All Spice

Service was really slow. They kept forgetting about us. They completely forgot one of our tasting menu dishes, brought out the wrong dish, then had to go back and prepare it. They missed the wine pairing a couple of times. Some dishes tasted good, others were only ok. Have had way better for the price. Definitely not worth the price.

Perhaps I was expecting too much from a Michelin restaurant that was difficult to reserve, but I left feeling underwhelmed. The overall dining experience was good, but none of the dishes had that «wow factor». I know the menu changes frequently depending on what’s in season so I wonder if my experience on another day would be vastly different. The scallop starter was good, but I feel like that flavor profile is at many other restaurants too although with less refined plating. The Indian fritter starter was better of the two. For entrees, the duck breast was cooked perfectly and had lovely plating but again, nothing I haven’t had elsewhere. The pan-​seared sea bass was slightly seasoned unevenly. Service from the wait staff was phenomenal though – unpretentious, funny, and attentive. Overall, I likely wouldn’t return here but still pleased with the evening.

My wife and I had a truly wonderful meal here: the service was attentive without being intrusive, the food was beautiful and as flavorful as we could have asked. Plus, we had theater tickets and needed to be out on time: the staff was wonderful in advising us what we could and couldn’t have in order to make our departure time — A+ on that score!
The meal began with a lovely amuse bouche, a pineapple salsa with crispy scallop chip that was a lovely offset to the citrusy bite of the fruit. Tart, sweet, salty and tasting of the sea, all in one little bite. It was wonderful.
The amuse bouche was followed by house-​made bread (country levain) and a smoked pear butter, which was delicate and delicious, although I couldn’t pick up any smoke character, which is fine, given that pears really don’t need a smoky note. Be careful, though: the bread is so delicious that you can easily fill up on it and you need room for the rest of the meal.
My wife likes to begin every meal with a green salad, which was not on the menu. But, for the asking, the chef was pleased to prepare a lovely green salad with a delicious lemon vinaigrette — a perfect introduction to the flexibility the kitchen demonstrates: if you don’t like an ingredient (and each dish has lots of ingredients) they will adjust (I don’t like cilantro or cheese and they adjusted). My starter was the Achari Beef Heart Sugo, a really interesting, Indian-​themed pizza/​flatbread composed of shaved fennel, pickled blackberries, oyster mushrooms and a beef heart sugo that was to die for. My only «complaint» (and it isn’t a complaint) is that the dish is too large for one person as a starter — it’s rich, satisfying and overall wonderful and you can’t stop eating it, even though you know you may not have room left over for the main course!
Now the mains: my wife had monkfish poached in what I think was olive oil (but described as «black oil») on a bed of potatoes (two ways) and squash with «spinach jus» — a really interesting composition, although not one that I felt really played to the strengths of the fish. I’d order it again in a heartbeat, if for no other reason that to immerse myself in the experience of the dish, as opposed to deconstruction of the flavors. My dish was the duck, served in an artful way with sweet corn custard topped with pickled mushrooms (king trumpet and what I think might have been finely chopped maitake), two tiny heads of romanesco and a sprinkling of mustard sprouts (which were unnecessary), along side two cherry tomatoes (also unnecessary). The duck was cooked to perfection (I requested medium, rather than medium rare) and delicious.
We didn’t have room for dessert, which was fine since the restaurant offers a palate cleanser of sweets (two tiny citrus financiers and two excellent milk chocolate/​chive truffles).
To sum up: wonderful food, although the kitchen could trim some of the ingredients in the dishes we sampled without losing any of the character. Terrific service and a lovely room. I’d absolutely go back (we’re already planning a return).

This is a great restaurant to come to dine and actually have a quiet meal with friends and conversation. On a Saturday, the restaurant was not fully booked. Unfortunately, our table was right in the line of the front door so whenever it opened, thankfully not often, we would feel a blast of cold air. They have a bar with a section for people to sit by the front door but the bar was empty the entire night.
The cocktails we ordered from the menu were very good. The food was a little «different». There is a mixture of different food items on each dish in an attempt to create a blend of flavors but I didn’t find that the flavors necessarily augment or enhance each other.
3 of us ordered the chef’s tasting menu ($ 327 for 3 meals of 5 courses). They were small portions but way too much food for me. I had a 3 course dinner starting with the Tandoori” octopus Unilocalers raved about. The octopus was tender but it wasn’t something I’d order again, $ 22 for an appetizer. The seabass, $ 38 was cooked just right, tender and not overcooked with dots of anchovy sauce but I couldn’t taste any anchovy. I finished my meal with 2 small scoops of ice cream, $ 6. I would’ve been happier with ice cream at a local ice creamery or a pint of Haagen Das at home. My friend enjoyed their meal which I tasted samples of but nothing really had the «wow» factor for me. A glass of house Negroni was $ 14.
Our waiter was very nice and there was a big gap of time from the time we ordered to the arrival of our entrees’ but after that, food arrived promptly.

