Lark Creek Kitchen

I really enjoyed food and service at an early dinner between christmas shopping and a movie with some girlfriends Saturday night. The menu was interesting, we had the peppers to start, 2 of us had the fish dishes and I had the pumpkin gnocchi. We all loved it. Our server, Katie, was very professional and friendly, filling water glasses, checking in at the appropriate times, good recommendations on the menu… I have to say she really appeared as though she loved what she did and was very cheery. With the excellent service and good food, all three of us will be back.

I still fondly remember Yankee Pier, the first Santana Row sit-​down restaurant. It ended up becoming the first of many in one of the South Bay’s premier dining destinations. After several years, the space was remodeled and transformed into Lark Creek Blue, which was still heavily focused on seafood. Now in the third incarnation of this space, Lark Creek Kitchen opens up the menu dramatically and focuses on more creative and elaborate dishes. Executive chef Nick Tall previously worked at Amber, a Two Michelin Star restaurant in Hong Kong. You can definitely see the influences from both Amber and Nick’s Miami upbringing in the dishes. The menu also changes frequently with seasonal items being added every two weeks or so.
The summary (if you don’t want to get into all the specifics below) is that I loved it. This is now easily one of the best restaurants on Santana Row. Ask your server for the chef’s recommendations for that week and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Smaller Plates
24 hour slow cooked pork belly — This was both tender and crispy at the same time. It came with a flavorful side of morning glory (water spinach), a rare and hard-​to-​find topical plant used in Asian cooking but surprisingly hard to find in Silicon Valley.
Heirloom beet and buratta — This is a must-​try appetizer if you visit! The buratta cheese was smooth and creamy and was accompanied by beets, dates, and pomegranate. I could eat three of these and call it a day.
Hamachi ceviche verde with avocado, kiwi, cucumber, green yuzu (Asian citrus) and plantain chips — Of all the great dishes we had, this one was my favorite. If you are a sushi fan like I am, you will love this. They use the fatty part of the hamachi (toro) for extra flavor. You can either use the plaintain chips to scoop up generous pieces of fish or use the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl to make a hamachi wrap (which I highly recommend, this helps you sop up all of the ceviche juices at the bottom).
Larger Plates
Yellowtail amberjack (cooked hamachi) with maitake mushroom, bacon, broken noodles, pickled cauliflower, and miso mustard glaze — Mind-​blowingly good hamachi made from a dorsal fillet. A seaweed bacon infusion is used for the noodles.
Braised local lamb cavatelli pasta with homemade lemon ricotta, grilled fennel, roasted tomato, olive, three herb pesto — Perfect for a hearty meal when it’s cold outside. There were a lot of flavors on the plate and it was very filling. If you feel like skipping the appetizers and getting down to business, this is a great choice.
Desserts
Cheesecake crème brûlée, pink guava purée, café culce de leche — Very unique, I have never had a dish like this. This is a perfect hybrid of both cheesecake and crème brûlée, two of my favorite deserts. I would order this again in a heartbeat.
Caramelized pineapple and preserved lemon tart, white chocolate zabaglione (Italian custard made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine), pineapple caramel — This one was my wife’s favorite. The flavors were very balanced and the cubes of pineapple inside of the custard were a great touch.
Drinks
Unfortunately the cocktails were not quite up to the same caliber as the food. A place like this really deserves some true craft cocktails to go with the killer dishes. I tried the Cucumber Mule (hanson’s organic vodka, bitters, lime, and ginger beer) and Broken Branch (rittenhouse rye whisky, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, amaro averna, bitters). They were fine, but I wouldn’t come out of my way to grab a cocktail here. Wine might be a better choice with your meal.
Chef Nick Tall also has ambitions to bring local craft beer vendors into the restaurant for multi-​course beer pairings. He happens to be a brewer himself and has a strong appreciation and fondness for the art. If he launches a beer pairing for his outstanding menu, I’ll be the first one in line.

