A chicken master and sushi maestro joined forces to create SF.'s best new Japanese restaurant
TBD is a unique take on the contemporary izakaya that is the distinct product of the union of sushi impresario Ray Lee and yakitori savant Tommy Cleary. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
I could eat the fried chicken at TBD, a new izakaya in San Francisco, by the bucket. A play on Nashville fried chicken, the hot karaage ($25) is a chicken leg that's dredged in tapioca starch and rice flour, then double-fried until maddeningly crunchy. It arrives with a claw still attached and curled up, as if asking for a fist bump. Its sheen comes from a glaze of a chile-laced honey butter and its zing from a garnishing confetti of minced fried shallots, shiso, sesame seeds and ginger. A side of crunchy radish acts as a palate reset, while yuzu hot sauce offers amplified brightness and floral heat. The kitchen offers complimentary carving, though I don't recommend it, as that would rob you of the full spectrum of its textural pleasures - it has the kind of crackle that would send the ASMR community into crisis.
TBD reflects Ray Lee's penchant for striking, art-forward decor, from the octopus painting in the front room to Koons-esque balloon animal lamp in the rear. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The restaurant only makes about 20 orders a night, limited by a daily stock of a dozen heritage breed Rhode Island Red chickens - and it's prone to sell out, according to management.
TBD debuted in March. It sits in an unmarked indigo building on Bush Street - the former home to Akiko's, run by sushi impresario Ray Lee, who bought the restaurant from his parents and moved the operation, sans apostrophe, into a much larger building in SoMa in 2023.
The showstopping hot karaage is dredged in tapioca starch and rice flour, double-fried, glazed in chili-laced honey butter, then showered in a furikake of fried shallots, shiso, sesame seeds and ginger. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
Lee opened TBD with Tommy Cleary, a yakitori expert who trained at Berkeley's unimpeachable Ipukku, and ran the highly regarded Hina Yakitori, which offered a multi-course skewer fest centered on chicken before it closed in 2022. Last year, Lee, who also owns Friends Only, hosted Cleary at his restaurants for a series of collaborative dinners, leading the two to join forces for TBD, which is the San Francisco Japanese food equivalent of the bicep-flexing handshake from "Predator." TBD offers a fresh take on the modern izakaya, and it doesn't look or taste much like its contemporaries. It isn't quite as classic as Berkeley izakayas such as Ippuku, where a haze fills its wooden corridors, or Kirako, with its standout small plates in a no-frills environment. Nor is it a California-style izakaya, a la Rintaro in the city. TBD is less raucous and more intimate, with a bar area that's reminiscent of Japanese-Scandinavian design, seen in its thin wood paneling that runs along the ceiling. The back dining area, meanwhile, takes an industrial turn with exposed brick partly covered in black Venetian plaster. Lee's penchant for whimsical decor (expressed at Akikos) extends to TBD, with eccentric lamps - a Koons-esque balloon animal and another that looks like the takeout fish-shaped soy sauce droppers - and a bar shelf filled with ephemera, such as a stack of ceramic fedoras, an encased teddy bear and a mounted skateboard, a nod to Cleary's upbringing as a skater.
"I kind of like to be original," Cleary said, "that's why Ray and I click."
TBD in San Francisco,, CA on May 12, 2026. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The food unites Cleary's yakitori expertise with Lee's full-hearted adoption of dry-aging. Lee makes extensive use of the temperature-controlled chambers that are normally used for high-end steaks to dry age (or "condition") fish at his other restaurants. Cleary now applies the technique to chickens at TBD, aging them for up to four days, which he argues concentrates their flavor and draws out moisture.
Every dish is born out of chefs' collaboration, but, broadly speaking, Lee and R&D chef Cat Wang handle the various snacks and entrees, such as a stellar mochi doughnut ($10) crowned in braised pork belly and served on a silver pig platter, and the blockbuster tuna Wellington ($60), a golden pastry dome that encases dry-aged tuna wrapped in cabbage, with a jaw-dropping cross-section that reveals a blushing center.
