Ki Master
The Latest Japanese Dining Bar in SoMa

The air is thick with Cinco de Mayo anticipation.

But you’ll need something for when the mariachis disappear and the margaritas run dry.

Preferably something with samurai...

Introducing Ki, a visionary Japanese hangout combining a sleek sushi bar with Japanese pub sensibility, opening Friday in SoMa.

This little after-work den of beer, sake and whiskey seems like it was plucked from Tokyo’s Shinjuku District and dropped onto Howard Street—a futuristic nook with dragon graffiti art and a full-color spectrum of LED-lit shoji screens. So when you want the opposite of a rustic hideaway, this is your spot.

If you’re coming in with a date, take over a couch in the dimly lit lounge. You could start ambitiously by sharing a 1.8-liter bottle of Kikusui Junmai Ginjo, or play it safe with 4- or 8-ounce pours. Or you could skip the sake altogether and order an 18-year Japanese single malt.

They’ll serve the full menu in the lounge, so you can get small plates of kurobuta pork gyoza, skewers of Wagyu yakitori and their version of the California roll from the comfort of your couch.

Well, their couch. But still...