Tatara

The Tatara Pop Up dining experience in my mind is a perfect example of the diversity of Bay Area cuisine. The concept of a pop up shop type of keiseki dining experience nestled within a Bay Area staple (The Cheeseboard Collective) is just such a California/​Bay Area thing.
But I digress, let’s talk about food!
The whole dining experience was a culmination of hardwork from Chef Antoine Steele. The dinner spanned a little over 2 hours and encompassed 9 difference courses/​plates (7 savory, two sweet).
Course 1: Kumamoto Oyster with a lychee gelatin and pickled jalapenos. This was a fantastic way to start off the dining experience. The one shot oyster was delicious, the lychee gel was a unique flavor and the pickled jalapeño was a nice surprise.
Course 2: A sea urchin tofu with benito, seaweed, and fungi. This was an interesting concept of making tofu infused with sea urchin. The texture was quite unique and the flakes of benito provided nice pops of flavor and crunch against the smooth tofu.
Course 3: Amberjack with a peppercorn reduction, crisp flakes of garlic, and strings of pepper. THIS DISH WAS STRAIGHT FIRE. I mean it was delicious and the plating was quite picture-​esque. The fish was pure bliss and the peppercorn reduction provided a nice flavor which complimented the fish. It left the tongue slightly numb, a small reminder to the amazing dish that just passed through my mouth.
Course 4: Kombu Cured Dry Aged Beef. This was just another wonderfully plated dish. The aged beef was smooth and delicious.
—- As you can tell I’m running out of descriptive words/​phrases…
Course 5: Unagi Ravioli with sea grapes and sauce (don’t recall what the sauce was. should’be taken notes!). The ravioli with unagi was a creative spin on things. The pasta was left a little al dente which is what I prefer and paired with the sea grapes made for a nice combination of rich and flavorful.
Course 6: Parisian Gnocchi with braised squid and leeks… OHHH HOT DAMN! This gnocchi might be some of the best I’ve had. Pure creamy richness. Decadent. And the squid was a nice added feature. Seriously, I could eat that gnocchi all day ever day. Be a little fat pig with my gnocchi trough.
Course 7: Halbiut cheek with rich reduction. I don’t remember too much as to what was included in this dish, but it smelt/​tasted wonderful. The fish held a nice exterior crisp and paired with the rich sauce made for a great combination.
Course 8: All I remember was that it was magically delicious and had sparkling sake involved. A fruity sorbet that was just the perfect bit of dessert.
Course 8: The final piece. A majestic cooked sweet yam with sea salt ice cream topped with a sesame cracker. This dessert caught me off guard. It was flavorful and delicious.
Overall the dining experience was impressive. The plating was beautiful and the ambiance was unique. On a number of occasions random people would walk in thinking Cheeseboard was still open (silly people, Cheeseboard doesn’t open on Sundays).
At the end of it all, the Chef of the evening spoke of conducting another pop up shop for a larger crowd with a lower price point! Definitely be on the look out for this up and coming chef to dish out more Japanese flavors, whether it’s to another small crowd or to a bigger audience!