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I came during Dine About Town, $35 for a 3-course prix fixe. The rock shrimp lumpia with avocado and ponzu dipping sauce was excellent. As for the entrees, the halibut with shiso was nicely cooked as was the hangar steak. I love their chimichurri dipping sauce (cilantro, garlic and olive oil) with bread. The waiter even waived our corkage if we ordered a bottle, asked if we could get the same deal if we ordered port with our dessert and he delightfully obliged, so that was a plus! Corkage is $20.
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Pres A Vi
Cuisine: Eclectic Small Plates
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Presidio |
7/31/2009
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If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive Brazilian Churrascaria, this is the place. It's location may be hard to find (next to a Honda dealership), but once you've found it, be prepared for the juciest and tastiest meat you've ever encountered from a buffet. When you're seated, go to the buffet and grab a plate, but don't grab too many sides because you'll want to save them for the meat. My faves were the sirloin, lamb, and chicken wrapped in bacon. The waiter comes to each table with a giant skewer and you take your tongs and hold the meat while he slices it. There was one kind of beef (might have been the eye of round) that was a little dry and lacked flavor, but I'm not sure if that was it. Anyway, just try a little of everything at first and then the waiter will come around again and you can get seconds or thirds of your favorites. Everyone loved this place. Corkage is $10.
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Cleo's Brazilian Steakhouse
Cuisine: Brazilian Steakhouse
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San Bruno |
9/26/2007
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I frequent this place often. The Sisig ($8) comes on a hot plate and is loaded with pork, onions and jalapenos... enough for a party of 3 as an appetizer or entree. The hidden gem is the garlic-roasted dungeness crab "Lechong Alemango" ($20). This is the same if not better than the crab you get at Thanh Long or Crustacean for double the price. If you don't see it on the menu, just ask the waiter. The soups are good, my favorite being the Nilaga ($9) which is a beef stew. A great place to try if you're in the mood for Filipino. This beats the other, pricier Filipino restaurants in San Bruno hands down.
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Ihaw Ihaw
Cuisine: Filipino
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San Bruno |
9/26/2007
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I prefer this place over Crustacean simply because of the location. The roasted crab ($35) was very good, but very buttery and peppery. If you're a slow crab cracker like I am, I recommend sharing and ordering more crab later on so the butter doesn't solidify at the bottom of your plate. We had the mussels with pesto appetizer ($10) which was just melt in your mouth with a crusty, just broiled topping. The fried calamari ($10) had a nice peppery taste and no sauce was needed. The garlic noodles ($9) are great as is the drunken crab if you don't like artery-clogging butter. The Thanh Long fish special ($22) was red snapper that night, but it was a but overcooked and the flavor wasn't there for me. It also came fillet style and I asked about getting it whole, but the waiter said they can't do that. So much for our foray into the "other than crab" part of the menu. Still, the appetizers are excellent as is the crab. I'll be going back again soon.
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Thanh Long
Cuisine: Vietnamese Seafood
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Outer Sunset |
9/24/2007
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Ordered the chef's tasting menu for $110. The meal started off with scallop carpaccio which was so tender and perfect with caviar. The seabass with cranberries, truffles and pancetta was equally delicious. The roasted Guinea Hen breast was an average entree boosted in flavor by a little foie gras, maitake mushrooms and huckleberry jus. The lamb loin was missing that wow factor for me. Cheese and desserts were good. The tasting menu changes daily, so your experience might differ from mine, but you can't go wrong with seafood at Jardiniere. Corkage is $25 and the wine pairing with the tasting menu is $65.
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Jardiniere Restaurant
Cuisine: Californian
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Hayes Valley |
9/24/2007
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This is a great restaurant that's off the beaten path, but only a block away from the convention center. The prices are reasonable. We ordered the mussels with garlic tomato broth ($10.95) and we couldn't stop soaking up the sauce with the warm bread. The mussels were very meaty and tender - maybe 30-40 mussels in the dish. The prosciutto and arugula pizza ($12) was also great. It was very thin, but very filling. Wine bottles are around $30, corkage is $15. It can get a little cramped, but I never mind. We walked in on a Monday night and were seated right away, but I suggest making a reservation first.
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Pazzia Caffe Pizzeria Rosticceria
Cuisine: Italian Pizza
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SoMa |
11/8/2006
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We were hunkering for a good Filipino breakfast right before the Niners-Chargers game. This place is a real hole-in-the-wall. The atmosphere is outdated, there's graffiti on the bathroom walls, but the money saved on decor keeps the prices ultra-low. For $3, you can get eggs, garlic fried rice topped with more crunchy garlic, a slice of pineapple and your choice of meat. We tasted three different ones, the longanisa (sausage), tocino (marinated pork) and the Hong Kong-style pork chops. Everyone's favorite seemed to be the two humongous pork chops. You can also choose fried fish, beef tapa, or chicken. The place can get very busy at times. A lot of people opted to do take-out, one woman carrying twenty styrofoam boxes out. Similar places charge $6 or more for the same dish, but for smaller portions. The pork chops and the garlic fried rice will keep me going back for more.
