Asana – Style Over Substance

Asana is clad with the chic and modern décor associated with Mandarin Oriental Hotels (the one in Tokyo is spectacular!)…dark woods, cool grey tones, fine linens and tableware. However, the restaurant’s food lacked soul and depth. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by bounty of local produce in San Francisco, but I couldn’t taste the freshness of the ingredients the dishes here. They just didn’t sing.

Chilled Watermelon Soup with Maine Peekytoe Crab - light and refreshing with hints of apple, but wish it had a little more kick to it. I also would’ve liked more crab…those little bits were just a tease.

Braised Veal Cheek & Sweet Breads with Fava Beans & Shimeji Mushrooms – this appetizer had immediately caught my eye on the menu, but turned out to be ho-hum. The veal cheeks were moist and savory, but everything else was poorly executed. The sweet breads were mushy and bland (what a tragedy!), and the fava beans and mushrooms had no flavor.
Roasted Poussin with English Peas & Morels – the 28 day-old chicken was beautifully prepared, extremely tender and juicy. Unfortunately, I just can’t get over the sad state of these morels. Lacking that rich flavor of the beloved morels, these tasted like they’d been sitting around for too long and became stale…probably the only time I’ve ever been disappointed by morels (Side note: my most memorable morels experience was at Jean Georges a few years ago…to die for!)
Lamb Rack with Apricot Jam, Wheat, Chocolate-Chili Sauce – the only standout dish of the evening. The lamb was beautiful…nice charred crust while tender on inside, and I loved the sweetness of apricot jam with it. A touch more heat in the chocolate-chili sauce would have elevated the dish even further.
Cherry Parfait Glacé with Muscat Foam – a light and easy way to finish off the meal. The glacé was cross between a semifreddo and a mousse…cool, creamy, and smooth with a hint of cherry tartness.
Final verdict: Trendy hotel restaurant with an interesting menu, but lacked the substance to support it.

BITE METER: Asana – 2.5 bites (out of 5)

Wood Tavern – Already Wanting to Return

During a spontaneous visit to Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, I randomly decided to have lunch at Wood Tavern. What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! I thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s scrumptious food and warm Californian bistro/bar atmosphere.

Peach & Burratta with Prosciutto di Parma – I loved the soft and luscious burratta cheese with the sweet peaches and salty prosciutto. Everything tasted so fresh, and the flavors of each component shined. The dish didn’t even need the balsamic vinegar.

“Surf N’ Turf” Sandwich (Oregon sweet shrimp, prosciutto di parma, English cucumber, garlic aioli) – the flavors were great with the interplay of sweet shrimp with cool, crisp cucumber and rich prosciutto. However, the bread was too thick and was too hard to get through, overpowering the delicate components inside. The bread had a nice crunchy texture and would have been better served as an open-faced sandwich. I was surprised by how much I liked their bright and zesty Tavern slaw (I usually detest coleslaw!)
Fresh Pappardelle with Okra, Sweet Corn, Zucchini – absolutely delightful! The pasta was PERFECTION. Everything was beautifully cooked. The vegetables tasted fresh and light, while the sauce also felt hearty. I couldn’t get enough of this dish.
Wood Tavern is a fantastic neighborhood restaurant, and I’ll definitely be back even though it’s not my neighborhood. Heck, I was already talking about what I wanted to eat next time before I even left the restaurant! Now that’s a sign of a quality place with an enticing menu.

BITE METER: Wood Tavern – 4.0 bites (out of 5.0)

flour+water – Good but Overrated

I’ve heard a lot of hype about flour+water, but it took me a while to finally eat here…reservations are tough (only half the tables can be reserved) and there’s always a crowd of people waiting outside for a table. There was also a lot of press about Steve Jobs trying to get a table here but leaving because he’d have to wait. Despite all of hullabaloo, I found my dinner at flour+water to be good but overrated.