Happy hour-​team building sponsored by my company… this was my proposal and we all ended up very glad to be there, the prices for happy hour ares very affordable for many appetizers and the you can get your local beer (I tried one brewed in Santa Clara, it was perfect with my food, fresh and light!). I have to say that what they present as hummus is not hummus. Real hummus is made out of garbanzo beans, not black beans or brown beans. So even if that was kind of interesting to try, I suggest you to skip that app if you want the real deal.
However, the shishito peppers were super awesome, dramatically pungent, spicy without the burning factor, and smooth to the palate. Salt from France, you could tell if you have tried, but the friendly waitress confirmed with the chef for me. I adore those peppers, please please please do not take those from the menu (she was commenting that maybe those are going to be taken out as not so requested, looks like). Hell no! That was the main reason why I choose this restaurant.
Lark Creek Kitchen has a very clean cut look, and seating facing Santana Row was a deluxe moment that I should recommend.

Overpriced for the quality and portions of the food. Chicken drumsticks not wings. It was bland. It does come with sauce on the side but I didn’t like it. Mussels were small and full of empty shells.
Skirt steak was also bland and greasy.
Trout was bland.
Gnocchi had strong tomato flavor. At first it tasted okay but gradually got overwhelming.
French fries are actually good.
Waitress was nice but not really attentive. No refill on our drinks until the end of dinner.

The food was so good. Kind of fusion american. Me and my mom got the pork belly, burger, and broccolini the bill was 40 dollars with two glasses of wine and the food was top notch. Service was good. Food was great.
Pork belly recommended and the burger was one of the best ive ever had

The food was only OK, nothing special. We ate dinner here and had the chicken breast, goat cheese gnocchi, king salmon, and the risotto. The wait for the food wasn’t long, but maybe because they were about to close. The chicken was very tender and the salmon had a nice cook and flavorful, but the gnocchi and risotto was average. The food was good, but wasn’t completely worth it for the price we paid ($ 19−29/dish) which is pretty darn exspensive.
The customer service was pretty good. When we walked in, it took a while for them to notice us. The waiters were polite, and explained the dishes. Our waiter (not Vietnamese) figured out we were Vietnamese and spoke to us in Vietnamese, making our day! Also, they allowed dogs in their outside seating which was a plus for us!
Overall, the place seems mostly for drinking and hanging out because the menu consists of mainly alcohol drinks. The food was 3.5÷4 stars and the the customer service was 4 stars (because it was a little hard to get their attention). I may or may not return (probably not cause of the price), but it’s worth a try!

Enjoyed the experience with my office staff! Alana took care of us, put the happy in happy hour! The cocktails are not wimpy, they nailed my wife’s wine palette.

Popped in here last night to check it out. Sat at the bar, which is the best way to get a good drink. (Thanks Haley!)
Awesome Bourbon sours, and decided I needed to eat.
They had fresh oysters, and I do mean fresh! They were larger than I like. I am a fan of the smaller east coast varieties (RI has the best oysters!), but these were from Puget Sound, WA and VERY good. I happily chomped on roasted Sishito peppers with that.
On the recommendation of the staff, I got the Lamb pasta. The lamb was really good, no game to it at all. Just great earthiness that the is lamb. The flavors were low key, which at first I was a little torn about, but a bold flavor profile would have lost the flavor of the lamb. And the lamb was definitely the star.

First time here. Had the grass fed burger — RECOMMENDED! Fantastic food, great service and dining experience! New to the Row!

What an unpleasant surprise, harsh but honest. Let’s start with the under cooked (internally raw) chicken wings, next the broccolini which was sauteed with too much spice and finally then the goat cheese gnocchi which turned into a mush bowl of goat cheese and sauce.
Please bring back the «Blue»!

