Michael Mina

1) The service is amazing! My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary and they really helped make our night special. They gave us a card wishing us a happy anniversary, which already left a great impression on me.
2) We chose to do the 3 course meal instead of the tasting menu. For starters, they gave us complimentary appetizers (mini taco, amazing soufflé type of sauce, and fish) along with some sesame bread and homemade sauce (which was amazing!!). For the first course, I choose the squid ink pasta. This dish was slightly salty and a little heavy for me for an appetizer. I would recommend this if you are really hungry and love pasta. My boyfriend got the sashimi which I would definitely recommend. They even give you fresh wasabi and each sashimi was paired with very complimentary sides. The second dish I picked was the Duck Foie Gras. Again, I was full from the pasta (keep in mind I snacked a little before coming to the restaurant, rookie mistake!) so I couldn’t fully enjoy the dish. The duck was cooked the perfect amount and there were three different types of pairings. It ranged from an Asian taste to sweet. My boyfriend chose the pork dish, and I LOVED the crispy pork belly! (The general trend of this meal was me eating all of the boyfriend’s food). For the last course, I picked the artisanal cheese plate. This came with bleu cheese, brie, and mystery cheese (I forgot, sorry) along with complimentary sides and bread. As a cheese lover, this was my favorite. Each cheese had a strong taste and paired nicely with wine and bread.
3) The sommelier gave us fantastic wine suggestions and was not bothered by our basic questions.
4) The ambiance reminded me of a classy business office (not in a stuffy boring way). I loved how we got to sit on plush couches, which makes eating so much more enjoyable. There were candles everywhere and even the plant décor chosen made me feel relaxed and comfortable, yet fancy.
I would highly recommend coming here! Great food and definitely worth the money!

Michael Mina. Michelin star restaurant. If you’re into fine dining and all that fancy stuff, you should come here! My family and I came here for dinner on a Thursday night. We had a reservation and was seated when arrived. Also. There is an open bar in the front which I thought was pretty cool! If you don’t want to eat, you can drink.
We got seated near the windows and the view of the street pairing with the food reminded me of New York. We looked at the menu and we have decided to do their 7 courses menu. Because for only $ 35 more each person, you can get A5 Wagyu beef… we all upgraded the menu!!! Why not?!
The server was very nice and he explained everything on the menu. The food was kind of slow but it was delicious when it came. My favorite dishes here through the course would probably be the caviar parfait, foie gras and of course the A5 wagyu– literally melts in your mouth! Our bill for 3 people was $ 800 something. Again, Unilocalers say that there might be a sticker price shock when the bill come but in my honest opinion, the whole dining experience was totally worth it! :)
+valet parking up in the front! No hassle.

Having read some not so flattering reviews, I was pleasant surprised to have found our Michael Mina dining experience to be outstanding. Yes there is sticker shock when you look at the prices and when you get your final bill. But sometimes you get what you pay for and that was the case for us here.
We started off with amazingly inventive cocktails. The first course includes their bread service which cannot be missed. It is worth the carbs. My second course was the lobster pot pie which I would highly recommend. Our service was also outstanding and playful. The tables are far enough apart to have easy conversation but not too far apart so that you can see what other diners are being served. I would definitely come back for a special occasion

Could not help but try the 7 course tasting menu with drink pairing, and I don’t regret it one bit! The service began with a beautiful caviar parfait served with an extra dry Brut that enhanced the caviar so well. You can upgrade the caviar and a few of the other items if you wish, but I think you would have to be an aficionado to really need to do this. One of the pairings came with a Troken Riesling, and I was a little bummed because Rieslings are just not my thing, but the wine gods here proved me wrong and brought me a Riesling that was not too sweet, a first for me! The Black Truffle Dashi was lick the bowl flavorful but I thought a tad salty, but paired with a really lovely Saki. The «if I were a dog I would roll on this» dish had to be the Foie Gras, there are just not words to convey how good this little seared piece of heaven was.
The restaurant itself was reserved and lovely, there was bar for those that decided to pop in for a cocktail, the service was friendly and informative, and everyone appeared to have their eyes out for all of the diners. My only regret is that the Lobster Pot Pie escaped me, maybe next time!

Just walked out with full stomach.
I had the #outtolunch menu with the King Salmon and it was so good but small portion.
I love the service of manager and one guy server.

