I really don't like to leave bad reviews for a business but this was unreal. It's run by one person which is commendable but he could surely put a smile on his face at least to greet customers. We ordered the little gem salad tasteless with barely any dressing. The supposed 8 hour wagyu beef bolognese was absolutely tasteless as was the crab pasta. We asked for pepper and he came and drizzled some and walked away. The burger was as bad as the other dishes. Fries were saltless and when we asked for ketchup it was an apologetic amount. Had to ask 2 more times. Ridiculous. Do not waste your money here. It will be gone in a few months. read more

Worst customer service. I left a voicemail requesting a reservation for a party of 12. The restaurant texted me back late at night at 10:14 PM that it'd be a prix fixe menu at a minimum $60pp. That's fine. It's a small restaurant and I understand the spend (but not the late text.). After agreeing to the charge requesting for the menu, the restaurant just ghosted me. I followed up with texts and voicemails. Still, no response. Why texted me first then? Very disappointed at the lack of courtesy and high horse. Will not support this business again. read more

Number5 Kitchen - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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I need more of the Pizza Wild Mushroom!! So good. The added dried oregano made it that extra special. Definitely coming back for that and the soup -- whatever is the daily soup is delicious. Can't wait for you to be able to host inside again. Love hosting guests there. Would add a pic, but forgot and I ate it too fast. read more

We ate here yesterday and it was a very delightful lunch experience. I am a big fan of the farm to table movement and knowing where your food comes from; Henry is really doing it right here at Number5 kitchen. We can't wait to come back for dinner service! read more

Number5 Kitchen - Salmon special sandwich and burger! - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

While I appreciate the effort the owners have clearly put into this space and they were friendly, there are some areas to work on in my opinion. We went for brunch and the mimosa was made with offensively bad sparkling wine - it was bitter and sour. The pancake was okay, but no syrup available even on request, and it just came with an almost savory jam on top. The pork hash did clearly have high quality ingredients and presentation was attractive, but the flavor was just okay - kind of bland and the potatoes were not crispy/browned at all. It was fairly expensive too at over $50 including tax/tip for two people. The wood seats are also hard as a rock - some cushions wouldn't go amiss. If you like your food more on the bland side, you may enjoy this, but I would not go back. Hard to believe this is 4.5 stars. Perhaps dinner is better? read more

This husband and wife duo absolutely killed it! The food was absolutely delicious and tasted like it was cooked with love. Somehow, the chef was able to cook all the food for the multiple tables there and still have time to come and say hello. I couldn't believe it was just the two of them running the whole show. We ate outside and it was absolutely lovely. I wish I took pictures of their food because it really was a sight to see. I would definitely check this place out if you are in the area. There aren't too many tables so I would head there on the earlier side or during the week. read more

I made a reservation here for my birthday that was confirmed by the restaurant. I showed up with friends and the place was closed and completely unattended. No communication from the team, and no one responded to my calls. Nearly 15m later - after we had relocated to a different restaurant - I get a text with no apologies saying they had been 'running behind.' Will not be returning, and certainly not recommended for a group that needs a reliable reservation. read more

Just occurred to me, the current fare is just like from the Beforetimes...as if the covid thing was a terrible nightmare...it was... WE INTERRUPT THIS REVIEW.... BURGERS! And not just burgers, but burgers that would make Samuel T Jackson's character quit the biz even BEFORE the missed shots thing. You read the ingredients and say: "you can put that in a burger? AWESOME!" And no, I won't ruin the fun with spoilers. You're just going to have to go and be amazed. 5 ! I never give 5...oh wait, that's clearly not trur. read more

I had the burger which was made with fresh ingredients with delicious cheddar cheese and a brioche bun. My husband had the hot dog which was top quality and very tasty. We both really enjoyed the french fries they were top notch. Henry the owner served us as it was a slow time of day and he took the time to tell us about his restaurant history and what's going on now. A bit pricey for a lunch, but it was a very nice treat. Restaurant itself is small but very clean and well lit with some tables on the sidewalk. read more

They sure don't disappoint! Simple well made food done with care. We had a chicory salad, petrale sole, and the crab pasta. Everything is on the light and fresh tasting side that's respectful of the ingredients. We'll be back for duck confit when in season. 伍先生，bravo! read more

