We both had PTSD from the horrific meal we had on Valentine’s Day at the Waikiki Marriott last Friday (to be fair we didn’t have a reservation so had to go where we could) so we wanted to cleanse our palates back in the safe confines of San Francisco. This was the last 3 Michelin Star restaurant in San Francisco we needed to try and after eating here we both wondered why we had waited so long to come. Dishes were all so interesting, creative, and meticulously prepared. Wine/sake/beer pairings were for the most part interesting (favorites were the 2010 Austrian Gruner Vetliner and the 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape. The least favorite was the Napa Syrah).

The first “course” consisted of 7 different bites with 4 different pairings. So creative and interesting – look a the stuffed mussel or the abalone stuffed chicken wing. My conceptual favorite was the mini crepe which used oak 3 ways – the acorn crepe, the acorn fed jamon, and truffle which grows with oak trees). However, I had a few questions about the truffles since it really didn’t have much truffle aroma or taste to it. We had a few different explanations on it, but we’re certainly well familiar with Provence truffles, but I wasn’t fully convinced. There were several dishes where we had to do a bit of “assembly” ourselves which was fun (e.g. the nori with the rice and the uni and the caviar or the barbequed quail with the truffle bun). Very satisfied with the meal and would happily dine here again.