Michael Mina San Francisco
Last night, Sarah and I were went to dinner at Michael Mina with Allen Young and his wife. Allen is a long time reader and when he heard that I was coming to San Fran for Ad:Tech, he rung me up and offered the invite to what is arguably the best restaurant in all of San Francisco, if not the entire United States.
Michael Mini is one of the biggest names in the fine dining world. His flagship Michael Mina restaurant in the historic St. Francis hotel is the very definition of high end dining at its very best. The room is a huge space that features dramatic, soaring, 20-foot Ionic columns. Think grand hotel lobby and you’ll get the idea.
Michael Mina’s signature technique is preparing each dish three ways. One luxe ingredient is prepared three different ways and presented in concert on a specially designed plate. Presentation is right up there with Toronto’s Susur Lee. I would rank Michael Mina among the top five best restaurants I’ve ever dined at.
Dayboat Scallops - Spring Vegetables
- English peas, Nantes carrots, onion soubise
- Fingerling potato, young leeks, black truffle
- Fava beans, applewood smoked bacon, pork jus
Hudson Valley Foie Gras - Hot to Cold
- Huckleberry gastrique, Belgian endive - seared
- Pickled strawberries, oat streusle - “Chuad Froid”
- Poached rhubarb, pistachio crumble - terrine
Premium Beef Tasting
- Grass-fed rib-eye, creamed spinach, sauce au poivre
- American Kobe short rib, horseradish whipped potatoes, natural jus
- Japanese Kobe sirloin, pickled mushrooms, bordelaise vinaigrette
This was a standout dish. The rib-eye was so tender, but then you bite into the American Kobe short rib and it was even more tender! Just when you thought it couldn’t get more tender than that, you bite into the real Japanese Kobe sirloin and oh man! It literally melts in your mouth.
Alaskan Halibut - Salted, Poached, Seared
- Brandade, haricot vert nicoise olives
- Noisette, spring garlic, Serrano ham
- Seared, Razor clams, chowder sauce
Chocolate
- White chocolate rose panna cotta, hibiscus, almond
- S’more, saffron marshmallow, pistachio puree
- Chocolate ice cream, lavender, shortbread
Artisan Cheeses
- Haystack peak - blood orange, yellow beet
- Malvarosa - dried fig, red onion marmalade
- Pleasant Ridge Reserve - Kalamata olive, pomegranate
I wan to thank Allen for the inviting us to dinner with him and his lovely wife. We had a great time and I look forwarding to taking them out when they visit Vancouver.
- Posted in Fine Dining
- 48 comments what's your take?
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Just could be… Though I’ve never been to San Fran, it looks not only delicious but artistic
Reply to this commentI certainly went to SF, but never ate food like THAT!… The hotel we stayed in made us eat breakfast in the foyer during January… it was COLD! And rude of them…! I think it was Holiday Inn, but I can’t remember. I should have complained, but I would not hesitate to complain now.
Reply to this commentThat dinner is absolutely amazing.
Reply to this commentWhy did you eat at the hotel if you didn’t like the food they can’t force you to eat there.
Reply to this commentMan, those desserts are looking delicious!
Reply to this commenti am getting hungry too!
Reply to this commentI wonder if you have to take notes at a dinner like this John. How can you remember everything you ate, and then be able to spell it.
Reply to this commentI don’t take notes. To remember the menu, just take a picture of it.
Reply to this commentI guess that would work, duh, didn’t think of that.
Reply to this commentI would hate to eat it! It looks like they put a lot of effort into presentation. If they spend that much time on presentation, I am sure the food is unbelievable! John, any recommendations or favorite restaurants in Austin(assuming you have been down here)?
Reply to this commentIf only John is single
The” Chocolate ice cream, lavender, shortbread” on the vid does not look too attractive.
http://www.swearpidia.com
Reply to this commentChow I hope the steaks were cheap. ….
Reply to this commentGrain fed beef is the top price and tenderness on the market…
Several years back I ran a chain of service station that had kitchens and a full menu.. The Thursday $3.99 special was char grilled rib-eyes with fries, salad dessert and drink. The steaks were grass fed .99 to 1.99 lb wholesale. Grass fed …..LOL that’s funny at a high end restaurant.
you always take good pictures from the food… delicious
Reply to this commentlovely
Reply to this commentOK.. that does it. No more no more of the image.. i can’t stand it anymore, those food on the image are look too delicious until i am hungry now. Get me some of those dishes chow. Please
Reply to this commentThe fine diners seem to be more interested in setting up the decoration of the dishes than its taste.
Triplets of everything looks cool
Reply to this commentdouble that.
http://www.swearpidia.com
Reply to this comment4 times better
Reply to this commentThe pickled strawberries minus the oats looks good.
The meat also looks great. I haven’t had steak in so long.
Reply to this commentHi John,
Reply to this commentI have been following your blog since you launched it. Not sure if you have been following mine at http://blog.mindvalleylabs.com. I will be in Vancouver in about a month and would love to catch up.
Mike
Co-Founder - MindValley
Being famous sure has its advantage.
Reply to this commentIt smells delicious!
Reply to this commentNot only smells it also tastes
Reply to this commentJohn, with all the great food you have been eating lately you are going to get fat!
I’m just jealous I guess.
Reply to this commentThe question is “How much John Eat from those dishes”? If you see those dishes are too small
Reply to this commentI still wonuldn’t mind a taste!
Reply to this commentI don’t subscribe to this for food reviews. I never read food reviews.
Reply to this commentI feel I have wasted almost a full minute of my time looking at this.
Wow! You could have stopped before you started! You mean yo could’t figure out it was a food review at first glance?
Reply to this commentJohn should become the Shoemoney of the past. Does anyone remember how fat Jeremy was before?
Reply to this commentlol yeah I do … sad john’s wife is not a doctor so he won’t be able to get skinny.
Reply to this commentno…………lure us with food again……….hahahaha
Reply to this commentAnd again quite not bad pictures
Reply to this commentThe food looks nice, looks like when i visit San Francisco i’m going to dine there
Reply to this commentOnce again, quite the presentation there. Everything looks great!
Reply to this commentLooks good but small portions
Reply to this commentJohn - looks like a great time. Next time you’re in LA let me know and I’ll take you out to dinner. There’s more than a few killer places here in LA, too.
Reply to this commentAbsolutely amazing post again, John. Very interesting and useful. Glad to see what you had for dinner. If you want a few pointers, come on over to JakePitt.com. I won’t even charge ya.
Reply to this commentHere’s the menu from Michael Mina
Reply to this commenthttp://www.michaelmina.net/mm/pdf/Prix%20Fixe%20Menu.pdf
Everything looks so perfect and delicious!
Reply to this comment~Terry
Dinner looks (must be in taste too) delicious
I can see web 2.0 looks in food decoration 
Reply to this commentI am hungry now .. these pictures are delicious
Reply to this commentyum yum, water licking from my mouth.
Reply to this commentJohn are they paying you for makig videos for restaurants or you do it 4 free?
THis food looks awesome
Reply to this commentJust out of curiosity, where would you take them out to here in Vancouver?
Reply to this comment