New brunch place! We tried the pork hash and the bubbles and squeak. The food was okay. The combination of flavors weren't memorable but ingredients are very fresh. Loved my bacon slices! Farm to table with rotating menu. Service needs improvement. But it's probably because they've only been open for a month. No one greeted us when we came in to tell us there's a waitlist that you have to sign in/up on. One poor lady was sitting outside the entire time waiting for someone to call her until we told her there's a list. Food came out very slowly, like cooking for one table at a time. Luckily we weren't in a hurry and the place isn't that big. Will definitely come back to try more dishes. Excited for a new brunch option. Hope everything improves and they find their signature item! read more

Number5 Kitchen - Pork hash - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Beautiful decor, simple and modern sets a good mood when you enter. The menu is very small which speaks to the freshness of the ingredients. I ordered the pork hash which was like no hash I have ever had. This was more like a pork and vegetable medley. It was divine. I only got to eat half of mine because my companion stole the other half. She also demolished her own plate of scallops, although I may have had a small taste of that myself. I have to confess I was put off the hash by the mention of cauliflower. I mean who likes cauliflower! However I found myself enjoying even that hated vegetable, and ate every piece up. The owner Henry said that he gets the cauliflower from a local organic farm, anyone that makes cauliflower not just bearable but enjoyable is a culinary master in my book. Will definitely be coming back! read more

This is such a cute local new place and great addition to San Carlos! Number 5 Kitchen just opened a week ago by Chef Henry Eng who is inspired to cook food with fewer ingredients so that they can speak for themselves. The produce is local and fresh and he takes the time to meet with the local farmers and producers. This truly is a farm to table place currently with a 3 course menu for $35. We also added the $10 pasta supplement (which they split into two portions for us hence my picture of the pasta is smaller). We ordered one of everything so I tried the cara cara citrus salad with meyer lemon and ricotta. It was so pretty and paired so well! The parsnip soup really surprised me because I don't usually adore parsnips but that soup holds a dear place in my heart. He roasted those parsnips to make them super duper sweet and combined with the umami maitake mushrooms and evoo was just so perfect. The petrale sole was paired with baby potatoes and cauliflower and a saffron aioli and cooked perfectly with that pan seared crisp. I'll be honest I don't love duck confit but his duck confit was so good. The duck married so well with the butter beans and sauce. I'm so glad we tried that nettle penne pasta as a supplement because it was so simple yet so delicious. The penne was al dente and the fresh nettle flavors were beautiful in the "pesto" sauce. Lastly the dessert was also great use of what's local and in season. More citrus, meyer lemon, and a mini meringue with pistachios. All in all, I felt super healthy with this meal and also great to support local producers, farmers, and great new food concept in San Carlos! Looking forward to trying out new menus as they change to the new seasonal ingredients! read more

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This is a very special place with a lot of thoughtful touches in the food and service. The food is New Californian, locavore/farm-to-table. The menu changes based on the season so it'll be fun to drop in to try something new time to time. The dishes were well-balanced; I gladly ate my veggies because they tasted sooo good with the protein! My duck confit was great, but the pecorino fonduta was truly binge-worthy!! The vibe is homey Danish chic. I'll be able to treat myself to a nice (delicious AND healthy) dinner out AND also do a chill brunch with friends here. read more

Number5 Kitchen - Duck confit!! - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

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Delightful little establishment with amazing food! We shared the burrata and citrus salad, which was exquisite. My husband had the 8hr Wagyu bolognese and I had cavatelli with Dungeness crab and Meyer lemon, both great choices. The crab pasta was amazing - as promised, each ingredient sung. Lovely farm to table spot that deserves to thrive. Take the time to find it! read more

Came here the other day for a meal, and let me tell you I was blown away. IT'S ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS PEOPLE! This place is a true farm to table experience. Super super fresh produce. I pigged out that day, but didn't feel badly about it because food wasn't smothered in various heavy cream sauces that other restaurants use to create a quick fix on taste!!! The owner is friendly and seems pretty focused on keeping his menu fresh and new.. There's a good wine selection from sparkling to pinots.. My kind of place :) The only thing I am annoyed about at this very moment is HOW COME I AM NOT THERE RIGHT THIS SECOND ENJOYING THAT YUMMY FOOD!!!!!!! read more

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We've been want to come here for a long time and finally had the chance. Food was just as great as we could have hoped for! We started with the tomato gazpacho, which was new to the menu, and burrata salad, and ordered two pastas to split. The food was incredibly flavorful, with a hint of Chinese spices melded perfectly with Italian flavors. Highly recommend the sausage and cavatelli and the linguini with fresh Dungeness crab. Henry the chef/owner is an incredible talent, we'll definitely be back! read more