All spice is a relaxed slightly eclectic restaurant with great Asian inspired origins. Food was very well executed and wait staff were very pleasant and equally eclectic. I would be happy to go again.

My taste buds cannot even describe…
Totally deserving of his Michelin stars…
I loved it 100x more than a fat kid loves cake…
Sachin Chopra is truly an amazing chef
I’ve been to plenty of New American and fusion restaurants, and after a while they all tend to taste the same. All Spice goes above and beyond, skillfully creating the most flavorful foods and is well worth a visit.
First, the food…
1. Cucumber ginger foam sorbet to start. Cool, light, refreshing, but with a kick of flavor
2. Rosemary brioche with orange-​bitter lemon butter. The butter… that butter… never had anything like it. The perfect balance of sweet and tang, all in the creaminess of butter. I almost asked them if I could buy a scoop to take home. You know a restaurant is that good when even their bread&butter blows you away.
3. Tandoori Octopus. The most tender octopus I’ve ever had in my life. Well-​complimented in both flavor and texture by picked onions, radish, and a mash. Every second in my mouth kept revealing more layers of flavor.
4. Roasted sea bass with sun chokes and wild mushrooms. Melt-​in-​your-​mouth fish with a smokey foam in top. The mushrooms… there has got to be crack sprinkled in there somewhere… earthy, firm, fresh, and savory… if we could eat mushrooms like this every day, no one would hate them. The sun chokes… roots of sunflowers that are somewhat similar to artichoke hearts… again, the flavor was earthy, savory, and had some sort of spice that I couldn’t put my finger on.
5. Cucumber sorbet. I’m not a huge sorbet fan, but the pastry chef Andrea Johnson makes one show– stopping dessert. Creamy, refreshing, and with a salty crunch topping to enhance the sweet.
The service… fantastic. The hostess called me by name, remembering me from having phones in earlier. Then, sitting at the bar because I was feeling more chatty and all the tables had been filled, I had a great conversation with the bar tender Ryan… about food, the city, what it’s like being in his field, what goes into making Michelin level meals. Simply by talking to him, I could tell how much care he puts into the drinks he makes, never sending anything out to a customer that he wouldn’t drink. Similarly, it was clear how passionate Chopra is in inventing his dishes.
Not only was the food exceptional, but to see how much detail and care that goes into the food and drink makes me want to cone back again.

Indian inspired modern cuisine seems like a novel statement. That being said, you see and taste American, French, Indian. all over the places and it doesn’t feel like a consistent story at all. Food tastes fine but unfortunately they don’t impress…

I’ve never been to the original All Spice in San Mateo, but I think this place stands on it’s own from a culinary standpoint. Everything we had was amazing and delightful; we mostly had seafood dishes, and they managed to really bring out the flavors of the main ingredients (which were fresh and high quality) while still bringing in other flavors to complement. They compare favorably to other Michelin star restaurants that really evoke interesting flavors (e.g., Californios, in some ways similar to Benu, but not on the same level) and are different from places that are more focused on the ingredients (e.g., Chez Panisse).
We had the tandoori octopus to start. It was the most perfectly cooked octopus my wife had ever had; there was a nice broiled flavor, yet the octopus was extremely tender. I had the sea bass and it was also amazing. The fish and the accompanying foams and sauces all tasted like the best imagination of the sea. Someone nearby got the goat, and it haunts my dreams that I did not.
I’d love to give this place 4.5 stars because the food is so good. But the ambiance and experience is a little lacking for a place that is in this price range and the sister restaurant to a Michelin star restaurant. There’s several design styles going on and the space is kind of small (it’s in a hotel). Additionally, while the servers were very friendly, attentive, and helpful, they did not have the same level of poise in presenting the dishes or the menu as one would generally find at a Michelin star restaurant. So I’m torn and feel bad because it’s better than 4 stars, but it’s definitely not in the same league as Californios and Benu.