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. Once upon a time (2 years ago) it was one of my favorite go to’s. I haven’t been back since.
1^st off, it took forever to get my glass of Krug champagne and it was some what embarrassing as I was entertaining a ceo of a certain company. We also ordered a bottle of wine that took forever to come and was not topped off when the glasses were EMPTY!!!
The menu has changed alot since I last visted.
I did the tasting menu of 3.
Sashimi– fresh and delightful. Nothing special.
Pig– beautiful presentation but mostly dry and over cooked.
Dessert of strawberry in 3 ways– very nice.
Overall I am so disappointed from my experience and it was so embarrassing to take a highly regarded perso to a place and receive such poor service. This place is not what it use to be.
The bill also took forever!!! I think he was a bit annoyed, ok really annoyed on how the experience was. Such a bummer.

Came with friends and tried the Chef Tasting menu with the reserved wine pairings. The meal was delicious.
Pre tasting dinner, we had some cocktails (well made), Cristal, Tuna Tartare, Squid Ink pasta with shaved truffles and uni.
Service was consistent throughout our meal. I would come back here again to try other tastings and dishes.

Another over the top dinner with amazing and attentive service. The tea here is just superb. The Chef’s menu is going to make your head explode. Everything here is just perfect.

I remember when Michael Mina was in the Westin St. Francis. My memory served me a little too well, because I almost headed over to the Westin. I forgot it has been on California St. for quite a few years now. Mr. Joy & I once celebrated an anniversary here on a Friday night. Even though the FiDi is pretty dead after hours, I was still surprised to see Michael Mina operating at about half capacity on a Friday evening. I dismissed it and enjoyed having more elbow room to spread out.
When we arrived, we were seated in a cozy booth facing an attractive-​looking bar. There was a personalized card waiting on the table for us. Hand-​written anything is always a nice touch.
We started with some cocktails and complimentary bread. The ramekin of butter was topped with honeycomb, which turned it into an elevated version of sweet cream butter.
Then the enchanting, seemingly endless tasting menu ensued. Every dish was presented impeccably. Each dish alternated between chilled and warm.
Firstly, Osetra caviar came with a bite-​sized piece of pickled radish over some uni hidden underneath. It was just enough of each to appreciate the delicate uni and salty caviar.
Second, there was Ama Ebi soup — bites of shrimp in hot, savory dark broth.
Next came the tuna. But before the fresh tuna came to the table, the server placed a container of soy sauce and grated some fresh wasabi before our eyes.
Two cubes of bright red Spanish bluefin tuna sashimi sat atop a glassy plate. I pondered how many bluefin are left in the ocean before inevitably popping the flavorful fish in my mouth.
Four dollops of toro tartare was served with yuzu kosho, focaccia, and beet gel. The ‘focaccia’ were more like bite-​sized toast points.
The cooked fish courses followed. The Bolinas black cod in kombu miso consommé was very tender. It was cooked with the skin on. The cod had very mild savory and sweet flavors, with a super delicate texture.
The king salmon with squash raviolo, shitake mushroom & curry broth was even better. The salmon was sandwiched in between creamy broth and very gooey egg yolk.
The grilled Maine Lobster included chunky tail meat and soft claw meat. It was accompanied with crispy pig skin.
A small squab arrived with dollops of thick sauce and vegetables. The second poultry was the Tolenas farm quail with white truffle ricotta dumpling over a light mushroom broth. Quail tends to dry out easily, but the mushroom sauce helped it retain some juices. I didn’t quite understand the ricotta filled dumplings. I couldn’t quite pick out any discerning flavors and the wrappers didn’t really hold the ricotta.
The Cochon au lait, or pork with milk, was served with roasted brussels sprouts, and candied pistachio. Finally the last protein dish arrived. Japanese A5 Wagyu sat in cauliflower Sansho pepper jus. It cut smoothly and the juicy meat went down with such ease.
Then, we moved on to the desserts.
First, a bourbon semifreddo came with honeyed apple and brown sugar. Bourbon-​flavored desserts are everywhere these days, but I can’t say I’m a fan.
The hibiscus tapioca & custard was interesting. The bright red, smooth little pearls over creamy custard was intriguing, but I’m not taken by things that taste like flowers.
The miniature macarons & passionfruit candy were adorable. The passionfruit candy reminded me of those Chinese rabbit candies. The macarons were good cookies, but slightly dense for macarons.
A glass with a dollop of Greek yogurt was topped with mint granite and pear slices. It was very light and refreshing. I’m not a huge fan of Greek yogurt, but they managed to eliminate most of the tart flavor.
Quince — A very light spongecake came with a egg-​shaped dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. This simple little dessert was my favorite.
The meal concluded when the bill was presented with black sesame brittle. We definitely had our fill of sweets with a lot of variety.
From caviar to brittle, the meal could not have felt more lovely and complete. It included well-​executed land and seafood dishes. Many people seem to think that the portion sizes of tasting menus are too tiny to satiate an adult appetite. However, after about 9 dishes and oh-​so-​many desserts, I definitely had my fill of tasty, precision-​plated dishes.
The service was just as excellent. The staff presented themselves professionally but remained warm and friendly.