I'm long overdue in writing an update about how much we love being able to enjoy number5kitchen "to go" during the pandemic! We've been ordering from a range of restaurants this past year -- even some with Michelin stars -- and can confidently say that number5 is head and shoulders above everyone else out there in takeout meal quality. We're so glad to have them close by during this crazy year! Chef Henry was quick to adapt to the pandemic takeout format, and he really nailed it. His meals are expertly adjusted to hold up well in traveling home and being reheated by non-experts (us!) in our own kitchen. We've had some meals from other places this past year that didn't translate well to the to-go format, but we've never been disappointed by number5kitchen. As always, Chef Henry is very thoughtful in how he puts his meals together, and they shine even after they travel home. We've really loved enjoying his takeout staples and special meals at our own table. Plus, number5kitchen is placing health and safety first in their operations -- we're also taking the pandemic very seriously, so really appreciate their care as well. We also love that they've offered an option to donate a meal for various great causes throughout the year -- they're always caring for the community. When we feel comfortable sitting down at a restaurant again, number5kitchen will be first on our list. In the meantime, we're so glad that we can look forward to and enjoy their fantastic to-go options while we shelter in place! read more

Had dinner there with friends. No more prix fixe dinner. There are only three choices for entrees. We got all three. All are underwhelming and portion is extremely small except the porridge. We all tasted the porridge once and no one touch it again. The rod is decent but you have maybe two bites for one person. Pretty empty still when we left around 8pm. Food wise - 1 star One more star for the friendly waitress. read more

Excellent Neapolitan pizza! We just love their pizzas and sides. Super fresh and entirely authentic, and run by a very friendly local family. read more

I wanted to try a new place for brunch on a Sunday. Saw 4.5 stars rating, so we went for it. Huge surprise! The pizza is gourmet and delicious. It is not your typical pizza. I am not much of a typical pizza fan. I like Vesta, but Number5Kitchen pizza is even more unexpectedly delicious. Surprised to find such a high-end gem on the peninsula. Because of the pandemic, they have not offered their full menu. We had the Caesar salad & the kale & bean soup plus various pizza. I need to come back here with my husband. Go try it, and you won't regret it! The peninsula needs more of these types of farm-to-table institutions. :) read more

This was exactly what my wife and I were looking for in a date night. A chef's table-like experience, with Chef Henry personally bringing out each dish. Everything was delicious (I had the arancini appetizer and steak au poivre) and reasonably priced. Definitely go here if you want a fantastic meal with an understated chic ambiance. read more

The food here is the best in the area, hands down. The atmosphere is intimate and exceptional. Chef Henry is a one man show - so if you're in a terrible rush or are looking for super attentive service, move along. However, if you are looking for a one of a kind meal with fresh ingredients and a personal chef experience, this is the place for you. This place is a treasure and we plan to be back often. read more

Tremendous food in a non-traditional format. "One man show" and owner/chef/everything operated, expect the service will be a touch on the slow side when busy. But the food makes it worth it. Artichoke and burrata appetizers were both bursting with flavor, and the burger was one of the best I've ever had. Would be back every week if I could! read more

The food overall is good. The two stars were for the lunar new year set I ordered one year and forgot to post a review. All dishes were delicious though portion was small. The geoduck sashimi was thinly sliced and vacuum packed. It was so thin, small and only several slices. I thought there must be a mistake. Just ridiculously small for the price. I would not order their sashimi again. read more

We have been looking for a brunch place for months and this place fits the bill perfectly! I ordered the Pork hash - succulent cured pork shoulder slow-cooked for hours, nicely grilled winter vegetables, on-point seasoning created a harmonious culinary chorus. The staff and owner are locals who are friendly and helpful with orders, and the service is impeccable. We are coming back often and with bigger groups in the days to come! read more

Number5 Kitchen - Pork hash - succulent cured pork shoulder, grilled winter vegetables, on-point seasoning. - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Love the concept and the menu items but some items could have been executed better. The plates are definitely pricey for the amount you get (except the mushroom porridge was a good size) and could have been seasoned more aggressively. Could have used more food on the plate for the veggie hash brown and eggs, and the best part of the pancakes were the blood oranges. Also, the food didn't come out hot, including the French press coffee (although I take my coffee mostly cream, splash of coffee lol). Service was good though and people were super nice. The kids had a good time and we treated them to $5 orange juice (each!). Despite some of my complaints, they didn't compromise on the creativity and freshness of the food and I'm looking forward to trying this place again! read more

