Masa’s

First time I went to Masa’s was on a whim. I was excited to try it out and was disappointed. To be honest, the food was not good, period.
A few months later I decided to give it another shot… guess what? The food was just as bad.
The staff is friendly but getting the food out is like pulling teeth and when it gets there it’s just blah.
I really wanted this place to be good.

I worked hear as a young chef in SF! I was only at this reastaurant for about one year; but, I left on great terms with the Chef. The Chef at the time (²⁰⁰⁵⁄₆) was Gregory Short, one of two men who helped Thomas Keller open and start the French Laundry! Anywho, it surprised me to see that this is now closed, does anyone know what happened? And if you do could you please drop me a message? I would be so so grateful! Back to the food, I can tell you that from the kitchen, if you ate at this restaurant beteween the years of 2005 – 2008 that you were receiving the 3 Michelin star food. I know the guide did not give that rating; but, trust, the food was prepared in 3 Michelin style and served so,(at least how they do it in France 3 starred restaurants?). The chefs worked 14 hour days because they learned so much from Greg and a few others. I would put Masa’s food & service (in its best-​day) up against any other contemporary American fine dining at that or any other time, (maybe save Alinea, :) in Chicago). To end, I bled, sweat, cried, and nearly died for this place while I was working here, I hope my comrades went on to do well!

6÷23÷12
For a Michelin star restaurant this was decent but didnt blow my mind. The place is extremely modern with cute décor. The service was what i expected from a restaurant of this caliber. However there was a family that brought in little kids that made a huge racket during my dinning experience. i have mixed reviews about the food.
The mock drinks were subpar. I could tell the bartender didn’t bother to use fresh berries or even jam to make it. It felt like it was a combination of random syrups.
Amuse was a puff pastry cheese ball. It was light and airy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Another amuse were like mini pancakes with a wonderful avocado purée.
The mini raviolis with lentils and micro greens were extremely flavorful.
The squid with microgreens were okay. The squid was a bit too tough.
The pigeon with cherry sauce, chocolate and coffee was a bit werid. It was one of thoughs things im not sure If i liked it or not.
The squab was a bit to rare for me. It wasent that flavorful. The sausage link however was one of the best I have ever had.
The flourless chocolate cake dessert was dreadful. It was dry and flavorless.
The vanilla ice cream with apples poached in whiskey were okay but nothing special.
The petite fours were a nice addition that somewhat made up for the disappointing dessert. It consisted of 2 candies, 2 macaroons and 2 candy truffles.
The platting was truly gorgeous. Overall im not sure if i would ever come back. The price was decent but i have mixed reviews about the food.

Why No Valentine is Better Than MINE:
1) When we decided to do a Valentine’s Day dinner at home and then I changed my mind because Masa’s is closing on ²⁄₁₆ he said ok.
2) When I told him he had to wear a coat, he didn’t grumble.
3) When I was in a grouchy mood because of work, he cheered me up.
4) When he got the beautifully plated 9 course tasting menu ($ 165) and I got the 4 course menu ($ 98), he shared his extra courses with me.
Highlights: Mini cheese gougere; Buttery warm brioche; Rich Broccoli Agnolotti with maitake mushrooms, fried shallots, and gruyère fondue; A crispy fish dish; Flavorful and brightly colored pistachio, lemon, and raspberry macarons; A hazelnut chocolate with a hint of orange.
Midlights: Good but not as memorable Osetra Caviar; Hearts of Palm; Beet Salad with Citrus, Walnut paste, and Beet Foam (?); Chocolate Mousse; and Fancified Banana Bread.
Lowlights: Salty Dungeness Gratine, Salty Squid, and Salty Squab.
5) When the pales-​in-​comparison-​to-​Gary-​Danko cheese cart rolled by with an extra stinky cheese option you could smell across the room he joked, «I feel like I’m in a gym locker!»
6) When we noticed that there was a looong time in between courses, that we were offered coffee only AFTER we had finished dessert, and that we didn’t feel the meal was worth the $$$ paid, he said, «I had to put on a coat for that?» but otherwise didn’t complain.
(Much.)
Happy Valentine’s Day all!

Congratulations on your 30^th anniversary! And kudos for sharing on the celebration by offering a 25% discount on a recent Thursday to your customers.
My memories are numerous for this former dining destination as I recently read about its imminent closing on February 16^th (here we go again!). In my pre-​Yelp days this was THE with a capital «T» dining place in the City. Not being old enough to dine here was the chef for whom this restaurant was named (died in a still unsolved possible crime case), I was fortunate to dine several times for special occasions including with my first love in the mid-1980’s. At that time, the front of the house was headed by Nick Peyton (late of Ritz’s Dining Room, Gary Danko, and Cyrus) and Julian Serrano (Picasso in Las Vegas). Later, a friend invited me to dinner when the kitchen was headed by Ron Siegal (famed for being the lobster Iron Chef and late of Charles Nob Hill, The Dining Room, and now at Michael Mina’s flagship restaurant). I dined here once more prior to my late 2012 dinner with some generous friends. Please read Al L.‘s review (
) as I was his guest for this meal.
This would have been my #500, except for the fact that, for me, the meal was good, but the memories were much better. I sadly bid farewell to a place that holds many wonderful memories for me.

