XYZ
San Francisco, CA |
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| Kumomoto Oysters
with Pickled Ginger Granita |
The rock salt dotted
with warm aromatics like star anise and juniper berries
releases an exotic brown spice aroma as the diner reaches
down to pick up an oyster. The tiny quenelle of granita
is soaking in sweet oyster brine, both of which slip easily
out of the half-shell and into the mouth. The entire experience
is sensual, and not just literally.
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| Chef Rob Hurd |
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Ame
San Francisco, CA |
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| Octopus Carpaccio |
The beautiful, sheer
layers of octopus are tiled on the plate and finished
with a mound of shining octopus-artichoke salad. The attention
is on the precisely placed curling tentacle, and a variety
of textures of the same ingredient, but distracted by
spontaneous sprinklings of vibrant chili powder.
|
| Chef Greg Dunmore |
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Silks
San Francisco, CA |
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Tuna Sashimi with
Ponzu Vinaigrette and Feta Foam
|
There’s
a striking tension between the clean, precise geometry
of the cut fish and the free-form colored sauces running
into each other below it. The complimentary citrus notes
and acid of the dish are contained in tiny gelled cubes
but the plate itself suggests an organic mingling of flavors.
|
| Chef Joel Huff |
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Citizen Cake
San Francisco, CA |
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The Black Island
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The whimsically
titled Black Island is a delicate sphere of isomalt filled
with sesame custard afloat in a sea of litchi froth and
fresh litchis. The effect is disarming when presented
in a dessert, and as peculiar and stunning as an egg from
another planet. Chewy tapioca pearls bobbing to the surface
contribute to the air of mystery.
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| Chef Elizabeth Falkner |
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