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Truly seasonal ingredients. The portion was a bit small for us. Very light on the vegetables. The duck had a nice about of beans, but no carrots as stated on the menu, and barely 3 leafs of greens. The salad was good, but again only a few leaves of greens. The corvina dish was excellent and had a bit more veggies than the duck. Soup was delicious. It was too bright in there for dinner time. The mini stools are quite uncomfortable. read more

Easy to miss tiny place owned and managed by Chef Henry. Had some amazing spaghetti with clams, just the perfect amount of garlic and butter. Small wine list that complements food choices well. Try the burrata plate. Enjoy! read more

We had pick up tonight for a family meal from Number5Kitchen amid shelter in place. Dinner was slow roasted pork shoulder with tortillas, salsa verse, pickled onions and a side of roasted cauliflower and a chicken noodle soup. Everything was very fresh and tasted made from scratch- even things like the broth and tortilla were better than average. The ordering and pick up were easy as well- we called earlier on the day and provided credit card info. At pick up, he was wearing gloves and a mask so everyone felt very clean and contactless. They also mentioned they have milk and eggs available, so a great option if you're running low on staples. We will definitely order again soon! read more

This is a high quality farm to table experience, featuring fresh ingredients, and rustic flavors. The menu will change as the year goes on but when I went the bolognese was light and spectacular. Eating here was amazing, on top of this the owner is an amazing guy, and I will be back soon. read more

Number5 Kitchen - The Pasta Bolognese At Number5Kitchen, sooo good. - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

Update. Open for curbside contactless pickup including tasty family meals during covid-19. And is donating to those in need. Good to see other people social distancing while picking up roast chicken and veggies for 3-4 one Saturday night. Support your local restaurants! read more

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Food was quality and delicious. The menu is seasonal so we had options of pizza and pasta and got both! The pasta noodles and pizza flavor were amazing. We really enjoyed this place and can't wait to come back! read more

The food is exceptional.... Fresh in season. The owner is the chef and very friendly. We eat here often.

Currently a limited menu. We had a couple pasta dishes and a pizza. Pizza was delicious. Pasta was done just right. read more

Number5 Kitchen - New American Near Me - San Carlos, California

We have been going here for awhile now. Consistently the best food in the San Carlos / Redwood City area. Great pasta, burgers and steak. Highly recommend you give it a try. read more

Not familiar with restaurants on Laurel Street in San Carlos, but this one is a surprisingly good. The pizza dough is soft and didn't give me a stuffed feeling after. The buffalo wings' is a must try. The house made pork sausage is so tender on BIANCA pizza. I didn't take a picture of NDUJA pizza, I never try a pizza with chili flavor, the chili flavor of this one is not strong, but the tomato flavor is very fresh. It gave me a new experience of pizza. The Clams spaghetti with such a big clams with shell. The place is cozy, family style, will back again. read more

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I must admit I'm a bit late in getting to this review... We came here in the Summer of 2019 for brunch, and again in the Fall for dinner. Both experiences were delightful! Absolutely love the use of locally sourced ingredients -- that's my JAM. Their appetizers and soups have always been super unique and tasty -- I had a cold melon soup from them that was AWESOME and completely unexpected (the owner brought it over as a courtesy because he felt our food was taking too long - I hadn't noticed). I never would have ordered that, but I'm so happy to have tasted it and would absolutely order it again. Their brunch menu items were fun and tasty. The dinner entrees were more simple/standard -- no creativity awards there, but the execution was great. I saw a couple of notes from other folks about poor service, which is surprising to me... Maybe things have changed since the Fall, but last I checked it was the owner himself (and his family) running the restaurant and serving the tables. My experience was that he is super passionate about his craft, grateful for every customer, and extremely attentive. Highly recommend! read more

