Yokai, a new hi-fi listening cocktail bar and restaurant, will open its doors to the public on Friday September 15th at 545 Mission Street. The name Yokai, which is a Japanese word for spirits, ghosts, or supernatural beings, is fitting, as it brings new life into a pre-Prohibition era brick manufacturing building in San Francisco’s SOMA district. Guests will enjoy Chef Zimmerman’s Japanese-influenced food and cocktails while listening to vinyl records at decibels that allow for spirited conversations. Yokai will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (with lunch service to be offered at a later date). Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.
“Yokai is my vision of what I’d like a bar and grill to be,” says Zimmerman in a statement, “a casual, lively atmosphere, great music, delicious cocktails, a live-fire kitchen and an à la carte menu meant for sharing.”
Yokai is the second collaboration between architect Andrea Lendardin Madden, owner of the ALM Project, Zimmerman, and his business partner Ben Jorgensen. The duo worked with Madden on the design of their first joint restaurant project, Gozu, which opened in 2019. Yokai will be housed within the circa-1907 five-story building, four blocks from its sibling restaurant and steps away from Salesforce Park.
“Revitalizing a steel and brick pre-prohibition site, we’ve created an environment that is jazzy and chill,” said Zimmerman. “It’s an arena for the senses, filled with hi-fi sound and crackling skewers from the charcoal fire.”
One of the guiding design principles for both Chef Zimmerman and Madden has been to preserve the patina of history and the spirit of San Francisco that haunts the building – in a good way. The Yokai building is the first permanent structure built on Mission Street following the 1906 earthquake. The cold-riveted steel columns predate both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges by 26 years and are inscribed with the Carnegie Steel Company’s name. Most recently the building was home to the popular Salt House Restaurant, which closed in 2020.
Upcycling was also top of mind at the 60-seat Yokai, as the team repurposed live-edge dining tables from a now-closed restaurant. The tables were originally created by Terry Castilyn. Castilyn has also created a live-edge bar top that frames the live fire kitchen. The revitalized second story space will become a discreet private dining room with a hanging garden of lush foliage cascading over the main dining room.
While it embraces the past, Yokai will have a very modern spirit with a high-precision spin on traditional Japanese cuisine and cocktails in harmony with an endless stream of hi-fidelity music. Guests will enjoy a dynamic range of levels in sound when jazz music plays from vinyl records and broadcast through vintage mint JBL Pro Series studio speakers that Zimmerman doggedly pursued in his spare time. Music is a first love for Zimmerman, who was studying to become a music engineer when he decided to pursue cooking instead.
Diners at Yokai will experience a blend of seasonal ingredients, innovative techniques, and a deep respect for Japanese culinary traditions. Chef Zimmerman and Chef de Cuisine Jessie Lugo have curated a menu that showcases their expertise in traditional and modern Japanese flavors, reimagined with their own perspective. Skewers grilled over Japanese binchotan coals include Wolfe Ranch Quail ($21), Baby Spanish Octopus ($12), or Château Uenae Chuck Roll A5 Wagyu ($18). Light bites include Shigoku Oysters with beet mignonette ($5/each) and Broccolini and Dungeness Crab Salad with bonito emulsion and a Jidori egg ($17). Fresh vegetables are an equal focus, with dishes such as Wild California Mushrooms nasturtium gremolata ($14), and Shredded Brussels Sprouts with sesame dressing ($14). Larger plates for sharing include Wild Boar Baby Back Ribs with tonkatsu barbecue sauce and green apple sunomono ($32), Koji-Cured Sonoma Duck from Liberty Farm drizzled with wildflower honey ($39), and a Yokai Burger served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and tonkatsu aioli ($25). Order the burger GOZU Style to take it over the top with Wasabi Thousand Island and local sea urchin ($15).
A restaurant named after spirits requires a great cocktail menu. In addition to a full bar featuring Japanese and American spirits, Beverage Director Jordan Abraham will be crafting signature drinks such as “Imperial Garden” made with Ki No Bi Go Green Tea Gin, Saint Germain, and the “Pretty Bird” made with Kiyomi Japanese Rum,Coconut Water, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, and Lime. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be a strong focus and will include a selection of carbonated teas.
Texas native Jessie Lugo, the Chef de Cuisine has worked with Chef Marc Zimmerman at several restaurants, including Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco and Tokyo. At Gozu she has embraced the challenges of working with live fire cooking and utilizing new techniques for the wagyu-centric menu. She now brings that skill set to Yokai.
Jordan Abraham, the Beverage Director has successfully parlayed his flair for throwing parties, bartending, and entertaining into a thriving career in hospitality. His beverage program at Yokai will focus on Japanese spirits, brandies, and cognacs.
Chef Marc Zimmerman- Owner & Executive Chef, having mastered techniques and preparations of wagyu at Gozu and immersing into all the complexities and nuances that the whole animal has to offer, Zimmerman will do a deep dive into his version of a casual Japanese hi-fi listening bar. Working in Japan in 2016 as opening Chef at Alexander Steakhouse’s Tokyo outpost, the city’s after-work dining culture left an indelible impression.
“I enjoy creating places and experiences with soul, personal connection, and honesty. I feel we’ve done that with Gozu,” says Zimmerman. “I won’t pretend what we’re doing at Yokai is authentically Japanese because it isn’t, and it can’t be. What I would like to capture is the spirit of admiration that the Japanese people have for American jazz and reciprocate that admiration with my interpretation of the flavors and textures of Japanese cuisine that have made a significant impact in my life.”
