3rd Cousin

I was visiting my cousin who lives in the Bay Area. I’ve never been to California before, and this was the first fancy restaurant I’ve been to. We reserved a table for NYE, and we were immediately greeted with smiles and positivity. We brought my cousin’s dog, so we sat in a cozy outdoor seating arrangement, which was heated. The servers were very kind and knowledgable about the menu. Everyone working there seemed content and happy to help, even with the reservations full. The food was incredible, and the textures and flavors of each component harmonized perfectly. I unfortunately didn’t get a picture of the Wagyu steak, but it was exceptionally phenomenal. I am from Montana, and I’ve had Wagyu before, but… WOW. I loved it.

This restaurant is an experience! My boyfriend and I really enjoyed recently visiting the restaurant. While we didn't go for the tasting menu, we really enjoyed everything we ordered. Some standouts included the uni creme brulee, the A5 dumplings and the truffle ravioli. My boyfriend really enjoyed his steak as well. The only downside is I wish they were more generous with the wine pours, but we will be back again.

Ww had a family dinner. People are super nice and very accommodating. Everything was so delicious. We had dumpling, hamachi crudo, wagyu steak, sea bass, and pasta. Then finished with ice cream. The best food we had. The portion was perfect(very small for restaurants in America) for us. Perfectly seasoned(not salty not so sweet). Very pleasant experience. Tucked in the corner of not so busy street.

Meals like this is what makes life worth living. Have been here twice so far this year and it's my new favorite SF restaurant. Loved every single dish and the entire dining experience. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Cost to worth it rating: 4 (for the quality of food, it was SF affordable) Opentableable: no but Tock Return worthiness: yes! Highlights: - Uniqueness: selections had a different flair to them with cool fresh ingredients like green strawberries and white gooseberries found at the farmers market. - Chef/owner: we were into our meal when we realized the chef was our waiter! He was amazing pitching in all around the dining room and so fun to talk to. He also didn't cut us off from our standard over ordering. ;-) - Consistency: it's very rare to order so many dishes and not just love every single one but not even find a nit picking flaw in any of them. We cleaned every plate. - Soft shell crab: such light airy batter, meaty, and no fishy taste at all-- best I've had. Awesome pickled cucumbers and green strawberries too to cut the fried. 5 stars - Pork chop: one of best we've had. Thick and juicy with a wonderful flavor from the char. Bonus for an extra rib with the bone. And the simple bok choy was somehow great too. 2nd visit was just as stellar. 5 stars - Lobster risotto: my fave dish for our return visit. Loved the yuzu citrus pop, crunch of the snap peas, and perfect texture for the risotto which I don't often see--not too goopy or runny. - Scallops and pork belly such a great scallop and the belly was cooked well and not too fatty. Missed this dish our 2nd visit. 5 stars - Casarecce: unexpectedly our fave pasta. It had a light creamy sauce made from gouda cheese and fresh pop with fresh asparagus. Pasta was toothsome with almost bucatini like little short duos stuck together. 5 stars - A5 Dumpling: melt in your mouth ground meat filling with a spicy vinegar chili sauce on top. Note 1 comes in an order so you may want to get a few. 5 stars - Uni creme brûlée: like a seafood version of foie gras. Decadent and smooth texture to top on pieces of bread. Slices of uni in addition to 3 types of fish eggs: yuzu tobiko, caviar, and trout roe. 5 stars - Pappardelle Bolognese: fresh wide noodles with a tasty ground meaty combo and a dollop of cheese on top. Also a return order and money again. 5 stars - Spaghetti swash and kale fritters: from our 2nd visit they almost were like beignet like with the dough but so crispy outside and bits of toma cheese inside. Sofrito added a bit of tang. - Asparagus soup: velvety without being too creamy with nice bits of ramps and spring onions. 5 stars - Cauliflower and potato soup: 2nd visit - Mushroom and truffle ravioli: nice savory mushroom filling with a brown butter type sauce. Reorder as well. 5 stars - NY strip: I'm usually not a strip cut fan, but of course here somehow I enjoyed it a lot. 5 stars - Focaccia: fluffy with the right amount of salt. 5 stars - Parmesan ramp butter: simple yet delectable with lots of shaved parmesan on top. 5 stars - Bagna cauda: Thai basil dip was slightly bitter from the anchovies. 5 stars - Tallegio cheese fonduta: from our second visit, loved this super spreadable yet not gooey cheese--my fave of the dips. 5 stars - Pistachio cake: light with crunchy texture. 5 stars - Souffle cake: classic for our 2nd visit executed perfectly with an exterior crunch and oozy inside. Loved the pairing with black sesame ice cream. 5 stars - Outdoor atmosphere: parklet outside with 3 tables and heaters. Playing chill 80s music had a nice ambiance. - Indoor: small and comfortable. - Wine: good amount by the glass including 3 choices of sparkling and reasonable bottle prices with many options under $100. Lowlights: - Not easily accessible by Bart or Caltrain, however if you drive there didn't seem to be an issue with street parking. Went with some of my best friends who are going through a hard time, so was appreciated to bring some happiness and joy into their lives. The second time they were comforted knowing they could count on a stellar meal.