While the service is great, I can’t necessarily say the same about the food.
I’ve visited the restaurant twice, the first for drinks and appetizers, and again last night for dinner.
During my first visit, we sat inside at one of the high-​tops by the bar. The oysters were very fresh, but priced pretty steep for $ 3.25-$ 3.50 each. The heirloom tomato salad and seasonal soup (I believe it was the corn bisque that night) were both tasty, but nothing extraordinary. Their fried adobo chicken was probably the best of the bunch; we really enjoyed the dipping sauce.
Last night, I grabbed a quick dinner with my dad and we sat outside on the front patio. He ordered the chicken entrée while I had the Alaskan halibut. He complained that his chicken was really small, but that’s about all that I heard regarding the dish. My poor halibut was just a waste of a beautiful fish. That thing tasted as if it had been reheated three times — it was so incredibly dry. Not only was it dry, but there was no seasoning to it whatsoever; I had to add salt, which I never, ever do. The kale and sauce were tasty, but it could not save the main attraction on the plate. Our server did check in on us shortly after we received our entrees, and when I expressed my disappointment, she was very apologetic and even offered to have the chef whip me up something on the fly. I declined, as I was starving and really don’t like to waste food.
As our server brought out the bill, she let us know that in lieu of applying my Santana Row resident discount, they comped my halibut altogether. This was a nice gesture on their part and I really did appreciate it considering that I opted to finish the entire dish.
I’m not sure I’ll come back here for entrees, but I’ll consider it for drinks and apps again. It probably won’t be my first or second choice, though.

DRINKS ONLY.
Saturday afternoon (inbetween lunch and dinner service) — restaurant was empty. Bartenders were prompt, nice, informative. Drinks were ok — basics like old-​fashioneds were good and well-​balanced but their specialty cocktails had too much going on. We went just after they switched from Lark Creek Blue and the drinks we got are no longer on the menu so maybe the cocktail list has gotten better?
Will definitely go back to try again.

How many Lark Creek concepts have come through here? I think this is the third ive been to. The seafood one went quick. Now theyre focused on meats of land. The space is filled with hides and game heads but they dont serve those alternative proteins. Pork chop, lamb and halibut were all good though, if not fairly straight forward. Skyler our server had a very good demeanor and took good care of us. I think theyre still working on expanding on the menu so it should be better a few months down the line

Tues night, light traffic
Menu is way scaled back from Lark Creek Blue
Service was great.
Had the burger and veg succotash
Overall not bad
The fries I got with my burger was like fry scraps. When I asked the chef, they said that’s how the kitchen cuts fresh fries. I make fries all the time, and I don’t cut them scrap size on purpose.
Hence the 3 star rating.
I hope they expand the menu, I’ll call this a soft opening. Maybe next visit will be better.

I debated whether or not to post this review, but bottom line is why waste your money or calories on flavorless food. The duck tacos needed a lot more tomatillo salsa and spice in the duck meat itself. The shrimp BLT could have used (and trust me, I rarely say this) a kick of something, perhaps Sriracha.
Service was exceptional, but there are so many other restaurants in the area delivering great food.

It was Friday night, I was exhausted and alone on a business trip and decided to try it out. Typically I stick with Unilocal to find businesses and now I remember why. Carlos my server was friendly but appeared extremely busy considering how few people were actually in the restaurant. Initially, i had walked in and sat at the bar but after 10 minutes of sitting alone at the bar watching the bartender silently making drinks without even greeting me I said forget it and got a table. Waited way too long for every part of my meal. Food wasn’t bad, the salad was good, fries and steak were okay. But, after experiencing the other great restaurants in this area I agree with other reviews, it really doesn’t measure up. Disappointing. Hope they figure it out.

