After a long time just looking at their menu, we finally tried dining at Ernest. Many foodie friends and chefs recommended this spot. Tldr: we left satisfied and wanted more. Creative yet familiar dishes. Attentive service, open kitchen concept and a nice ambience. - Oysters: 7.5/10. The sauce was good. Oysters were so creamy. Didn't blow us away though. - Bluefin tuna tartare with smoked ponzu and miso cream. The cream was a real winner of this dish. It added the creaminess and a tint of umami to the fish. - SF Bay Halibut Tostada: it's good but not very memorable. - Smoked heirloom tomatoes, tantanmen vinegrette and ramen egg. This is chef's take on the tantanmen. The best dish of the meal. If you add some ramen to make a dry noodle dish, it would be a big hit. The tomatoes were slightly smoky, combined with the sesame flavor and vinegrette. Excellent! - Koshihikari fried rice with Brentwood corn: another great dish. It's better than many fried rice spots out there. I wished that it had less corn. - Chrysanthemum salad with some shaved bonito flakes and parmesan: this was too salty. I wouldn't order it again. Of course we cannot skip the kakigori - Flavor king pluot with shisho kakigori: the pluot was tangy and it went well with the shisho ice. Very refreshing. I really enjoyed this dinner and will be back. read more

See all

Website advertises that you can walk in for bar seating but you cannot. Host was not particularly nice about it either

I set up a reminder to make a reservation for the next month when they opened up and still could only get a 5:30pm spot haha. It was already packed when we arrived and rightfully so. The food here is Californian with asian influences; the chef aims to pair familiar flavors with new ingredients and he sure does that in all of his dishes! There is a lot of outdoor seating and more tables inside in a beautiful space where you can see the chefs work in the kitchen. I felt like I was getting a fine dining experience, but in a casual atmosphere (staff were amazing, plate/utensils change every course, etc), which was great. Here is what I ordered to share with my husband: Live Scallop Sashimi $21 We thought this was good, but wish they could have seasoned it a little less so the natural sweetness of the scallops can really shine. Paired well with the cucumbers on top. Aged Beef & Bone Marrow Dumplings $15 This came with 3 dumplings, pretty steep, but it was good. The bone marrow is completely liquified so be careful when you take your first bite. I think I would have preferred something that was more one-bite size so you don't lose anything. Heart of Palm Carpaccio $17 The staff recommended this and i'm so glad we got it! The heart of palm tasted so tender and fresh, and the combo of the Sansho (you'll get a little numbing peppercorn taste), black sesame, and sweet cherries just put it over the top. Lo Mein $23 This is more on the heavy side so I'm glad we got the manila clams to follow. This is a real decadent dish that makes you want to go back in for another bite. This was a really well done carbonara/mac & cheese. We didn't even leave any of the sauce behind :P Where it falls short is really the sea urchin - didn't really taste it anywhere but honestly it probably didn't need it? And not 100% sure where the lo mein part of it comes in. Manila Clams $24 YUMMMM, steamed clams are the best, they were really tender. Warning to people who don't love tasting alcohol - we could definitely still taste some rice wine in there. Medium Rare Basque Cheesecake $13 Lovely way to round out the meal. It had some bright lemon-y flavors that really cut through the richness of the cheesecake. Not the most affordable meal, but once in a while, this is totally worth it :) I need to come back when I can eat all the raw foods they have to offer!!! Oh, and the Koshihikari Fried Rice, the Pork Tonkatsu, the black sesame shaved ice... :P read more

See all

Been wanting to try this place for a while and it was pretty difficult to get a reservation, but finally was able to make a reservation one month out. They're very good about checking vax cards, and masks have to be on when you're not at your table. Felt relatively safe here. Overall, the food was pretty good. It is on the pricier side, but I highly recommend ordering several a la carte items to share with your group. One thing I'll say is although everything was overall good, it wasn't necessarily the best version of each dish I've ever had, which is why it isn't a 5 star for me. Favorite dishes: - house rolls were the fan favorite - scallop crudo was delightful - loved the Asian flavors in their squid dish - caviar with tater tots, small bit delightful - tonkotsu was fried perfectly, the tomatoes on top were perfect Okay dishes: - uni lo mein could've had more uni flavor, so far EMC has the best uni flavor in their noodle dish - uni spoon was good but overpriced in my opinion compared to getting something of similar quality at a Japanese spot - I've had better basque cheesecake - dumplings were fine, nothing too special read more

See all

Should you come here immediately and let the kitchen cook for you? Yes, yes you should. Ernest definitely lived up to all expectations from both a food and decor perspective - the huge bright windows and open atmosphere was great! Chefs menu had a little bit of everything! Even though my friend has a dairy allergy, they were wholly able to accommodate (ricotta on the side, sub a dish for another dish etc.). Star of the show was def the first set of starters. - Oysters with a delicious lemon/yuzu ice: Literally insane starter - Grilled Avocado with Smoked Trout Roe, Sprouts, Everything Seed: Lovely creamy bite - Ora King Salmon: This was such a good mouthful, had like mushrooms and crunchy bread things - idk but amazing - A shrimp cocktail-esque dish that had the perfect balance of spice - Sushi Rice Ikura, Raw Beef, Toasted Nori: Picture perfect to make hand rolls Then came the: - Hothouse Cucumbers Sesame, White Miso, Chili Crisp: You have to eat the white miso cucs intermittently with the chili crisp cucs because then it gets to spicy for the palate (at least mine!) - Spring Peas: Cooked in chicken fat and served with ricotta! Loved the brightness from the peas Mains: - Prawn Fried Rice Yellow Corn, Thai Basil: The Thai basil was really showed through the rice and loved the pops of corn - BBQ Pork Neck Barhi Date, Hot Mustard: This paired so well with the mustard and was the perfect balance of fat and meat Finished with: - Strawberry short cake shaved ice (sans whatever creamy topping they usually have): First few bites were amazing, then because there isn't the cream element, I think it was a little too strawberry syrup sweet :( Surprise got the: - Uni Toast Jamón Serrano, Quail Egg: Sans toast and just uni, jamon, and quail egg on a spoon. What a way to finish the meal. Will definitely come back to try all the other dishes missed and get blessed by all the lucky cats all over the restaurant. read more