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Gateway Kitchen
Cuisine: Filipino
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Daly City |
10/23/2006
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Had the beef tongue especial burrito for $6.95 (it's like the regular, but with guacamole.) The tongue was meaty and very juicy, but I guess you can say that about any average taquerias. The portions are huge and they have a great salsa bar. The two medium-hot salsas are my favorites.
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Pancho Villa Taqueria
Cuisine: Mexican
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Mission |
9/29/2006
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Tried this place after a friend suggested it. The main draw is the NO CORKAGE FEE! The restaurant is in a nice little neighborhood with an Arizmendi Bakery nearby. We started with the fried calamari ($7). The spicy batter was perfectly balanced with the coconut marinara dipping sauce. We also tried the Coconut Lime Mussels ($10) and the dish was very good. My only complaint was the size of the meat, but you can't fault them since it's not mussel season yet. For the entrees, the Chicken Parmesan with linguini Alfredo ($12) was your average, everyday dish. The Chicken Canneloni ($12) was crisp on the outside, very flavorful on the inside. We were able to do half and half on the large pizza ($18). We all thought the Yosemite half (pepperoni, sausage, linguisa, mushrooms, olives, provolone) was wonderful, but the Lofaro (mushrooms, garlic, goat cheese) was too bland. The service was a joy, talking to our servers from different parts of the globe. Spettro is a good choice for
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Spettro
Cuisine: Italian Eclectic
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Oakland |
9/29/2006
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The area is a little seedy, but if you go with a big group, it's not that bad. I've never had a bad dish there. The naan ($1) is huge, so one is enough for two people (you can always order more later if you have a big appetite.) Any of the Tandoori BBQ items are recommended, especially the Tandoori pork chop ($10.95), Murgha Tikka Lahori - chicken leg ($3.50) or the Seekh Kabab Mughlai - ground beef ($2). The spices are so flavorful, these meats don't need any kind of dipping sauce. We usually get a curry so we can dip the naan. The Chicken Tikka Masala ($6.95) is a good bet if you're in the mood for something spicy. Excellent food, very inexpensive. We never pay more than $7 each for a group of 3 or more.
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Shalimar Gardens
Cuisine: Pakistani Indian
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Tenderloin |
9/16/2006
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After reading the reviews saying this restaurant was overpriced, I found out they had a 3-course $21.95 lunch special, so my girlfriend and I decided to go. We got a window table with a great view of the Bay Bridge. The prix fixe lunch started with an ordinary aoba salad, but the sashimi course (2 each of maguro, hamachi and sake) was very good & fresh. Uni ($8.50) was added to the mix and it was melt-in-your-mouth good, especially since it was paired with fresh-grated wasabi. We were ooo-ing over the tempura soba (buckwheat noodles in a rich, earthy broth.) The tempura at the bottom got a bit soggy, but I had no complaints there. We also had the Beefsteak ($17), but the meat was a little dry and bland. Our waiter suggested the Tokusen Sake Flight ($14). It consisted of a super premium (Otokoyama), premium (Sawanoi) and regular (Wakatake). All three were good, but we agreed the premium was the least flavorful of the three. Corkage is $20. Definitely a good bet for lunch.
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OZUMO
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
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Embarcadero |
9/16/2006
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You can't beat the early bird three-course prix fixe dinner for $10.99 (Mon-Fri 5-6pm). We got a fresh garbanzo, tomato, cucumber and arugula salad with a light vinaigrette for our starter. Our entree was a Mediterranean farfalle (all vegetarian, but fresh olives, tomatoes and other vegetables.) For dessert, we got a good portion of raspberry cheesecake and that was pretty tasty. The house wine (which also comes with the prix fixe dinner) was Falling Water Merlot from New Zealand. It was very smooth and tasted like a $7 glass by itself, so they know their wines. I was very impressed and I'd go back in a heartbeat. Corkage is $15.
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Home
Cuisine: American (Traditional)
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Castro |
9/5/2006
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One of the best lunches I've ever had! It's in Napa, so it's a good rest stop while you're doing your wine tasting. We tried the tomato in puff pastry (like a chicken pot pie, but with tomato soup) and that was delicious. The escarole salad with bacon and soft-boiled egg was like a melding of breakfast and lunch, but better. The cassoulet was a little too rich, but it's perfect with a good red wine. We also tried the ribeye and the sole meuniere and they were just as good. I highly recommend going for lunch.
