Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District is PABU, a lively Japanese restaurant specializing in upscale Izakaya dining, elevated further by an emphasis on sake pairings and seasonal cocktail menus. Founded by Michael Mina and the late Ken Tominaga of the esteemed Hana Japanese Restaurant in Sonoma County, PABU is a modern take on Izakaya dining that includes sushi, something that wouldn’t be found on Izakaya menus in Japan.
“Izakaya dining is essentially small bites to go with drinks,” explains Chef Keita Tominaga. “It is also a vibe created in the dining room that’s typically casual and social. We capture this Izakaya-style experience in a more elevated way at PABU Izakaya in both the dishes and the atmosphere we’ve created.”
PABU’s contemporary take on this style of dining is broken down in to several selections on the menu that include cold and hot small plates, makimono (rolls), nigiri, sashimi, robatayaki and larger plates for sharing.
Pabu’s Omakase experience is not to be missed. Featuring high quality locally and globally sourced seafood available — including fish flown in from Japan’s famed Tsukiji Market – the Omakase menu includes chef’s choice sushi; robatayaki favorites such as the A5 Japanese wagyu, chicken tail, and chicken meatball with jidori egg yolk; and small plates such as the signature ‘Happy Spoon’ oyster with uni, ikura and tobiko, the ahi tuna poke, Tokyo fried chicken ‘karaage’ and more.
Meanwhile the sushi bar experience highlights the expertise of Chef Yukimori Yamamoto, who learned under the direction of the late Ken Tominaga. Rolls include specialties like Michael’s Negitoro with bluefin fatty tuna, scallion, uni and ikura; Ken’s with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna; the spider with soft shell crab and more.
Guests looking for the full experience shouldn’t miss out on sake pairings from sake Sommelier, Stuart Morris, one of the few non-Japanese Sake Masters in the world. In 2009, Morris passed the rigorous Kikisake-Shi exam in Tokyo — which demands the knowledge of all the factors that play into the production of sake, a blind tasting of sake and an appreciation for sake’s role in Japanese society.
Upon completion, Stuart became a full time sake sommelier at Ken Tominaga’s acclaimed Hana Restaurant, and today, he’s the sake sommelier at PABU. Guests can find him here at any given night, educating diners on what pairs best with their food for the evening. He also travels to Japan a few times a year to make his own sake in Yamagata prefecture’s Shindo Shuzo, a brewery over 150 years old.
On the cocktail side of things, PABU has recently debuted a new cocktail menu — The Cocktail Book of Yokai. Inspired by the creatures and phenomenon of centuries old Japanese folklore, this menu was developed by new Lead Bartender, Natalie Lichtman. Highlights include the Kitsune featuring Belizean cacao rum, Cognac, matcha strawberry, wasabi and clarified milk; and the Kappa with cucumber vodka, Empirical Soka, vanilla acid blend and sparkling sake.
We chatted with Sake Sommelier Stuart Morris, Chef Kevin Schantz and Chef Keita Tominaga on all things PABU. Here’s what they had to say.
How did you first get into sake and at what point did you decide you wanted to turn it into your career?
Stuart Morris: I have always been interested in Japanese culture so there isn’t really one moment in time that marks the start of my journey into sake. I was working in a restaurant in San Francisco and the lease on my apartment wasn’t renewed. With no place to go, my now wife and I decided to move to the US Virgin Islands.
I worked for a sushi restaurant and that’s where I was first introduced to sake. My career started to come together bit by bit from there. I spent a lot of time at San
Francisco’s True Sake and tasted sake whenever I had the chance but it was my dad who really encouraged me to turn it into a career.
I started working as a sushi chef at Ken Tominaga’s Hana restaurant so I could learn more about Japanese culture and cuisine and ended up being the guests’ go-to resource for sake. There was a day when Chef Ken told me that I was better at selling sake than making sushi so I became the restaurant’s sake sommelier. I’ve been doing it ever since!
What are some tips for people who’ve never really had sake before on pairings, how to enjoy it… etc.
Stuart Morris: Sake is often compared to wine and I like to think that sake is as pretty as any wine. You taste sake the same way you would wine — you smell it, swirl it, try it with bites of food. And, like wine, certain regions of Japan produce sake with very distinctive flavors.
If you’re just starting to learn about sake and want to buy some bottles — start with the price point. If you spend $25-$30, it’s going to be a good bottle; if you spend $50, it’s going to be an excellent bottle. Ask questions and be up front with your preferences like you would in buying wine. If you like something lighter and cleaner or more rich, someone can guide you.
Sake is the only beverage where you can make the temperature nearly the same as the food because you can serve it hot or cold. At PABU Izakaya, we serve cold sake in wine glasses — it’s the best vessel for swirling and sipping. Hot sake is served in traditional ochoko cups.
When it comes to pairing — everyone thinks of sushi and other Japanese food. The truth is, you can pair sake with anything — even steak and pizza! Of course, the more you taste, the more you know!
Talk about the menu inspiration. What are some signatures at PABU?
Chef Kevin Schantz: At PABU Izakaya, our inspiration is always the seasons. Our menu — including our specials — celebrates the farmers and ranchers of Northern California. This focus on seasonality also applies to what comes from Toyosu Fish Market in Japan. When we get Buri (wild yellowtail), it’s during the winter season. Baby barracuda only comes during the springtime.
As far as signatures — the Happy Spoon is one of the favorite dishes at PABU. It’s the best of everything — sweet, salty, savory and crunchy in one bite! You have oyster, uni, ponzu crème fraîche — it’s almost like a taste of ocean water! The Miso Marinated Black Cod is also a signature. The components change with the season but you’ll always find that on the menu.
Guests also love the Tontoro pork, which we marinate in smoked soy sauce, sake and mirin. We slow cook it and rest it overnight before skewering and grilling, making a dish that’s sweet, fatty, salty and savory. The fried rice is also a standout dish! Our secret ingredient is butter but if you want a truly outstanding fried rice, ask for black or white truffles!
What’s izakaya-style dining? How does Pabu best create this experience for its diners?
Chef Keita Tominaga: Our identity is very Japanese but we stay within the boundaries of Izakaya style dining while making it approachable for guests who may have not dined that way before. For example, you will not find sushi at an Izakaya in Japan but we include it on our menu as a way to continue to elevate and showcase Japanese cuisine in the Bay Area.
Typically at an Izakaya, guests start with lighter bites and move into something heavier. This can be the most basic bite like a chicken meatball on a skewer or the Happy Spoon, a more elevated and complex dish. You typically finish with a starch at the end, which tends to be a rice or noodle dish. We call it the “Shime,” which technically means “closure” or “to tighten up.” You’ll find our menu moves in that direction – smaller colder bites, to dishes right off the grill to a selection of sushi. In Japan, a night out is not finished until you’ve had your Shime.
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