Dinner at KEIKO à Nob Hill

This edition of Weekend by the Bay takes us to a little Japanese-influenced French restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's posh Nob Hill neighborhood: KEIKO à Nob Hill. Before starting the restaurant with her namesake, Chef Keiko Takahashi earned a Michelin star in 2009 working in the Mill Valley stalwart El Paseo. Now with her own restaurant, and another Michelin Star to her acclaim, Chef Keiko continues to do what put her on the culinary map: create amazing works of Japanese-inspired french cuisine.


The restaurant itself is located on the ground floor of a high-end residential building, which previously housed Charles Nob Hill and Le Club. Walking in through the entry way of the building, and then progressing to the left and up a short flight of stairs, leads one to a reception area. To the left behind a curtain was a second dining room that was closed for the evening. To the right, a simple bar leading to the main dining room, private dining room, and kitchen. The host, who because of the small size of the operation also acted as server throughout the evening, led me through drawn curtains to the main dining room and two a two-top table. One of seven in the dining room.

The atmosphere wreaks of a post-war European salon, with dark cherry wood accenting panels of tan leather, and a subtle rose ceiling. There is only one seating per evening, and as such the whole atmosphere feels refined and special, like Chef Keiko is putting on an intimate recital and you were one of the lucky few to receive an invite. Unfortunately such an experience bears a cost, and at $165 for the prix fix menu, KEIKO à Nob Hill lands in the middle of the pack for prix fix menu prices in San Francisco.

Rice crackers with salmon dip
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Wine pairings are also available, including a Grand wine pairing for $148, The 'Magnifique' wine pairing for $295 for two, and the 'Kyukyoku' wine pairing for $880 for four. To save costs, I opted for a glass of chablis that I felt would pair with the seafood-centric menu. A plate of rice crackers with salmon dip was delivered as a small bite before the main courses arrived. The dip was creamy, with subtle saline flavors that paired nicely with the sesame notes of the homemade rice crackers.

'Aji' wild yellow jack
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Tonight's first course was 'Aji' wild yellow jack, served with tomato, fava bean, radish and fennel flower. This was served plated smoked, with a little glass dome covering the dish holding the smoke until removed after being placed on the table. Japanese cherry wood (Sakura) was used to produce the delightfully fragrant smoke.

The yellow jack had nice, firm flesh and clean, bright saline flavors that worked nicely with the smokey flavors. Tomato added fresh, acidic notes, while the fava bean lent earthy undertones. The radish offered a nice little flavor bump, while the edible fennel flower was a nice touch to round out the flavor profile.

Hokkaido Uni
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Batting second this evening was sea urchin (Uni)
from Hokkaido, Japan. This was served from bottom to top: cauliflower mousse, seaweed jelly and dashi-chrysanthemum gelatin. The sea urchin itself was topped with osetra caviar, edible gold, and sprig of chive.

What's incredible is all the ingredients offer complimentary flavors that intertwine nicely. The sea urchin offered amazing buttery notes, with just a kiss of ocean. Those saline notes bridge the palette to the caviar, which yields more briny flavors. The seaweed jelly has both subtle saline notes, and earthy undertones that link both the uni and caviar to both the cauliflower mousse and chrysanthemum-dashi gelatin. All in all, incredible balance and variation of flavors in such a small presentation.

'Zuwaigani' snow crab and 'Hotate' scallop
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Next we have 'Zuwaigani' snow crab and 'Hotate' scallop dish, served with turnip purée and salmon roe. The turnip purée was creamy, offering subtle earthy notes. This paired nicely with both the snow crab and the scallop. The snow crab was rich and buttery, with just a kiss of saline notes. The scallop was the reverse, with more pronounced saline flavors, and just a kiss of buttery flavors.

By far the most profound ingredient in this dish was the salmon roe. These little orange orbs of briny goodness were veritable bombs of flavor, exploding just randomly enough to make this dish's flavor profile unfold randomly on the palette. Simply outstanding.

Foie gras 'espresso'
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Following the snow crab and scallop was a more traditional French dish: seared foie gras with artichoke heart and purée, plated with an espresso reduction. Fun fact about the espresso reduction; according to the maître d', this espresso reduction happens to be Chef Keiko's oldest recipe.

And for good reason. Everything in this dish was in complete balance. The rich, decadent, meaty notes of the foie gras. Deep, bitter  earthy tones of the espresso reduction. Creamy, herbal, earthy flavors of the artichoke elements. Their commonalities create an undulating layer of flavors, while each elements unique flavor broadens the flavor profile to create something quite special.

