The Case for Atelier Crenn

Dominique Crenn reposted this photo of ours on Instagram, and we can basically die happy now.

Background: 
Here’s the deal:

• Atelier Crenn has two Michelin Stars. It should have three.

• It was left off of this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and it should have placed in the top ten (we have eaten at four of the top ten—including number one—so we are not speaking from ignorance).

The world of fine dining is still in many respects a “boy’s club,” and we believe Dominique Crenn’s culinary artistry has not yet received the recognition it deserves. Scallionpancake is here to change that.

We are going to go a step further, in fact: Crenn’s dishes are more inventive, more flavorful, and, most importantly, more reflective of her passion than those we tasted at EMP and The French Laundry. At the aforementioned restaurants, we felt that the chefs were resting on their laurels and relying on their famous names in many respects. Perhaps because Crenn’s reputation does not yet precede her, she is making food that keeps diners on their toes and showcases a cuisine that blends creativity and taste in a way that places her quite firmly in our top five restaurants (she is still below Noma, but not far below).

Soooo excited. And perhaps a bit underdressed. But San Francisco is a walking town, and we definitely walked to dinner. Hence the sneaks.

If you’ve seen the Netflix Chef’s Table episode on Atelier Crenn, you know that Crenn created her Marina District San Francisco restaurant as a tribute to her father, Allain. Together with her mother, he introduced Crenn to a wide variety of cuisines at a young age. In her 20s, Crenn moved from France to San Francisco to begin her restaurant career.  In 2011, she opened Atelier Crenn and received two Michelin Stars that same year. In 2015, she opened the smaller, slightly more casual Petit Crenn, and this year she opened Bar Crenn right next door to Atelier Crenn, which serves wine, cocktails, and small plates. In 2018, Crenn won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Western Region of the United States.

We dined at Atelier Crenn in May 2018 and enjoyed the spring tasting menu. We didn’t see Crenn on our visit, as she was on vacation, but she is in the restaurant most nights of the week, so you are likely to catch a glimpse of her in action when you go.

Eat This: 
Once seated, each diner is presented with a poem that is a menu in disguise. Each line is a coded lyrical verse that hints at the dish to come. We had so much fun trying to figure out what type of dish was coming based on the poem, though we only guessed correctly for a couple (we knew the “Royal Lady’s fruitful labor” was referencing a honey bee. That’s about it).

Let us take you through our poetic and awe-inspiring meal at Atelier Crenn, in the form of Crenn’s verse and culinary prowess:

Kombucha

Okay, okay, The first course doesn’t correspond to the poem. But the kombucha apertif was a delight. Delicious, cool, and refreshing.

Spring has come with its cool breeze

Kir Breton

The first course that corresponds with the poem. If you’ve seen the Chef’s Table episode on Crenn, this dish features prominently. The ingredients in a Kir Breton cocktail (crème de cassis and dry cider) are enrobed in white chocolate. You pop this in your mouth all at once, and the cool and sweet flavors explode. Such a strong start, and it deserves its place as Crenn’s signature dish.

See this most adored gift from Neptune, an aureate bloom

Geoduck, Sea Urchin, & Citrus

Have you ever had geoduck? We hadn’t. It’s a large clam, portioned here along with the sea urchin to look like a beautiful flower of sorts. The texture of the clam and sea urchin on the rice cracker was divine.

This came out in a cloche filled with dry ice, so the presentation was as exciting as the taste.

Warriors ashore bathe in a rosy glow as luminous as its gilded crown

Prawn, Seaweed, & Whey

The most exciting thing about Crenn’s food is the way she plays with textures and flavors. Each bite feels unexpected, and there are approximately 35 experiences happening at once inside of your mouth. That’s what she said?

The circle of consommé and the inner circle of whey each added layers of flavor to this dish.

To bury in fallen leaves my treasures of the earth and sea

Seed & Grain

Smoked buckwheat, quinoa soil, smoked trout roe (bottarga), and smoked sturgeon pearls with a warm bonito dashi broth. This course was rich and comforting.

From the wintry mist, tender specks on the meadow begin to stir

English Pea & Mint

One of our favorite dishes. Early spring peas were mixed with beads of frozen crème fraîche. Tableside, ham broth was stirred in. This was spring in a bowl—the flavors were bursting with freshness and the mix of crunchy textures made every bite a revelation.

As if awoken by shimmering pearls and ashen cloud

Caviar, Buckwheat, & Koji

Caviar and gold leaf: how could this be bad? Served with lacy buckwheat crackers, this course was fun to eat and the flavors were perfectly rich.

Brioche & House-made butter

No verse for bread?! We shall write one:

“Oh bread, for you my heart beats”

Alternate verse: Brioche with butter? Enough said.