See all

I went here with a friend who was returning for the third time, and he had said really good things so I was definitely looking forward to it. We chose the tasting menu, which ended up being really nice in terms of variety and volume. Although now doing the math, i think the value of what we got is less than what we paid for the tasting menu option... From the Raw Bar: - Raw Oyster and Littleneck Clam (1 each) - these were quite tasty! Quite heavily drenched in sauce so there wasn't a necessary focus on the freshness of the shellfish, but there weren't any fishy aftertastes so I assume it was quite fresh - Shrimp Ceviche - again, quite a salty dish. Loved the balance from saltines and the creaminess of the avocado, but the sauce was the dominant flavor here - Beef Tartare with Ikura Rice - Loved this! Served with the rest of the raw bar this ended up tasting rather bland since everything else was so strongly flavored, but great texture and super fresh - Tuna Tostada - this was probably my favorite piece of this raw course. The rayu was a super tasty complement to the fresh tuna Next course was their Parker House rolls along with two dishes from their Vegetables section: - Parker House Rolls: I love bread. Enough said. I would eat a whole plate of this - Heirloom Tomatoes: I really enjoyed the miso and Thai basil flavors on this one! And the unexpected pairing with Yuba was a surprising but very pleasant complement - Grilled Avocado: This dish had an unexpected aftertaste that I didn't really enjoy. I asked the waiter about it because I couldn't quite figure it out, but it might have been the avocado leaf oil. Our Main course was Roasted Squab with Buffalo Sauce and a Blue Cheese dressing, which wasn't on the menu! Personally not the biggest fan of buffalo sauce or squab, but this was quite decent. Dessert was their signature Soft Serve Sundae, which is the only thing I don't have a picture before because we were so excited to dig in. A tall soft serve sundae drenched in a DELICIOUS hazelnut toffee sauce and a chocolate magic shell. This is something I would come back to Ernest for just on its own. In my friend's prior visits he mentioned that he'd gotten a couple more dishes, so we were a little surprised that there was no carb dish, for e.g. I left pleasantly (but not uncomfortably) full, so this was a good amount of food regardless, but still wondering if I should've just done a la carte instead... read more

See all

Came here for a really late night snack/dinner and only ordered a few plates. All the food we got was exceptional, but I docked a star because of our waiter. As soon as we mentioned we'd only want 3 dishes he tried to push us to order more and when we didn't (as we weren't super hungry and didn't see anything else on the menu that stood out) he became very stoic to the point of being cold. Ignoring any "thanks" we gave for a refill or for clearing away some plates. Didn't make for the most comfortable atmosphere. ON TO WHAT MATTERS THE MOST-- FOOOOOOD (and drink)! Makrut Like Fizz: One of the best cocktails I've had in awhile. I love gin but was a bit hesitant to get this drink when I saw soda (I really dislike fizzy drinks) and sour cream. Let me tell you I was so shook at how great this combination turned out you definitely HAVE to try this drink. Rolls: FANTASTIC. They taste just as good as they look in the photo attached. It's nothing fancy or unusual, just some really soft, and filling rolls. Beef Tar Tare: Definitely the star of the show. The ingredients all tasted extremely fresh and they paired exquisitely well with each other. Eating them as a hand roll SLAPS. The sushi rice was so flavorful! Lo Mein: The dish is about the size of a buldak ramen packet which was exactly what we expected and wanted. The carbonara was slightly undercooked making the texture quite hard. The sauce was solid and because of that I'd still recommend it assuming they'll cook it a little longer. Great food! Would recommend checking this place out! read more

See all

We were surprised when our waiter kept acting impressed every time he cleared away our empty plates after each of the early courses in our 5 course "Chef's choice" prix fixe meal but quickly grew to understand our mistake in devouring every delicious morsel of food when we were close to bursting at the seams by the end of course 3! Ernest has a chic SF design district feel as you would expect - it's located in a commercial unit that is shared with Heath Ceramics and the exposed concrete interior and tall warehouse windows are highly industrial. They mix it up with an almost perfectly synchronised row of maneki-neko (beckoning cats) sitting on the shelf along one side of the restaurant. They also use some lovely ceramics for their own serving plates - although these were apparently sourced out of the mid-west - i.e. not Heath! My highlights were the Makrut Lime Fizz cocktail, which was made from sour cream and was incredibly refreshing - to the point where I finished it far quicker than expected! My partner's non-alcoholic Dirty Girl Milk Punch was also excellent. We also enjoyed the fresh oysters, scallops, and salmon served early on, as well as the warm dinner roll (can't really go wrong with fresh bread though, can you) and the chocolate coated soft-serve for dessert. We had enough spiced rice and pasta left over to take home for a delicious - if very carby - lunch the next day. Book indoors if you are vaccinated and comfortable doing so - we were glad to be able to relax in the warmth and enjoy our multiple courses without feeling a need to rush due to the cold. read more

