"A 12-seat NoPa counter that held a Michelin star from 2017, four guests to a chef. Book it to impress a client."
7Food
8Ambience
7Value
About Jū-Ni
Jū-Ni is Japanese for twelve, which is the number of seats at this NoPa counter off the Divisadero corridor. Geoffrey Lee and Tan Truong opened it in 2016, splitting the counter into pods so every four guests get their own itamae working in front of them. The room held one Michelin star from 2017 through 2021. Lee stepped away from daily operations in January 2025; Truong and the sushi team carry the counter now. The format is a single $228 omakase: roughly twenty courses of nigiri and small bites at 1335 Fulton Street, built on fish flown from Toyosu and finished a la minute.
The Counter
The Jū-Ni model is unusual: rather than one chef feeding the whole room, the twelve seats are split so each itamae handles four guests, which means the nigiri is formed and handed over one piece at a time at conversation distance. Geoffrey Lee and Tan Truong built that system when they opened in 2016, and it earned a Michelin star from 2017 to 2021. The signature is the house-cured ikura finished with a snowy grating of frozen monkfish liver, a course that has stayed on the progression for years; the Hokkaido scallop nigiri and a lightly torched fish brightened with yuzu kosho are the other bites regulars wait for.
The omakase is a fixed $228 for roughly twenty courses, with an optional sake or Champagne pairing. The counter sits at 1335 Fulton Street in NoPa, a short walk from the Divisadero restaurants. To be clear on the kitchen: Lee left in January 2025 after a public dispute, and the counter now runs under Tan Truong and the resident sushi chefs, holding the same format and supply chain. For more counters at this level, see the best omakase in San Francisco and the global best sushi restaurants.
The Room
Twelve seats, one counter, blond hinoki wood and low light. The room is small enough that the loudest sound is the chefs talking you through each piece, and the noise level stays conversation-easy throughout. There is no dining-room seating and no a la carte; everyone eats the same progression at the same pace, which makes it an easy place to come alone and talk to your chef. Table spacing is intimate by design, with elbow room kept tight to fit the pods. Dress is smart-casual. Two seatings a night, and the counter turns over completely between them.
Best for Impressing a Client
Book Jū-Ni to impress a client because the four-to-a-chef format does the work for you: your guest gets a private-feeling running commentary on each piece, the $228 price reads as considered rather than ostentatious, and the twelve-seat scale signals you booked something hard to get. The single seating means no rushed turnover mid-conversation, and the counter is quiet enough to keep a business conversation going between courses. It is also one of the city's best solo dining rooms, since a counter seat and a talkative itamae make eating alone feel like the point. Reserve the early seating if you want to talk before the room fills.
Not for
Not for a group or a long lingering dinner. Jū-Ni is a fixed twenty-course omakase at a twelve-seat counter with two firm seatings, so there is no table, no menu and no stretching the night out.
Frequently Asked
Is Jū-Ni worth it?
Yes, for the format and the fish, with one caveat. The four-guests-to-a-chef counter gives you a near-private omakase for $228, and Jū-Ni held a Michelin star from 2017 to 2021 on the strength of it. Founding chef Geoffrey Lee left in January 2025, so the counter now runs under co-founder Tan Truong and the sushi team; the supply chain and format are unchanged. For a NoPa counter dinner, it is still among the city's best. See more on the San Francisco omakase guide.
How hard is it to book Jū-Ni?
Moderately hard. Jū-Ni releases seats on Tock on a rolling window and the twelve-seat counter sells out for weekend prime time within days. Weekday early seatings are easier and often have space inside a week. Set a Tock alert for the date you want, and consider the first seating, which is quieter and easier to get. The address is 1335 Fulton Street in NoPa.
What should I order at Jū-Ni?
There is nothing to order. Jū-Ni serves a single fixed omakase of roughly twenty courses for $228, the same progression for every seat. The dishes to watch for are the house-cured ikura finished with grated frozen monkfish liver and the Hokkaido scallop nigiri. Add the sake or Champagne pairing if you want a guided drink alongside; otherwise the by-the-glass list is short and well chosen.
Is Jū-Ni good for solo dining?
Yes, it is one of San Francisco's best solo counters. The four-to-a-chef format means a lone diner gets the same running commentary as a couple, and the twelve-seat counter is built for people who want to watch the itamae work rather than talk across a table. Book a single seat on Tock, sit, and let the chef pace your twenty courses. See other options on the solo dining guide.
Seats released on Tock; set an alert for prime weekend dates.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
