Inside Nojo, Nearing in Hayes Valley

Grid View

Behold Nojo, sitting pretty on Franklin Street as she awaits a hopeful Wednesday debut. Compare the above gallery to our last construction shot and you'll see how far she's come in the past few weeks. Chef Greg Dunmore shares the opening menu on the website, sure to please izakaya purists with not one, not two, but six different skewered chicken parts (skin included). There's also an array of small plates motivated by the seasons and the farms. That brings us to the name, Nojo or "farm" in Japanese. The story and inspiration behind the restaurant is all shared here on the website. Smartly, Nojo is getting into the brand extensions early with "support your local nojo" t-shirts emblazoned with images of a running pig, chicken and cow. And that pedigreed pastry chef consultant we mentioned earlier? He or she would still like to remain anonymous. But do check out the Japan-inspired treat menu, as dictated by Dunmore this morning, after the hop.

Nojo sundae: Humphry Slocombe black sesame ice cream, itrog sauce, peanut thunder crackers* $7
Buckwheat crepes**, ginger muscovado syrup, white miso ice cream $7
Almond milk yogurt panna cotta, kiwi, matcha tea short bread $7
Chocolate roll cake, umeboshi cream, shiso $ 5.50

*Dunmore's homemade recreation of a caramelized rice crispy peanut cluster snack from Tokyo
**Crepe accompaniments will change seasonally

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