I came here for a friends birthday and I am addicted!
We came into the lobby with nice valet parking so we didn’t have to worry about our cars. Promptly into the waiting area was the bar for us to test the collection or wine and champagne that we would like for our course.
After all our party arrived, everyone had their coat hung by the waiter and we went on with our 9 course tasting menu. It was absolutely a great choice for us because we like tasty food and variety. Everything was delicate in size and tasteful.
I was amazed by the waiters because they were able to explain each dish in detail and while our friends switch seats, they would remember that and not mix up our food when the next dish came (since we all had something a tad bit different than each other).
After all the courses, they surprise the birthday girl with a platter of sweets and a bar with options of desserts and candy for all of us. It was all made in MASA and when we were too full to finish the desserts, they were happily able to help us pack to go.
I would definitely come back for some kind of special occasion or just because I want to be treated nicer in a fine dining atmosphere. I would say it’s not something you would eat everyday because it is kind of pricey but it’s something you should try if you were looking for fine dining.

***Masa’s is more of a classical fine dining spot so you will not find the push the envelope food you can get at Manresa or Saison, but I did like Masa’s more than other traditional Bay Area fine dining spots like La Folie, Acquerello and Gary Danko***
Masa’s dining room is quite old-​fashioned – especially the horribly patterned chairs. The dining room is quiet, which may have a little bit to do with how formal the room and service feel.
While I would not call the menu old-​fashioned, it was mostly traditional with less molecular gastronomy and unique flavor combinations of some of San Francisco’s newer fine dining establishments. Still, the food is not overly rich and there is not a focus on outdated recipes you get at other longstanding fine dining restaurants.
I went with their tasting menu, which sounded a lot more interesting than their 4-​course pre fixe menu.
The tasting menu started with a gougere amuse, but I prefer the smaller and more flavorful gougere served at Providence. Complimentary bread included walnut, sourdough and freshly made and buttery brioche rolls.
The tasting menu started with a very traditional caviar dish that was garnished with some good crème fraîche and a warm potato blini. I am not sure if I have ever had a potato blini because the potato texture and flavor were both very noticeable here. The caviar was good – strong fishy flavor and nicely salted.
Next was a warm chicories salad served with blue cheese, candied walnuts and compressed apple. This was similar to a Waldorf salad, but there were two standout ingredients. The chicories were made a little less bitter through the cooking of the leaves and the compressed apple had a great flavor – it tasted almost like apple cider.
Next came a scallop dish and it was definitely not as refined as the scallop dishes I have had at other fine dining restaurants like The Village Pub or Cyrus. The nettle purée was not thick or flavorful and the artichokes and pickled kumquats were not that integrated into the dish. The scallops were good though – maybe a tad salty but moist with a good sear.
A risotto followed and the flavors and ingredients were good – good squid, a great rich egg yolk and more of that good caviar. The rice was overcooked (way too soft), but most restaurants overcook risotto rice.
North Atlantic fluke came next and this was probably my least favorite dish of the night. The fluke was nicely done – very moist and flaky. I also liked the curry sauce. The cauliflower was ordinary though and the red currants were a distracting flavor add – they did not go with the dish at all.
The next course was squab and it was very nicely cooked – very moist and tender with a great crispy skin. The squab could have used more seasoning, but the garnishes were good. There was a good jus – strong in flavor and a little thick but not too rich. There were also good roasted potatoes.
The final savory course was Colorado lamb chops and the lamb chops had a great and surprising marbling of fat. The meat was juicy, flavorful and tender. The sauce was very good as were the braised greens, the roasted parsnips and the black barley (hearty and very nicely cooked; cooked evenly and with a better bite than the risotto). I did not like the purée though; it had an odd sweet flavor.
Before dessert, there was a palate cleanser of juicy, tart and sweet tangerine granite with some just okay pomegranate soda.
The dessert took a little time to come out, which was different from the other courses that came out at a quick and even pace. One bite into the dessert and I could tell why it took some time to come out. It was a freshly made and warm chocolate cake – nicely moist with a texture reminiscent of a soufflé. It had a great dark chocolate flavor.
The cake was garnished with a very good cinnamon stick ice cream – very creamy and a distinct flavor (it tasted just like smelling a cinnamon stick).
The meal ended with some just okay chocolates and a macaron.
Service was good – definitely formal, professional and polite but also pleasant.
Prices were high, but you do get a great variety of proteins, vegetables and fruits with the tasting menu; still, Masa’s is more expensive than La Folie and Gary Danko.
Masa’s is definitely not in the same league as wow restaurants like Saison, Benu or Atelier Crenn, but it is very strong for a more traditional fine dining spot. I would put it a notch above restaurants like La Folie, Acquerello and Gary Danko. So if you are looking for a formal fine dining spot with very traditional flavor combinations, Masa’s is a good one to consider.
Parking in this area can be tough to find, but I think there are a few structures nearby.

