Nisei Restaurant 二世 | Modern Japanese fine dining
Michelin Star San Francisco Bay Area
MANRESA
Michelin Star San Francisco Bay AreaManresa
320 Village Ln, Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 354-4330
www.manresarestaurant.com
American
Chef’s Menu – 2013
After enjoying a fabulous meal in 2009, we returned with a party of five for a winter menu. Menus change with the seasons. I must say the service continues to excel. Food comprised of nine dishes plus desserts. Each course was a work of art, visually and in its preparation and taste.
Amuse Bouche
red pepper and black olive madeleines
Bread
house-baked bread
First Course
local milk panna cotta with abalone
Second Course
Third Course
locally grown greens, flowers and herbs and “soil”
Fourth Course
Fifth Course
Sixth Course
Seventh Course
Eigth Course
Ninth Course
Petit Fours
January Menu
LA FOLIE
San Francisco Bay AreaLa Folie
2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 776-5577
www.lafolie.com
French
CHEF’S FIVE COURSE MENU
We ordered the 5 course piggy menu and were STUFFED. You don’t want to ruin your expensive meal by overeating! Presentation is beautiful. The dessert course was probably the least outstanding.
Bread
french baguette
Amuse Bouche
egg yolk with leek cream soup
Osetra Caviar
Brentwood Farms Sweet Corn Soup
lobster, truffle, crispy sweetbreads
Seared Day Boat Scallop & Crispy Sweetbreads
on nantais carrot puree, truffle vinaigrette
Quail and Squab
stuffed with mushrooms, wrapped in crispy potato strings, truffled jus
Seasonal Sorbets
mixed berries sorbet and yuzu granite, passion fruit sorbet cannoli
Petit Fours
chocolate plantain, canele de bourdeaux, madeleines with brandied cherries, apricot pate de fruit
Brenda’s French Soul Food
San Francisco Bay AreaBrenda’s French Soul Food
652 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 345-8100
frenchsoulfood.com
Cajun
Sunday Brunch
A taste of Lousiana! We were excited to try it out based on the reviews and always seeing the line formed outside, which is usually a good sign. They have good beignets, big and fluffy. The cheddar grits was a bit too cheesy and heavy for me. Overall atmosphere is very open and bright. Portions are really big so make sure to share!
Beignet Flight
plain, chocolate, granny smith apple, crayfish
Granny Smith Apple
sweetened with cinnamon honey butter
Crayfish
spiced with cayenne, scallions & cheddar
Chocolate
molten Ghirardelli chocolate
Eggs Benedict
two poached eggs on cream biscuits with creole hollandaise and grits
Shrimp & Grits
sauteed shrimp, cheddar grits, spicy tomato-bacon gravy
BENU
Michelin Star San Francisco Bay AreaBenu
22 Hawthorne St.,San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 685-4860
www.benusf.com
Asian Fusion
18 Course Tasting Menu
1st Course
Thousand-year old quail egg, potage, ginger
2nd Course
Oyster, pork belly, kimchi
3rd Course
Potato salad with anchovy
4th Course
Wild salmon roe, eggplant, buckwheat, perlla
5th Course
Chicken liver steamed in rice wine, caviar, green apple, radish, brioche
6th Course
eel, feuille de brick, crème fraîche, lime
7th Course
Sesame tofu, black moss, baby corn.
Tomato and preserved plum
9th Course
Lobster coral xiao long bao
10th Course
Salt and pepper squid
11th Course
Sablefish, soft shell clam, black bean, squash
12th Course
Abalone blanquette
13th Course
Duck, cucumber, scallion, Shaoxing wine, black truffle bun
14th Course
Roast quail, turnip, spicy cabbage, cherry
15th Course
“Shark’s fin” soup, dungeness crab, Jinhua ham, black truffle custard
16th Course
Melon, sake, pine
17th Course
Spice cake, blueberry, yogurt, oatmeal ice cream
18th Course
Chocolates
SWAN OYSTER DEPOT
San Francisco Bay AreaSwan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101
Seafood
What to expect
Having lived in San Franciso for several years, I’ve never thought about this place. It was on one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows and since a friend was visiting from LA, we decided to check this place out. It’s a small place (a bar with about 20 stools) so expect to wait in line (hour+).
Clam Chowder
The clam chowder wasn’t what I’m used to. It had the clam flavor but it was a bit watery.