See all

Don't pay attention to all these self proclaimed food critics that can't tell the difference between a seasoned dish and an over salted soggy McDonalds fry. Ernest is excellent from the moment you walk in, the decor and vibe lets you know it's going to be a modern take on classics. We ordered the sushi rice, Parker rolls, hanger steak, and fried rice. Even though we got a shocking comment from the couple sitting next to us, we got two desserts, the kakigori and soft serve. And yes, totally worth it - even with the haterade next door. Everything was DELICIOUS. My favorite was the fried rice. The XO sauce and the Thai basil on top totally make that dish a 10. Service is top notch. My water was never empty and our server, Eric, timed everything perfectly. If I lived in the area, it would be my go-to place for special occasions. The fact the menu is always changing gives you something to look forward to each time you go. read more

See all

Finally snagged a seat on a Wednesday at arguably the hottest table in SF right now. I had high hopes and was not let down. Some menu similarities from big sister Rich Table (chips and dip, uni carbonara) though it feels a bit more casual. Went for the $95 tasting menu. Standouts were the beef tartare (as delicious as it was beautiful), fried rice, pork tonkatsu, and the soft serve. Fried rice almost always lacks flavor imho but this packed a punch. Only things I'd skip if coming would be the brussels (too smoky for my taste and not as balance) and the chips and cheese fondue sauce, the sauce being a little too sweet for me. Overall very memorable meal and easy to recommend, if and when you can snag a seat. read more

See all

COVID-19 OUTDOOR DINING I can't remember the last time I had a solid craft cocktail... Oh wait, I do...though hazy, I nearly made a fool out of myself when I almost crashed a couple's date at OKC in Campbell. Nothing like a crazy lady telling you, what beautiful babies you guys would make...on your first date. Nope, not awkward at all. Thankfully, my voice of reason gave me the death stare to sit my arse down. I really enjoyed the cocktails at Ernest but I had to cut myself off at three because bad decisions don't make good stories in SF, not during covid. Opening yesterday, Ernest is a new restaurant from the former chef of Michelin-starred Rich Table. For now, it's outdoor seating only (open-air). There's eight 4-tops on the sidewalk and one 6-top inside the patio. Reservations are a must. Heat lamps and blankets are available. Even though it was in the low 50's, it was comfortable with the heat lamps and a warm coat. They're located off the busy streets so there wasn't as much car and pedestrian traffic. Remember Circolo and Whisper? Ernest is in that area so plenty of free, non-metered parking. M E N U Global cuisine with heavy Asian influences. See pics for menu: https://bit.ly/3ePHatyand https://bit.ly/3cJrW6B. For a party of two, 3-5 dishes were recommended. Full bar. 6% Healthy SF Tax is added to the bill. C O V I D - 1 9 S A F E T Y P R E C A U T I O N S * Staff wore masks properly. * Clear instructions on COVID protocols on Resy and guests are reminded to keep their masks on at all times, unless you're actively eating and drinking. * Tables were spaced more than 6 feet away from each other. * Wrapped utensils. * Time limitation for tables. * Staff was diligent about sanitizing tables between guests. * Hand sanitizer available. D R I N K S / F O O D * Makrut Lime Fizz: Gin & Cachaça w/ sour cream, egg white, soda ($13): https://bit.ly/3vAF46K Well-balanced and citrusy, and nicely frothy. Not overly sweet. * "Vesper", not on the menu ($13) The bartender didn't have all the ingredients to make the standard Vesper so he made his take on it. The martini was clean, smooth, and very stiff...just the way I liked it. * Hon-Hamachi Sashimi w/ ponzu, new olive oil, radishes ($18): https://bit.ly/3vGJdpA Standard carpaccio dish. * Chicken Liver Terrine w/ bubble waffle, apple butter ($16): https://bit.ly/3qWJjWF Loved the Chinese spin on this French classic. Tear a piece of the egg waffle, dip it into the incredibly rich and smooth, foie-like chicken terrine, top it with a little apple butter and enjoy! The waffle is sturdier and a little denser than the Hong Kong ones so it doesn't crack when using it as a dipping vessel. * Pork Collar Tonkatsu w/ chicories, sicilian xo ($33): https://bit.ly/3cP2qNc Fav dish of the night! The pork collar tonkatsu was perfectly golden brown, crunchy, and richly flavored from the marbling. The xo sauce added a savory, tangy, and umami-rich bite, while the slightly bitter chicories balanced the porky richness. Get this! * Lo Mein: Sea Urchin Carbonara w/ Olivier's bacon ($23): https://bit.ly/2P3aXEc Al-dente, chewy noodles bathed in a an deliciously rich carbonara sauce. There was no uni tongue but you can taste its sweet brininess in the sauce. * Liberty Farm Duck w/ traditional & non-traditional accompaniments (Half - $60): https://bit.ly/3r44BBD Anticipation was high since we waited nearly an hour after our last course for this. The duck is served ssäm style with baby red lettuce, bean sprouts, ginger-scallion sauce, and a plum-like sauce (forgot to ask what this was) to make your own wraps. While I liked that the duck was nicely rendered and cooked medium rare, I was hoping for crispy skin. * Burnt Basque Cheesecake ($13): https://bit.ly/3d0OrnZ Not going to lie, I mainly made reservations for this cheesecake, to see how it stacks up to Basuku's. It's served "medium rare" so it's ultra-custardy with a thin, burnt crown. Ernest's take on it has orange blossom water. I may be in the minority but it's not for me. Not sure if it was the orange blossom water or something else but the cheesecake had a strong bitterness. I did let our server know when he asked for feedback and he kindly removed it from our bill. * Coconut Lime Kakigōri ($13) If you're looking for a light and refreshing end to your meal, can't go wrong with this tropical Japanese shaved ice dessert. S E R V I C E Professional. I appreciate the hospitable manager making his rounds checking in with guests. It's opening night so kinks are to be expected. Dinner lasted longer than we anticipated (2.5 hours) with some considerable lag between courses. I'm confident they'll ramp up soon though. Overall, Ernest is off to a good start and is a nice addition to this part of the Mission. Seriously though..don't sleep on the tonkatsu and cocktails! read more