Amazing food! Amazing service! Love
To come here at all time. Great drink
Nice people, excellent food!

Wow!!! Tasting menu was amazing! Can’t wait to come back!
I’m more of a champagne person, but the wine paring menu was amazing.
Excellent service, amazing food, and a wonderful atmosphere!

One of the fanciest place in San Francisco! For those girls who want to dress up this is the place to do it. Great service, beautiful décor, and high ceilings.
Cocktails here were really yummy and the bartender was great. I asked for a non-​alcoholic drink and to use apricots since it was in season and he made me the best non alcoholic cocktail ever!
Now onto the food! We got the 3 course meal for $ 125/​person. The best best best dish of the night was the crab ravioli. Amazinggggg a 6 star dish! We also had the tuna tartare which was really good also. Unlike many other restaurants tuna tartare, Michael Mina’s tuna pieces were chunky and plump. As for mains, I had the lobster pot pie. It was humongous! I was extremely full afterwards. A bit too big, I would rather have more dishes and each dish smaller. My friend has the rib eye steak, pretty good perfectly cooked but nothing special.
It was a great experience and definitely a perfect choice for special occasions but in my opinion it is too expensive. But you wouldn’t expect otherwise for a Michael Mina restaurant.

Totally an amazing experience. Reservation is very easy, I made reservation on the same day via Open Table, and got the table at a perfect time, 8pm.
Chef’s Tasting Menu was definitely a good choice, plus the beverage pairing, which was very pricey but totally worth it.
The food presentation was really great, taste great, but the portion was very small.
My favorite was the ‘Osetra Caviar with smoked uni’ which was the first food served.

Came here for a lunch with clients and it was definitely an experience. I started off with the Japanese whiskey service and let me tell you, this is probably the most entertained I’ve ever been when it has come to food or alcohol. I could go into detail of the whole process, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise. All you need to know is that there is a blowtorch.
We went with the tasting menu and it was a good idea — especially if you can’t make up your mind on what to try. The only con was that the portions are small, but that’s typically what a tasting menu entails. The prawn ravioli was probably the highlight of my meal (even though it was technically a side item) and also their juicy slice of steak. Even though I wasn’t completely full after my meal and drinks, I still left with an experience (see: blowtorch).