'Sumiika' & 'hotaruika' cuttlefish
 2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

The next course took us back to more Japanese focused cuisine, with 'sumiika' and 'hotaruika' cuttlefish served with squid ink risotto and tomato, bell pepper and saffron broth.  Layered throughout the dish was a relish of garlic, shallot, and chive.

While I don't know which cuttlefish was which, I can definitely tell you that both in their end result were quite different. The lighter flesh variety was firm, with clean squid-like flavors. The darker variety had more profound saline notes. These two flavors were a nice pairing, making the dish's flavor more varied and intriguing.

The broth contributed nice acid from the tomato, while the bell pepper and saffron lent their undertones to give it some depth. Finally, the relish contributed a nice texture gradient, as well as fresh, herbaceous flavors.

Hirame flounder from the Tsukiji Market
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Moving to the penultimate dinner course, we were treated to something very special with fresh Hirame flounder flown in from the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Japan. This was served with sautéed leeks, asparagus, heirloom kale, asparagus purée, ver blanc sauce, and shaved black truffle.

The flounder itself was tender with mild flavor, which paired nicely with the earthy flavors of the truffle. The kale was tossed in something like a vinaigrette, yielding some nice subtle flavors and a hint of acid. The asparagus offered a bit of fresh flavors, while the leeks and ver blanc provided nice richness that surprisingly did not overpower the mild fish.

A5 Wagyu
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Tonight's final dinner course brought us back onshore, with a beautiful looking piece of A5 Wagyu. This was served with white asparagus, morel mushrooms, ramp, a béarnaise sauce, and red wine reduction. At first blush, I was captivated by the creamy red color of the wagyu beef as it flaunted its award-winning marbling.

The various ingredients combined together to create such a delightful experience. The steak itself had tender, savory notes. This was further enhanced by the two sauces, with the béarnaise offering complimentary rich and creamy flavors, while the red wine reduction provided nice contrasting fruit notes. The asparagus provided its characteristic fresh flavor, while the morels offered more overt earthy tones and the ramp obvious onion-flavors.

Aged Gouda
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Having finished up the dinner entrées, it was time to downshift, starting with a cheese course.  Here we have aged Gouda, served both shaved and texturized, with granny smith apple, walnuts, apricot and poached plum. A cannelés accompanied the course as a treat from the kitchen.

Being not much of a cheese expert, I was intrigued by the subtle differences imparted in the cheese by serving it in two different ways, further compounded by the various pairings. Both preparations offered a beautiful earthy cheese flavor.

The shaved portion had a drier texture, which contrasted nicely with the texture of the apricot and poached plum.  On the flip side, the soft texture cheese mated nicely with the firmer apple and walnut. The accompanying cannelés had a nice carmelized exterior offering notes of toffee, and an interior with balanced density and nice subtle sweetness.

Strawberry charlotte with strawberry essence
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

The completing of the cheese course leads us to the to the desert courses. First we have a strawberry charlotte, served with fresh strawberries, strawberry reduction, and  lemon foam. Accompanying the desert, served in a port sipper, is some strawberry essence.

The pastry itself was light, with a very subtle sweetness. The strawberries themselves offered fresh strawberry notes that were not overly sweet. The strawberry reduction, on the other hand, was quite sweet with more pronounced strawberry flavors. This allowed the strawberry essence to act as a palette bridge between the various strawberry components. Finally, the lemon foam offered nice contrasting flavors, as well as a touch of citrus to refresh the palette while rounding out the course's flavor profile.

Meringue ice cream
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

Finishing the charlotte leads us to the final course for the evening: meringue ice cream. Right before opening that evening, fresh meringue was made, then placed in an ice cream maker to convert the classic recipe (sugar, eggs, and acid) into a delightful ice cream. Served with this was a strand of dehydrated rhubarb.

The meringue ice cream was rich and creamy, offering a balanced amount of sweetness. I picked up hints of honey and nut that was unlike any ice cream I had ever had before. Finally, the dehydrated rhubarb lent hints of acid and sweetness that was a nice diversion between spoonfuls of ice cream. A nice and unique twist to an everyday desert.

Mignardises
2017 KEIKO à Nob Hill. San Francisco, CA

And with that, I reflect on the meal as I nibble on an assortment of mignardises served on a rustic wood plate more fitting for a cottage than a San Franciscan French-Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere is truly unique, more reminiscent of a private diner party hosted in the salon of a turn-of-the-century industrialist. The small staff, who patiently answered all my questions on the various dishes, furthered the intimate vibe.

The fare certainly lived up to the ambiance, as Chef Keiko and her team served up some incredible Japanese-French cuisine. As an entire package, KEIKO à Nob Hill is the perfect locale for a special occasion with that special someone. So throw on something nice, head over to this Nob Hill gem, and be dazzled by old world opulence and charm.

Dining date: April 22, 2017