See all

I booked a reservation for a party of 4 for a Saturday evening about a month in advance. I was so looking forward to this dinner bc we rarely go out to eat at nice places, and this place had such good reviews. We were seated immediately upon checking in, and asked the server questions about the tasting menu. He explained that it would be $139/pp and it would give us a taste of essentially everything on the menu, but it was shared plates. We needed some time to look at the menu items and decide - so every time he came back, we asked for more time to decide. Mind you, he came to check on us about 3 times in a 10 minute period. We felt very pressured to make a decision even though we basically just sat down... We decided to order individual items to share and my bf started ordering. The waiter cut him off and asked if he would be ordering for the whole table - my bf said no. The waiter then said in an exasperated tone "THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY CONFUSING". Im not sure whats so confusing about everyone ordering for themselves and then sharing with each other. Of course now I feel awkward ordering because I feel like Im making his job hard - when all hes doing is taking our order. Anyway, once we were done ordering, he said he didnt think itd be enough for the 4 of us. So we added the burrata based on his recs and had a total of 10 dishes. The burrata dish was definitely weird and we regretted adding it because we were stuffed by dish 7. And you should have seen the way his face fell when we said we werent interested in drinks. Hog island oysters - tasted very fresh but the pairing with cucumber and michelada wasnt anything to write home about. Sushi rice, ikura, raw beef, nori - my friends really enjoyed this one Swordfish prosciutto - very interesting dish that was light and bright Bluefin tuna carpaccio - my friends LOVED this dish. She said it was very refreshing Parker house rolls - filling but nothing crazy. it would have tasted better with the banana cream rather than the butter they gave us Osetra caviar - the banana bread in this was delicious but too strong of a flavor to truly appreciate the caviar. The caviar just made it taste like salty banana bread. it should have been paired with something else Koshihikari fried rice - texture of the fried rice with brussel sprouts was great but honestly, is fried rice ever something to write home about? Flavor was ok, kind of sweet and smokey Smoked early girly tomato - I imagine this is what vegetarians eat to cope. the tomato could have been a steak - it was so smokey it tasted like I was eating a campfire. Egg was good but the sauce was not thick enough to be a sauce, they should have made this into a soup Burrata - the scallion pancake was SO OILY that it made it nauseating to eat. Too many flavors going on - figs with red chili crisp was not a good combo. A different fruit should have been used or fruit omitted altogether. LA shortrib - sweet and salty We couldnt justify the price point based on the poor service, weird vibes, and only ok food. Additionally there were clearly many asian inspired dishes but it felt inconsistent bc im eating a japanese inspired dish followed by a korean inspired one... like maybe just choose one fusion and stick with it? Additionally, There were many points throughout dinner where it felt like our server was trying to sell us more, also while trying to rush us out of there. read more

If I could give 3.5 stars, that would probably better depict our expedited at Ernest. Everything was really tasty but the portion sizes were so small that four people pretty much just got a taste of everything. I think we ordered five things and walked out right at the border of full. The drinks were also just mediocre (but we could've ordered the wrong thing). I think this is a cute date night spot but I'm not sure if it'll ever be at the top of my list of suggestions. read more

See all

The restaurant has high ceiling and pretty spacious sittings. It gets pretty loud when its full of people (it looks like its always gonna be full of people). The food is amazing and very delicious. My husband and I enjoyed every single dishes and we were surprised each first bite of them. The server was nice but it looked like he wanted to go home since it was the 9:15pm reservation. It was our first wedding anniversary and we asked take photos of us and he didn't put any effort on the photos. I wish he could've capture that good moment with amazing food in the photo with more effort but its okay, he's not a photographer. So overall we had such a good time and would highly recommend to other people. read more

See all

Ernest was one of my favorite dinners I've had in SF. The prices were reasonable, the service excellent, and the food every bit as delicious as I hoped. My only recommendation is to do something to spruce up the ambience of your outside seating a bit. The uni pasta was the best I've had. Neither too salty nor rich, it carried the flavor of sea urchin well without being to fishy. It is lighter than EMC's, feels like they use less butter, and the noodles are a great consistency. Corn dish was also wonderful. It was a more traditional preparation, but done really well and a great pairing to our main course, the beef skewer. It was delicious, though I'll have to say the mushrooms were my favorite part. They somehow grilled the mushrooms to somewhat pop in consistency. How?! We also got oysters, which were fantastic. So fresh, fruity almost, and fragrant. Highly recommend at least a couple of these to set the mood of dinner. Per everyone's recommendation, we got the shaved ice even though we were beyond stuffed. Didn't end up finishing it, but thoroughly enjoyed it. An absolute must-order on your trip here. Oh, and the cocktails were also lovely--highly recommended! read more

