An Omakase Sushi Counter Will Open in City Counter’s FiDi Space

A new, counter-focused spot has found a home at the former location of City Counter, the modern luncheonette that closed in mid-August: an omakase-only sushi restaurant called The Shota.

The switch from lunch counter to sushi counter has proven to be a natural transition: Chef Ingi “Shota” Son — whose formidable resume includes time at Morimoto Napa, as well as SF’s Hashiri and Omakase, the latter of which he opened as a sushi chef — plans to debut the restaurant as soon as October. The omakase tasting menu will focus on traditional edomae sushi, with fresh fish flown in daily from Tsukiji fish market. And, says general manager Shar Guillermo, there will be an complementary menu of kaiseki-style items, usually small dishes artfully arranged to represent all five senses. There’ll also be a menu of wine, beer and sake; those looking for the hard stuff can swing by neighboring cocktail bar the Treasury for a drink before or after.

“While the sushi will be more traditional, our kaiseki will have more of an Californian farm-to-table influence,” says Guillermo. “We’ll use whatever is local and seasonal to the Bay Area.”

The roomy sushi counter will seat 16-20 diners, accompanied by table seating. When the cosmetic changes are done, Guillermo says the restaurant will be an even more modern space than the all-white interiors of City Counter, complete with white marble and gold accents throughout. Logo-clad curtains will hang on the large windows overlooking Sansome St., and will be drawn during dinner hours to give diners privacy.

Reservations will be available for two seatings each night, likely 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (though days and hours may change). Stay tuned for more.

• SF’s Top Sushi Restaurants [ESF]
• The Shota [Official]

Correction: November 9, 8 a.m.: This article was updated to show that Son was a sushi chef at Omakase, not a chef de cuisine.