Entering the restaurant from its entryway off Waverly Place, one walks into a small receiving area next to a dimly bar area. Here, bar manager Danny Louie and team put together killer cocktails that definitely warrant an early arrival. I ordered the 'Luck,' featuring tequila blanco, banana, lychee tea and lime, which was exceptional. Enjoying the cocktail bought me just enough time until my table was ready, and was ushered through the bar area, past a show kitchen, and to the main dining room.
Featuring floor to ceiling windows on the far wall, the dining room overlooks one of the main drags of Chinatown. Off-white walls meet a dark green ceiling featuring a white wood platform from which black canister lights and gold chandeliers are mounted. Oriental artwork grace parts of walls, and the whole space feels light and airy.
I was directed to a two-top near one of the large windows, and after a brief moment, was greeted by my server and given a menu. Mister Jiu's offers a large assortment of dishes: from small bites and charcuterie, to noodles, entrées, and large format dishes like whole roast duck. For those who want to let the kitchen guide them, $69 gets one a four course prix fixe meal. Optional wine pairings are $45, placing Mister Jiu's at the low end of middle tier ($100 - $200 per person) establishments in San Francisco.
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| Turnip cake 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
The turnip cake was reminiscent of the scallion pancake, with rich flavor and a beautiful dichotomy between a crisp exterior and softer interior. Olives provide a nice earthy foil to the rich flavors, as does the salty notes from accompanying soy sauce. The inclusion of mushrooms also help differentiate the various textures, while also offering a nice combination of earthy notes, and various rich flavors in which they were cooked in. Finally, the Champagne's acid perfectly paired with the richness of the fried turnip cake.
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| Chow fun & dutch crunch BBQ pork bun 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
Following the turnip cake was a chow fun noddle dish, complete with shrimp and scallop filling, and topped with dungeness crab, cuttlefish caviar and assorted sprouts. Plated with the noodles is a light soy-based sauce. Following the chow fun was a barbecue pork bun (cha siu bao), substituting the traditional dough for that of Dutch crunch bread. This gave the bun a brown color and mottled crust that is a signature of the Dutch bread (which happens to be very popular in San Francisco).
Starting with the chow fun, I was amazed at the texture of the noodles themselves. Super soft, yet able to hold up against a fork to facilitate their consumption. The filling of shrimp and scallop offered a balanced seafood richness, accentuated by the sweet flavors of the dungeness, and savory flavors of the soy sauce . Cuttlefish caviar offered nice saline accents, while the sprouts provided texture variation. Finally, the pork bun offered the perfect combination of savory barbecue flavor with sweet bread dough for a killer dim sum combination.
Next up is the main dinner course, featuring three dishes served at once. This included roast quail, pea shoots and steak fried rice. The roast quail was stuffed with lap cheong - a type of Chinese sausage - and cashews, then roasted with a glaze of soy and Chinese five spice. The pea shoots were steamed, then served with a Meyer lemon preserves and smoked garlic. Served with these dishes was a 2014 Poderi Sanguineto Rosso di Montepulciano.
Starting with the quail, I was captivated by the combination of of flavors and textures presented in this dish. The meat itself was tender and juicy, embracing the flavors and slightly crisp texture of the skin from the soy and five spice glaze. This paired nicely with the rich and savory flavors coming from the stuffing. Finally, the cranberries and cherries provided subtle fruit flavors to further expand on the dish's flavor palette.
The steamed pea shoots were a nice pairing with the quail, balancing out the rich and savory flavors with its herbaceous notes. Meyer lemon provided some nice citrus elements, while its acid helped keep the palette ready for the next bite (important given the size and richness of the upcoming steak fried rice!). Smoked garlic adds a nice combination of smoke and herbaceous garlic to the dish. The pea shoots were also steamed perfectly, with just enough tooth to the bite.
The final dinner entrée was a bowl of steak fried rice. Perfectly prepared, the dish was neither oily nor devoid of that rich flavor imbued by the wok. Bites teemed with chunks of egg and steak, balanced by the various vegetables found in a good fried rice dish. Overall an excellent expression of the classic American-Chinese entrée.
Starting with the chow fun, I was amazed at the texture of the noodles themselves. Super soft, yet able to hold up against a fork to facilitate their consumption. The filling of shrimp and scallop offered a balanced seafood richness, accentuated by the sweet flavors of the dungeness, and savory flavors of the soy sauce . Cuttlefish caviar offered nice saline accents, while the sprouts provided texture variation. Finally, the pork bun offered the perfect combination of savory barbecue flavor with sweet bread dough for a killer dim sum combination.
Next up is the main dinner course, featuring three dishes served at once. This included roast quail, pea shoots and steak fried rice. The roast quail was stuffed with lap cheong - a type of Chinese sausage - and cashews, then roasted with a glaze of soy and Chinese five spice. The pea shoots were steamed, then served with a Meyer lemon preserves and smoked garlic. Served with these dishes was a 2014 Poderi Sanguineto Rosso di Montepulciano.