We regularly eat at the San Mateo location, we wanted to try the SF location bc we were told the executive chef had moved to SF. Unfortunately, both my husband I agreed the SF location was lacking.
The interior is more favorable than the SM location and that is where the positive feedback for this restaurant ends. As for the menu and food, we weren’t as happy with the choices on the menu when compared to the SM location. The food itself was not as good either. The portions were too large and the preparation of the foods were not up to par. My duck sinewy and was not cooked properly, which I found disappointing since I’ve never had issues with the duck dishes in SM. I wasn’t very fond of the 1^st course scallop preparation or the daikon salad… both were incredibly basic and nothing special. The wagyu steak and short rib dishes were tasty, but again, not much different than what you can find elsewhere.
My biggest complaint of the evening was a HUGE mistake on the waiter’s part. While he was attentive enough, he made a mistake with one of the entrees. There were 6 of us dining, the waiter brought the wrong dish to one of the guests and then she sat there until the correct dish was brought out, the rest of us were done by that point… she was left to watch us eat and then dine alone. Her dish was not comped. Which, for this caliber restaurant, is completely unacceptable. For a $ 900 tab for 6 ppl, you comp when it’s your mistake. If my husband hadn’t been in charge of the bill, I would’ve deducted the dish from the waiter’s tip.
We’ll stick to the SM location, although, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth… so, not sure how soon we’ll be dining with them again.

The restaurant is located on very busy Bush Street but parking is nearby and cheap! I think we paid $ 3, which is amazing for San Francisco. The ambiance is upscale and warm, not too closely packed, and the service is good.
Tandoor Octopus: Delicious! Smoky, tender octopus with picked vegies.
Indian Bread Fritter: Fried, with cumin beans. Enjoyed this too
Lamb: Best dish ordered
Pork Belly: Very good
Shortrib: Very good
Seabass: Bland, boring and flavorless
Smoke potato Gnocchi: Good. Nicely smoked with heaps of camembert (could do with less)
Dessert: Can’t remember what it was. Should have skipped.
Overall, the vast majority of what we ordered was very good and enjoyed by all. Would highly recommend!

Surprisingly fancy delicious menu — dont discount it bc it’s attached to a hotel. Prix fixed or not, everything was delicious– esp the pork chops. Complex and well played but friendly– highly recommend this under the radar gem!

After reading up on the SF Michelin list guide, I knew that my next challenge would be to get through as much of the list as I could before the end of the year. All Spice’s menu was really what sold me since I have yet to really experience anything that represents Indian food in a fine dining establishment. I was insanely curious about the «Tandoori» octopus appetizer since my love for the tentacled creature is at an all-​time high right now. In taking along a fellow foodie with me to All Spice, we decided to share the octopus and fritter appetizers, and go off solo on the main. I decided on the duck and my friend went with the short rib. The first thing that struck me on all the dishes? The insanely beautiful details on the plating! Most of us eat with our eyes, so when the duck came out with a beautiful green spiral of sauce, accompanied with little bites of garnish alongside the duck, I was sold. My friend who ordered the short rib mentioned that the dish is definitely on the heavier side, so light eaters beware. Of all the things we had that night, the one thing that was most memorable was the smoked yogurt that came with the octopus. I can’t recall ever having anything like it, and it definitely left an impression on me. All in all, dinner at All Spice was priced reasonably and everything we had over the course of dinner was great. Service wise, we got our food at a very leisurely pace, and enjoyed just the right amount of attention from our server throughout the time we were sitting. All Spice was definitely a fun experience, especially since I think it’s helped me gain a little bit more courage to entertain the idea of having dinner at Campton Place down the street.

Hamachi is EXCELLENT appetizer. Tri pork entrée has pork chop, pork belly and bits of bacon: very tasty. Seabass was one of the best I ever had, smooth and buttery. Chocolate malt dessert was okay, not great!
They also have a tasting menu which looked great, for next visit.
Overall: good service.

Beautiful dishes that are thoughtfully put together! The combination of spices, sauces, and ingredients is amazing. I ordered the pork chop with a cheese polenta. It was amazing. Plus, the mini butternut squash taster rocked my world!

All spice is spectacular. We had high expectations coming in based on great reviews and that Michelin star for the San Mateo location. The restaurant didn’t disappoint– it was amazing.
We ordered the tandoori octopus and scallops to start. I asked for a wine pairing, and the waiter brought me two different wines for each dish. Both pairings were perfect.
For the main courses, we ordered a whole trout and the lamb ghosh. Both were excellent spiced and perfectly executed. Again, I got two wine pairings which were perfect.
Aside from the food, the service was perfect and non-​pretentious.
This is definitely one of the best restaurants in the city…

Exquisite!
Had the lobster app and the seabass plate.
The bread and home culutered butter were to die for.
Great upscale spot,
3 course with a drink will run you a hundred per person easily
their set tasting menu is $ 180 with paired wine.

