what's a foodie? well by definition, a foodie, according to slashfood.com states, it is "a person who has an ardent and refined interest in food." sounds kinda snobbish doesn't it? but wikipedia.com continues by saying, "...foodies want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry and personalities surrounding food. For this reason, foodies are sometimes viewed as obsessively interested in all things culinary."
now let's get it on...
Ponzu
401 Taylor Street
San Francisco
Whenever a server suggests menu items, they a) are told by the management staff, let's get rid of this stuff, b) you will have the best dining experience in your life if you go with my suggestions, or c) your bill will calculate out to the highest possible tip for me
the answer: both b) and c)
b) if you look at the menu, you'll notice that it is broken up into several categories: snacks, small plates, large plates and sweets. our server recommended that for a table of three, two small plates and one large plate would suffice. she was right. originally, we had ordered the Calamari-small plate, the Tuna-large plate and Chef's Creme Brulee Trio-Sweets. after popping the Calamari pieces into our mouth (perfect appetizer size), we later received the Tuna. the Tuna platter was tdf (but i'll go into the food a little bit later), but it was only two fairly good size pieces, the size of filet mignon, cut in half. we later realized that halfway through the Tuna, we were still going be a little bit hungry, so we ordered the Fries,...-sides.
c) the total bill for three people, with the above mentioned ordered food items, plus one Cucumber Gimlet (i'll tell you about that later, too), came out to be $68.99. luckily, i had a gift certificate from restaurant.com for $25, which brought the total down to $43.99. i purchased the GC for $3, tipped the server $12.01 (full 18% based on original bill amount), so all-in-all, i spent a grand total of $59. that's a savings of $22. not too bad for a dinner in SF, but still a bit pricey.
now the good stuff; THE FOOD
Small Plates: Calamari
lightly tempura battered calamari rings and tenticles, dusted with salt and stir fried with red peppers and jalapenos, and accompanied by the Yuzu aioli.
great combination, but keep the water handy for those who cannot tolerate spicy foods. i enjoyed this dish very much, though, it was still very typical of most asian style restaurants to have this as an appetizer, so there was no wow factor to this dish, except for the aioli. the aioli was spicy and cooling at the same time. it was a good size portion to share for more than three people.
Large Plate: Tuna
a palm sized steak of raw tuna, wrapped in nori and lightly tempura battered, fried briefly, and set atop a bed of bhutanese red rice with a small asian side salad. the condiments were pickled ginger, Ponzu special sauce and of course, wasabi.
...TDF...i was speechless. the first bite was kept pure; no sauce, no condiments. the tuna was cooked perfectly. because it was fried for a very short time, the tuna steak was nice and raw, almost room temperature, like a very nice hearty slice of maguro sashimi. add the condiments right after, and BAM flavor explosion. i couldn't stop eating it. the rice was a heavy whole grain rice, but it was nicely flavored and it paired well with the tuna. the asian side salad-typical.
Sides: Fries, Smoked Paprika, Truffled Pecorino, Aioli
shoestring cut fries, lightly dusted with smoked paprika with a sprinkling of truffled pecorino and was accompanied with an aioli.
these are the best french fries in the world! the smokeyness of the paprika really awakens your tastes buds. anything smoked for me, just reminds me of the Philippines, this flavor did that. so on top of that amazing flavor, they spoil you rotten with the delicate shavings of truffled pecorino. omg, truffled pecorino?! need i say more...it was earthy and salty and GOOD...once again speechless.
and last but definitely, not least...
Sweets: Chef's Creme Brulee Trio
three different flavors of brulee, served in it's own ramakin: guava, tahitian vanilla and chocolate
creme brulee...you can't go wrong with this dish. it's simple, it's sweet and it can be savory. we started with the guava, and it was a very light and tropical flavor, then the tahitian vanilla. tahitian vanilla is what i would call "traditional" no wow, there, but still delicious. and, the chocolate. good thing we left the chocolate for last. it was very rich and dark, almost like a custard-y truffle with a light sugary crunch. all three brulees were good, but i think i liked the guava the best.
and before i forget, the Speciality Cocktail: Cucumber Gimlet, aka Kyoto Gimlet
served in a martini glass and garnished with a small slice of cucumber, this refreshing cocktail is made with vodka, simple syrup and fresh squeezed cucumber juice. i did detect a hint of lime, maybe squeezed before serving? it was a good cocktail, i'd recommend this to anyone. in fact, it was another recommendation from the server.
Service: was friendly. good job, Lindy
Atmosphere: for a Monday, it was not too bad. there were patrons, and people hanging out at the bar. the restaurant had a modern contemporary feel to it. there was a high cushioned wall that stretched across half the restaurant with a leather bench that followed along the wall, and is used for seating.
Price: see above answer c)
Return Visit: YES, of course. food was fabulous...and i still have three more GC's to use up before the end of the year.
so there you have it folks. my first official blog posting, or should i say flog?