Ernest - Tiramisu patbingsu (shaved ice) - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Yes yes yes! Fantastic restaurant. Don't get the tasting menu - just try a lot of different dishes à la carte and share among your party, especially if it's more than 2 people. The food is so fresh and delicious, and the ambiance is very hip. No wonder it's so popular! We ordered 8 dishes including dessert and everything was amazing except for the artichoke which was okay. The pork rib was a standout, and the uni toast, salmon sashimi, wagyu, and fried rice were also super good. The 2 desserts we got - the shaved ice and the cheesecake - were a perfect ending to this meal. So rich and creamy. read more

See all

Came to Ernest last week again to give it another shot. The menu changed since we last came and we opted for a la carte again. The standout by far was the sushi rice with raw beef - I'd order 5 of these alone next time. We were disappointed that there was no pork cheek or bone marrow fried rice so we instead settled for the hangar steak, stuffed mushrooms, and normal fried rice, all of which weren't as good as the pork cheek or bone marrow fried rice. Service was prompt but we indicated we were celebrating our engagement, which got overlooked by the waiter. The ambiance was a bit loud given it was a peak time on Friday night but that's to be expected. All in all, I'd definitely come back but will check the menu beforehand to ensure our favorites are there read more

Absolute gem! Came here on a quick weekend getaway and super impressed with vibes and service. Since last minute we were able to get seated at the bar which worked out well. Started off with the most amazing Parker house rolls, Dunplings and Duck confit rolls. All highly recommended and followed me the crispy chicken fried rice and short ribs. Dessert was soft serve and medium rare cheesecake. All was delicious and look forward to going back someday. read more

See all

Omakase style (chef's choice) is the way to go. The chef prepares items for your table, but the whole table must participate. I don't even know where to start... I've been to Ernest three times now and each time it has been incredible. The last two times I have gone were within the last month or so and I must say, the first round of dishes were right up my alley with so many raw items. We had a total of 3 rounds (I think? I lost count bc there were so many dishes lol). The first round was filled with yummy small plates with lots of raw items such as raw fish and beef tartare with ikura (a STAPLE that I'm obsessed with). The second round was filled with hot items and a delicious and fresh garden salad. Third round had entrees typically consisting of a meat and/or fish. And we ended with a trio of desserts. I guess that makes 4 rounds total, but 3 rounds of small plates. You will not leave hungry that's for sure! Ambiance is awesome. Cute two level restaurant with the bar at the entrance and most dining tables upstairs by the open kitchen. The servers are all really attentive and friendly. Highly recommend this spot! Parking is not always the easiest so reco taking an Uber if possible. read more

See all

The food was great, and our server was very nice. The host's warning upon arrival that we had two hours to eat and vacate the premises was quite off-putting. I get wanting to turn the table twice in a night, but guests are, after all, here to spend money at this not-inexpensive restaurant in pursuit of a good time. Try taking steps to take the pressure off them, such as allocating two hours 15 minutes per turn, not mentioning a time limit, and keeping the staff on duty a bit longer if necessary to make guests feel comfortable. Just a thought. read more

There are a few restaurants that I wish I could give six stars to. Ernest certainly deserves high praise for one of the most exceptional dining experiences I've ever had in San Francisco. It was upscale, but casual, elevated, but the classics well done, the service reminded me of an exceptional Michelin restaurant, and the food left me speechless for the variety of flavor, profiles, and textures, and sources of inspiration. Dishes we got: overall, I highly recommend getting one or two dishes from each of the menu, sections, or doing the tasting menu if you're hungry, because the portion sizes are definitely quite filling. Butter House Rolls: it was perfectly soft and bouncy, but the outer crest had a nice crunch to it. The butter was definitely unique as it had a milk or topping, which added a nice smooth contrast to the Chrispness of the bread. Uni Toast: the toast was almost a croissant like texture, the Uni was so fresh, and will not fishy at all, I loved the parents of the sauces, as it didn't overpower any of the other elements of the dish Sushi Rice: this was perhaps my absolute favorite dish of the night. It was a no-frills dish, but the simple details of toasting, the nori, the marinade of the raw beef, just the right portion of sugar and vinegar in the sushi, rice, and the use of roe, provided the perfect hand roll bite. (MUST get) Grilled Pork Ribs: if you want a good mix of southern/Seoul food the spareribs provided exactly that. They were fall off the bone, but the Galbi marinade was reminiscent of many of my favorite Korean dishes. The meat was tender and juicy, but the slight charring provided a nice graininess to the texture Hazelnut soft serve: all of the desserts are exceptional, but this is definitely the star of the show. The magic milk, chocolate shell was just mesmerizing as they poured it on top of the deconstructed soft serve in front of you. The hazelnut bites were so delightful, and provided a nice crunch in contrast to the smooth, soft serve that felt like if you had made cotton candy into an ice cream. Overall: 11/10 Price: $$-$$$ Must get: any of the dishes listed above read more

See all

Service. Food. Ambiance. Exceptional. Our server Brittany was fantabulous. She genuinely made us smile. She gave us a breakdown of our courses as they came and saw little specks on our table as she cleared off each meal. She's a wonderful human who elevated our experience; she is highly appreciated. The food was SPECTACULAR. We did the large portion set menu. It was quite a bit of food to consume but I'm not complaining. My highlights of the night were the Uni Toast, shishito peppers, and steak that was cooked perfectly. I know I liked the steak bc I was stuffed before that last course came out but still found space to enjoy it. Highly recommend Ernest for a date night out. Make some feel special, take them here. read more