I came here with 5 friends on a Tuesday night. While I was extremely pleased with All Spice in San Mateo, this restaurant just didn’t live up to its hype. It’s co located with a hotel, so it lacks the intimate atmosphere of the one in San Mateo. Here is my biggest problem, we were one of 3 groups there ALL NIGHT. That’s less than 15 people the entire night, however it still took almost 3 hours to get all our food. The amount of time between courses was sometimes up to 30 minutes. Granted there was 6 of us, there was maybe 10 people INCLUDING us in the entire restaurant at any given time.
The food was good however, i just didn’t feel the Michelin star atmosphere that I had hoped for.

We just finished up a 1 month diet bet, so we planned to go restaurant hopping in celebrations of losing so much weight. All Spice was the first stop.
We had 3 ladies and wanted to share the tasting course, as we just wanted a bite of everything before we went to the next restaurant. Unfortunately they could not do that, which is a bit odd.
We chose All Spice as one of the ladies wanted foie gras, but they did not have it on the menu. Only folded into the dessert that was on the tasting menu. You could not order it ala cart. Our waiter was so kind to check with the chef though, and they sold it to us ala cart.
We also shared the following dishes:
Squid Ink Gnocchi. Pass. Not that great.
India Bread Fritter «Ma Mere» which was kind of like a deep fried eggroll. One of my favorite dishes there, but my 2 friends were not impressed.
Aab-​e-​gosht, lamb curry. I loved the bread and the curry. I felt the lamb was a bit dry and gamey. The 2 other ladies loved this dish.
The Foie Gras buttermilk blueberry dessert. Creative flavors. Very heavy. Good to share.
Along with $ 30/​corkage, the total bill was about $ 130.
If I was to come back, I’d likely order the bread fritter.

The food is good, and so is the service, but prices are very steep for what it’s worth, and I left feeling jipped.
Ordered the $ 109 Chef’s Tasting Menu, which came out to $ 130+ including tax and tip. Major gripes:
–Pierce Point Herbed Rind: a fancy name for toast with figs on it. Tasty, but something I could’ve easily made myself.
–Coddled Egg: undoubtedly the most expensive egg I’ve ever eaten. Not worth it.
–Seared Salmon: aesthetically pretty, but a little too ordinary for a tasting menu.
At the prices I’m paying, I expect the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Though good, I unfortunately wasn’t blown away.

This is my second venture into high-​end dining, thanks to my fiancé. My first was Commis in Oakland and I think I may have spoiled myself. We went to All Spice b/​c my fiancé was very interested in the chef and his training with Indian spices. She had heard great things about their other restaurant and wanted to try this place out. We both got the prix fix which was quite expensive ($ 109 per person w/​o wine). Overall, the food was very good with some interesting experiments like the coddled egg and the fish with apple glaze. We both agreed there was an over reliance on bread, though we liked each dish. The opening fennel purée was a bit bland as a starting item.
A few plates in, what I realized is that at the high-​end level, the experience is all about the food and the diners should be conversing energetically about each dish. However, that was not consistently the case. It’s hard for me to put my finger on why. I think the staff had something to do with it. When we entered, no one was there to greet us so the bar tender called over to welcome us. Then we were seated next to another party that was almost leaving. I didn’t think that was necessary when there were many other free tables and made the beginning awkward since everyone was squeezing by to get in and out. And the waiters, while nice, didn’t quite set the tone — they were a little clumsy with the silverware and plating. There also wasn’t the same kind of banter/​discussion with them about the food and the pacing wasn’t quite consistent.
My fiancé and I were both particularly disappointed in the dessert. The buttermilk «ice» was too plentiful and the foix gras addition seemed a little forced. They then served truffles and a gelatin — both of which tasted more savory than expected and didn’t quite make the right end note.
Also, FYI — when they offer «still water» they are referring to bottled water which is an additional charge.

When I was in middle school, I had a very optimistic classmate who used to say, «Today is a very special day. Do you know why? Because it is the only day it will ever be May 24, 1999.»
And she was right. Life should be about celebrating everything. The little things. The totally ordinary that we take for granted.
All Spice is a good place to do exactly that. Delicate food that’s finely crafted, tastefully presented, and brings together flavors that are normally not paired. Example:
Russian honey cake. With charred avocados and pluots and SAKE ICE CREAM.
Is it a little pricey? Yes, but I think the creativity that goes into each dish more than makes up for it, plus the portions are enough where I even had to take half of mine home (lamb stew).
Celebrate every day, everyday.

Pricey, and you get everything you would expect from that: excellent food and service, amuse bouche, well-​crafted cocktails, and chocolate truffles with the check. The menu has a novel take on new American fused with game meats and North Indian influence.
However, the dining room is a bit plain, and there wasn’t anything about the experience that made me feel a compulsion to return soon or show the place to other friends. So, in the Unilocal language of three stars, «A-​OK.»

Ode to fine dining.
Exotic «game» of dishes.
A subtly strong bar.