Wagyu Will Rain Down Upon SoMa by the End of the Year

After seven years at upscale steakhouse Alexander’s, chef Marc Zimmerman is striking out on his own with Gozu, a restaurant primarily serving wagyu beef cooked robata-style that will open this year in SoMa.

The chef left Alexander’s in May to helm MZ Dining Group with partners Rahman Berrada, a manager with experience at Alexander’s and Commis, and Ben Jorgensen, a restaurant investor. He worked at restaurants like Nobu and Okada in Las Vegas before joining Alexander’s as business development chef and exec chef, opening various locations including Tokyo and Japan.

Gozu will be kappo-style, a more sedate way of dining than izakaya, but similar in that it’s a progressive, interactive meal, joining Hitachino Beer & Wagyu as one of SF’s only examples. Kappo dining creates a fully-balanced meal with different ingredients and courses working together toward one memorable, complete experience using the five primary cooking techniques (grilling, steaming, frying, simmering, and raw preparations). At Gozu, that means a heavy emphasis on tender Wagyu beef, as well as seafood and other California ingredients.

Though the lease is still in negotiations, the restaurant will be in SoMa, designed by James Beard award-winning designer alm project (​also behind In Situ and Benu). In the meantime, eager fans of wagyu and Zimmerman can seek out his bite at the upcoming Eat Drink SF festival (August 24-26), or keep an eye out for one of the chef’s test dinners (stay tuned for dates).