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| Quail with cranberries, cherries & sprouts 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
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| Pea shoots with smoked garlic and Meyer lemon 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
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| Steak fried rice 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
Before pivoting to desert, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how the wine paired with these dishes. On its own the Italian red wine offered nice cherry notes, with medium weight on the palette and sporting a ruby color and fragrant nose. Paired with the food, the wine's acid really helped keep the palette fresh for the richness of the quail and fried rice. Furthermore, the cherry notes accented the cherry and cranberry flavors form the quail dish. Finally, the wine was just strong enough to survive the strong smoked garlic flavors from the pea shoots.
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| Black sesame cake 2017 Mister Jiu's. San Francisco, CA |
Tonight's final course was a black sesame cake with rosebud mousse and cherries. This was served with a glass of Boston Bual Madeira - an interesting fortified wine that deserves a proper explanation. Madeira, like its other fortified wine brethren, was produced historically specifically because it could survive the grueling oceanic voyages during the age of sail. In fact, the duration and temperature profile of the voyage would impart a unique flavor to the wine, akin to bottle aging traditional wines.
Thus, Madeira that traveled from Madeira (north of the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa) to Boston would exhibit a different flavor profile than the same Madeira heading to New York, let alone the East Indies. Today's producers actually heat their wine for a certain duration to get the flavor that they are looking for. In the case of tonight's glass, the producers have attempted to mimic the heat profile of Madeira traveling from its home island to Boston. The result was a sweet wine with nice acid featuring toasty notes of toffee and cherry.
Turning back to the black sesame cake, the cake itself was baked to perfection: incredibly moist, yet held its shape to the fork. The rosebud mousse offered both creamy textures, and a refreshing botanical flavor that paired nicely with the subtle sesame tones. The cherry reduction provided more concentrated fruit flavors, linking the cake nicely with the Madeira. Furthermore, the Madeira's acid really kept the palette refreshed, balancing out the sweetness of the mousse and cherry reduction.
All in all, and excellent expression of classical Chinese cuisine in a refined yet approachable atmosphere. The service was outstanding, in turn helping showcase the excellent delights coming out of the kitchen. Honestly, my only critique of the meal was the prix fixe menu's balance.
The menu started out well, with an assortment of smaller dishes typical of a tasting menu. But then the meal pivoted to three substantial-sized dishes (fried rice, pea shoots and quail), which was too much food. Further compounding things was the fact that one of those dishes - the fried rice - was so carb' intensive. Before desert, I could feel my insulin levels surging.
My preference would be for the three main courses to be smaller, complimented by perhaps another protein and/or vegetable course to round out the starch-to-protein-to-vegetable balance of the meal. All this being said, perhaps this is a result of me dining solo, and with more people the scaling of the family-style prix fixe menu is more balanced. Of course one could show discipline, and have some of the three main courses boxed up. Sadly, discipline and food seldom go hand-in-hand with me.
Minor quibble aside, I would highly recommend Mister Jiu's to someone who wants an outstanding San Francisco Chinatown experience, but would prefer to forego the "roasted duck hanging in the window" vibe of some places, or lack of reservations at others.
Dining date: May 26th, 2017
Thus, Madeira that traveled from Madeira (north of the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa) to Boston would exhibit a different flavor profile than the same Madeira heading to New York, let alone the East Indies. Today's producers actually heat their wine for a certain duration to get the flavor that they are looking for. In the case of tonight's glass, the producers have attempted to mimic the heat profile of Madeira traveling from its home island to Boston. The result was a sweet wine with nice acid featuring toasty notes of toffee and cherry.
Turning back to the black sesame cake, the cake itself was baked to perfection: incredibly moist, yet held its shape to the fork. The rosebud mousse offered both creamy textures, and a refreshing botanical flavor that paired nicely with the subtle sesame tones. The cherry reduction provided more concentrated fruit flavors, linking the cake nicely with the Madeira. Furthermore, the Madeira's acid really kept the palette refreshed, balancing out the sweetness of the mousse and cherry reduction.
All in all, and excellent expression of classical Chinese cuisine in a refined yet approachable atmosphere. The service was outstanding, in turn helping showcase the excellent delights coming out of the kitchen. Honestly, my only critique of the meal was the prix fixe menu's balance.
The menu started out well, with an assortment of smaller dishes typical of a tasting menu. But then the meal pivoted to three substantial-sized dishes (fried rice, pea shoots and quail), which was too much food. Further compounding things was the fact that one of those dishes - the fried rice - was so carb' intensive. Before desert, I could feel my insulin levels surging.
My preference would be for the three main courses to be smaller, complimented by perhaps another protein and/or vegetable course to round out the starch-to-protein-to-vegetable balance of the meal. All this being said, perhaps this is a result of me dining solo, and with more people the scaling of the family-style prix fixe menu is more balanced. Of course one could show discipline, and have some of the three main courses boxed up. Sadly, discipline and food seldom go hand-in-hand with me.
Minor quibble aside, I would highly recommend Mister Jiu's to someone who wants an outstanding San Francisco Chinatown experience, but would prefer to forego the "roasted duck hanging in the window" vibe of some places, or lack of reservations at others.
Dining date: May 26th, 2017
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