Having always wanted to try Masa’s for my birthday, which is on the first week of January, we always have to celebrate elsewhere because they’re closed the first week of January. So we and our good friend Mike C. decided to pre-​celebrate a week earlier at Masa’s.
With a choice of selecting your menu items from a Four Course Menu or a 9 Course preset Tasting Menu. We discussed some of the menu items with our personable waiter. At the end, we decided on the Tasting Menu and sit back and put in on cruise control and indulge in the Chef’s creations.
The food:
Amuse-​bouches of guyere cheese puffs: these puffs were light and airy and with the right amount of cheese.
Farm raised Osetera Caviar, yukon potato blinis, crème fraîche: not a true caviar fan, but this was delicious with the spread of caviar and crème fraiche on the belinis.
Warm Chickories, pink lady apples, walnuts, blue cheese: a nice salad complemented by the apples and walnuts.
Maine Diver Scallop, nettle purée, roasted sunchokes, pickled kumquat: a perfectly cooked scallop over a nettle purée, which the waiter described as a type of prickly-​type plant.
Risotto, quail egg, monterey bay squid, osetra caviar, ink sauce: after lightly blending these ingredients, you get a myriad of delicious flavors from this dish.
North Atlantic Fluke, cauliflower, red currents, brussels sprout leaves, madras curry: one of my favorite dishes. The fluke was light and flakey and was perfectly cooked complemented by a flavorful curry sauce.
Paine Farms Squab, roasted marble potato, pruneaux d’agen, baby leeks, squab sauce: never had squab outside of a Chinese restaurant. This was so moist and tender.
Colorado lamb chops, parnsnips, black barley, braised greens, lamb jus: I love lamp chops and these were made cooked perfectly medium-​rare. Delicious.
Satsuma Tangerine Granite, pomegrante soda: a palate cleanser before dessert. A refreshing tangerine flavored icee.
Veloute of bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon stick ice cream: a tasty mini-​lava cake with cinnamon ice cream. My plate came with a birthday presentation.
Pistachio, raspberry, and chocolate macaroons and assorted chocolates: at the end of the meal, we received a plate of macroons and assorted chocolates. A nice close to a delicious meal.
The other diners were couples and groups of 3 and 4 with ages from the 30s to 60s. Décor is very modern and though the dining room was not large, the tables were perfectly spaced so that you had that private, intimate setting. The servers were professional in presenting the dishes and clearing the empty dishes after each course. Our waiter was friendly and we had several conversations about food. Didn’t get a stuffy atmosphere feeling that some other reviewers experienced.
For bread, they offered brioche rolls and sour dough and walnut baguette. Wished they had a better offering of more artisan breads.
Overall, a great dining experience for special occasions.

After years of hearing about their infamous candy cart, hubby and I finally made reservations here for my birthday this year. To our disappointment, we found out that the chef removed the candy cart earlier in the year. Still wasn’t a total deal breaker so we went ahead with the reservation anyways.
Masa is an older establishment and has been around for almost as long as I’ve been alive. Some of the finest chefs made a name for themselves here and with the current chef being an alum from TFL, we had high hopes. Friends often joke how we will ever mange to find something better than TFL, but quite honestly, we were hopeful that Masa would be somewhat in the same caliber.
Sadly, Masa did not deliver what we were hoping for. It definitely missed some marks in the flavor category. While each dish was plated nicely and looked visually appetizing, the flavors were forgettable. The food was good, but not anywhere close to OMG amazing. I was hoping we would at least fall in love with one dish to make us want to come back again, but sadly, not one dish stood out more than another. If anything, the warm, flaky brioche and subtle desserts may have been our highlights.
Service on the other hand was nice and attentive. Our waitress explained the menu in great detail and acknowledged our special occasion. +1 stars for the servers bringing our desserts out with candles for me to make a wish with. However, we came for an early dinner and unfortunately, the doors weren’t even opened by 5:30pm. Not that we mind the wait, but making your patrons wait in the freezing cold beyond your posted opening hours does not leave a good first impression.
Granted, we were the youngest patrons in the restaurant, but overall, it did feel quite stuffy and pretentious during our entire meal. We literally felt that we had to be on our extra best behavior since it’s similar to being in the same room filled with my parents and their friends.
It’s an establishment we can now check off our list, but for the price, we would much rather go elsewhere.

The food was really good. Better than most one michelin star places but at the same time it’s more expensive. Their tasting menu is $ 165 for 9 courses. It’s really 7 courses, 1 was an amuse and the other was a palette cleanser. Most places don’t count those as «courses». For instance, Michael Mina’s tasting menu is 5 courses for $ 125 but if you count all the bonus dishes they give you, it comes out about the same but costing a lot less.
We were looking forward to the candy cart but low and behold, they got rid of it. Yes, you heard me… no more candy cart.
Service was good and attentive but not the best I’ve had. They were not the friendliest people but they did their job. Sometimes the wait in between courses took awhile especially the final dessert.
I’ve had more expensive meals but still feel that it was a good value. Not here.

