Shizen has been open for 10 years, and I’m devastated that I’m just getting around to this Michelin-noted restaurant.
I don’t think I’d even noticed its somewhat bland façade at the base of a condo on a rather nondescript strip of 14th Street until a couple of years ago. Once inside, however, it’s all beauty and light, with blond, wooden, curved beams cocooning the space, like being in a gorgeous ship’s hull, or a chapel where you go to worship deliciousness.
But what’s really special about Shizen is that it’s fully vegan and absolutely top-notch. Though I had my doubts at first, it was really not difficult for this devoted carnivore to admit she was blown away.
We started out with the asparagus nigiri.
Asparagus nigiri. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
Perfectly crispy and vegetal-ly fresh spears, atop knobs of tender-yet-firm rice, napped with a slightly garlicky aioli, all in balance. Great first bite.
Next, we split the yuba salad.
Yuba salad. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
The salad had a bit of a spicy zing, yet was refreshing. Wonderful mix of crunchy veg and satisfyingly “al dente” yuba noodles. For sure, I’d order this one again.
Next, grilled mushroom yakimono:
Mushroom yakimono. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
Shrooms — enoki, shiitake and eryngii (king trumpets) — grilled with tare, a sweet, slightly thick soy sauce used for grilling but also in sushi and many other Japanese dishes. Every chef has their own recipe. The umami just sang out in this dish, and I especially loved the meatiness of the eryngii.
We moved on to the rolls. First up, Body & Soul, which, we were told, is a crowd favorite at the restaurant.
Body & Soul roll. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
The textures in this beautiful creation — the crunchy and the creamy, with a nice hit of heat — wowed us, in what was essentially a tempura roll, with spicy tofu, green onion, shichimi togarashi, sesame, spicy aioli, and sweet soy.
This hit all the right notes and I could have eaten the whole plate myself. The hype is real, people. Get this.
We also tried the Missing Piece roll:
Missing piece roll. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
Marinated shiitake and tempura asparagus are topped with ginger shoyu tomato, pickled mango, sweet shoyu, garlic aioli, and shichimi togarashi.
Slightly sweet and less spicy than the previous roll. But the tomato, mimicking tuna sashimi, was a revelation here, in texture and flavor. It more than worked, and each bite was a craveable sensation. Another must-have.
And for the last of our savory dishes:
Grilled sweet soy corn. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
Corn yakimono: Grilled with sweet soy and togarashi, the chubby cobs came lightly charred and smoky. A simple dish. Perhaps my least favorite of the night, but still quite satisfying.
We said yes to dessert.
Mochi donut holes. Photo by Maria C. Ascarrunz.
Mochi fried donut holes with sweet red bean paste, matcha powder, oat-milk whipped cream, and strawberry, coconut-based ice cream. I loved the chewiness of the donuts, and thankfully, for all that was going on here, the dish was not overly sweet. The ice cream didn’t taste a lot like strawberries to me, but a bite of everything at once was excellent.
Shizen has a variety of wine/sake/beer/non-alcohol options. Its menu is quite large, though not unwieldy, and I’m dying to try the Candlestick roll, which is literally set aflame at the table, and the Surprise Ending, which builds suspense a la Russian roulette: One of the eight pieces contains habanero chili.
There’s ramen, yakisoba, karaage, Brussels sprouts, tempura panko bean curd with a house-made katsu sauce, and more. I’m assuming all are made with the same care and respect for vegetables we experienced in our meal.
Reasonably priced, Shizen hits way above its pay grade in inventiveness, creativity, flavor, textural pairings, and just the sheer beauty of the dishes. Not to mention their mission statement of helping to protect the planet’s oceans by a sustainable, thoughtful, plant-based cuisine. Oh, and don’t forget: Also quite delicious.
Definitely bring your visiting friends here, your date, your mom — everyone, vegan or no. What a treat to have in the neighborhood.
Shizen
370 14th St.
San Francisco