3.5 STARS
When it comes to fish and seafood, RAW is always my preference which my mom gets on my case about.
"You probably have worms!"
"Mom, stop. IF that was true...I would be skinny!"
*Cricket Cricket*
Campbell is a trek from the city but I knew I had to pay One Fish Raw Bar a visit when they opened. I love raw. Plus, Michelin-star pedigree...Hello, Atelier Crenn alum!
I wish I had the same amazing experience as others at One Fish Raw Bar and jump on that 5 star train. Unfortunately, it was a mixed bag for me. It's only week one so it could have been a one off or just a matter of different tastes.
Reservations on Tock is highly recommended. I was told they were fully booked for the weekend.
All staff wore masks properly.
M E N U
Creative raw bar with Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean influences.
Raw bar seating has a tasting menu option.
Dining room and patio are a la carte. Most dishes were tapas-sized portions so you'll probably need about 3 dishes per person. Expect to spend at least $100 pp after tax and tip. Our bill was about $275 for two.
Beer, wine, and sake only.
D R I N K S
* Shiratake Jozen Junmai Gingo "White", Niigata ($8): https://bit.ly/3nQrAm0
* Maroboshi Junmai Gingo "Nakao's Secret, Hiroshima ($10): same link above
Both filtered sakes were very reasonably priced (3 shots per carafe). I enjoyed both; clean, crisp, and smooth.
F O O D
You can tell they source really top-notch ingredients - the fish and seafood are pristine here.
Perhaps I'm just used to the subtle flavors from Japanese preps, or I ordered wrong but some of the components overpowered, instead of complemented the delicate raw fish and seafood.
Below is a run-down of our order:
* Bar Nuts w/ nori, hondashi ($5): https://bit.ly/2XsRz7Q
Great for noshing, the nuts were roasty with a nice smoky umami. Portion is more for one person so order enough for the table.
* Raw Oysters: Kumiai w/ frozen plum kosho ($12): https://bit.ly/3AshRWv
My fav prep of the two. The subtle sweet tartness of the plum kosho nicely complemented the sweet, briny oysters.
* Raw Oysters: Beausoleil w/ mango mignonette, chili oil ($12): same link above
IMO, the mango and its tartness was overpowering.
* Ora King Salmon w/ black garlic molasses, salsa macha ($23): https://bit.ly/3zqJbTN
Fav of three sashimi dishes. Fresh, buttery slices of salmon with the black garlic molasses adding a umami sweetness.
* Hamachi w/ pineapple, avocado, Thai herbs ($22): https://bit.ly/3knrQXh
Fresh cuts of hamachi with punchy citrusy, herbaceous flavors reminding of larb. Avocado was missing.
* Scallops w/ chinese sausage vin, king trumpet mushroom ($22): https://bit.ly/3AqQ6O7
I felt the chinese sausage vin (reminds me of XO sauce) masked the delicate raw scallops.
* Beef Tartare w/ calabrian chili, cashew, housemade crackers ($18): https://bit.ly/3Ar6U7z
Least fav item from the raw section. I appreciate the simple prep but it felt like it was missing something.
* Cornbread w/ trout roe, cultured cream, dill ($12): https://bit.ly/3nViUuJ
Dense, moist cornbread with a nice sweetness. I liked the cultured cream and trout roe but def could use more of the latter for that pop of flavor.
* Lobster Roll w/ parker house roll, garlic butter, lemon mayo ($29): https://bit.ly/3lFFAfE
The baby roll had incredibly fresh sweet lobster chunks lightly dressed in citrusy mayo with a touch of richness from the garlic butter. I was bummed that the housemade parker roll was dry and dense, not soft and fluffy.
* Apple Pie w/ Japanese brown sugar ($12): https://bit.ly/39jYJ0X
Gorgeous yet simple presentation. Deliciously flaky crust filled with tart apples. Not sweet at all.
* Oat Panna Cotta w/ figs, pomegranate ($12): Same link as above
Had high hopes for this and sadly, the panna cotta was curdled.
S E R V I C E
Staff is polite, and food service is prompt and well-paced (finished in an hour).
However, I think service needs refinement for what they're going for. This has no bearing on my rating and is just feedback:
Consider providing a quick intro of the menu and suggestion on how many dishes to order per person (we started with 6 for two but ended up ordering more). Maybe it's a covid thing, a carafe of water was dropped off but there was no filling of our glasses.
A M B I AN C E
Casual and minimalist with bar seating.
Cute front patio that's dog-friendly (7 tables).
EDM music playing. If you come early enough, you may catch the awesome live music playing next door from Snake & Butterfly.
P A R K I N G
Easily found free parking at the garage around the corner.
Overall, I love One Fish Raw Bar's concept and use of high-quality ingredients but the food didn't quite hit for me. Obviously, I'm the minority here but I'm open to returning in several months and hope to give a better rating.
I'm confident that they'll get to 5 stars because they already seem like a BIG hit in Campbell! read more