We were the first to sit down in the restaurant. It was a warm evening outside, but inside the temperature was perfect. Our server was outstanding and so was all the rest of the staff. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary. All the courses came out timely and perfectly. The bartender came to our table to ask how our drinks were and if we had any suggestions which we had done because they were perfect. read more

Ernest - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

came with a group of 5 and did the $139 pp prix fixe, we sampled the entire menu. standouts: sushi rice steak tartare, uni toast, avocado tostada, veggies + thai coconut sauce. we got way too full by appetizer round 2 so entrees and dessert were a struggle. service was great, no complaints. overall i liked it but i'm disappointed they didn't have uni carbonara (pls bring it back) read more

See all

Ernest provides an oasis for those looking for an elevated culinary experience. Parking can be hard to find so make sure to arrive well ahead of your reservation and be wary of where you walk as the area looks very questionable but which is by no means a fault to the establishment. A heavy door greets you followed by a lovely path to the main glass door inside the premises. The ambiance and energy was on a whole different level and made me feel as though I was inside an aristocratic speakeasy with high profile clientele. The menu consisted of carefully curated dishes which seemed to be heavily inspired by asian cuisine. All of the items were above $15 and if ordered a-la-carte, can amass to a sizable sum of funds. The portions remind me of a tapas style where bite sized pieces are considered a dish. If you were hoping for a hearty and fulfilling dinner I would highly suggest opting for their chef-selected 4-course option. The flavor profile is very based and nothing was too forward venturing which left me feeling wanting just a little more. The emphasis on butter, honey, sweetness was very noticeable and could very well be pleasing for an American-palette. Their cocktails were well received, however I do wish that they used less ice as the shiso drink i ordered was filled to the brim with it and made it hard to enjoy comfortably. The way the dishes come out to the table is grouped and is not served one-by-one so we mistakenly enjoyed the caviar and butter by itself before realizing it was supposed to be paired with the dusted furikake doughnuts. The hangar steak was cooked rare which was pleasant for me but not for my friend which may have been an oversight as we were not asked how we would like it cooked. I do wish the sauce was slightly thicker on the steak as the blood made it hard for the sauce to sit on top. Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience here at Ernest. read more

See all

Wow. The FOOD: The food was incredible! We couldn't stop eating even after we were full. The sushi rice was a bed of sushi rice with a layer of beef tartare and ikura. Heaven in my mouth The Mexican shrimp coctel was good - 2-3 bites was enough for me though as the flavor was pretty one dimensional here. The chicken liver terrine was my least favorite as it was giving feta cheese notes and I'm not a fan of feta, but my bf said it was delicious!! The Monterey bay squid was an absolute flavor bomb. It was on a bed of black sesame paste and had chili oil in it. We first had it without mixing it up, and it was quite salty, but once we stirred it all up to get the black sesame paste mixed in, the flavors balanced out really nicely! Overall, this dish definitely needed a blander item to balance it out. We had the leftovers mixed with some blander things the next day and it was perfect. The Dungeness crab fried rice was great! Nothing to write home about, but still very worth the stomach space. Lastly, the soft serve sundae was the frozen dairy treat of my dreams it was a hazelnut vanilla swirl with a praline drizzle and a magic shell. It wasn't super sweet like most ice creams or soft serves are!!! We demolished this. The DRINKS: The daiquiri bolognese was my cup of tea: bright, a bit sour, and citrusy! The MSG martini wasn't my vibe. I love msg, so we had to order this to try it, but we just weren't feeling it. The flavors seemed to change/develop as it sat there longer... maybe we were imagining it The SERVICE: 15/10!!!! Rico was the server of my DREAMS! He seemed to just know exactly when we needed him and came over at the right times, but left us alone otherwise! There's nothing I despise more than overly attentive people in the service industry - it ruins the experience for me to have someone checking in and asking how things are or how I'm doing every few minutes. It's awkward when I'm mid bite and a waiter shows up to ask how the food is. RICO seemed to sense when we were done with each course and came over to offer to box things up for us and make room on the table for the next course. He noticed when someone went to the bathroom and would come over and fold up their napkin like a ninja.. he noticed every small crumb that was on the table and would clean it up between courses. Top notch service without smothering us!! I love you Rico!! Lastly, the AMBIANCE: Feels very casual and relaxed, has good lighting so you can actually see your food Can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! We celebrated our anniversary while visiting San Francisco and every time we mentioned to our friends that we were going to Ernest, their faces would lighten with delight as every one confirmed how Ernest is one of their favorite restaurants in SF. All of their bites were absolute delicious. The people were so friendly and the ambiance was perfect for a semi-casual bite. My favorite? The tuna, the cabbage and the tonkatsu!! read more

See all

This place is so yummy! Came here for a late night dinner without a reservation and the hostess was great. They were completely filled and had no reservations left but they were able to sit us down. We asked our server what he recommended us to get and we are so glad we went with his suggestion! He highly recommended the Bluefin Tuna Tostada, and it was a hit! We ordered the following: Bluefin Tuna Tostada 10/10 ** must get Sushi rice 10/10 Uni Toast 10/10 Kaluga Caviar 8/10 - I wanted to love this so much but the tots overpowered the caviar MSG Martini - 10/10 Overall great food, drinks and service. Can't wait to come back read more

