B is for beauty, balance and our latest Gluttony Club restaurant visit... Bushi-Tei.
Bushi-Tei is the French California Fusion creation of Tak Matsuba and Siji "Waka" Wakabayashi. The decor is beautiful and cool in a modern and zen-like way - with the old wood brought over from Japan that dates back to 1863 and the floor to ceiling windows on the face of Bushi-tei offering a full view of Post Street. Even the place settings were designed by them. Chef Wakabayashi describes his French Fusion as "the world on one plate" - his dishes bring a wonderful combination of taste, color and composition together in one meal.
Bushi-tei offers an a la carte menu and Waka's Omakase, where the chef takes control of the nightly changing menu and creates five courses and a couple of extras. Also offered is a vegetarian 3-course Omakase.
We kicked off our dining experience with a tasty amuse bouche - a croquette in tomato sauce. Delicious, light, flaky. Nice start.
Our server brought us Bushi-tei's unique version of bread and butter that looked like a piece of art. The bread is home-made with roasted brown rice that adds a wonderful nutty taste and made their bread unique from anywhere else I've been. Im a big fan of bread and a strong believer that any restaurant that has great bread has to be a great restaurant - this bread rule has yet to fail me. Also served with the bread and butter was a seaweed speckled cracker that stood up from the bread plate like a sail. Beautiful.
I took the server's suggestion and started with the Foi gras, a perfect creation by the chef that mixes sweet and savoury. Served in a covered souffle dish, the foie gras is arranged over the kabocha and is swimming in an onion marmalade sauce speckled with bits of pistachio. There's a hint of maple syrup in there and I was tempted to lick the bowl clean but thought it best to save that urge for dessert.
My main course was the beef and it was cooked perfectly, complemented with potatoes that were wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft and delicate on the inside.
My dessert, the black sesame blanc mange, was also suggested by our server. This special treat was like a Japanese creme brulee; gentle, light and perfect - topped with a few delicate pieces of jewel-colored fruit. When you dig deeper, the blanc mange has the appearance of a spa treatment that would feel wonderful on your face. Hmm, a spa treatment you can eat, i like that idea.
The check comes with madeleines and chocolate cookies that added an explanation point to a wonderful dining experience.
Service is top notch and the restrooms have to rank in my Top 5 in SF. From the rock formation in the sink to the Japanese high tech Toto toilet. Nice touch.
The evening was full of wonderful food, wine and great conversation. We had a couple of glasses down courtesy of DL who has a habit of spilling when we're out and about. And, I can't remember who said it but they said it was like "the chef put a little bit of love in every bite". How's that for a complement to the chef.
John and I talked about our dining experience for a couple of days following this evening. Words that came up were: delicious, surprising, complementary, subtle, beautiful, meticulous, understated and excellent. I will definitely go back and I'll try the chefs selection. I highly recommend that you go there too.
My menu for the evening:
- Foie gras, kabocha pot de crme, pistachio, red onion marmalade
- Grass fed tender beef loin, potato anna, perigourdine
- Black sesame blancmange with a pineapple salsa, coconut milk reduction
- La Bastide St. Dominique, Chateauneuf du Pape
1638 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Ph. 415-440.4959
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