Butter-dipped radishes

Another one that is not part of the poem, but wow, wow, wow. I love the radish, butter, and salt combo, but Crenn took it to a new level by enrobing the entire radish in the slightly sweet butter. Every other butter/radish duo will pale in comparison to this.

Hidden beneath the bluffs an armored gent listens

Abalone, Cabbage & Smoked Crème

This was one of the only dishes we weren’t floored by. We liked it, but it wasn’t super memorable. Moving along.

To the snowy stillness of soft swimming creatures

Striped bass, Boudin Noir, & Morel

The best part of this course was that you got to choose your knife from a box of assorted knives a waiter brought around. I always loved '“choose your own adventure” books, but choose your own cutlery was nearly as fun.

You may have noticed that there is no meat on this menu. Once we had this course, I wasn’t missing it at all. The sea bass was meaty and so rich. I felt very satisfied, but Jason wouldn’t have hated a bit of red meat.

While the ephemeral beauty born of jade effervescence sang

Matcha Tea Service

Matcha mixed with bone broth. Could Crenn get any more au courant with this course? I dug it. A more creative palate cleanser than stodgy old sorbet, thats’s for sure.

For the verdant bounty of the gatherer’s harvest in caring hands

Onion Royal & Comté

A very satisfying and warming cheese course. Not a standout when looking back at the entire meal, however.

Dessert: 

From the Royal Lady’s fruitful labor a dulcet offering

Honey, Sapote, & Pollen

The verse we guessed! Honey! The bee pollen magic shell on the honey ice cream was super fun and majorly tasty.

As the drifter rests, in reverie of days ahead

Coconut & Pineapple

A rich, creamy, dreamy, coconut pineapple mousse inside of a chocolate shell.

In Scallionpancake’s opinion, the dessert course is a major weakness at many fine dining restaurants (we’re looking at you, EMP), and Atelier Crenn’s offerings blew us away. This coconut had so many lovely texture and flavor elements (chunks of pineapple are hiding inside of the mousse), and the portion was large enough to leave us satisfied. This dessert was the absolute best we’ve had anywhere.

Spring has come and is full of sweet surprises

Mignardises

A real cacao pod! What could possibly be inside?!

Sweetness, bounty, thanks

An assortment of fabulous chocolates, that’s what!

My favorite was the peanut butter one on the right—it was essentially a next level PB Crisp (PS-sign the petition to bring back PB Crisp! It’s my life’s cause).

Drink: 
Neither of us did the beverage pairing, but we each got two drinks. Jason enjoyed mocktails, while I indulged in the most glorious champagne. Cheers!

Non-Alcoholic Gin & Tonic

Tasted just like a real G & T. Seriously amazing. Stocked by the Seedlip brand.

Atmosphere: 
Crenn’s father’s paintings adorn the walls, along with sticks and other natural elements. The entire effect is that you are dining in a cozy bird’s nest. Cozy, indeed—there are only eight tables, making this the smallest fine dining restaurant we’ve ever experienced.

Bird's Nest Hospitality: 
The service throughout the night was flawless, and the servers were very patient and when we asked them to repeat explanations for each dish. Because you know we did.

There was only one snafu, and perhaps this reflects poorly on us, but we feel that Scallionpancake readers deserve to know our truth: we are pen stealers. Gulp. When we dine in fancy, Michelin-starred establishments, we hope and pray that we get a branded pen with our bill (note: even when you pay ahead of time with Tock, you still must pay for drinks the night of), and when we do, well…we take that pen and put it in a v. special faux marble jar from The Container Store. Like ya do, right? Well, Atelier Crenn is the only time we have been called out. When the waiter came back to get our bill after we had signed, he looked inside the envelope and asked if we had the pen! Yikes. We owned up, and said that we were pen collectors (read: thieves), and laughed it off. He wasn’t laughing, but he let us leave with out absconded pen nonetheless. Though we should perhaps feel shamed, we only feel that for a $700+ meal, it really shouldn’t have been mentioned.

Since we are talking cash money, let’s get into the details. Like Eleven Madison Park, Atelier Crenn uses the Tock booking system, which means that diners pay for their meals in advance. We love this feature, as paying for the meal on the night of can be a bit of a downer, so it’s nice to get that pesky part out of the way ahead of time. At the time of publication, each tasting meal is $335 per person, with the tip included. Beverage pairings begin at $220 per person.

Okay, so this is not the outside of Atelier Crenn. But this amazing house nearby caught my eye. It’s a hindu temple with a very cool history. The more you know!