Pomodoro Pizza (heirloom tomatoes, caciocavallo, wild arugula) – the flavors were great with the smoky caciocavallo (aged mozzarella) and the sweet, juicy tomatoes, but the consistency was wrong. I’m very particular about thin crust pizzas being crispy, and this whole pizza was soggy except for the outer crust. A bummer since I had been most excited about trying the pizza here.
Chitarra with saffron braised squid, halibut, peppers & tomatoes – a failure. The pasta was overcooked and the seafood was so bland. (Note: I also tried my husband’s spaghetti alla puttanesca with sardines, and the flavors and textures of that dish were spot-on.)
Chocolate budino with espresso-caramel cream & sea salt – finally, a spectacular dish. The budino was like a chocolate pot de crème only much thicker. Perfect combination of sweet, salty, coffee, and creamy.
Because the prices were so reasonable, I would probably give this restaurant another shot…but definitely not without reservations. With such a range of hits and misses, it’s not worth waiting for.

BITE METER: flour+water – 2.5 bites (out of 5.0)

Benu – Transforming Asian Concepts into Pure Luxury

I first experienced Chef Corey Lee’s culinary talents while he was working under the helm of Thomas Keller at French Laundry. At the ripe age of 28, he became French Laundry’s chef de cuisine and deemed a wunderkind of the restaurant world. So ever since I heard Lee was branching out to create his own restaurant, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the opening of Benu.

And I must say that the food at Benu totally captured my heart. Chef Lee took many Asian comfort foods and elevated them to a completely different level. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of eating at a ‘fine dining’ restaurant while also being embraced by the comforts and memories of home and my family with his food. The chef’s tasting menu showcased a multitude of flavors, textures, and techniques…