I understand the concept of a soft opening is to allow the kitchen and staff to work out the kinks. But come on, the food quality and tastes should already be tried and tested. Why do I have to serve as the guinea pig — paying $ for mediocre /​average food.
Came here on a Sat. While other restaurants open for lunch at 11 am, this one opens at 11:30 am. We walked around and returned interested in trying a new restaurant. We were seated by a host who was not particularly welcoming asking only «inside or out» for our table selection. The menu is not particularly extensive. Appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and sides.
1. Compressed watermelon salad — sounds more intriguing that it really is. At $ 11, I would skip.
2. Veggie burger — was dry and bland. Wife had to add salt. Came with tabbouleh and baba ganoush (which we hardly recognized). Surprised there was only 1 vegetarian option — a veggie burger. My wife ordered that because it was the only available option. Given where we live, restaurants have to offer a selection beyond just the token green salad and veggie burger.
3. Duck Tacos — 3 small soft tacos. After some question raised by the waitress that it might be a small portion because it was an appetizer, I pointed out that it was listed as an entrée. She returned stating that the kitchen had identified it as larger than the appetizer portion and promised it would be substantial. Although moist, taste was bland and needed salt /​seasoning. Mild duck flavor was overcome by the red onions. Contrary to waitresses representation that this was sufficiently «entrée» sized, it was anything but that. At $ 16, a complete rip-​off. Plus, the side of watermelon was not fresh and tasted strange. We pointed that out to the waitress who kindly took the item off the bill.
4. Fish & Chips — 3 small pieces of fish with fries. Fries were good and batter on fish was crisp and not too oily. But for $ 19, this was way overpriced for a small portion. I looked at another picture of fish & chips posted here — mine looks like the appetizer-​sized portion.
5. Burger — son said it was «okay» — but fries were good.
Overall, service was good. The waitress was friendly and tried her best. I think she recognized that we had some issues. Afterwards, we could not find her even though she said earlier that the restaurant was truly interested in hearing our comments (afraid not in this case).
Afterwards, we walked across the way to buy some Pinkberry yogurt to uplift our spirits from our disappointing luncheon experience (as we were not satisfied from our lunch).
Bottom line: We are likely never to return or to recommend this place as a result of this experience. Even before the soft opening, they should make sure the food is where it needs to be because you can never recover if people find your food to be bland and of little value. Yes, its nice to be able to sit outside and people watch, but I can do it at any number of places along Santana Row and come away satisfied and not feeling that I’ve been ripped off. The portions were small (look at the picture of fish & chips posted by others).

I came with a couple of friends for lunch last Monday and discovered that the name/​ownership had changed — that was fine with me as I like to try new things. While the wait staff was good (not great — my friend waited 10+ minutes for her glass of wine during a non-​busy time), the food was really disappointing. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries — simple stuff. I asked for a medium burger and got an overcooked yet mushy, flavorless burger. It honestly tasted like what my teenage son cooks on a pan on on our stove at home… My fries were so undercooked they were soggy and limp. I had a few bites of the burger, and when the waitress asked how our food was, my friend said something about me not liking my food. She offered to let me choose something else, but because the cheeseburger and fries were so bad, I decided to pass.
We moved on to dessert and I thought I would give something else a try. I ordered a berry brickle cake with vanilla ice cream — something that sounded pretty good. What I got was a very small dry berry MUFFIN with a side of almond brittle and a tiny scoop of ice cream… The muffin was so dry that I picked the berries out, and left the rest of the dessert. One of my friends ordered a butterscotch pudding, and he left all but a couple of bites as well.
It’s highly doubtful this new restaurant is going to survive with sub-​par food like this, especially with the competition from other great restaurants at Santana Row.

Went here for the first time with my best friend tonight and what can I say, it was such a good experience from the great service, the tasty food, and the good atmosphere of the place!
I haven’t been to Santana Row in such a long time since I don’t live in San Jose anymore but today we decided to eat here and it was the best idea ever.
Sonia, our server, was phenomenal! She had great suggestions since we have never been there before. She also was very considerate to split the plate for the New York steak that we ordered which was awesome since we didn’t even ask. Thank you Sonia! You were awesome.
We ordered the the Heirloom Melon salad, mussels, and shared the New York steak and all three were soooooo good! The Heirloom Melon salad was so perfect! Bite size melons with prosciutto, mint leaf, and the mozzarella cheese to top it off was just to die for. The mussels were also very delicious and the broth was probably my favorite as it had the perfect amount of spicy was to it. It was so good we asked for extra bruschetta to dip in the broth! Last but not least the New York steak. That was the perfect amount with great flavor combinations. The mashed potatoes and sauce went really well with the steak. I also must commend the chefs for cooking the steak to a perfect medium rare.
Overall great experience and will definitely have to come back soon!

New owner, new name, new menu.
Concept– farm to table.
Menu items change so don’t expect same thing every time.
Oysters very fresh– west coast my favorite.
Pei mussels– very nice broth and good toast pairing.
Burger– Kobe was delicious. Bun was good.
Fish and chips– oily, but they recently opened so they still have time for improvement.
Staff very friendly and accomadating.