#62
Soooooo many thoughts come to mind as I sit and write my review for Michael Mina. Where do I begin?
I can start with the beautiful location. I can add that even though Mina’s place is nestled in the financial district, the parking is not an issue – valet. I can then add the attentive service awarded by the staff upon entering. Yes, I was sure I was going to enjoy this dinner.
A colleague and I arrived a bit early as we were planning on cocktails at the bar while we waited for our table; however, they sat us right away. How wonderful – though, I did want to chillax at the bar for a few before gorging. No worries, I can have my martini after dinner.
The dinning room is elegantly designed. HUGE, beautiful mirrors are lining the tall walls. The music is light – just like the spacious candlelit dinning area. The space was full, but not packed, with discriminating diners enjoying their meals.
Our hostess came and supplied our menus for food and beverage. She let us know our sommelier would be straight away for any questions we had on pairing a particular wine we had chosen. When the sommelier arrived, he spoke about the region and the notes within the wine. How it was used in preparing one dish special for the evening and then allowed us a taste to make sure that was what we wanted. Wonderful… We will take a bottle please.
As we waited for our bottle of wine to arrive, we perused the menu, checking out the delicacies. I usually order pretty basically when it comes to Michelin Star dinning, I almost always choose the prix fixe. I feel if the award winning chef put it together, it has to be spectacular. My companion went with the chef’s choice.
After we ordered, another gentleman came to the table and offered us a complimentary amuse bouche from the chef. There were three little wonderful compartments of tiny gifts adorning the plate:
Delicious tartare atop a tiny wonton
Tiny duckling with a chili sauce
Humus with lovely accouterments
Our wine arrived about this time and it was the perfect compliment to the appetizer portion of our meal.
Foie Gras two ways
Michael Mina’s signature Ahi Tartare
The starters were so delicious. My ahi was some of the best. One of our service professionals explained all the preparation involved in the dish and he then mixed my tuna so that all the spices were incorporated, then designed me a pretty «ahi tuna star» for my dinning pleasure. He also explained the foie gras to us as well, though he did not create any artistry for my companion ;)
Next came the impressive entrees.
Japanese Wagyu Steak
Trout and Salmon
My fish was prepared three ways, and each bite was better than the first. One compartment offered trout lightly sautéed with the skin on, one compartment smoked fish and one was poached. So seriously delicious. Though I do not eat red meat, I can say that my companion truly enjoyed his meal as well. The hostess explained the Wagyu beef to us in a manner that it sounded delicious to me too. Spectacular and passionate food knowledge presented by the staff upon receiving every course.
As we finished our bottle of wine we decided on an after dinner espresso as well as a martini. Now, I am not used to ordering $ 27 martinis; however, this one was divine. We enjoyed our drinks with the completion of our elegant meal:
Dessert three ways
Cheese three ways
His dessert plate had a beignet that was absolutely amazing, a tiny sherbet and some other little sweet thing that was yummy. My plate consisted of three cheeses – blue cheese, a fabulous brie and a rather strong third cheese I was not familiar with. I love cheese after dinner, and am not a sweets person, so thank you Michael Mina for allowing me such a delicious end to my experience.
Now, just when we thought we were done, the chef sent us yet another gift from his kitchen. A small plate containing four after dinner pieces of deliciousness. There were cookies two ways, a nugget and a little gingery tasting bite.
We finished our drinks and collected ourselves to return to reality. This was truly an enchanting evening. Michael Mina’s is every bit as wonderful as the reviews and word of mouth from friends and associates.
*How did I end up at this luxurious venue? A colleague of mine invited me out to dinner Sunday night – he told me that I was going to love this place. He was not wrong. NOTE TO SELF: I have to make sure to do favors for this guy many more times in the future if he likes to repay my efforts at Michelin Star restaurants…
Stephani Smiles for Michael Mina ;)
#everybitetasteslikeheaven

My fellow food friend and I decided to meet up for dinner and cross the Michael Mina experience off our list. We’ve both been to a few of his restaurants in and around SF and in the South Bay, but never his flagship restaurant. In coming here, I knew right away that I was going to go with the pre fix option; how could you not with all of the photos of the beautiful plating?!
In sitting down and assessing the wine menu, we decided to split a half bottle of Oregon pinot and settled into the menu. Here’s what I had:
Course 1: Seasonal Trios — Sashimi
Course 2: Seasonal Trios — California Fowl
Course 3: Dessert
Course 1 was interesting in that it wasn’t plated the way your typical sashimi plate is served. Between the three types of fish that were served, I definitely enjoyed the maguro that came with a small grating of fresh wasabi. For Course 2, this was sort of a no-​brainer for me. I love most poultry and absolutely loved the squab. The duck breast that came with the dish was a little too big (never a bad thing), whereas the quail was smaller than what I expected. No surprise that the happy medium of the squab was the easiest one to enjoy. One thing that I really enjoyed about all three proteins was the fantastic sauces. The seasonal citrus incorporation was amazing! For Course 3, the Blood Orange Champagne Sorbet and the Shiso Grapefruit Yogurt on top of tapioca pearls were absolutely outstanding. My friend is a fantastic dessert maker and said that the sorbet was easily the best part of her meal. The not-​so great part of the dessert was the classic beignet, which had a consistency of more of a cake-​y donut than the light fluffy beignets I’m used to having.
Service wise, our server was nice and had some good recommendations on what to order relative to our wine selection. He was a little pushy on the caviar option (there are no prices on the menu for the caviar, if that’s indicative of anything), and also pushed the wine selection a little hard too. But, he did give a good opinion when my friend was deciding between the ribeye and the suckling pig trio and told her that the suckling pig is a better experience than a steak that can be eaten almost anywhere. All in all, the experience at Michael Mina is certainly not cheap and is certainly not a place for the casual dinner. For an intimate dinner though, I can totally see it. If I come back, it’ll be for a special occasion!

