Nice To Meet You, Pabu
Pabu Izakaya threw its huge grand opening party last week, and we were there with 500 of Michael Mina's biggest fans. This live drum performance got all of California Street stopping and snapping. Michael teamed up with Ken Tominaga of the famed Hana Japanese Restaurant in Sonoma County to open the sushi haven at the bottom of 101 Cal, and it's sure to draw a strong real estate crowd for lunch and happy hour (both CBRE and NAI are an elevator ride away). Menus range from a la carte to Ken's Nigiri Tasting menu, with an optional sake pairing. The new hot spot also houses a lineup of Japan’s most prestigious whiskies including single malt, blended and single grain varieties.
Some of the freshest fish from the famed Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is sliced and diced behind the black lacquer and crushed bamboo sushi bar. Designed by BISHOP PASS, Pabu is inspired by elements of air and earth. The restaurant and dining space features rich materials like Douglas fir trellises and booths, stone and concrete walls, and oak wood floors live underneath a ceiling screened by heavy timbers. Music is inspired by Quentin Tarantino soundtracks, but on opening night it was all about tributing Michael Jackson (the party was on the anniversary of his death).
