SoMa is getting a serious sushi upgrade. Omakase-trained chef Yukinori Yamamoto is launching Dining Yamamoto, a takeout-focused sushi counter that is set to start serving in early April. The compact shop will turn out chef-made sushi bento boxes and donburi, with plans on deck for private omakase-style dinners and catering. Prices are expected to land in the mid-$20s to mid-$30s range.
According to The San Francisco Standard, Dining Yamamoto will begin selling sushi bento boxes from 167 11th St. starting April 1. The opening menu leans hard into luxe comfort: a chutoro steak donburi built around flash-seared bluefin fatty tuna dressed with black-truffle soy and crispy garlic, plus an elaborate bara chirashi layered with fatty tuna, salmon, hamachi, tamago, ikura, eel, and pickled vegetables. Yamamoto trained in Osaka in traditional kaiseki and kappo techniques and spent eight years as executive sushi chef for the Michael Mina Group. The Standard notes that prices are expected to range roughly from $25 to $35.
From pop-up incubator to bento counter
Dining Yamamoto is taking over the long-running pop-up space at 167 11th St., most recently home to Joint Venture Kitchen, a rotating incubator set up for short-term chef projects. Joint Venture Kitchen's site pitches the address as a plug-and-play gallery kitchen for rotating operators, with a simple front counter, a small bar, and picnic-style seating. Eater SF reported that restaurateur Steve Paoli launched the incubator in 2018. That compact, high-turnover setup is tailor-made for a quick-service bento operation that can move a lot of boxes without needing a sprawling dining room.
Why the bento model keeps growing
San Francisco has been on a roll with chef-driven grab-and-go sushi, and the city does not seem close to tapping out. The Infatuation pointed to Aji Kiji's fast rise and downtown move as part of a broader bento boom, while mini-chains like Ebiko have expanded on the strength of premium sushi in a fast-format setup. It is a model that lets chefs flex serious technique while still catering to office workers and the lunchtime crowd that needs to be in and out.
City business records list a new DBA for “Dining Yamamoto” at 167 11th St., filed in January, according to San Francisco open data. The San Francisco Standard also notes that the operation is using its Instagram account as its website, where the chef is expected to post daily menu updates. Walk-up bento service is slated to begin April 1, with hours and day-of offerings rolling out on social channels.