I had high expectations for this restaurant, and I walked away thoroughly disappointed. I was hoping that this restaurant would play in a league of its own in the midst of a competitive dining scene in downtown San Carlos, but instead my experience here last Saturday evening left a lot to be desired on the three key elements of what I would find a successful restaurant should be -- the service, the food, and the ambiance. We walk in on a Saturday evening, right around 5:40pm, and when we try to walk in, the door is locked. The staff (perhaps the owner) notices us and immediately opens the door. We seated ourselves and the ambiance was decent -- minimal decoration but plenty of spaces -- about 8-10 tables of varying sizes with a small bar where the staff prepares the drinks and receives the dishes from the kitchen to deliver to the customers. Our order -- a persimmon/prosciutto salad, steamed mussels, pasta bolognese, and pork chop. Assuming that the food would take a long time (I've noted in other reviews, and also noted that there was only one chef in the kitchen), we also ordered a bottle of Barbera to sip on while we patiently waited our dishes. The salad came first after about 20 minutes, and for about 15 minutes, we were waiting for the mussels so that we could start eating them at the same time. But we gave up and ate the salad first. The persimmon, burrata and prosciutto with balsamic reduction played nicely together. The prosciutto was dry, but we were hungry and we inhaled it. A pass. The mussels came about 10 minutes after we finished the salad. The mussels themselves were very good, nicely cooked. Now tell me something -- there were a whopping 7 mussels, and this dish was $16. In my head, I was thinking, wow these are how much steakhouses would charge for an oyster! So about another 25 minutes elapse, and the main dishes came. The visual looked decent. My pork chop looked unique, and it tasted basic, not in a bad way, but it tasted like a big juicy piece of pork with some grilled vegetable and red pepper sauce. My to my friend's point, she said the meat smelled too porky. Fair point -- it could've been seasoned better. The bolognese was also aight in my opinion -- but it definitely tasted like something that the back kitchen just threw together -- some ground beef, some tomatoes, some noodle, garlic, salt, pepper, BAM. It definitely lacked the depth in flavor. At this point, we're 2 1/2 hours into the meal, and I was getting tired. Asked for the check and left. What disappoints me, in addition to what I said above, is the service. There was none. Sure, the staff delivered the dishes and poured the water/wine, but no explanation of the dishes, no comment on where the ingreidients came from, or no chitchats "how was your dish" "how are you enjoying your meal?" None. As we walked out disappointed, I would have warmed up a bit if the staff said "good bye, see you next time." Nope, none. I was eyeing on this restaurant for quite some time, and I am glad that I experienced it, but on the flip side, everything about this restaurant left something to be desired for. A thorough disappointment. read more

Decent Farm-To-Table Dishes With Unenthusiastic Service FOOD: My girlfriends and I live in the area and are always excited to check out new restaurants, so we went to number5kitchen hoping for a fun brunch. Their menu for brunch has some good locally sourced ingredients which we appreciated, but not much variety and definitely not many appealing options for my vegetarian friend, which was a bummer. My friend had even checked out the menu before we went to the restaurant to make sure there were things she could eat, but it was a completely different menu when we got there. I had the breakfast hash -- it was flavorful, but the pork was dry. DRINKS: We had the mimosa carafe, and it was a pretty standard mimosa, very heavy on the OJ. I did like how the sparkling wine they used was from a local urban winery in Oakland -- nice to support other locals businesses and an interesting selection. SERVICE: I like to give new restaurants the benefit of the doubt as they work out the kinks, but the service at number5 is not really very friendly or attentive. The staff was not very accommodating about small substitutions to the entrees on the menu. I think it's fair to make it known that some dishes may be best as prepared on the menu, but especially when you're just opening and trying to make a good impression it would have been nice if they were open to small requests like eggs being cooked differently from what's on the menu, especially for an $18 breakfast hash. Our table also wasn't checked on once after our food was served, so we had to physically hunt down our waiter to get the bill. It just wasn't really very inviting. DETAILS: The design of the restaurant is actually quite cute. It has a modern, airy feel (sort of like a mini Johnston's Salt Box, also in San Carlos) with nice light colors and a cool design. However, a few little things were off. There was no hot sauce available -- a little odd for a breakfast place. It was really difficult to get salt or pepper for the table, and when we asked for it the waiter looked like we had offended him personally and delivered us a thimble-sized container of each. Also the bathroom was dirty and right by an open entry into the kitchen, which was just a bit gross. In a nutshell, I don't think we will be going back to this restaurant because it really wasn't much of an experience compared to a lot of other more vibrant places in San Carlos. It seems like it was started by foodies who take a lot of pride in their food (which is a great trait and shows in the locally sourced ingredients) but the food was just not good enough to make up for the mediocre service and bland experience generally. read more