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Bistro Jeanty
Cuisine: French (Bistro)
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Napa |
6/9/2006
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I just had Brazilian at a restaurant in Berkeley a few weeks before coming here and I wasn't too impressed. But the food at Mangarosa left me wanting more! You can easily feed two with the Brazilian Steak Rechaud ($28). Yes, you do the grilling yourself on a hibachi, but that way, you can control how rare your meat is cooked. And it's so juicy and flavorful also. The Brazilian cheese bread ($6) tastes like a hot Cheez-it, only it's bread. We also had the foie gras with the brioche ($17) and it was nicely seared and buttery, the sauce not overly sweet. The wine list was filled with a lot of $25-30 bottles, but we brought a $20 Foppiano cabernet since the corkage was only $15. Well, our waitress asked if it was a special occasion and we said we were celebrating our very first screw-top wine bottle. Maybe that made her chuckle, but when we got the check, she didn't charge us for corkage! So we got an excellent dinner and wine for about $70. Highly recommended!
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Mangarosa Restaurant
Cuisine: Italian Brazilian
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North Beach |
6/2/2006
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Probably my favorite crepe place in the Bay Area. It's true their crepes are very filling and almost as good as getting the real thing on the sidewalks of Paris. But the service gets iffy at times (especially at night.) And after a few times there, their salmon crepes taste a lot like the scallops or the ham for that matter. But I usually visit once or twice a year. It's also nice to chug down a nice cocktail which you can't do at the chain creperies.
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Ti Couz
Cuisine: French Dessert
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Mission |
6/1/2006
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We had dinner al fresco next to the gigantic oak tree and conversation was easy. You can get a wine tasting of three 3oz. glasses ranging from $11 to over $40. Corkage was $15, so we just drank our own. The lobster bisque was amazing, but they gave us a little shot glass for $4. The beet salad ($10) will convert anyone who hates the can version. If you can't stand uncooked foie gras ($16), don't order it here. I was hoping for a nicely seared piece of liver, but the room temp piece was still buttery and easy to spread on the four pieces of toast. The Singaporean style pork belly with soy and honey glaze ($10) was the best dish of the night. There was just enough seared pork fat to complement the juicy, meaty inside. It was great with our cab. We also had the grilled halibut with red curry sauce ($12) which was another favorite and the dungeness crab cakes ($10) were good, but not unlike crab cakes you can get elsewhere. Try the souffle for dessert.
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Va de Vi
Cuisine: Eclectic
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Walnut Creek |
6/1/2006
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This is one of my top three in the city for cheap eats. The portions are huge! You can get a seafood paella that'll feed two people for $16. If you're inkling to try something new, there's squid ink paella also. The saltado de camarones is flavorful and garlicky. It always seems to be busy, so try going on an off-night.
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Mi Lindo Peru
Cuisine: Peruvian Spanish Tapas
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Marina |
5/18/2006
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I've always wanted to try this restaurant on a few recommendations plus it's on that Top 100 list that the Chronicle puts out every year. So we were in the Rockridge neighborhood and gave it a go. To start, the corkage is $25, absurd for a tapas place, so we ordered a $28 bottle of Bordeaux (I can't recall the winery, but I'll update this if I remember) and it wasn't ready to drink at all. The garlic fries with aioli ($6) were good, but I wish the waitress brought it out the same time the mussels with Pernod ($12) got to our table. The mussels were the only dish that really wowed us the entire night, very creamy sauce and they weren't stingy with the portions. The Greek lamb crepinette with eggplant ($12) was good, but not exceptional. So we were a bit disappointed at the quality of the food, but I'd go back just to order the mussels with a cocktail on the side.
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A Cote
Cuisine: French Mediterranean Small Plates
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Oakland |
5/18/2006
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This is a great neighborhood restaurant. If you're thinking about a new place to try for dinner, definitely give Perry's a try. Even better, go on a Monday when all bottles of wine are half off. For starters, we had the sesame crusted ahi ($10.50) and the dungeness crab cakes ($11.50). While both were average, I really liked the spicy 1000 island-like sauce for the crab cakes. The sauteed petrale sole muniere ($17.95) was perfectly cooked, but the sauce was a bit too lemony which slightly overpowered the fish. The grilled flank steak ($17.95) ordered medium rare was perfect and juicy. For dessert, our waiter recommended the apple brown betty with vanilla ice cream ($5.95) which was good, but only because the other choices included such typical fare like cheesecake, sundaes and pound cake. Corkage is $12, so we were happy about that, as well as the $60 certificate I won from sfsurvey. Overall, a good restaurant with great service.
