Coi

San Francisco, CA

With a handful of highly touted dining destinations in San Francisco, Coi stands alone in the city with the illustrious two Michelin star rating. However, does it stand up to the others on the list in the area (Manresa, Meadowood, Cyrus)? Located near to strip clubs and bars on Broadway, entering Coi takes you away from that atmosphere into a dining destination. We sat in the lounge, where you can order the full tasting menu, or go a la carte. We went the former, and this is our report.

Frozen Mandarin Sour, Mandarin Ice, Kumquat, Angostura Bitter

We started with the Frozen Mandarin Sour, hard to photograph and hard to describe. I would classify it as a citrus, refreshing shaved ice. It felt more like an intermezzo between the end of your entrées and your first dessert.

Oysters Rockefeller, California Style, Bloomsdale Spinach, Vegetable Mignonette, Horseradish

Next up was Oysters Rockefeller, California Style, a winner and probably the most unique oyster dish I've ever had. The oysters were covered in gelatinousness wrapper flavored like the sea. A spinach and vegetable mignonette accompanied the fresh oysters, beautifully and interestingly presented.

"Calcots" New Onions, Smoke and Spice, Hazelnut-Almond Puree

Not sure I appreciated "Calcots" New Onions, a variety of green onion, which I found this jello-y and salty. Not my fav.

Early Spring, Our Buttermilk, Cherry Blossoms, First Shoots of Wild Fennel

The "early spring" course featuring cherry blossoms and baby wild fennel was very good. Not as good as the into the garden at Manresa, but better than the similar dish we had at Commis. We're big fennel fans and having it at Coi truly showcased the vegetable and its natural flavors. The "dirt" encompassed a grainy texture which fit well with the gorgeous plating. 

Abalone/Asparagus (Raw & Cooked), Veal Jus, Seville Orange Mint

My favorite dish of the evening and still my favorite abalone dish was Daniel Patterson's Abalone/Asparagus (Raw & Cooked), with Veal Jus. The thinly sliced abalone and asparagus have a surprising similar texture and combined together offered great synergy to this course. This was the most tender abalone I've ever had and my biggest complaint was that I wanted more of it. 

Young Carrot Roasted in Hay, Spouts, Radish Powder, Shaved Pecorino

The young carrots roasted in hay was up next, an odd placement in the progression of the meal. Usually, the heaviness of flavors ramp up through the meal and so the carrots, which were perfectly fine, seemed misplaced. Also, it is tough to follow-up a perfect abalone course with a plate of carrots. This could have been substituted for the fennel course, but otherwise felt unnecessary.

Savory Wild Mushroom Porridge, Brown Butter, Garlic Confit, Wood Sorrel

I recall enjoying the Savory Wild Mushroom Porridge, with Brown Butter, Garlic Confit, and Wood Sorrel, although looking back at the picture, it's not the most attractive dish. It was a very savory and filling porridge. I'm not sure if part of the strategy is to offer less protein courses and fill you up with porridge, but the chef plays to his strengths, and this was a successful course.

Steak Bearnaise (sort of), Aged Marin Sun Farms Beef, Marrow, Herbs

The first and only meat course was the Aged Marin Sun Farms Beef with a "Bearnaise." I don't recall being impressed with the execution of the cooking of the beef and although was again well presented, did not satisfy my protein craving.

Salers (Rodolphe le Meunier), Wild Arugula, Medhool Date

The cheese course, Salers (Rodolphe le Meunier), Wild Arugula, and Medhool Date, was pretty boring. The dish was picturesque, but thought and effort behind it was minimal. In comparison to some awesome, creative, cheese courses we've had before, this one was a let down.

Lime Curd and meringue, Aloe Vera, Shiso

The Lime Curd and meringue, Aloe Vera, and Shiso tart combined some of my most beloved flavors together, lime and shiso into one of the best desserts I've ever had. Featuring a crisp, tart and light profile, the dessert was a perfect end to the meal.

Cake and Ice Cream, Carmaelized Chocolate Cake, Raw Milk Ice Cream

There actually was one more dessert, the Cake and Ice Cream, but could not remember a thing about it. It sure wasn't a lime shiso tart though.

Coi Kitchen and Staff (sans Daniel Patterson)

Our venture into the kitchen began disappointedly because chef Patterson wasn't present, but ended up being one of the best visits in a high profile kitchen. The staff was extremely cordial, discussing with us our favorite dishes from the evening and even gathered to pose for a picture with us. Pretty cool, given it was still relatively early on a Saturday night. I think the complaints about Coi are pretty accurate, they don't feature a lot of proteins and you may drop $135 per person and not leave full. For us, it was about the experience and appreciating the creativity of the dishes that they had to offer. Whenever we can walk away with a few bites that remain the best we've ever had (abalone and shiso tart), I think you have to call it a success. And although Coi wouldn't be on the top of our list for a fine dining venue, it is a great choice if you haven't been there and we wouldn't object going back again.

Rating 7/10
March 27, 2010