Sep 3 '12 at 1:15
What an amazing culinary experience. It's a bit pricey and a little fancy, but the best food in the East Bay. Everything about this restaurant is superb. There is only one menu, what they are serving that day, but don't worry about that. Everything on their tasting menu will be intensely perfect. The evening my wife and I went it was $75 per person for the menu. There was an optional wine pairing for $45 each. I think corkage on our own bottle of wine was $30 or so. If you go *definitely* ask to get seats at the Chef's table. It seats 8 and you get to watch everything being prepared for the evening making an even more enjoyable and fun experience. As a plus you get to sit next to your date at the counter which I've always felt is more intimate. The restaurant is very small. It can't hold more than probably 40 to 50 dinners and for that many dinners they had 10 staff. The ratio between chefs/service staff and guests is very high and you should expect the highest quality of service you can imagine here. The sommelier especially spends time with you over every wine pour explaining what is special about the wine, why it was chosen and how he feels it complements the food. A fun, enjoyable and educational aspect to the evening. At the end of our evening they gave us a print out of the menu to take home with us which was a nice touch as well. The decor at the restaurant is very modern chic. It's easy to miss from the outside with it's plain white exterior. The decor is not meant to get in the way of the real superstar, the food! The evening we went there were nine courses counting the cheese/dessert course at the end. My favorites were the albacore tuna with lemon and red perilla and their well known specialty poached farm eggy yoke with alliums, smoked dates and malt pinot grigio. EVERY SINGLE COURSE though was FANTASTIC! I've dined at many of the great restaurants in the City, Gary Danko, Fleur de Lys, the Ritz Carlton Dining Room, Benu, and I prefer Commis over all of them. It's so wonderful to have such a remarkable restaurant in the East Bay.