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Perry's
Cuisine: American (Traditional) Comfort Food
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Cow Hollow |
5/18/2006
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We waited about ten minutes for our table, but the waiting area in the bar was very nice. I love the wines under $25 list. We ordered a Patassy Pinot for $25. The oysters with cilantro and tobiko ($12) were the best I've had. The endive salad was too ordinary for me. For the entrees, the Kobe beef hamburger ($14) was very juicy, the pancetta wrapped rabbit loin ($25) was nice and tender with a not-too-heavy sauce and the Hawaiian walu ($23), a fish that's more tender than mahi mahi but with a flavor closer to tuna, was also a good choice. We left very satisfied and I can't wait to go back and try the other things on the menu.
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MYTH
Cuisine: French Californian
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Downtown |
4/18/2006
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It's average dim sum fare at really expensive prices. The waiters come out to you holding the dim sum items instead of carts. A few of my friends ordered soda and they charged $4 per coke can. The restaurant is upstairs, so just be warned on the high prices if you decide to go.
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Four Seas Restaurant
Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum
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Chinatown |
3/27/2006
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Went for the dine-about-town special in January for $30. The ambience is very dark with tea lights all around. We could've been seated right at 8pm (our reservation), but the host asked if we wanted a booth and it would be an extra 15 minute wait. So we said ok, but it actually took about 25 minutes. No problems though because we got free drinks at the bar because of that. The mandarin orange cosmo was excellent. And the food? Well, I couldn't find one fault with any dish. The butternut squash soup was just right and every bite from the foie gras with huckleberry sauce was mouth-watering. The entrees, from the risotto to the hanger steak were also full of flavor. Desserts were good, but not memorable. Corkage is $20, but there were a few good bottles for about $30-40.
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XYZ
Cuisine: Californian
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SoMa |
3/24/2006
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Definitely one of my top three in the city. Everything is always cooked to perfection. The foie gras with roasted duck was the best I've ever had (I was even thinking about getting it for dessert because I wanted it to be the last thing in my mouth!) I've never had a bad dish here, from the halibut to the pork tenderloin. This is a great place to take a date, although on the noisy side, but I never mind a bit of noise. It makes the dining experience more exciting. The cocktails are great too.
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BOULEVARD
Cuisine: American (New)
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Embarcadero |
3/24/2006
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Very expensive for average seafood and snooty service . We had an 8pm reservation and we were waiting for 30 minutes with four other groups when a couple that was hurrying because they missed their reservation were seated before everyone else. Everyone raves about the lobster pot pie here (and the people that ordered it were actually enjoying it), so if I ever go back and that's a big if ... maybe if someone's treating, I'll have to try that. The lobster & mango salad with a sprinkling of foie gras was very good, but that's where it ended. Three other dishes totally missed the mark. The Hudson Valley foie gras was enormous, but it was too bland. I've had better sauteed chicken liver at Zuni. The petrale sole was tender and juicy, but the sauce tasted like rancid mayonnaise with clam juice. The rare ahi tuna was way overcooked and didn't have the flavor I was looking for. Save your money for something better. If you want the ultimate seafood joint, Farallon's a better bet.
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AQUA
Cuisine: Californian French Basque Seafood
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Downtown |
3/24/2006
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A little expensive for a tapas place with average to mediocre food. The beef stew was pretty bland, the sauteed scallops were almost invisible and the duck rillette empanada was good, but not special. The only thing we had that stood out from the rest (and even so, it was only a little above average) was the ham & egg piperade. We had a bottle of Buchli Station Pinot Noir and that was the only thing that was memorable. Corkage $20.
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Iluna Basque
Cuisine: French Spanish
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North Beach |
3/22/2006
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We went for the BYOB four-course prix fixe dinner for $29.95 on Tuesdays. Every dish was superb. We started with a biscuit served with honey and butter (whoever thought honey and bread would go so well with a glass of pinot!) The soup was a tomato and fennel with roasted crab, delicate and not too salty. The papaya and pomelo w/ dungeness crab salad was one of the best I've had - it even trumps the Slanted Door version. Next, we had a lemon risotto with big chunks duck confit. The Trinchero Pinot we had was a perfect match with the duck fat . I'm not a dessert guy, but when it came out, we were thinking "this thing is like an encyclopedia of desserts!" It had fresh berries, two sorbets, creme brulee, a fudge brownie with caramel sauce and a warm chocolate cake. Service was good, tables weren't too cramped. One note: the BYOB limit is one per person (a few tables had 2 or more bottles open.) The cheapest pinot is $55, so definitely go on a Tuesday if you hate paying corkage.
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Cafe Kati
Cuisine: Asian Californian Fusion
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Japantown |
3/22/2006
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