Ernest - Kaluga caviar - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

would be the emoji representing this meal! They've made the old Coffee Bar space look great, even eating outdoors we weren't too cold with the heater. Service was impeccable with timing of dishes not too quick but not too far apart. The food was awesome - we added on the corn to the "let the kitchen cook for you", overkill but awesome. The tartare was amazing, and the duck croquette was over the top good. The short rib snd fried rice were delicious, some of the best short rib I've ever had. The real show stopper was the Uni Carbonara, WOAH. Can't wait to come back again for future menu iterations read more

See all

Loved the location! Plenty of parking in the Mariposa/Bryant area. Loved the decor and vibe inside. Clean, industrial, and open set up. Seating wise the area was pretty small however. Amazing and attentive service. Almost off putting how quick and attentive they are haha. Chose the option for the pre fixed menu aka let the kitchen cook for you. Oysters were good, fresh & nice kick with the shiso leaf. The ikura with tartar- you can't really go wrong with these amazing ingredients, it was good. I wish there was more tartare & the seaweed made it more fun, but didn't really add to the dish flavor wise. Pork katsu with pickles, ranch on the side. Oh my this was pretty good. Breading was light, crispy, and flavorful. And the ranch, amaaaaaazing. Parker Rolls- yes it lives up to the hype. Hawaiian roll, but even better! Fried rice- also yummy! It had a Japanese spin to it, I can't exactly remember what was all in it, but it was still good the next day when I ate my left overs Citrus salad, was light & flavorful. The burrata paired very well. Shrimp coctel- it was ok, wasn't a huge fan. I'd skip. Seemed like a Tex-mex spin on shrimp cocktail. Salt & pepper prawns- soooo good. Nice spin on the traditional dish. The peppered sauce it came with was delicious. Uni toast: didn't make the cut for me. Wasn't a fan of the dense cold toast & accompanying flavors. Soft serve: the lighter brown sauce(praline?) was good. Soft serve is soft serve. Would skip as well. Cacio e pepe: flavorful was good. Wasn't into the noodles texturely. A bit too Al dente for me. Tuna tartar with black trumpets- I enjoyed this dish for the simple fact, I've never had anything like this before. Wish there was more tartar. The puff rice was a nice addition texturally. read more

See all

I love this place. We had fried rice, steak and dessert. Good service and ambiance. They have a great location and easy parking. We love the cocktails and dessert so good read more

Ernest - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had the 4 course tasting menu here for my birthday and enjoyed it for the most part. The serving sizes for each course was just right -- I was full but not overly stuffed. For the most part, I enjoyed everything I ate and had a great experience trying out a bunch of different foods, although I would say nothing really stood out for me to want to come again. First course Shrimp cocktail - 5/5. This was probably the highlight of the dinner for me. So delicious! Sashimi - 5/5. A thiccc slice of fish with a great marinade. Beef tartare - 2/5. I think this was personal preference but I'm just not adventurous enough to eat raw beef. Spring roll - 4/5. Not much to say about this other than who doesn't love fried foods? I could do without the sauce it came with though (some sort of mustard sauce) Oysters - 3.5/5. I don't remember what it was flavored with but it was pretty good although more seafoody tasting than other oysters I've had. Second course Parker house rolls - 3.5/5. These were your average rolls, nothing special. I was expecting more based on the reviews. Avocado with everything seasoning - 2/5. Weird combination of flavors and I don't like the texture of avocados enough to eat it as a dish. Duck salad - 4/5. Healthy and the duck was very tender! Third course Nashville hot pork neck tonkatsu - 4/5. Interesting seasoning choice, but the meat itself was nice and crispy. Some sort of greens - 3.5/5. This was alright but I wish they would have paired the tonkatsu with something more carby- like their fried rice or lo mein. Fourth course Hazelnut soft serve - 5/5. The portion of this was huge, I couldn't stop eating it even though I was so full lol! Tasted like ferrero rocher in ice cream form. Cookies and cream bday treat - 4/5. This was pretty good and I can't really complain because it was a freebie, but the caramel on the outside was really sweet and overpowering so it tasted more like caramel than cookies and cream. It was a sweet nice finishing touch though and I enjoyed it with the soft serve. read more

See all

Had an amazing time celebrating my cousin's bday at Ernest. We had the $99 tasting menu which was great value bc it was a tremendous amount of food (4 courses) that was delicious and beautifully presented. My partner is dairy free so they surprised him with dairy free versions of specific dishes including his own shaved ice dessert made with almond milk, which made his night. The service was excellent and they had a nice selection of spirit-free drinks as well. I would def recommend for anyone looking for a unique fine dining experience. My one observation is that the menu itself looks quite minimal and doesn't adequately represent the essence of the actual dishes. read more

Everything about this place is perfect. Can't stop thinking about the ice cream !!!! Get the tasting menu - you won't be disappointed. Love love love this place! Super hard to get last minute reservation though. read more

Ernest - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Outstanding experience. The decor is beautiful, flavors are delicious and the service amazing. I had high expectations for this place and it certainly delivered. Our server Rebecca was warm, kind and efficient. We ordered the ala carte menu thinking the Prix Fixe maybe a bit too much for us, however we should have ordered the Chefs set menu. Service was great. Our server coursed our menu selections and changed out flatware and plates after every course. The most loved dishes were the Parker House Rolls, Cacio Pepe Lo Mein, Tonkatsu, Soft Serve and the Yuzu Shave Ice. Fabulous meal. We will return. read more