I’m going to preface this review by saying I had extra high hopes for Masa’s given its former prestigeous reputation. That may account for at least ½ star down in rating.
The food:
I really should’ve written this review closer to when I dined here. The food wasn’t anything I can remember specifically being impressed by. We did the tasting menu and what I remember most was the Squab which was cooked perfectly. The lamb sirloin was a close second. Everything else was not very remarkable. The dessert I actually didn’t like, cake was dry. Macaroons were probably one of the crappiest i’ve tasted, not chewy to any level and not especially tasty.
Service: My water glass left unfilled the last 4 courses of dinner. My wine glasses had already been taken away 2 courses prior. At a restaurant which has a meal this expensive, I would expect that waiters/​waitresses have a «sixth-​sense» mentality for determining what their patrons need. Another words, your napkin falls they are not far behind to pick it up or offer a new one. Someone to direct you to the bathroom.
I would have forgiven the service has the food been noteworthy to some degree.

I’m very disappointed in the food we had here. We planned this dinner with another foodie couple that’s going their way through the top restaurants in SF and were really looking forward to this dinner. Great bottle of Cabernet in hand we made it in the pouring rain and were looking forward to an amazing meal, but expectations can be tough to meet.
While the space is very elegant and the service was great for the most part, the food was not at all. We’ve had much better meals in La Follie, Alexanders, Quince, and Boulevard and I put this place right in that category. They only had one amuse bush as well, usually we’re accustomed to having 2 – 3 in places like this.
We all did the 4 course menu and my husband and I picked different dishes to be able to try more.
Starter: the dugeness crab and the heirloom beets with goat cheese.
We found both dishes bland and uninspiring, while they were plated very professionally they just lacked the passion a chef can have in their food. Nothing about them felt special or elevated.
Middle we had the paperdelle and steamed surgeon.
Again the paperdelle was OK, but nothing we haven’t had before in places like AQ.
The sturgeon was awful, it was like rubber, in fact my fish fork could not even cut it, I was very disappointed in this dish. I’ve had sturgeon before and it has been great. The waitress never checked in on this course otherwise I would have just sent it back.
For the entrees we had the steak and the squab
The steak was good, but not great, we’ve had much better in places like La Follie, Alexanders and the list can go on.
The squab was nice, well prepared but it didn’t impress me in any way.
We finished the meal with cheese and coffee.
For the price tag, this just was really not worth it and there are far better meals to be had in SF for half the price, but for this type of restaurant they just really missed the mark for us.

Let me start this off by saying, out of all the restaurants in SF I chose to come here for my birthday. It was our first «nice» ($$$$) restaurant after moving back to the bay area from Denver. We’ve frequented a bunch of new cheaper eats establishments and have been pleasantly surprised (especially by 18^th street). The last time I ate at Masa’s was at least 8 – 9 years ago, but at the time it was my favorite, even more so than Gary Danko or French Laundry (yes, sadly when I ate at FL, it was Game Night and I don’t like gamey meats). I probably should’ve reserved Gary Danko, but there was no way I could get a reservation with less than two weeks notice.
Ok, my apologies for the lengthy intro that didn’t really go anywhere. The food was good and the experience was interesting…
FOOD and COST: good, but it didn’t blow my socks off. I expected much more for what we paid. We opted for the Chef’s Tasting Menu (the left side), 9 course meal ($ 165?) with the wine pairing ($ 89 or 98). Our meal, plus the two starter cocktails and the $ 105 tip, our meal was a little over $ 600 for two. Although that’s not the most we’ve spent… I definitely left thinking, that was meh for the price. I think we spent close to $ 1000 at Le Cirque, but our tummies were so happy that it made our brain forget what just happened to our wallet. Oh, if you decide to get the wine pairing don’t get drinks before hand. Wine pairing was more than sufficient, I had to give half of mine to my husband.
AMBIANCE (experience): was a little weird (or maybe it was always weird). There were two couples, sitting at different tables. Each gentleman was over 70 and the young ladies were VERY young, 30 – 50 years their junior. Maybe I’m just jealous that I’m not a kept woman (JK). One of the couples had a conversation resulting in the girl crying at the table. WIsh I could’ve heard what he told her to make her cry. And a group of late 20’s/early 30’s at another table where one of the girls wore rolled up jeans and a t-​shirt with a rock band picture on the front of it. I don’t expect everyone to be dressed up as if they’re going to some social event, but come on. make some kind of an effort?
The Master Sommelier was a delight and provided wonderful knowledge and conversation. Sorry, I can’t remember his name.
I wanted so much to love it again, especially since my husband wanted to go to Gary Danko AND I chose it! I didn’t tell him I didn’t love it, he would’ve felt bad since he tried so hard to make my day special.

