For my newest function, I began with this central query: What can one make of Michael Mina’s culinary fashion when his oeuvre is so broad? The chef’s Mina Group at the moment operates round 40 ideas in North America and the United Arab Emirates, with a few dozen within the Bay Space correct. Since I sadly wasn’t going to have the ability to justify a airplane ticket to Dubai for this story, I went to as most of the native spots as I may within the span of some weeks. You can read my full look at his empire here.
I discovered the experiences to be fairly inconsistent, the good hospitality marred at instances by dry experiments in baklava, mushy mushrooms and flavorless fried rice. However there have been moments the place I felt like I *obtained* an amazing sense of what Mina was about — the place the chef’s boundless curiosity about meals shined by way of.
At Estiatorio Ornos, the group’s new Greek restaurant in downtown San Francisco, a choice of uncooked fish and seafood is the spotlight. Every, from big-eye tuna ($22) to wafer-like slices of sea scallops ($19), is dressed with quite a lot of garnishes. Within the former, slabs of tuna flesh appear to be chunks of ripe summer season watermelon on the plate. A drizzle of pistachio oil is fatty and earthy; garnishes of dill flower and finger lime pulp give every chew ecstatic pops of taste. The best approach to eat right here is to cease in on the bar, order a glass of Greek wine and bask in some crudo.
It took me some time to get to the Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon, since reservations have been enthusiastically snapped up for months because it opened in December 2021. The Marin neighborhood was ravenous for an grownup hangout spot, and it confirmed. A few of the extra spectacular dishes from the chef’s repertoire, like Maine lobster pot pie ($130), are current right here, however my favourite bites have been smaller. The brussels sprouts ($13) have been tender and caramelized; a sprinkle of fried shallots on prime accentuated the crispness of the tiny sprouts’ leaves. An assortment of foraged mushrooms ($12), which on the time included intensely woodsy black trumpet mushrooms, thrived in a well-balanced sauce of spicy gochujang and caramelized onions.
And I used to be impressed by Pabu Izakaya’s okonomiyaki ($19), a savory pancake combined with lacy sliced cabbage, pork stomach and tender bits of Monterey squid. Shreds of aged bonito fish danced on the new sunny-side up egg that topped the entire package deal. In a city bereft of okonomiyaki, this skillful rendition is a luxurious price searching for out.
On that final observe, it grew to become clear to me whereas reporting out this function that one of many unstated themes of the Mina Group was figuring what what a meals scene doesn’t actually have, after which offering it. That’s why, I consider, that Mina has so many eating places: Airports, inns, builders and different enterprise companions are assured that the Mina Group will get the zeitgeist.
But that additionally means not each one in all his tasks shall be vacation spot eating. However when you do wish to search out a Mina restaurant, begin with the crudo and go from there.
Estiatorio Ornos. 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 5-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Indoor seating solely. 252 California St., San Francisco. 415-417-3969 or michaelmina.net/restaurants/estiatorio-ornos/estiatorio-ornos-san-francisco/
The Bungalow Kitchen. 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Indoor and outside seating. 5 Fundamental St., Tiburon. 415-366-4088 or bungalowkitchen.com/tiburon/
Pabu Izakaya. 4-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Indoor and outside seating, takeout and supply. 101 California St., San Francisco. 415-535-0184 or michaelmina.net/restaurants/pabu/san-francisco/
