Hirohisa

Goodbye, Kyoto; hello, Fukui—Hirohisa Hayashi, former owner of small-plates spot Hibino, culls inspiration farther up the Japanese coast for this eponymous Soho eatery. There's nary a sushi roll in sight—instead, find market-driven regional specialties from Hayashi's native town, Echizen, available à la carte or in multicourse omakase: roasted miso-marinated lamb; tofu-skin-wrapped shrimp cakes with shishito; and steamed koshihikari rice imported from Ikeda, Fukui. Styled as a traditional kappo, small plates are dispatched directly from the blond-wood chef's counter, giving a bull's-eye view as Hayashi tops sesame tofu with sea urchin and soy dashi à la minute. "Kanpai!"-ready beverage options consist of beer (Sapporo, Kunda) and sake, including Hirohisa's own house-made plum rice wine, a blend of Tokusen, Denshin and Kokuryu sake aged for more than two years. The minimalist 20-seat space—designed by Super Paprika, the firm behind Momofuku and Ippudo—features exposed brick, washi-papered service trays and whimsical ceramic tableware.