See all

Had a fabulous dinner here on Easter Sunday! The restaurant is beautiful and inviting with a great vibe. We all had a different main course and they were delicious. The fried rice was so good as were the buttery Parker House rolls. Everything was so fresh and the seasonings and sauces really complemented the dishes. Had two of the three desserts and both were wonderful! The kakigori was almost too pretty to eat. Fantastic cocktails and really friendly, knowledgeable staff who made it a pleasure to dine at Ernest! read more

Ernest - Strawberry Shortcake Kakigori - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

4.5/5 The food was incredible. Docking a star for the service, which I'll mention later. Let me get to the food!! My husband made a reservation here for my birthday, and we got the chef tasting menu, which we thought was fantastic! Looking through the reviews, it seems like the chef's tasting menu changes a lot so your experience could depend on the day, but we were so happy with our chef's tasting today. First wave: our favorites were the citrus salad, seaweed poke, & beef tartare hand roll. The citrus salad was extremely well balanced. The first notes are a pistachio notes and silky olive oil, then a seamless blend into a cheese, and then into a refreshing citrus. A piece of art!! The seaweed poke was also incredible. The seaweed was the right amount of salt, texture was incredible, and worked so well with the poke underneath. Felt like I was in the ocean. The beef tartare hand roll was so fun to make and all the ingredients tasted fresh. The only thing about it was it felt like too much seaweed for each bite so I'd recommend eating it with less seaweed. Second wave: baked chili oil oysters, cacio e Pepe pasta, house made bread rolls & butter. The oysters were insane. My favorite of the night- I've never had anything like that before! The bread was super fluffy and warm and the outside was almost crispy. Perfect. The cacio Pepe was alright to me. Third wave: pork cutlet, bone marrow, fried rice. The fried rice was soo good, has crispy garlic bits on top, and good amount of egg and beef. Felt so homey to eat it in this wave. It was the perfect base to eat with the bone marrow and the pork cutlet. The pork cutlet was well seasoned and the ranch was soo good. The pickles were a great touch, and served in such a pretty crystal glass. The bone marrow was good with the fried rice, but the dish itself felt just ok to me. Cocktails: Get the cherry Negroni and the msg martini. It was spirit forward, yet complex. Just my kinda cocktail! Dessert: the soft serve ice cream...... wild. The caramel has crunchy bits in it, and the soft serve was the perfect consistency. We couldn't stop eating it! Really truly would love to give this place 5 stars, but the service was a little disappointing. When we arrived we didn't have a great experience with the hostess. We were 10 minutes late to our reservation, and although my husband and I were apologetic, the hostess was short with us, stating, "Wow you guys are running quite late. Your reservation is only going to allow you 2 hours at the start time". It felt awkward to start the night with that comment as she escorted us to our table..... felt like I was a little kid in trouble at the principal's office. I totally agree we should've been on time, but I wish it was said in a nicer tone/word choice, given the caliber of this restaurant (also we did leave within the 2 hour window!). We tried to shrug it off.. but couldn't help with the bad note that lingered even after our celebratory birthday dinner. Our server was fine, but a bit cold and to the point with no frills. A little disappointing given how much we enjoyed the food and thought it was well worth the pricey cost. Overall, I would still come back to this place for a special occasion, and I would definitely recommend it to others (with the chef's tasting). read more

See all

Try the tasting menu, 98 pp and you get 4 courses... yes, each photo I attached is one course. So much food for the price point. It was spaced out well, we ate for 2 hours. Service was really attentive. Everything was so fresh and well crafted. Parking was easy to find in the area and I love the casual atmosphere. Downsides are that there was only one shared restroom and that the cocktails weren't the greatest. read more

See all

Found this on infatuation and let's just say I no longer trust infatuation and am unfollowing them for giving this place a 9/10?? Food was mediocre and the price was insane. Sushi rice - 3/5 was most excited for this... but they just put all the ingredients in a cookie cutter and called it done. No flavor or elements of complexity for that price. Salmon sashimi - 3.5/5 cool flavors but was still bland. Fish was averagely fresh. Fried rice - 2/10 so bland but the veggies were a nice mix. Lo mein - 3.5/10 i liked it enough but it was still kinda eh. Just tasted buttery I suppose and had some toppings but nothing special. Oysters - I can't give this one a reliable rating tbh bc these were my first oysters ever. But I did like them, the sauce was delicious. However, I have nothing to compare it to, but I know $4.25/oyster is at the higher end, so I wouldn't be able to tell if that price is good for it or not. Hazelnut soft serve - 4/5 delicious toppings, but bi rite has superior soft serve and half the price! Just buy ur own magic shell and say f the hazelnuts Drinks were tasty I got a cocktail with lime and gin I believe? My roommate got a coffee martini and I like how they added whipped coffee in it. But again, for the price, wildly overpriced for what it was/how much you got. Honestly I'd only reorder the lo me in and oysters here, but other than that I would say it's a skip! read more

My wife took me to dinner at Ernest for my bday. We had been excited to try and were greeted warmly by a cute note at our table. The flow of dinner seemed slow at first and then almost rushed to turn the table. The food was tasty. We decided against the tasting menu and opted to try all the things we wanted. Because this was months ago I forget some of the items but my favorite bite was the grilled asparagus. They ended dinner with a sweet treat, ice cream sundae. read more

See all