarashi 8
Yellowtail - ponzu, grated ginger 9
Black Cod - spinach, fennel, leek, miso 9
Salmon and shiitake mushroom 9
Bacon wrapped mochi 5
Celery root and kabocha squash with leek 7
Wagyu bavette steak - yuzu kosho 9
Salads
Fuyu persimmon - bitter greens, ginger dressing 8
Little gem lettuce - grapefruit, celery root, katsuo bushi 8
Wakame seaweed - cucumber, cauliflower,
curry vinaigrette 7
Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles
Steamed Rice
Steamed Koshihikari short grain rice 3
Wild nori 4
Natto, karashi 4
Ume chazuke - sencha tea, umeboshi, nori 4
Salmon chazuke - salted salmon, salmon skin 6
Onigiri
Fried rice balls with lemon, nori, sea salt 4
Umeboshi, shiso 6
Salted salmon, salmon skin, arare 6
Marinated kombu seaweed, sesame 6
Miso soup, pickles
Miso soup 3
Umeboshi with cucumber 4
Breakfast Radish with miso pickled ramps 4
Yuzu pickled daikon 4
Nuka zuke assorted pickles 4
Dessert
Mochi with kabocha cream 8
Vanilla bean ice cream, dango, azuki beans,
toasted rice, green tea 8
Beignets with chocolate ganache, kinako powder 8
Fried persimmon with almond ice cream 8
Earlier: Sozai Says Goodbye Tonight [Grub Street SF]
