What do millionaires eat when they don’t eat San Francisco alive? Chef Tomonori Nagai’s highly anticipated Sushi Nagai soft-opened last week, and presents a very tempting omakase option.
Chichi sushi is nothing new to San Francisco, as people (who can afford it) will happily drop $500 or more for a single meal at Mint Plaza’s Michelin-starred Hashiri. And now another astronomically high-end omakase sushi place has arrived, as the Chronicle reports $200-and-up prix fixe Sushi Nagai has opened at 125 Ellis Street. The omakase will be “just” $180 per person during the soft-open phase until June 4, at which point the Chron says the 15-course menu “will range from $200 and $250.” For those of us who could only dream of dropping so much on one night’s dinner, a few early photos show how spectacular this Edomae style sushi looks.
As Eater reminds us, the place was originally going to be Hashida Sushi, with Japanese chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida at the helm, and was scheduled to open last August. No word on what went sideways there, but new chef Tomonori Nagai has previously prepared sushi in Michelin-starred environs at Singapore’s Shinji by Kanasaka.
The Chronicle has a copy of the Sushi Nagai menu, though it’s from two weeks ago, and the menu does change weekly. That’s because the fish is imported from Japan’s famed Toyusu fish market.
The early Yelp reviews are unanimously five stars, though there are currently only four of them. Still, customers rave that it’s “one of the best experiences I've had eating omakase,” “a coaster ride that you never wish will come to an end,” and “2 hours, so make ample time.”
Also note the review that says, “Our bill was $830 which includes 20% automatic gratuity.”
Even when the prices goes up June 4, Sushi Nagai still won’t be the most expensive sushi place in town. That honor goes to the above-mentioned Hashiri, whose “Omakase at the Chef’s Table” does indeed run $500. But it will be the second most-expensive, ahead of Sasaki ($180 per person) and Michelin star holder Ju-Ni ($165 per person).
Sushi Nagai; 125 Ellis Street (at Powell Street), Tues. - Sun., 6 p.m.- 11 p.m., 415-658-7371
Related: The 24 Best Sushi Places In San Francisco, a Definitive List [SFist]
