Taste Tests: July 2008

Monday, July 14, 2008

Domo Sushi

As a sushi aficionado, I'm constantly looking for new Japanese restaurants to try. So I was delighted to discover Domo Sushi, a hidden gem tucked away in a nondescript area in Hayes Valley. The space is very small, with only about 15 seats, so I made sure to get there before the dinner rush. The menu mostly features sushi, so if you like your fish, this is your spot.

Complimentary edamame

What piqued my interest in Domo were their "crudos" - individual servings of raw seafood, garnished appropriately and served on spoons. And at $4.95 for any two spoons, these tasty bite-sized morsels are still on the affordable side.

Crudos galore! From left to right - uni, ankimo, and scallop

The uni crudo was simply amazing! The buttery creaminess of the avocado highlighted the mild sweetness and soft texture of the sea urchin, minimally garnished with sea salt. I would go back for this crudo alone.

My friend seemed to enjoy the raw scallop, which was topped with minced yuzu cucumber and tobiko. However, I was disappointed with the ankimo, as I'm very picky about this particular delicacy, and there seemed to be something amiss with the garlic ponzu sauce.

I would also definitely return for the sashimi. Simple presentation and fresh, thick slices of deliciousness.

Hamachi sashimi ($9)
Marvelous texture along with the signature light, buttery taste of yellowtail

Domo's menu also has a good assortment of sushi rolls, ranging from the usual suspects like spider and rainbow rolls, to their own house specialties.

Sexy Mama Roll ($11.95)
broiled asparagus and tobiko, topped with salmon, sliced lemon, and yuzu cucumber

I rather enjoyed this roll, as it was a fun medley of textures and flavors (sweetness of the salmon, nutty bitterness of the asparagus, and citrus zest from the lemon). I'm still a bit bewildered by the name though ... I wouldn't exactly associate lemons with sex appeal. But maybe it's just me.

Domo Sushi
511 Laguna Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 861-8887

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Dine About Town at One Market Restaurant

I love Dine About Town specials ($31.95 for a three-course prix fixe meal), but I've always been slightly underwhelmed by my dinners in SF. Here's my theory about DAT: If you're going to use those two weeks to introduce customers to your food and hook them into coming back, then you better hit with your best shot. And so far, the restaurants I've visited for DAT in SF - Butterfly, Plouf, and most recently, One Market - were good, but did not amaze me in the way I expected.

My friend Helen ordered the regular $31.95 prix fixe, while I decided to go for the $45 prix fixe with two wine pairings. Before our first course, we were served with a complimentary bite of duck liver.

The first course was a black bean soup with thin crisps of calamari. I had never had black bean soup before, but it was surprisingly silky and light. A good way to open a palate for a meal.

For our main course, we both ordered the Berkshire pork short ribs, which were tasty but not quite tender enough. But the dish grew on me as I kept tasting it with my fabulous pinot noir.

Braised Berkshire pork ribs with butter beans and chorizo

Dessert was my favorite part of this meal. Both the peach butter tart and the strawberry trifle were well-presented and not overly sweet.

Peach brown butter tart with ice cream and berries

Fresh strawberry and Grand Marnier trifle

Overall, the dinner was enjoyable, but not of the caliber that I would expect from a restaurant with a Michelin star. Perhaps their regular menu is more promising.

One Market Restaurant
1 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-5577
www.onemarket.com

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Best "Study Breaks" Ever

The non-blogging part of my life has been consumed with incessant studying for the July California bar exam, so I apologize for the infrequent posts. Thankfully, I'm still taking time to enjoy some great food amidst the madness.