THE DISCIPLINE OF EDOMAE. THE TASTE OF A NEW ERA.

At Sushi Kinsen, Chef Jason Sen Li presents a seasonal Edomae omakase rooted in classical technique—distinctly Japanese in flavor, restrained in creativity, and personal in expression.

CHEF JASON SEN LI
A FOUNDATION IN EDOMAE. A VOICE OF HIS OWN.

Chef Jason Sen Li began his culinary journey in sushi at the age of 18. By the time he entered fine-dining omakase, he had already built years of hands-on experience and a strong practical foundation behind the counter.

Around the turn of 2019, Jason joined the San Francisco opening project originally conceived as Hashida Sushi and ultimately opened as Sushi Nagai, then among the city’s most ambitious fine-dining omakase counters.

With the restaurant preparing to open on a compressed timeline, the Japanese team selected Jason for intensive counter training, recognizing his prior experience, discipline, and ability to work within exacting standards.

Chef Seto became Jason’s first and most formative omakase teacher and mentor. During nearly a year of close instruction, he taught Jason not only sushi, but also the broader traditions of washoku—seasoning, simmering, fish preparation, precise knife work, timing, presentation, and respect for seasonality.

Before returning to Japan, Chef Seto entrusted Jason with his personal recipe notebook, assembled over the course of his career, and encouraged him to continue studying it for years to come. Jason has carried that responsibility and guidance with him ever since.

Jason also learned from Chef Hajime, other Japanese members of the opening team, and visiting chefs from Japan. Their guidance deepened his understanding of the discipline, repetition, and judgment required at a serious omakase counter.

It was also during this period that Jason met restaurateur Sunny Noah. Their friendship, professional trust, and shared commitment to Japanese cuisine later became the foundation for Tancho Japanese Restaurant in Castro Valley.

When the San Francisco restaurant closed during the pandemic, Jason continued working throughout Bay Area Japanese kitchens. In winter 2021, he and Sunny opened Tancho, with Jason as its chef-owner and creator of the original omakase program.

Tancho became his laboratory of refinement. Its approachable neighborhood omakase gradually developed into a more technically detailed experience as Jason elevated its sourcing, preparation, and presentation, refining the menu course by course.

As Tancho’s chef-owner, Jason welcomed selected Bay Area chefs for culinary exchange. Some came to observe Tancho’s preparation and service; others were invited to test or present their ideas within an established omakase setting. Through these exchanges, Jason shared selected aspects of Tancho’s approach while welcoming visiting chefs to present their own work at his counter.

In late 2024, Jason helped establish Nagai Edomae Sushi in Redwood City as its founding chef. The restaurant later reopened as Sushi Kinsen in October 2025. Today, Jason works directly at Sushi Kinsen’s omakase counter, developing, preparing, and presenting each seasonal menu to guests.

In recent years, Jason has continued his development through focused study with respected sushi chefs in New York and Japan, including Chef Kunihide “Nakaji” Nakajima. His most significant recent influence and inspiration has come from Chef Yoshitaka Ishibuchi of Sushi Sanshin in Osaka.

Jason approaches this relationship with humility. He has drawn particular inspiration from Chef Ishibuchi’s ability to unite disciplined Edomae technique with seasonality, individuality, and thoughtful creativity, applying those principles within a style that remains distinctly his own.

Later in 2026, Jason looks forward to welcoming Chef Ishibuchi of Sushi Sanshin—a Michelin-starred Osaka restaurant and recipient of the Tabelog Gold Award in 2024, 2025, and 2026—to Sushi Kinsen for a special collaboration and period of focused study.

Jason regards the visit as a rare opportunity to further refine his technique and directly study some of Chef Ishibuchi’s most advanced and technically demanding methods.

For Chef Jason, tradition is not a fixed form, but a living discipline—renewed through study, repetition, and every service.

A SEASONAL OMAKASE

Each menu at Sushi Kinsen is guided by seasonality, condition, and balance. Exceptional seafood is sourced through trusted suppliers from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and prepared according to the individual character of each fish.

Classical Edomae methods—including aging, curing, marinating, simmering, and precise knife work—are applied with restraint and careful judgment. From carefully matured neta and classic hikarimono to technically demanding seasonal ingredients such as hamo, every course is approached with precision and purpose.

Nothing is added merely for effect. Every detail serves the ingredient, the season, and the progression of the meal.

At the counter, omakase becomes a dialogue—between tradition and the present, technique and intuition, chef and guest.

The experience is intimate and sincere: authentic in flavor, precise in execution, and personal in expression.

We look forward to welcoming you to Sushi Kinsen.