Izakaya Rintaro

The story

Izakaya Rintaro: San Francisco's Japanese Izakaya with Michelin Bib Gourmand

The Chef & The Space

Izakaya Rintaro is the vision of chef-owner Sylvan Mishima Brackett, a Kyoto-born, Northern California-raised cook who spent years as creative director at Chez Panisse and trained at soba shops and a ryotei in Japan. The restaurant opened in 2015 and quickly earned a place on Bon Appetit’s Top 10 New Restaurants list; it has been Michelin-recommended since 2016 and now holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good-quality, good-value cooking.

The space itself is a work of artistry. Brackett’s father, a temple carpenter trained in Kyoto, built the interior using post-and-beam construction and hand-planed wood. The booths are made from 100-year-old redwood wine casks, the mud walls incorporate iron-rich soil from the chef’s childhood home in Nevada City, and the bar is a single slab of hinoki cedar. The result is a warm, grounded room that feels both Japanese and distinctly Californian.

The Food

Rintaro’s food is izakaya through the lens of California. Pasture-raised chicken is grilled over binchotan on a yakitori grill; udon is kneaded, rolled, and cut by hand daily. Wasabi root comes from Half Moon Bay and is ground on a sharkskin board. The kitchen makes its own tofu, umeshu, umeboshi, and fresh pickles.

The menu changes seasonally, but signatures include charcoal-grilled skewers like chicken thigh with sansho, tsukune (minced chicken), and king trumpet mushrooms. The hanetsuki gyoza come with crispy “wings,” and the yosedofu—housemade silken tofu with katsuobushi, ginger, and shiitake shoyu—is a quiet standout. Long-simmered oden pots and hand-rolled udon in two-fish dashi round out the offerings. The sake list is notable, with selections from California to Japan, and the restaurant also carries craft beer and wine.

A Natural Fit for the Bib Gourmand

The Bib Gourmand recognizes restaurants that serve excellent food at moderate prices, and Rintaro fits this description with ease. The kitchen’s commitment to quality ingredients—from Becker Lane Berkshire pork to Hikari Farm produce—and precise technique makes every dish feel considered, never fussy. Whether you come for a full kaiseki-style meal or a few skewers at the counter, the experience is generous and unpretentious.