In true Yara fashion, when I heard that I was going to San Francisco, I thought of all the incredible restaurants I could visit if I could only find the time. It was the middle of the work day and I, ever the planner, was anxious to begin planning my extra-curricular activities.
If anyone was going to accompany me on my restaurant experience , it was my travel partner, Professor Herman, Carl. Always equally interested in a very good meal, I called him from my office and asked if he'd be interested in a very good dining experience. When he said, "I can't think of a better person to do that with." I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves and find the spot. The first spot I checked was Atelier Crenn. Do yourself a favor and watch episode S2 Ep3 of The Chef's Table on Netflix. Of course, she was all booked up (so, proud of this female leader in the industry).
Not soon after, I found and reserved Coi - "Minimalist foodie mecca using local ingredients in avant-garde Californian-French tasting menus."
We are seated in a very dimly lit dining room of 8 or so guest tables. Everyone moves smoothly and quietly so as not to disturb the dance. With each course, Carl and I looked and smelled every dish. We tenderly took a bite and formed our opinions to ourselves. We discussed what we thought and moved onto the next one. He was great company and I couldn't have been more ecstatic to have my first 3 star experience with him.
Amuse Bouche: #1: Citrus Marshmallow with finger lime; #2: Nori crisp with avocado mousse and sesame seeds
Course #1: Raw Oyster with cucumber and elderflower ice
Course #2: Striped Horse Mackerel with pickled daikon and turnips
Course #3: Foie Gras Strawberry tart with hazelnut tuille and hazelnut cream
Course #4: Shallot keugelhoff with green onion powder, green onion jam and room-temperature salted butter
Course #5: Anchovies with basil, sun gold tomatoes, beans, and sun dried tomatoes
Course #6: Squab breast, confit leg lollipop, blackberry, mustard seed, and charred onion
Course #7: Lamb with Swiss chard purée, ribs in lamb jus with rosemary
Course #8: Apple marshmallow Italian meringue, apple yuzu sorbet and dehydrated apple peel
Sweet Treats: Served like gems, we each tried 4 tiny bite-sized dessert that came with the check.
As if this meal wasn't enough, a member of the Coi team bid us adieu with a sweet send off. Each one of us received a personal babka.
P.S. You think you'll remember everything about an incredible meal, but you can always trust yourself to forget. It took me a while to get more comfortable with asking about the foods I'm eating so I can write them down and truly relive my experiences. When I go into a dining experience like like this one, I always go armed with my phone so i can take notes. What I'll remember for sure is getting to share this experience with Carl.
At Coi
In San Francisco
With Carl