I'm a little late posting this, but it's taken a while to get motivated. So sue me.
Dinner at the new Restaurant Michael Mina was really... spectacular. Honestly, I think it was the most artfully prepared meal I've ever had, and I LOVE the concept. I think it could be really overwhelming if you didn't know what to expect going in, but if you're open and ready to be bombarded with a barrage of flavors... you'll be fine.
I was with 3 other people, on day 22 of the restaurant's opening. I'm only really going to comment on what I had, because I didn't really sample much of anything else, and besides, it would take HOURS to talk about all the preps. I will, however, comment on the few bites I had of Craig's dishes.
First, the decor is beautiful. San Francisco traditionalists will bemoan the loss of the Compass Rose, but it's not like it was the Redwood Room, was it? Tones of chocolate, pale eggshell blue and ivory make the space astoundingly serene - even whilst overlooking the vigor of Union Square. We had a table at the back window which was lovely - we could just about see the kitchen's finishing station if we leaned back - but the banquette seating was not great. They were very comfy sofa/loveseat things, but not really suitable for the height of the table. The hostess (one of several) ran downstairs to get Craig & Susan cushions from the bar seating area. Those seemed to help them quite a bit.
On to the food.
Amuse was an adorable trio of lobster preparations. The first was a lobster-stuffed prawn. Absolutely amazing, rich and decadent. Next was a lobster sashimi preparation with daikon. Very nice and light. 180-degree counterpoint to the first. Finally there was a lobster corn dog. Yup, you read right - a lobster corn dog. Exactly how you would expect it to look and taste. Very simple preparation, this one was all about playfulness - again, a total counterpoint to the other two dishes which were very serious. This one was tongue-in-cheek, tasty and a conversation piece. It made you wonder what else MM had up his sleeve.
I started with the foie gras preparation. This was served six (!!) ways. There were 3 "ingredient schemes" (bing cherry & pink peppercorn, apricot & star anise and pineapple & ginger), and 2 format for each scheme - seared foie gras and torchon. I almost unilaterally preferred the seared versions to the torchons, though these really were the best torchons i've ever had. Almost preternaturally smooth and delicate, finished with a sprinkling of salt crystals. As for the schemes, I'd have to say that the bing & pink peppercorn was the star. I paired this with a glass of d'Yquem ('98).
For my main, I went with the Kobe Beef Rib Roast. Oh. My. God. This had 3 schemes, each served with a different preparation of potatoes, but I would have been happy with just the roast. The meat was literally melt-in-your-mouth tender - I can't say I've ever had beef this good, and I've had really superb kobe beef "sashimi".
The spinach & truffle preparation had to be my favorite, though the truffle frites seemed... well... "unimportant". The morel preparation was my next favorite, and the gratin that came with this was my favorite of the potato presentations. The white asparagus was a distant third, and the wasabi mashed potatoes really didn't do much for me (I'm a chunky mashed potatoes kinda gal, and this stuff was pureed within an inch of its life). Again careful sprinklings of sea salt on the beef was perfection. Really. Oh, and I should say that each preparation was probably 2-3 normal size bites, but I was taking teensy bites so I could "play" with my food, as it were. So, not a gross amount of food.
Dessert was, again, the same format. But sadly, it didn't live up to the rest of the meal, I thought. In fact, I almost can't remember my dessert. It was a trio of berry bread puddings or pannacottas... I think (!?!?). Proclaimed the best dessert at our table. Craig had the molten chocolate cake trios - peanut butter, hazelnut and chocolate. Each was served with a diminutive little shake of the same flavor. Susan had the root beer float, which was really yummy - but the kicker was the double-chocolate chip cookies that were just heavenly. Our waitress caught us oohing and aahing over them so she brought over a little plateful with a couple of to-go boxes.
Final touch was a few bon-bons. Dark chocolate with strawberry sorbet and milk chocolate with espresso ice cream. I enjoyed the dark chocolate one, but the milk chocolate was just too sweet.
Three-course tastings were $78 ($10 supplement for my kobe beef). Susan & Craig selected the wine, a Failla Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir. A lovely, supple, well-rounded wine. On the list for, I believe, $92. They both commented that the wine list was overpriced, but they were looking at Italian and CA wines. I felt there were a number of lovely burgundies on the list that were under $110. There is also an easy-to-miss page at the back of the wine list that has some very unique bottles at really, really reasonable prices (I don't think anything on that list was over $100). When I go back, that is where I will turn.
All told, this was an exquisite meal with near-impeccable service (even if the female waitrons DO look like Robert Palmer girls). I would absolutely go back to sample some of the other creative presentations.
Restaurant Michael Mina (or is it Michael Mina Restaurant??)
at the Westin St. Francis Hotel
335 Powell Street
415.774.0124