Masa’s: French pretentious mediocrity. At. Its. Finest.
Pulchritudinously presented dishes. Unremarkable flavor profiles.
Gorgeously sleek yet minimalist décor. Elitist pearl necklace crowd (not that kind, you pervs).
Polished service. Nose UP in the aireee.
Working down my Michelin starred restaurant list, I couldn’t find a better excuse to visit Masa’s than for 25% off Thursdays. To celebrate their 25^th Anniversary, every Thursday till the end of the year, you get 25% off your entire bill at Masa’s.
Masa’s wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t exceptional either. While the food was visually stunning, almost everything was forgettable with boring one-​dimensional flavors. It was definitely not what I expected from a French Laundry chef alum and definitely not Michelin star worthy in my book.
F O O D
You have a choice of creating your own 4 course ($ 98) or 7 course ($ 140) tasting menu:
. Tomato and burrata? Roasted summer squash? Baby corn risotto? White corn polenta? I understand that its a summer seasonal menu BUT none of these vegetarian-​centered dishes sounded appealing especially for a fine dining french menu. There was no pâté, no sweetbreads nor tartare so I choose the 4 course.
*Amuse Bouche: Lobster Custard w/​Lobster Foam
A nice start to dinner, the custard was warm and silky with a delightful sweet crustacean essence from the foam.
*Dungeness Crab w/​Proscuitto, Ambrosia Melon & Red Chili — 2.5 STARS
The crab meat was über fresh with a nice sweetness against the salty proscuitto, however it needed some oomph because the duo was bland and dry. The little smearing of ambrosia melon didn’t do much other than decorate the plate.
*Soft Poached Jidori Egg w/​Salsify Chips, Belgium Endive, Rye Crumbs & Osetra — 3 STARS
Like a fancy version of eggs and toast, the poached egg was topped with cavier alongside bread crumbs. Other than the egg being predictably oozing with creamy decadence, it was a dish all for show.
*Breast of Paine Squab w/​Golden Chanterelles, Blackberries, Herb Purée & Walnuts — 4.5 STARS
Breast never tasted SO good. Not that I’ve ever had any but this dish was one bountiful beauty. The medium rare squab was intensely gamey in flavor with a taste and texture almost like foie. Yes, almost like foie. It showered all my taste buds with rich poultry luxuriousness.
*Blueberries w/​Graham Cracker & Candy Cap Ice Cream — 2 STARS
Three blueberry clusters alongside a tablespoon of ice cream. What the heezy??? The most uninspiring dessert I’ve ever had in my life! I would have preferred a scoop of Thrifty’s Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream.
NO more candy cart at Masa’s – BOO! Instead we got several truffles and a macaron that I didn’t care for.
S E R V I C E
While I appreciated the professional and refined service with well-​paced courses, service was very stuffy and pretentious. Even at French Laundry we joked around with our captain waitress and took pics with her. I have a feeling, our waiter at Masa’s (who we barely saw) would have shit bricks if we attempted that with him.
A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R
Simple elegance: dark walls against crisp white linens with pink rose bouquet table centerpiece, red silk lampshades, and grey and white tapestry chairs. Good for special occasion dinners and/​or if you want to get lucky with a high maintenance food snob.
Jackets required for men which made for a ostentatious setting especially when patrons were 30+ years our senior.
P A R K I N G
Street parking. Valet parking is $ 15.
Two parting words: La Folie.
Thank me later.