Frankie's Notes: 
Don’t worry, the fabled pen is resting safely on our kitchen counter in its faux-marble home; We will let you come see the pen for $335 per person; We are writing sternly-worded letters to the folks behind the 50 Best Restaurants List, and we are going to sign them all “#MeToo""; Our friend Miriam, who is a mourning dove, dined in a nest every night until she was scared off by a giant raven who ate her bird children; I am currently writing a “choose your own adventure” book that is all about choosing the knife that will ultimately decide your destiny and success fighting against large, chocolate-shell coconut.

Rating: 5 out of 5 + 3 Michigan Pugs

 

Mister Jiu's

All at once imperial, classic, and modern

Background:
Mister Jiu's opened in April 2016 after a three year renovation of the iconic Four Seas building in Chinatown. The space, built in 1880, has had only three occupants since its original construction, with Mister Jiu's being the current standard bearer. The owner, head chef, and mastermind is Brandon Jew, who worked all over San Francisco and the world, before opening up his dream restaurant in the same space he grew up going as a child (the Four Seas building used to be a banquet hall). Mister Jiu's has received numerous awards and recognition since it opened, including the number three spot on Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant list for 2017. The restaurant earned one Michelin Star within its first year, and has maintained the star ever since. 

Eat This:
Mister Jiu's menu is traditional Cantonese mixed with San Francisco's obsession with local and fresh ingredients. The menu looks familiar and exotic all at the same time and includes dishes you've heard of, like hot & sour soup, wontons, and fried rice, paired with ingredients you've never thought to combine them with, like Dungeness crab, Monterrey squid, and Wagyu beef. Our suggestion: go with as many people as possible so you can try as much as you can. 

Sea Urchin

Cheong Fun

You've probably had Cheong Fun before, but you probably have never had it with sea urchin on top. The noodles here were P.E.R.F.E.C.T. So soft, but not too chewy. The mixture of the sea urchin with the delicious sauce and the noodles made this one of the best dishes of the night.

Tendrils, Greens and Stems

meyer lemon, roasted garlic, sea urchin

We ordered all of our dishes and then our waiter, (who Yvonne said looks like Clark Gable), told us we should order a vegetable, because you can't just order meat for everything #whoknew. He led us to the tendrils with a Meyer lemon sauce. The tendrils were sautéed and crispy. The acidity of the meyer lemon sauced mixed nicely with the salty, crunchy tendrils.

Wontons

pork, sichuan peppercorn, Monterey squid

The standout dish of the night. The squid, spicy sichuan peppercorn sauce, and the pork wontons were so good. This is a must get on any visit.

Steak Fried Rice

wagyu skirt, crispy garlic, cured tuna heart

We saw this dish on the Fried Rice episode of Ugly Delicious, and we knew we had to try it. The Wagyu beef was amazing, but the rest of the dish we thought could have had a little more flavor.

Liberty Farm Roast Duck

pancakes, peanut butter hoisin, cucumbers

We were told to get the duck by the Internet, and everyone knows that the Internet is never wrong. The duck was served two ways: a traditional Peking style and confit. We ordered a half, which could have fed approximately 1 million people. Of course, we finished about 2/3 of it. because we are champions The winner for me on this dish was the peanut butter Hoisin sauce.

Dessert:
All of Mister Jiu's desserts sounded and looked incredible, and normally we would have ordered three desserts, but we had already had roughly 18 meals this day, so we only ordered their most famous dessert, the Black Sesame Cake. Clark Gable did recommend we get the Frozen Whipped Honey, but sorry, Mr. Gable,  we just couldn't do it.  

Black Sesame Cake

black sesame crémeux, ginger mousse, peanut, tamarind caramel

The key to this dessert was the peanut, which provided a crunch to go with the soft cake and all the other magical ingredients of this dish.

 Drink:
Mister Jiu's has a great cocktail menu, with most of their cocktails containing some form of tea and all of them having fortune cookie-esk names, like Clarity, Tranquility, and Luck. They also have a house made Root Beer, Oolong Kombucha, which we tried but was way too vinegary for our tastes.

Prosperity

vodka, lotus, lemongrass, passion fruit, egg white

Mister Jiu's signature cocktail. How cool is that ying yang design? This baby was smooth and refreshing.

Atmosphere:
As soon as you walk into Mister Jiu's you know you're in a cool place. It reminded me a lot of the rooftop restaurant of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, with a traditional imperial, yet modern vibe. The restaurant is situated two stories up from Grant Street, the main street of San Francisco's Chinatown. You enter from an almost secret street a block up, so you feel as if you are floating over Chinatown and overlooking the Transamerica building. But the real show is the open kitchen, where you can watch Jew and the rest of the chefs work their magic. 

The bar up front

The open kitchen

San Franciscan Cantonese Hospitality
Clark Gable was the best waiter we had all trip. He was nice, informative, and answered all the questions we had. The maître d was wearing a blue suit with a Kevin Durant Warriors jersey underneath, which was pretty sweet. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed working there, and it showed through with the great service.

