The group behind Michelin-starred Ju-Ni lately opened their first informal idea in San Francisco’s Mission District. Handroll Venture is the town’s first-ever hand roll sushi bar and the primary from a Michelin-starred group within the nation. This distinctive restaurant is the primary informal idea and third restaurant from Government Chef Geoffrey Lee and Companion Tan Truong.

This Mission District hotspot instantly gained traction, with traces forming as much as an hour earlier than opening. They don’t take reservations, so earlier the higher. The excellent news is the rolls come out quick and as contemporary as may be.

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The incorporates a menu of 10 several types of hand rolls, in addition to specials and small plates, and a small, curated checklist of wine, sake, Japanese beers, and non-alcoholic drinks. Every hand roll is made-to-order from certainly one of solely two hand roll makers within the small restaurant.

Take a look at my full eating expertise right here.

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The menu will options the next rolls: Salmon & Sesame with ikura, bonita flakes; Spicy Tuna with shiso, shichimi aioli, cucumber, garlic; Spicy Kani with tobiko, negi, miso aioli; Smoked Hamachi with shiso and negi; Chef’s Poke Hand Roll with chef’s selection poke, ikura; Creamy Scallop with tobiko, negi, spicy miso aioli, avocado; and Toro Takuan wth fatty tuna, pickled radish, shiso, negi. The hand rolls are available units of 5, seven, and ten.

Chef Lee’s particular rolls embody the A5 Wagyu with garlic chips, shiso, chives; Smoked Uni & Ikura with smoked hokkaido uni, ikura; and Ikura & Ankimo with salmon roe, monkfish liver pate.

As with Ju-Ni and Hina Yakitori, Chef Lee makes use of solely the highest-quality components to craft the menu. The Handroll group makes use of choose purveyors equivalent to Sakasyu, which imports objects together with fish, and nori straight from Tsukiji, making it one of many solely eating places within the nation utilizing their product for nori.

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We chatted with the Handroll group concerning the restaurant idea, menu highlights and extra. Right here’s what they needed to say.

You guys personal Hina Yakitori and Michelin-starred Ju-Ni, what was the catalyst in deciding to open up a extra informal idea? Compared to your different eating places, what are the vibes and ambiance right here anticipated to be?

The Covid Pandemic compelled us to make a pivot with our enterprise mannequin and provoke a takeout program. We created a chirashi bowl that gained quite a lot of reputation. We leveraged this momentum to open Handroll Venture, a extra informal and approachable idea compared to Hina and jū-ni.

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That is the primary hand roll sushi bar in San Francisco and the primary from a Michelin-starred group within the nation. How did you guys determine to open this kind of idea up? Why is it so distinctive?

Previous to opening jū-ni, Tan and I mentioned opening quite a lot of enterprise ideas round sushi. A handroll restaurant was one of many ideas we performed with, however we in the end went with a nice eating idea that became jū-ni.

After dinner service at jū-ni we’d take pleasure in handrolls as a post-service dinner. They have been fast and scrumptious. We utilized the identical merchandise, methods and method we implement to create these “Michelin Star” flavors.

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What are the highlights and must-tries?

The method is identical I did with the jū-ni menu. To have completely different experiences with every handroll. Totally different flavors and textures. Nothing to overwhelm the qualities of every fish, however to intensify. A few of my favorites is the spicy tuna, the creamy scallop, and the smoked hokkaido uni w/ ikura.

Some should tries embody the Ikura w/ tremendous frozen ankimo. It’s a nod to our signature dish at jū-ni; Albacore Tataki, it’s gentle with vivid, savory flavors and an effective way to start earlier than having fun with the handrolls; our Saikyo Miso Soup. It’s the identical soup we finish our omakase meals with at jū-ni. We use a particular miso referred to as Saikyo Miso from Kyoto.

The place are you sourcing your components from? Notably your fish and nori?

The nori is sort of particular. Handroll Venture & jū-ni are 2 of 4 within the Bay Space who’s sourcing this from Toyosu Market in Tokyo. On certainly one of my final journeys to Tokyo, my fish suppliers took me to this boutique nori store. I may instantly style the distinction. It’s nearly 3x what we’d usually get right here within the states, however the high quality is definitely 10x.

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Discuss concerning the beverage program. What went in to curating what you have got in your bar menu?

Our Common Supervisor Alice Lee curated the beverage program. The idea is to have complimentary wine, sake and beer to the handrolls after all. California permits you to order alcohol to go together with your meals. We chosen particular sizes for gentle pairings once we get our to-go program going.

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