Last month I went to Taco Stand and saw this door with a keypad. I kept wondering what was back there... maybe storage, an office or maybe more. Fast forward to this past weekend, I was able to see, with my own eyes what it was. In a noticeable play on words Hiden, it's what's inside.
You make a reservation, one month in advance, online. If you're lucky (if not, keep trying for another date), you secure one of the only 8 seats at Chef's Shiraishi's table. Once confirmed, and on the day of your reservation, you will get an email with instructions, time and code to get in. Do get there on time and follow instructions... "rules are rules" said they chef and they can't wait for latecomers. They allow 5 minutes after official reservation time and start with the first course.
The ambiance is welcoming, cozy, and you feel like you are at his home's kitchen. Chef Shiraishi is very comfortable preparing every course, and telling us about it. Answering any questions, giving us the background of the fish he is serving, listening to our comments and paying attention to our reactions. As a dance, he goes from course to course, without missing a beat, beautifully choreographed and with perfect tempo. Never too rushed, allowing each one at his table to enjoy every piece.
As mentioned, this is a chef's table, meaning the menu is set, and changes based on season. So you might go a second or third time and get something new each time.
To start, we got a glass of champagne, included in the experience. You can also add, at extra cost wine or sake. Once we ordered our wine, the chef was ready to start. 18 courses he would prepare for us.
First was a West Coast Shigoku Oyster. All I could think was "this experience will be exceptional", and it was.
A sashimi selection was put in front of each of us and presentation was spotless. So clean, classic, simple, letting the freshness of the fish talk for itself.
A sushi selection followed, named 1st Tempo (the chef knowing cooking, as music and dance, is an art). This was 3 different types of tuna.
New Zealand Scampi came next, right in the shell for presentation, and it's sweetness was superb.
2nd Tempo gave us two courses, followed by a Crunchy Bite, which was tuna based with a crunchy outside.
3rd Tempo is when I started to get full... 5 sushi selections, including: Unagi, Mackerel, Alaskan Salmon, Sea Urchin, and Toro. Must mention that most his fish is imported from Japan, and the ones that are not, are because the chef knows where to get them best based on season.
To finish our meal, he prepared for us a Waguy Beef sandwich, in buttered and warm potato bread. Fun part of this meal was listening to him talk about how he would get these in Japan, sometimes 2 or more at a time and enjoy them in the train. How he shares something that reminds him so much of home with us.
Dessert came... Mango and Macadamia Parfait. This was so delicate, and exquisite. Even me not being a fan of mango, totally fell in love with this dessert. Macadamia panna cotta, topped with sweet little pieces of mango, white chocolate macadamia clusters. Light, balanced amount of sweet, and elegantly presented. He also served us a Dark Chocolate truffle, covered in matcha, on top of a yuzu toffee caramel sauce. That sauce was perfection! In fact, this whole night was. It was a delightful experience to share as a date and with friends.
The place might be "hiden" to the actual eye, but I'm sure as time passes more and more will know about it, be it by reviews like this or word of mouth, and the "secret" will be out. But it's a good thing, because good food and good experiences are better when shared. read more