Omakase at Oma San Francisco Station in Japantown

You probably aren’t picturing an open hallway inside of a mall when you imagine an omakase-style dinner. But that’s exactly where you’ll find Oma San Francisco Station, a small omakase counter in the Japan Center where casualness is the appeal. That, and the fantastic nigiri sliced with precision. Here, you’ll also make small talk with the chefs while listening to ambient mall chatter and eating slow-cooked duck breast and plain udon with uni sauce. When Oma San Francisco Station debuted in 2018, they hooked us with an affordable $30, five-course omakase. The cheapest option is now bumped up to $95—but, thankfully, the high-quality fish and approachable energy haven’t gone anywhere. There are three different omakases to pick from: Tsubame ($95, 12 items), Sakura ($125, 16 items), and Mizuho ($164, 24 items). For the price and the amount of courses you get, the Sakura is a great middle ground. But whichever route you go with, expect a night filled with at least eight pieces of nigiri, and some seasonal dishes like miso black cod and unagi with tamago. This simple wood counter serves some of the area’s better nigiri, right from the corner of a mall in Japantown. Blink and you’ll miss it—Oma is about the size of a kiosk near the Webster Street exit.

Behind the counter, find Chef Wilson Chan deftly slicing each morsel before your eyes, artfully placing it before every guest, piece by piece. Choose from five- eight- or twelve-piece prix-fixe menus to match your appetite and budget, though prices are reasonable for such quality. Clean flavors and rich, silky fish are the hallmarks of dining here. Highlights include a lightly torched wild star butterfish that melts in the mouth, and a delicious handroll combining chopped bluefin tuna balanced with pickled yellow daikon wrapped in crisp nori.