Shrimp Cocktail
lots baby shrimp and cocktail sauce
Oysters
mixed dozen oysters
Combination Sashimi Sicilian Style
salmon, tuna, capers, olive oil, red onion, black pepper
MASA’S
San Francisco Bay AreaMasa’s
648 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 989-7154
French
closed on 2013
CHEF’S TASTING MENU
I was treated to Masa’s for my birthday dinner. The dining room is quite old-fashioned and very quiet. We went with their 9 Course Tasting Menu. The preparations were complex in flavor, well-plated, and used modern techniques. Overall, a great dining experience for special occasions.
Amuse Bouche
cheese puffs
Amuse Bouche
oyster, farm raised osetera caviar
Bread
brioche roll, sourdough
Violet Artichokes
marble potatoes, fiddlehead ferns, deviled egg sauce
Grilled Asparagus
twenty minute quail egg, horse mackerel, pickled hon-shemiji
Fruits de Mer
lobster, uni, calamari, daikon, tosaka, aji amarillo, black sesame
Octopus
spring onions, chorizo consomme
Maine Monkfish
celery root, black trompette mushrooms
Hot Foie Gras
baby turnips, vinegar sauce, fried onions
Whole Roasted Paine Farms Squab Breast
baby bok choy, kohlrabi
Cheese Course
Palate Cleanser
juicy, tart, sweet tangerine granite
Birthday Coconut Panna Cotta
key lime, lima dolce, silver lime
Petit Fours
chocolates, lollipops, macaroon
STATION HOUSE CAFE
San Francisco Bay AreaStation House Cafe
11180 State Rt 1, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
(415) 663-1515
www.stationhousecafe.com
American
Lunch Menu
Plenty of menu choices and breakfast is served all day. Great for a rest stop drink or some eats while walking around town for the day.
Tomales Bay Mussels
steamed with shallots, white wine, butter & garlic
Fettuccine
fettuccine with clams, fresh tomatoes, garlic, butter & white wine
Fish & Chips
true cod fried with lagunitas IPA beer batter & served with hand-cut fries and coleslaw
Dessert
bread pudding
ARCADIA
San Francisco Bay AreaArcadia
San Jose Marriott
100 W San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 278-4555
michaelmina.net
Modern American
Prosciutto
Foie Gras Slider
Day Boat Scallops
shallot cakes, leeks, american caviar
Maine Lobster Pot Pie
baby vegetables, truffle cream
Sorbet
lemon, peach, watermelon
CHEZ TJ
San Francisco Bay AreaChez TJ
938 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 964-7466
www.cheztj.com
French/American
Gastronomique Menu – 2010
I heard good things about the new chef Scott Nishiyama and it intrigued us to give it another try. Food was prepared and presented in a most excellent way. Overall you will leave happy and full.
Amuse Bouche
Soup of Roasted Parsnip and Coconut
Pacific Amberjack “Gravlax”
Hickory, Potato, Persimmon, Yogurt
Massachusetts Diver Sea Scallops
Clobe Artichokes, Yukon Gold Potato, Sturgeon Caviar
Palate Cleanser
Sonoma Poussin
Carrot, Truffle, Smoking Clove
Trio of Fromage
Grayson, Meadow Creek Farm, Virginia
Txiki, Barinaga Ranch, California
Crottin, Redwood Hill Farms, California
Petit Fours
SANTOUKA
San Francisco Bay AreaSantouka
Mitsuwa Marketplace
675 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 446-1101
www.santouka.co.jp
Japanese
Toroniku Hiyashi Chuka
summer only cold ramen
Shio Ramen
mild and creamy soup seasoned with salt and topped off with a Japanese pickled plum
BAUME
San Francisco Bay AreaBaumé
201 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 328-8899
www.baumerestaurant.com
French
DECOUVERTE MENU | OCTOBER 2010
The menu lists that evening’s featured ingredients, such as asparagus, vermouth, liquid nitrogen, and pineapple, but holds no clue as to how they will be presented in dishes. You can expect a variety of small plates and interesting food chemistry. It was an unexpected fun hot-and-cold experience.
Amuse Bouche
scallop sashimi
Amuse Bouche
First Course
Bread
tofu parsley whip and balsamic vinaigrette emulsification
Second Course
Third Course
62 degree egg
Fourth Course
foie gras
Fifth Course
truffle
Sixth Course
pork belly
Seventh Course
tofu fried veggies
Eigth Course
cheese
Ninth Course
Lychee amuse bouche to complement the scallop amuse bouche from the beginning of the meal
Tenth Course
Special treat from the chef
parfait
Amuse Bouche
banana bread with raspberry explosion
