Outter edge of New York City - Perry St.

After many missed opportunities, I finally tried Perry St. during restaurant week in New York City last year.  The prix fixe menu for lunch is a tremendous value for the caliber of food. My omelette was perfect cooked as demonstrated by the sensuously soft and tender texture.  It was as close as I have seen egg cooked to the texture of custard without actually being a custard.  Its execution was sadly tainted by the lack of basic seasoning.  

The entree that followed, ginger rice bowl, lifted my spirit and instantly became the highlight of my meal.  With its spicy, creamy sauce and bundles of pickled chilis, adding to a salivating summery dish. The poached egg was also perfectly executed. The lone downside was by the time I got to desert, I was already so full from the previous two dishes that I didn't get to properly enjoy my chocolate pudding with crystallized violets.

Early Bird Gets the Special, at Clementine

Executive Summary

Escargot: B
Grape Salad: B
Filet Mignon: B
Skate Wing: A
French Toast: B+
Lemon Tart: B

Gory Details

Having just recently re-enter into the San Francisco food scene, I have been anticipating the chance to measure this oft-raved gem against some of my best meals in the past. So when my gf came into town, I swiftly made the reservation for 6pm dinner on Tuesday night. The decision to have an early dinner eventually paid off, literally. When we got to the restaurant at 5:55pm, it was already beaming with energy of a full house. Odd, I thought to myself, are they serving a early bird senior special? or are they just that popular? It turns out it was the former. From 5pm - 6pm on weekdays, the restaurant has a 3 course $32 pre-fixe menu. Considering that most entrees are in the $20 - $30 range, that would this explains the early crowd.  

We quickly glanced thru the menu and call the waiter over at 6pm exactly. The waiter happily took our pre-fixe orders. The warm bread and soft butter came quickly following our orders. This is a good start. We also received an amuse-bouche of pate over bread, which I have to say was only lukewarm in execution. I was expecting an amuse-bouche to pack a punch given its punitive size, but this one felt like a sample I would've gotten in Costco instead.Our appetizers were served promptly after a few bites of bread. The escargot was professionally prepared and served in a clay pot drown in garlicky olive oil. Though the dish won't win a Top Chef challenges, one can hardly pick any bone in the seasoning and preparation. Similarly, the salad was fresh and safe, with everything where it should be.  

After the appetizer, there was a considerable lag time until we were served the entree. As we waited, the chef came around in his airy french accent to greet every table in the house, which led us to think maybe he should be expediting the food instead! But alas, everyone loves attention, and the chef's attention is welcome addition to any meal. Also, as a indication to the caliber of the restaurant, the waiter came by to tell us that our food was a little late, but they are coming out soon. Such small thing can make an otherwise distracting wait time much more palatable.  

When our entree came, I was rewarded with the best seasoned fish I have had. The skate wing was perfectly seasoned with salt and acidic jus with a hint of lime. Perhaps there was more to the recipe, but the flavor calls out to me a sense of homey preparation as well as star worthy complexity all at once. It made me felt comfortably at home yet satisfied to be a paying customer instead of thinking I can make this on my own stove. The baby greens on the side was fresh and light, setting the stage for the skate wing to shine on a stage all to itself.  In between salivating over every bite of the skate, I also tasted my gf's well done filet mignon. Yes, she likes her steak well done, and the chef accommodated her perfectly with a thinner slice of meat, cook to the perfect temperature. It in fact retain much of the tenderness and juice, which can only be attributed to the chef since I have seen many ruined steaks in my life dining with the gf.  

The meal closed with two more memorable dishes. I ordered the caramel ice cream topping a deceptively fluffy french toast, which was addictive in its lightness. It is the comfort food I want to come home to everyday of my life. But whatever trance I was in after eating the french toast, it did not last long with a tasting of the lemon tart. The flavor was so intense that it evoke memories of sour patches from the yonder years. I have to wonder how many lime was sacrificed in the making of this slice of pie.  

The final bill, which came out to be less than $100, solidify my meal at Clementine as one of the most memorable in numerous aspects, not the least is the exceptional skate wing, which to me was worth the price of admission and then some. Considering my expectation before the meal, the chef has given me hope for not only Clementine, but the SF food scene to be explored. I will certainly be eager to be blown away again at the not so distant future, with or without the early bird special.

Passion Fish at Pacific Grove

Let me just get down to business with the food, then I'll wrap up with a word or two about service and the restaurant overall.

1. Deep Fried Spicy Minced Meat ball: C+
I can't remember the name of this appetizer we got, which is fittingly forgettable in its execution. The concept of the dish was heart pounding, it's fried, it's got strong flavors, which were delivered as promised. However, the fact that it was piping hot plus a high level of sauciness makes it a juggling act in my mouth. Perhaps a acidic ingredient to neutralize the heat in the dish would've elevated the dish a notch or two.

2. Baked gorgonzola, golden chutney, candied pecans & curried butter lettuce: B+
I am a sucker for cheese and chutney and this did not break that trend. The creamy texture of cheese and chutney complements the crunchy nuts and greens. The goldne chutney was made with caramelized pear bits which also contrasts beautifully with the pungent gorgonzola cheese. Fresh lettuce completes the dish rather nicely.  

3. French Onion Soup: B-
This was the soup special, though there was nothing special about this French Onion Soup. I am no expert in French Onion Soup, but its flavors are about equivalent with canned onion soup base I had two weeks ago.

4. Dungeness crab cake with a lime relish: B+
A delight mixture of hearty crab cake with perfectly acidic and appetizing salad. The crab pieces were fresh and tasty. Overall, the combination, while nothing extraordinary, is well balanced and executed.

5. 'Quinault' Sablefish crusted with pepper/wasabi slaw/ginger vinaigrette: B
This is the anchor of our night at Passion Fish. There was certainly a lot of expectation riding on this dish given the reputation of organic/sustainably harvested fish attached to the restaurant. Sablefish is another name for butter fish, which ranks high on my list of favorite things in this world. I would like to say the fish certainly delivers. True to its pseudonym, the meat is soft and tender without the slightest hint of being overcook. If I stop here, this dish would get an big fat A. However, I did eat the accompanying wasabi slaw and baby bak choy.  

As well as the fish was cooked, the rest of the dish was equally sloppy. Wasabi flavor was overpowering in the slaw. If the portion of the slaw was cut to a quarter of what was served, perhaps it would be forgivable as a complement to the fish. However, given the full pile of slaw, I finish my fish way before I could finish the slaw, and to eat the slaw standalone is more akin to a dare to chew on a spoonful of wasabi paste.  

The baby bak choy was plain and simply overcook. At this caliber of restaurant, I was very disappointed that such a simple ingredient was mismanaged.  

The vinaigrette was flavorful while capturing the essence of ginger in asian cuisine. However, it was so watery that there was no way to apply it to the fish or the bak choy, and I definitely would not want to add the force of ginger to the tear-inducing wasabi slaw. I have a feeling if the vinaigrette is reduced and thicken, it would then deliver the vision of the dish, sans the slaw at least.

We did not get alcohol since we had a long drive awaiting us, but I get the feeling that the wine list was not lacking. Also, our water glasses were never more than half empty. Our server was exemplary in her professional friendliness. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with comfortable, stylish furniture, while the walls were adorned with b/w pictures of specimens of the sea. It's got the "I wish this was my living room" feel to it.  

I do believe the flavors and execution of food require a bit more refinement, however, it's overall a good restaurant with a great vision for sustainability. I will certainly not hesitate to brainwash my friends here while I swallow that butter fish.