Frankie's Notes:
Whenever there is a fish tank in a restaurant, I want to jump in and save all the fish; I definitely don't have enough tattoos to work or live in San Francisco; For our millennial followers, Clark Gable is a reference to an actor who died in 1960; Yvonne wanted the potstickers so bad since they were on the cover of Bon Appetit, but we went with the wontons and I think we made the right choice. Sorry Bae.

Rating:

5 out of 5 + One Michigan Pug

 

Robin

Uni, uni, uni, uni rocking everywhere

Scallionpancake Travels:  
San Francisco, California, is a favorite travel destination of ours. Jason frequently has conferences and work events in San Fran, and, naturally, I tag along. Robin is located in super-hip Hayes Valley, which is filled with many great restaurants and boutique shops. 

San Francisco is a great place for fresh sushi and quality Japanese cuisine, as it is home to a large population of Japanese-Americans. Also, many tourists visit Chinatown, as it is right in the heart of the Financial District, but Japantown is hip, super clean, and worthy of your time on your next visit. In fact, Japantown is totally walkable from Hayes Valley & Robin. Insider tip: check out Benkyodo in Japantown for an amazing selection of mochi and manju in a cozy cafe setting.  

Check out my manju

Background: 
Chef Adam Tortosa opened Robin in July 2017 on Gough Street in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Chef Tortosa previously worked in several well-known restaurants, including Kiwami and Ink in Los Angeles, and Akiko's and 1760 in San Francisco. Robin's concept is innovative in that there is no menu with prices, and no set tasting menu, either. Diners can give their waiter a price point from $79 up to $179 per person, and the sushi chefs will devise a unique menu based on that price, as well as diners' specific preferences. Our waiter asked what types of fish we prefer, and if we were fans of uni. We were assured that even if we weren't fans of uni, that the chef would prepare it in such a way as to make us converts. You may have heard our thoughts on the pod previously about uni, but suffice to say, we fall firmly in the camp of "not fans," but we said we would try at least one uni dish to stretch ourselves. Also, the waiters will let you keep your options open and decide as you go how much sushi you are up to eating. Below is everything we enjoyed--we left perfectly full with this amount of food.

Although they ship in seafood from Japan & Chile, Robin serves as much as local fish as possible. Our waiter explained that there is so much great fish off of the coast of San Francisco that so few chefs utilize, and that Tortosa takes advantage of that proximity whenever possible. 

Eat This: 

Cured local cod

Wrapped in seaweed, served with traditional Mexican-style ceviche with pistachios, pomegranate, lime juice, and microgreens

Assorted Nigiri

Including steelhead trout with peach (middle)

Wagyu tartare

On a toasted nori chip topped with uni and Asian pear

Assorted Nigiri

Closest: Yellowtail, middle: New Zealand King Salmon with tomato confit and whipped tofu, back: Golden Eye Snapper

Toro Tartare

Assorted Nigiri

Sesame noodles with black truffles

With black truffles

Assorted Nigiri

Onsen jidori egg

With shiitake soy sauce, ikura, and wasabi

Smoked caviar nigiri

With potato chip and grilled ramp aioli

Dessert: 
This guy below was good (not great), but we both agreed we wouldn't have hated one more dessert course! This dish was made using sake lees, which is the solid byproduct left over after sake ferments. Pretty cool!

Sake lees custard

with pomegranate and pistachio

Drink: 
Robin offers beer, wine, and sake. We enjoyed sake, and they had an awesome selection of (cold only) sakes. 

Atmosphere: 
The decor was lovely, and Jason particularly enjoyed the modern vibe, like the coral and black backsplash on the sushi bar and the metallic wall. Stand-outs included dishes (and chopstick holders!) made by a local potter, and the bathroom floor, which had tiled inlaid with pennies! Too cool. Oh--and the bathroom had an essential oil diffuser. Can you tell I really liked the bathroom?

That sushi bar, tho/image courtesy of Eater SF

Hayes Valley Hospitality: 
Our waiter was awesome about checking in to check our fullness level and to see if we were enjoying everything. We really loved the pacing of this meal--the courses came out quickly (but not rushed), so that we were done with this meal in under two hours. We were relieved, as we were not in the mood for an extra long tasting on this particular night. 

Frankie's Notes: 
We wanted to bring home the cool pottery chopstick holder, but we reined in our kleptomaniacal tendencies; Uni will never be something that Scalliopancake craves, but Robin made us like it more than we ever have before; Frankie's favorite essential oil scent is cheddar cheese; We always need at least two desserts to feel emotionally fulfilled. 

Rating: 

5 out of 5 plus one Michigan Pug