Nisen Sushi

Nisen Sushi, a contemporary Japanese restaurant opened by co-owners Robert Beer and Tom Lam in August 2000. Zagat raves “Once you’ve eaten here, you’ll be disappointed in sushi anywhere else.” Richard Scholem of The New York Times urges gourmands that Executive Head Sushi Chef Alvin Wang is not to be missed, “the headliners at Nisen are the terrific special rolls, and the weekly special fish flown in from the world famous Tokyo Tsukiji market.”

Diners are welcomed by a stone reception desk and a boldly backlit sushi bar is the focal point of the dining room. The main dining room consists of straight banquette seating, futuristic type dining chairs, elegant booths, and tables of varying sizes. Lined along the north wall and rear section of the restaurant are private booth pods designed with hard white plastic laminate shell and an upholstered interior with Asian inspired murals adorning the back wall of each booth. The bar and lounge area features jet-black bamboo and upholstered banquettes and bar height table seating.

The menu offers a large selection of Japanese dishes. Salads and vegetable appetizers range from $6 to $14 and include: grilled miso eggplant, crispy tuna tortilla and king crab salad with cucumber, crunch, red caviar and aioli. Hot and cold appetizers range from $6 to $20 and feature: kobe beef meatballs with wasabi aioli and butter teriyaki; white tuna truffle with truffle oil and truffle shavings; and spicy tuna gyoza with wasabi guacamole, spicy aioli and truffle oil. Entrées range from $14 to $28 and include: blackened cajun Chilean sea bass with wasabi aioli; and rack of lamb with butter teriyaki. From the sushi bar, sashimi, hand rolls and chef’s special rolls range from $5 to $20 and feature: house roll with shrimp tempura, avocado, chopped tuna, black caviar and spicy creamy dressing; Chilean sea bass roll with broiled marinated miso sea bass, cooked Napa cabbage and sweet miso drizzle; and mama buddha roll with sun-dried tomato, arugula, cucumber, avocado, mushroom, soy paper and yuzu miso dressing. Desserts range from $7 to $12 and include: homemade lemon cheesecake; hazelnut marquise; and weekly homemade special desserts created by Nisen’s pastry chef

There are two separate lunch menus offering choices from both the kitchen and sushi bar. The kitchen menu begins with an assortment of salads served with miso soup ranging from $9 to $12 and include an Asian field green salad with soy yuzu vinaigrette. Lunch bento boxes are served with miso soup and salad and range from $13 to $18 and feature: California roll, steamed shumai, fresh fruit and choice of chicken, salmon, shrimp or steak; and steamed shumai or steamed vegetable gyoza, California or spicy tuna roll, choice of tempura; and choice of grilled chicken, steak, salmon, shrimp or seasonal vegetable. Entrée choices are served with miso soup and salad and range from $10 to $16 and include: teriyaki chicken; shrimp tempura; and soba steak. The sushi bar menu is served with miso soup and salad and ranges from $9 to $16 and features: tuna rolls; salmon rolls; eel cucumber roll; Philadelphia roll; Boston roll; vegetable rolls; eel don; and a selection of sashimi and chirashi.

Nisen Sushi is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 12 to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Sunday through Wednesday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.