In a rare occurrence for a San Francisco restaurant, Sergeant Ma, the latest concept from the restaurant group behind Trestle and 7 Adams, is opening as scheduled next month in a space that had not previously housed a restaurant in China Basin.

We first heard about the restaurant back in February when it still did not have a name, but it had a chef, the group's exec chef Jason Halverson, and a designer, Cass Calder Smith — who has worked on notable Bay Area spots including Perbacco, Twenty Five Lusk, and The Matheson. The space is in a former industrial building across Third Street from Oracle Park, technically 185 Berry Street, but the restaurant entrance will be on the opposite side along Mission Creek.

Now we know that the name is Sergeant Ma, which is a tribute to Halverson's "formidable" Vietnamese American mother, who is called both "Sergeant" and "Ma" at home.

And Hi Neighbor Restaurant Group, which also operates The Vault Steakhouse at 555 California and is at work on the new food offerings at the soon-to-be-revamped Cliff House, had said we could look forward to a September opening, and the opening date is set, in fact, for early September, September 9, with reservations going live today.

The spirit of the restaurant, which is officially being billed as a "California restaurant with Asian influences," is also inspired by Halverson's mom's way of cooking.

"Upon immigrating to America, she interpreted recipes her own way — adapting them with instinct, curiosity, and the flavors of her heritage," the restaurant website says. "She served with joyful abundance and insisted that everyone at her table leave full — whether they expected dinner or not."

The dinner menu, which is now online, features a handful of seafood starters — a halibut and uni crude with gooseberry and carrot-citrus vinaigrette, a king salmon crudo with sungold tomatoes and tikka oil, and a lobster salad with avocado and corn, to name a few. There's also a chopped summer salad and a taro-crusted chicken wing.

As Halverson and business partner Ryan Cole explain to the Chronicle, the rest of the menu is made up of larger-format dishes meant for sharing, mostly because of the limitations of the kitchen size in the space. These include a delicious sounding lobster malfadine (pasta) with lobster butter, lime, and Chinese black bean, which Halverson says is an homage to Chinese buffets; a coriander-crusted duck breast and braised leg with crispy rice salad; a dry-aged ribeye "au poivre"; and a whole grilled branzino with fermented chili sauce.

Halverson says the dishes are "Asian-inspired, but not trying to recreate any particular dish."

Cocktails by beverage consultant Suzanne Miller will take playful nods from the East, like an Old Fashioned that incorporates a syrup made from Chinese White Rabbit candy, and a tequila drink made to mimic the flavor of another candy, the hawthorn berry-flavored Haw Flakes. And the Chronicle notes that another drink, a banana pudding-inspired milk punch, will be a nod to the building's history as a fruit depot for arriving ships to the Port of San Francisco.


The lounge-like space, with 54 seats indoors, is expected to give a full indoor-outdoor experience on warm late summer and fall days, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open to Mission Creek and fire pits with couches. So it's a good thing they're making it open in time for SF's favorite season. And, there's also a turntable/DJ setup, and big-screen TVs for watching games.

Sergeant Ma joins the burgeoning food scene in and around China Basin and Mission Rock, where last year we saw the openings of Arsicault Bakery, Quik Dog, and Via Aurelia.

Sergeant Ma - 185 Berry Street, entrance on Mission Creek - Opening September 9

Previously: New Restaurant From Team Behind Trestle and Vault Coming to China Basin