I had a truly great experience here, I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is interested in trying it.
Amuse bouche — largest portion I’ve ever seen for an amuse bouche. It started the theme of trios that was maintained through dinner. Cod arancini — very nice and crispy, scallop, and house tofu with dungeoness.
Sashimi — the fish was like butter. Fresh wasabi ground table side with traditional sharkskin paddle
Scallops — three very distinct presentations, all delicious with scallops cooked very well
California fowl — the amount of thought and creativity in this dish is insane. Three birds, three grains, three sauces/​garnishes. Meat was succulent and juicy, duck and squab had nice crispy skin. Couscous was just filler and the other grains were a bit salty but overall very tasty dish.
Ribeye — cooked well, beautiful presentation
Dessert — blood orange w champagne foam blew my mind. So many different textures.
Cheese — beautiful pairings, goat cheese was very fresh tasting.
We ended with a plate compliments of the pastry chef with shortbread cookies, soft caramels, and a pineapple jelly. A wonderful cap on an amazing dinner. I already want to go back!

Aïe, très grosse correction vers le bas suite à mon récent dîner chez Michael Mina. Ma précédente (et très agréable) visite remontait pourtant à moins d’un an, mas là nous sommes ressortis déçus :
— certes tout le personnel est très gentil, mais le serveur nous a constamment assommés de détails inutiles (et aussitôt oubliés) sur le contenu de la carte et des assiettes au lieu de nous laisser choisir et manger tranquillement (je sais qu’aux US le serveur vous cause beaucoup plus qu’en France, mais là même ma convive américaine n’en pouvait plus) ;
— la carte est devenue beaucoup plus confuse, limite incompréhensible, avec des menus à tiroir qui contiennent des plats triples, c’est-à-dire que par exemple le plat principal est constitué de trois petits plats différents côte-​à-​côte ;
— total, on goûte trop de choses, on né retient rien de marquant ;
— le plus important, j’ai eu la nette impression que la qualité avait baissé, sans être mauvaise la cuisine n’était plus aussi fine, plus aussi élégante, plus aussi délicieuse que la dernière fois ;
— et enfin de 150 dollars par personne tout compris en moyenne, on est allègrement passés à 200.
Il y a là plusieurs indices concordants vers une volonté d’esbrouffe, de vous en mettre plein la vue et non plus plein les papilles. Quel dommage !

4.5 stars. We had Thanksgiving dinner here during our recent SF trip. At about 7pm, the restaurant was close to packed.
Pros:
— centrally-​located restaurant
— good-​sized and nicely decorated space
— impeccable service
— solid food and good wine pairings
— love that they completely accommodated by tantrum-​throwing toddler
— nice, soft table tops
— casual attire ok
Cons:
— it can get pretty pricey (out prix fixe was $ 145 each + $ 85 for wine pairings; for the two of us, our bill came out to $ 620)
One of the must-​eats in SF though I probably won’t be back; not because I didn’t like the food but my preference just tends to be more modern and progressive.

Fabulous lunch menu. It is one of my go to spot when I have clients visiting my office. $ 55 for a 4-​course tasting menu is not bad at all. They also have a 3-​course option. The service is impeccable and the ambiance is perfect for a lunch meeting. The place is small and intimate, away from FiDi’s loud lunch crowd.
My favorite out of their current menu is the Hamichi Sashimi (blackberry vinaigrette, kombu, radish, avocado). The blackberry and fish blended beautifully. It is the perfect appetizer during a hot summer day.
I ordered the Mediterranean Sea Bass (charred, eggplan purée, haricot verts, bacon-​balsamic jus) and I could not be happier with my order. My coworker had the Risotto and it was a tad underwhelming when I tried it. I was lucky enough to see Michael Mina walking out of the kitchen the last time I visited.
Would I go back? Yes. I have yet to try their dinner menu.

As I awaited for my dinner at Michael Mina to come, I could only imagine the gastronomical adventure that was waiting for me when I walked through their doors.
Warmly greeted and quickly seated my bf and I had to decide if we want to choose our own dishes or do the chef’s tasting menu. Being wannabe food connoisseurs, we couldn’t help but opt for the tasting menu :)
Personally, the first third of the tasting menu overall was too remnant of the sea; a lot of the uncooked food was very fishy. We had a lot of uni, which was good at first but got a little bit overwhelming due to the strong creamy/​fatty texture. One dish paired uni with house made tofu, which was had too much of a creamy texture for me.
The foie gras was also a bit too salty. I think it could have been paired with more fruit or something else to balance out the saltiness. My bf and I could barely finish our foie gras, and we normally can’t get enough.
Other then those dishes I think everything was presented beautifully and with the best combinations of flavor. While some dishes were «safe» I think it was a nice little break to have something a little familiar.
If Michael Mina continues to come up with innovative ways to pair fresh ingredients with bold flavors then there should be no reason why you shouldn’t try this place out.