Old school vibe with some new school molecular gastronomy cooking techniques. Some plates were amazing while others were lackluster. Memorable, but not paradigm shifting. For the price, you might as well check out a Michelin 2 Star elsewhere in SF.
Gougère: I’ve been a fan of these little guys since my first one at Artisanal in NYC. A nice cheese puff. Good thing there was only one per person, else I’d ruin my dinner!
Lobster with Gelatin of Citron: It’s always nice to get lobster as a freebie from the chef. Was a little under cooked compared to what I am used (which I think the chef was intending). Great taste, despite the unnerving texture.
Caviar & Blinis: Old school, but I’m still a fan. Love overloading on the fatty cream to really extend the caviar taste.
Smoked Oyster in Vichyssoise with Caviar: The pairing of caviar with light vichyssoise was brilliant! A great soup to conduct the delicate flavor. Wasn’t a fan of the common smoked oyster, felt it took away from fully appreciating the caviar.
Textures of the Sea: A bunch of little bits of different sea creatures (squid, lobster, urchin, roe, etc.) served cold with bread crumbs on top. Nothing tasted too «fishy», so it seemed fresh. Didn’t have a dominant flavor in the sauce/​broth, letting the seafood stand by itself.
Gold Beet Agnolotti: Two tiny raviolis stuffed with a very nice creamy beet filling on top of lentils and toasted hazelnuts. Lots of personality in those little pouches, I had no idea that beets could be so yummy.
Surume-​Ika, Sous Vide Pork Belly: More squid tentacles, which felt a little like overload after the Textures of the Sea. The pork belly was super tender, the fat layers melting like butter… ah, the magic of sous vide! Not sure if the melba was necessary since the seared exterior of the pork belly and the chewy tentacles already added a lot of texture.
Roasted California Cèpes: Big chunks of roasted mushrooms with a 63° egg yolk to dip it in. Maybe I’m an ovo-​luddite, but I didn’t notice the big difference between the «perfect» 63° egg yolk versus a traditional runny egg yolk. It worked well with the mushroom and there was even leftover yolk for the mini-​toasted brioche.
Chilled Artisan Foie Gras: Cubes of fatty goodness that will soon be absent from official San Francisco menus. Was a little leery of the granola, but it actually added a nice texture contrast to the creamy foie gras. The sauternes gelée was the perfect sweet topping since I’d normally pair a foie gras with a sweet glass of sauternes anyway!
Grilled Hawaiian Walu: The filet was a little bland without any fancy glaze or sauce. The crab cake had a lot of filler. Didn’t even notice the brandade until after the fact when reading the menu at home.
Mission Figs: Fig on a plate? I hope they’re being ironic, but somehow I don’t think so. The fennel ice on the side was the main novelty and quite refreshing.
Breast of Paine Farms Squab: The poached cherry stuffed with squab liver was off the hook! Forget chocolate covered cherries, I could eat a whole box of these on Valentine’s Day!!! The little squab leg confit was nice too, very rich and crispy. Wasn’t a fan of the squab breast, seemed too rare and chewy plus I don’t think the chocolate sauce worked well together with it. Way too much red onion marmalade to finish.
Hearts of Palm: Two half-​thumb sized pieces of hearts of palm stuffed with truffle purée and then deep fried. AMAZING! The roasted vegetables that came with it paled in comparison.
Lamb Ribeye: Could have been more tender, this is where sous vide could have done wonders. Really like the merguez, somehow they got it to be very dry and firm. The pistachio dust was a good pairing to pay homage to the dish’s exotic roots.
Smoked Bintje Potato Confit: The waiter mentioned some complex process of how the potatoes were cooked, but they tasted like regular old roasted potato wedges to me. The faro was equally boring. The swiss chard was almost as bland, but it had some nice fried shallots on top.
Lemon Verbena Ice: Love how all of San Francisco is jumping on the lemon verbena bandwagon! An extremely refreshing palate cleanser before dessert.
Flourless Chocolate Cake: The cake itself was pretty dry, defying the stereotype that flourless cakes are often oozing. Thankfully there was some sort of sweet foam to add moisture. Reminded me of an over baked brownie.
Strawberries and Cream: Extremely boring name for such an awesome dessert! Loved the blanket of mascarpone, which had the consistency of a deli cheese slice (in a good way). The crunchy bits of meringue went \well with it too. Wasn’t a big fan of the compression technique used on the strawberries, it just made them feel a little overripe. The few stray strawberry gelée cubes were awesome, like farmers market jam formed into jello.
Apricot: Lots of shortcake consistency pastry and not so much apricot. The vanilla ice cream on the side was nice too.

Amazing. The squab was so good. Things to know before you go to Masa’s:
— It’s on the pricey side for what you get. There are better places for prix fixe at a lower price point: Gary Danko, Chez Panisse
— There is one prix fixe menu (1 vegetarian, and 1 non-​vegetarian). $ 140. Cheaper if you get the vegetarian menu. Thursdays are 25% off (not sure if that was a one time thing, or every week)
— Their complimentary bread isn’t as good as at other places. There are certain things that were amazing (squab, uni…) and others that were less impressive (strawberry panna cotta).
— They have valet, but the Sutter Stockton parking garage is right across the street.

Because everyone deserves a fancy meal every once in awhile…
My friends and I have been talking about dining at Masa’s for months. The push to make a reservation was when I saw that they’re having 25% off your food and wine promotion every Thursday until the end of the year in honor of their anniversary (if Masa’s is on your list, take advantage of that promotion!).
OPTIONS:
*$ 98 four course menu (+$ 59 wine pairings)
*$ 140 seven course menu
My friends and I opted for the four course meals. With the four course meal, you’re allowed to choose from a couple of different options. Make sure you leave yourself enough time, our four course meal took about three and a half hours. With the seven course menu, the chef «surprises» you with each dish within dietary and allergy restrictions.
FOOD:
*Violet Artichokes — Delicious! Cut of pieces of artichoke hearts were paired with marbled potatoes and placed on deviled egg vinaigrette. A small dish packed with flavor!
*Surume-​Ika, Sous Vide Pork Belly — So delicious, it had me wanting more! I was a bit skeptic at how squid and crispy pork belly would go together but the two complemented each other.
*Filet Mignon of Beef — Deliciously tender! The exterior was well seasoned and the meat cooked to a perfect medium rare. The shallots were flavorful but I wasn’t a fan of the odd mystery purée.
*Chocolate Mousse — Okay. Although the chocolate mousse dual was rich and sweet, what I wasn’t a fan of was the ginger. Though the two items complimented each other, I’m not a ginger type of person.
I also got the Wagyu tartare ($ 15 supplement) which was delicious! The Wagyu was tender, the 63 degree egg yolk was perfectly runny, and the black truffle added a nice subtle touch.
SERVICE:
Good but I found it odd we had so many waiter changes. From the guy who took our order to the guys who brought out our food the first half of the meal vs. the second half to the guy we concluded our meal with were totally different people. Although each dish is explained in detail once it arrives, you are not checked on to see if everything was okay. My disappointment was the grand finale cart. While every other party got to pick which dessert and candy items they wanted, our table was just given a plate of a few selected pieces. Even worse, only three of each item was given… there were four of us.
Take note that if you decide to do the wine pairing and order a supplement dish, they do not tell you that you will be charged for an extra wine pairing. We received the bill and had to inquire about the $ 10 additional charge which the last server told us it was the additional pairing for the supplement dish.
PARKING:
Since Masa’s is located near Union Square, parking can be difficult but there are many paid lots nearby. For street parking, there was a good amount of parking on Pine Street which was about a two block walk.