Ray Lee and executive chef Cat Wang are in charge of snacks, such as the mochi doughnut, which is crowned by braised pork belly and served on a silver pig platter. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
Cleary takes the lead on the yakitori with his apprentice Andy Nguyen, who moved from Dallas to learn the craft under him. TBD sees Cleary expanding on his chicken mastery without rehashing his Hina hits. For one, all the yakitori is skewerless and presented in ornate box sets. Aesthetics aside, Cleary said he ditched wooden sticks because dry-aged chicken skin cracks when skewered, and the "magical" benefit of dry-aging, he believes, "produces a nice crispy skin" when grilled.
In several instances, that proved true. The skin on the aforementioned fried chicken meaningfully contributed to its shattering texture, while juicy chicken oysters ($18), embellished with jellied duck liver and ponzu foam, were wrapped in taut, extra crispy skin. The kawa set ($18) included two versions of grilled neck skin chips - one topped in ikura and the other with cured mullet roe, along with crunchy bits (wing tips, lower back and bonjiri, the tail) coated in red yuzu kosho. In the sasami set ($16), which featured two expressions of tenderloin, I enjoyed the medium-raw, supple-fleshed tenderloin tataki, marinated in a wasabi-charged ponzu, and the chewiness of the jerky smoked in cherrywood.
Chazuke at TBD in San Francisco,, CA on May 12, 2026. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
Less satisfying was the grilled assorted set ($20), which featured a deboned wing with shaved cheese, breast with negi (Japanese scallion) and chicken thigh. Every one was tough, requiring a full jaw workout.
The menu is rich in dry-aged fish: The tuna tataki is ultra soft, as is the chutoro sashimi ($11), which gushes with sweet fat - more so, perhaps, than the fattier, pricier otoro ($16). The most ethereal of these dishes is the chazuke, rice topped with mellow, dry-aged madai (sea bream), and swimming in genmaicha tea and potent chicken broth fortified with fish powder. Skip the showy A5 Wagyu slathered in miso and cooked over hot stone, which unfortunately has the habit of sticking to the scalding rock - and all but neutralizes its luxurious fattiness, which is sort of the point. The meatier option, in a way, is the tuna Wellington, served over a decadent inky reduction made of short ribs and the tare used to grill the yakitori items. The staff recommends eating with your hands, though, they don't advise if it's acceptable to lick the plate.
The ultra-soft tuna tataki - an uninspired dish on many Japanese-inspired menus - makes a strong case for Lee's extensive use of dry aging to coax maximum flavor and texture out of each fish. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
All meals here should end with the tiramisu, starring a top layer of finely milled graham crackers and smooth cream infused with hojicha tea.
The restaurant wants you to drink sake, as that's the only by-the-glass alcoholic option; wine is only available by the bottle. But that's no compromise, as sake sommelier Yukie Hamaguchi's selection is stellar, fully stocked with savory yamahai and complex, citrusy junmai ginjo - ideal pairings for TBD's smoky, decadent flavor profiles. The service style is observant and prompt, with staff that's trained on how to stealthily replenish water levels, sometimes moments after a sip. Dishes are evenly paced and the crew is knowledgeable of their inspirations; if not, they're quick to return with a thorough explanation.
TBD does not offer wine by the glass - only sake. It is fully stocked with a range of styles to complement the food, including yamahai and junmai ginjo. (KELSEY MCCLELLAN/For the S.F. Chronicle)
Currently, reservations are released four days in advance, initially to previous visitors of Akikos and Friends Only, then on social media and in a monthly newsletter. The restaurant reserves four to six tables for walk-ins. Soon, TBD will roll out an exclusive tasting menu service.
Lee and Cleary built careers off of chasing originality, an approach that's risky and liable to produce inconsistencies. Still, TBD sees the duo continuing their streak.
TBD
431 Bush St., San Francisco.
Hours: 5:30-9 p.m.
Accessibility: All on one level. Wheelchair accessible tables, but the restaurant has constricted walkways.
Noise level: Moderate.
Meal for two, without drinks: $70-$125
What to order: chicken karaage ($25), tuna wellington ($60), mochi ($10), tataki ($18), chazuke ($20), chicken oyster ($18)
Meat-free options: Limited to veggie set ($18)
Pro moves: Reservations for the week are released periodically on Instagram. Walk-ins are available. Check out the restroom mirror (or lack thereof).
Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that Cat Wang is an R&D chef.