1000 Year Old Quail Egg – a remake of the classic Chinese preserved duck egg, Chef Lee refined it by using quail egg instead and adding slices of ginger and green onion. To me, the yolk is the best part of preserved eggs, so the small quail egg didn’t have enough of that pungent, creamy yolk to counter the bland, gelatinous white exterior.
Lonsdale – fun and delicate. The large green bubble burst in my mouth, filling it with a cool and slightly sweet liquid of green apple. A bit of gin balanced the sweetness, and basil gave it an herbal finish. This reminded me of the ‘mojito bubble’ that I had at minibar…I’m loving this trend of cocktails in a bite!
Sea Urchin & Almond Tofu, Caviar, Sparkling Grape – the almond tofu was a bit too thick, but its milky, nuttiness accentuated the sweetness of the creamy sea urchin inside. All nicely balanced with the salty pearls of caviar and the acidity of the sparkling grape foam.
Spanish Mackerel, Pain de Mie – incredible. I love, love, LOVED this dish! The fish was cooked between two thin slices of crispy bread, but it looked like one seamless piece (almost like pork belly). I was swooning over the moist, meaty fish with its salty, garlicky crust…perfectly balanced by the dehydrated slivers of lemon. The flavors and textures were similar to fried fish, but so much more sophisticated. I’m already planning on coming back for this dish on the a la carte menu...it’s *that* good!
Eel, Feuille de Brick, Crème Fraiche (right) – a playful dish with a “cigar” of wild Japanese eel wrapped in paper thin layers of crispy feuille de brick (even thinner than phyllo dough). The eel tasted similar to a white fish but more savory, and was exquisitely paired with a dip made of crème fraiche and lime salt.
Caramelized Anchovy, Peanut, Lilly Bulb (left) – not a lot of substance, but interesting experience of taste and textures…jelly cubes with a subtle anchovy flavor, tiny salted fish, crispy peanuts, and cool, fresh petals of lily bulb.
Mountain Yam and Shrimp Soufflé (back) – Like a moist fluffy cake, but more starchy and with a subtle shrimp flavor…reminded me of the Japanese tamago.
Monkfish Liver Torchon, Brioche – one of my absolute favorites! This was very similar in style and technique to the foie gras torchon I had at French Laundry, although the use of monkfish liver (instead of duck liver) made it much lighter with soft sweet undertones. Creamy, luscious liver spread over a warm, buttery brioche…sexy, elegant, and rich all at once. I even licked my knife to make sure I got every last bit!
“Shark’s Fin” Soup, Dungeness Crab, Black Truffle Custard – such genius! The custom-made bowl held a thin layer of silky, black truffle custard at the bottom, which was covered by a warm dashi (fish broth), faux strands of “shark fin” made of gelatin, and sweet, succulent pieces of crab…sooooo sumptuous and delicious! I would have never thought of truffles with Asian food, especially something as traditional as shark fin soup, but I was floored by how good this dish was. The black truffle added a whole new dimension to the soup.
Pumpkin Porridge, Lobster, Black Truffle – again, Chef Lee demonstrates his creativity with Asian cuisine by taking something as humble as rice porridge and turning it into something so luxurious. I loved the sweetness of the pumpkin and lobster against the distinct earthiness of the truffles. I also appreciated having warm, comforting courses (soup and porridge) in the tasting menu – it goes down so easily and is especially soothing after drinking lots of wine.
Eight Treasure Duck – like a duck sausage filled with a bunch of indistinguishable components. I mainly tasted the salty duck with a bit of honey-like sweetness. Not bad, not great.
Beef Rib Cap, Matsutake Mushroom – most disappointing dish of the evening. After being pampered by such lavish dishes, I was expecting melt-in-your mouth beef. Instead, this was dry and chewy. Our waitress explained that the firm consistency was normal for this particular cut – my suggestion would be to serve a different cut. (Note: she did offer to get me something else when she noticed I hardly touched my beef, but I declined since I was getting full. At least the matsutake mushrooms were prepared well.)
Huckleberry Sorbet, Yogurt, Lemon Curd, Vanilla Sponge – the huckleberry was tart and vibrant, tasted like a mix of strawberry and blueberry. Fruity and refreshing on my palate.
Chestnut Custard, Cranberry, Mace Ice Cream – the chestnut and mace (similar to nutmeg) flavors reminded me of the holidays and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. A great dessert for the fall season.
Petit Fours – delectable chocolates cleverly encased inside a sleek wooden cube
There were a couple of misses on the tasting menu, but the high points more than made up for them. Next time, I’m going to order off Benu’s a la carte menu since it also featured some of my favorites from the tasting menu (I especially loved the seafood dishes). I also appreciated the thought and creativity that went into the design of the ceramics and plates.

The only thing I didn’t particularly care for about the restaurant was its bland interior. It had a cold, unfinished feel with the high ceilings and beams, sharp angles, and the almost all white décor. The service also lacked warmth, but was very polite and attentive. With a little more tweaking and finesse, Benu could be something magnificent. The restaurant has a lot of potential, and I look forward to the continued growth of Chef Lee’s career.

BITE METER: Benu – 4.0 bites (out of 5.0)

Gussie’s Chicken & Waffles – Got Half of it Right

My husband’s favorite food is fried chicken, so he loves that the ‘chicken and waffles’ concept allows him to eat it for breakfast…nothing like some good ol’ fried chicken to get your morning started! After the quality of Little Skillet’s waffles went downhill, he wanted to give Gussie’s Chicken & Waffles a try…

Unfortunately, their waffles weren’t very good either. They were soft and limp, like they had been sitting out for a while. (B got the sweet potato waffles, which were a lot better). However, the fried chicken was excellent - delicious crisp skin and nice, salty flavor. Finger lickin’ good!
I have a soft spot for biscuits and gravy, so we also got an order to share. The gravy was tasty with bits of ham, but the biscuits were too doughy.
Overall, the restaurant was ok, but not good enough for me to want to come back.

BITE METER: Gussie’s Chicken & Waffles– 2.5 bites (out of 5.0)