Although I missed Ron Siegel’s Iron Chef menu while he was at Masa’s, I’m still enjoyed the aesthetically pleasing culinary creations by Chef Short. Short keeps the tradition of Masataki Kobayashi to make every dish pleasing to your enjoy with your eyes. If you order the chef tasting menu ($ 140) for two, you end up with twice as many courses especially if you share. The hot foie gras supplement is worth the extra $ 20 especially when it will be banned as of July 2012. However, the wagyu beef isn’t worth it given the lack of flavor except from the cranberry sauce even though it was prepared technically proficient.
My favorites included the refreshing salad with grapefruit and nuts over an exquisite mole sauce, the signature squab cooked to perfection with a crispy golden brown skin, and the ice cream on top of the crunchy pineapple cake for a cohesive combo. The breaded fish had a nice contrast in terms of texture with the skin and moist center to absorb the sauce that was garnished with green beans, Among the highlights of the wines are the riesling, dessert wine with a brandy finish paired with the foie gras, and a fruity champagne at the end. Although the dessert cart with a variety of chocolates, lollipops and other treats look sensational, it is not nearly as spectacular as the entrees.
The service was friendly, timely and helpful. However, the décor was odd because the dark, solid modern walls and art clashed with the old chairs with a fabric design, red lanterns and pink roses. Moreover, the ambiance wasn’t cozy or intimate for a romantic dinner given the bright lighting and it also didn’t have the energy with an unpacked room on a Friday night. Parking can be tough on the street, but there are nearby garages that make your life easy.

I made the reservation for Masa’s nearly a month or two in advance for this past Saturday. Unbeknownst to me the Chinese New Year parade was the same day and traffic and parking were horrific. Next time I make reservations, I’ll make sure San Francisco festivities will not conflict. We finally parked in a parking garage and made our way to the restaurant.
I had a hard time making my way down 2 very steep hills with 10 inch heels on, so ladies, please remember to bring a pair of walking shoes in your bag if you’re wearing heels and have to make it down those treacherous hills.
Fortunately for my boyfriend and I, I was able to make it to the restaurant unscathed, unharmed and about half an hour late. As we stepped through that big, glassy, vault-​like door, we were greeted immediately by the hostess. There’s a cabinet even to store your coat if you prefer. We were seated immediately in a beautiful and quiet dining room. Quiet, like dead quiet. Quiet, like you could hear a pin drop quiet. Quiet, like you should play the «penis game» quiet. Quiet, like you shouldn’t be talking quiet. YEAH, it was THAT quiet.
Water, and complementary appetizers were warmly set on our table. Took a little time to look over the menu and had our waiter explain the course choices and answer any questions. We finally decided and ordered. Aside from the complementary appetizers, we also got small tasting of the crab salad. Boyfriend got the seafood dish complete with a pair of chopsticks for his appetizer, while I got the salad. My salad was a tad weird, the plate was smeared with a sauce that really just smelled like B.O. but I loved the pistachios and the citrus fruits.
Second dish for boyfriend was the seared scallops while I got a plate of nothing. Boyfriend let me try his scallops and it was absolutely orgasmic! Anyone who is a seafood fan MUST try the scallops. After his scallops, we both had the foie gras, my very first time trying foie gras. The texture is kind of like eating fat off of duck, an oily and slimey texture, it’s not bad actually! Sadly, our waiter informed us that foie gras was going to be outlawed this summer, so anyone who is a foie gras lover needs to go get their fix before this summer!
After foie gras, we both got our filet mignon, boyfriend got his in medium rare while I requested I had mine cooked medium well, what a mistake. –_​– My filet mignon turned out to be a tad dry while boyfriend’s was moist and chewy.
Last but not least, boyfriend had the peanut butter mousse for dessert, while I had the buckwheat crêpe. Mygoodness, this place is delicious!
After our dessert plates were taken, a cart full of delicious goodies were rolled our way. Lollipops, macaroons, brownie-​like sweets, sweets upon sweets were looking us straight in the eye. I wish we had taken some at the table and gotten a box to go, instead we opted for the box to go.
Service from the staff was absolutely amazing. And will be making it back here in the future. Thank you to the impeccable staff that served my boyfriend and I on Saturday night.

