I think it's very hit or miss when it comes to pop ups...
The house is cute, unassuming, and you sort of get a view of the kitchen when you walk in. Tables are communal, but a couple next to us didn't show up, so we basically had some private space. Otherwise, you could be stuck with either good or very bad company.
Service was a little iffy. They would go to the head of the table and introduce the dishes, and being on the far end of the table, they made no eye contact with us, and we could barely hear anything. Also, for one course, the food came, and the old utensils and plates were still sitting there, so as they put down the new dishes, they asked us to hand over the hold plates but hold onto our utensils.
1. Amuse: Pink lady apples with Osetra caviar and pumpernickel. The apples were an interesting contrast to the caviar, and this was probably my favorite course
2. Oyster: cucumber with diced melon, mustard seed, whey. I could taste that creamy oyster flavor, but there was no actual identifiable oyster. I think it was creamed into a sauce? We couldn't tell since the introduction to the dish was done at the other end of the table in a noisy room
3. Yuba noodles: like tofu noodles. This dish was sold as "Dungeness crab," but I could only find tiny slivers of crab meat in my dish. They alliums smelled wonderful, but this dish was very dry and lacking
4. Spot prawn: a sweet but very mealy prawn - this texture was so off - I can't remember the last time I had any seafood that was... mealy. The 45 day dry aged beef underneath wasn't bad with the salsa verde.
5. Squab: they initially brought plates of squab to the tables, and I thought we would each get one or half or something, but it was just for show. In the end, there were two pieces of meat and a leg/foot without much to it. The squab was cooked properly, and I actually liked the wheatberry and shisito peppers, but it was a pretty sad portion for a main course.
6. Coconut: the online menu featured nectarines, but the actual item was a white chocolate panna cotta (not bad) with plum and miso butterscotch. The savoriness of the miso was the best part of the dish. I personally don't particularly like coconut, but all together, it made for an interesting dessert.
At the end of the meal, people start trailing out. Then, the kitchen staff comes around with shot glasses to sort of salute you, and you watch them take shots as an unofficial end to the meal.
Summary:
- Downsides: service, portion sizes, one bathroom, a stuffy room, noise level, lack of value for the money
- Upsides: BYOB, relatively easy street parking, convenience of the price already including tax and tip (tickets are bought ahead of time online).. but maybe this explained the subpar service.. or lack, thereof
The main word I would use for this experience was: disappointing. Quince and Atelier Crenn are two of my favorite SF places as far as fancier food goes, and while I was in Boston, Oleana was one of my go to restaurants. Therefore, I was excited to see Chef Brian Limoges would be doing a pop up, but each part of the meal was just progressively more underwhelming.
I've heard some of the other pop ups can be very enjoyable, particularly the brunch, but this experience just did not make me want to go back. read more