A brand new Japanese restaurant is coming to San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood this year.
It’s called Machiya and it will be opening up at 570 4th Street. Owned by Tinh Kien Ly and Boi Kien Ly, the team will be operating the new restaurant under the name Ly Family Cooking LLC. Envisioned as a Japanese restaurant, the name Machiya comes from the name for the traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan that have become emblematic of Kyoto architecture.
Machiya will be replacing Fringale, which previously occupied the space for 28 years. Fringale was forced to shutter its doors in January 2020, only a month before the outbreak of the global Covid-19 Pandemic. Citing endless construction next door and an influx of tech workers changing the local culture as significant contributors to the closure, Fringale owner Jean-Marie Legendre closed his doors and the space has remained vacant ever since.
Fringale was a SoMa staple for years, operating since 1991. It received rave reviews when it opened, bringing Basque region cuisine to a whole new audience. One of the first restaurants in San Francisco to highlight fine French cuisine, Fringale played a significant role in the culinary renaissance of the neighborhood. SoMa residents were devastated to see it close, but the news of Machiya’s opening is a promising sign for the neighborhood.
Tinh Li was able to confirm with What Now San Francisco that he and his team would like to be ready to open within two months time, assuming no unforeseen delays. He kept the rest of the details close to his chest, saying that they’re too early into the process to confirm any other details. At the moment the team is busy finalizing the menu and design, but they’re looking forward to sharing more details once they have everything solidified.