Absolutely delicious food and amazing service.
I came here in the middle of November with my best friend for her birthday. They had the truffle menu but we decided to just stick with the regular four course dinner. Before our dinner even started, we were given cute little cheese puffs that was very soft and deliciously cheesy. Then they gave us a pudding-​like item that was infused with truffle. It was amazing! The texture was very creamy and soft but not heavy. I think this might have been my favorite dish out of everything I had that night.
Out of my four course meal, I really liked the confit sturgeon and the sautéed breast of paine farms squab. I wish I could describe how delicious they both were, but I think you should just try it for yourself.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate mousse, honey mascarpone mousse center, honeycomb, honey buttermilk ice cream & the Pumpkin spice panna cotta, gingerbread, bourbon caramel, candied pumpkin, pepita. I really liked the honey buttermilk ice cream and the honeycomb accompanied the chocolate mousse and the ice cream very well. The pumpkin spice panna cotta was also very delicious and I really liked it because it wasn’t too sweet and not very heavy.
The service here was wonderful. The server saw us trying to take pictures of ourselves and offered to help us take photos during the rest of the night. Everyone here was very friendly and sweet. The server with the dessert cart gave us one of each dessert and gave us two macaroons and two lollipops so we wouldn’t have to figure out a way to split them. My friend and I were giggling like crazy for the rest of the night due to the large amount of sugar we consumed.
Love this place and the service. I would definitely come back.

Masa’s has had a notable set of chefs come through its doors. Masa Kobayahi came from Auberge du Soleil, followed by Julian Serrano. Then there was Ron Siegel, Richard Reddington and now Gregory Short. I’ve been told by many friends about the amazing meals they’ve had here under some of those very chefs. Why have I resisted so long? perhaps the whole formality thing. I like fine food, I just like to be comfortable when I eat it. I understand the place for a dress code and yes iit can be very fun every once in a while, it’s just not my normal desire. However when I heard that there was an Iberico menu, I was locked in.
The place is very elegant, and dare I say it old school. Everyone is dressed up and the staff look very sharp. Special occasions abound, it definitely is a restaurant of celebrations. I dig the abstract large artwork that is on display. We’re seated in a semi booth for four and even though we glance at the menu, we know what we’re here for:
Iberico Ham Croquette
gribiche vinaigrette, celery
Chilled California Almond Soup
iberico ham gelee, dried figs, parmesan
«Ham and Eggs»
63 degree poached egg, shaved iberico ham, brioche toast
Sautéed Striped Jack
pole beans, cauliflower, iberico ham consommé
Pan Seared Ribeye of Iberico Pork
braised shoulder, fuji apples, celery branch, smoked potato confit
grain mustard sauce
Baked Strawberry «Pop Tarts»
brown sugar ham glaze, bourbon-​scented strawberries, iberico ham ice cream
and the wine:
Cossart Gordon «Rainwater» Madeira.
Talley Vineyards Chardonnay Arroyo Grande 2008
Domaine de Triennes Viognier, Provence, France 2008
Albert Grivault Pommard «Clos Blanc» 1er Cru 2006
Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-​de-​Venise 2006
Now the meal was certainly very good but it wasn’t transcendent. Maybe I was expecting too much? Perhaps it was the nature of the menu to stay more towards the side of tradition in flavor profiles and I was looking to be surprised? Again it was a very good meal and I’d gladly have it again. I definitely do want to see what the chef’s own tasting menu is about. The service is a bit on the formal side and it took us a while to break down our server. Alan the Sommelier however, was a blast. I know now to set my expectations accordingly and come in next time for the tasting menu with my eyes on a solid classic meal with a formal touch of the past. 4.3 stars

For over 25 years, Masa’s Restaurant, located on the border San Francisco’s bustling Nob Hill and Union Square districts, remains one of the nation’s leading fine dining restaurants specializing in California French cuisine.
The story began when Chef Masataka «Masa» Kobayashi of Auberge du Soleil in California’s Napa Valley was persuaded to headline his own restaurant in San Francisco, utilizing his exceptional talent for French cuisine. His namesake, Masa’s, opened in 1983 and became an instant success.
Chef Gregory Short was hired in 2004. A Montana native trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Chef Short worked through the ranks at Thomas Keller’s world-​renowned French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., for seven years, including four years as Keller’s sous chef.
He develops dishes that combine solid French techniques with a Californian reverence for originality, seasonality and locality. With the tremendous breadth and variety of fresh, incomparable ingredients available to him, Chef Short sees it as his personal duty to keep Masa’s Restaurant focused on taste, aesthetics and the combination and concentration of flavors. As a chef, he takes great pride in creating new dishes every day, and rarely repeats himself.
If you demand flexibility, impeccable service and extraordinary cuisine. Come to Masas.
They are deserving of their Michellin Status. Great food. Awesome staff.