One of San Diego’s most anticipated newcomers opens its doors on March 15, in the Bankers Hill space that formerly housed Hachi Ramen.
Kinme Omakase’s owners Shihomi Borillo and Nao Ichimura have decades of experience and multiple success stories under their belts, including their first San Diego hit, Azuki Sushi. With Kinme, the duo are paying homage to two centuries-old culinary concepts, Kaiseki and Edomae. (Kaiseki: a multi-course meal centered around seasonal ingredients; edomae: sushi made with fresh seafood caught near Tokyo Bay.)
Kinme’s teeny-tiny 900-square-foot space has just ten seats; reservations are released at the beginning of each month. That scarcity, coupled with the inventive menu and experience, is about to make Kinme the most sought-after dinner spot in town.
Ichimura serves as Executive Chef and will develop seasonal tasting menus with a course-by-course approach. The star ingredient: hand-selected fish, sourced from the world-renowned Toyosu fish market in Tokyo, in addition to San Diego-and Ensenada-based purveyors. Chef de Cuisine Kevin Alvarado will draw upon his classic French training and expertise on local produce to complement the highlighted flavors.
Kinme’s 10-course spring menu ($175 per person):
- Sakizuke, a selection of starters, like a Fat Bastard Oyster with white sturgeon caviar and blood orange pearls
- Nimono, a simmered course
- Mukozuke, a chef’s choice sashimi course
- Hassun, a dish conveying an expression of the season, including a Chawanmushi made with free range egg, morel mushroom and Dungeness crab ankake
- Hanmono, a rice course with Edomae-style nigiri sushi
- Wan-mono, a soup course
- Yakimono, a grilled course
- Kashi, a dessert course
- A traditional matcha tea service
Also on the menu: vintage burgundy wines, exclusively allocated sakes, and a curated selection of Japanese whiskeys. Kinme’s meditative environment draws from the wabi sabi aesthetic; the space is minimalistic and earthy to keep the focus on the intricacies of the cuisine.
