Chaya 10th Year Anniversary Specials
October 1, 2010 Starting today through October 10, Chaya Brasserie in SF is having a ten-day celebration in honor of their 10th year anniversary. Along with a $20.10 three-course lunch, new dishes and drink specials will be on the menu. Also, I had no idea that the Chaya family had culinary roots that dated back to feudal Japan (390 years!).
Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops with Parsnip Purée and Sugar Snap Peas (courtesy Chaya Brasserie).
I got to try out Executive Chef Tetsuya Osaki's new dishes and I'm pretty amazed at what they're doing. I haven't dined there in over six years and it's wonderful to see them maintaining the same delicious standards on their French-Japanese fusion menu.
Fricassée de Champignons (Courtesy Chaya).
Every dish was sourced from fresh, seasonal ingredients, such as the perfectly executed Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops with Parsnip Purée, Crispy Onions, Sugar Snap Peas, and Herbed Mustard Pesto Sauce. The sugar snap peas had a really fresh taste and a satisfying crunch, while the herbed mustard pesto added a slight zing to the sweet and creamy scallops. The Fricassée de Champignons featured meltingly rich sweetbreads, bouncy white prawns, lobster and shiitake mushrooms, and a velouté sauce of truffles and chicken jus.
What really surprised me was the seemingly ho-hum Seasonal Savory Vegetable Salad. The description on the menu didn't seem particularly interesting but the mélange of cranberry, fava and romano beans, chickpeas, lentils, English peas, baby squash, cashew purée and aged sherry vinaigrette was an explosion of earthy, sweet and tangy flavors. I didn't realize poached cashews could be so amazing - it had the texture of a nut butter.
Alaskan Halibut (Courtesy Chaya).
The entrées didn't disappoint one bit. I've had a few mediocre halibut experiences elsewhere but Chaya's Alaskan Halibut with Lobster Coconut Fondue was very tender and flaky. The texture almost resembled a black cod. Accompanied with a deeply smoky house made "Tontoro" (pork neck and jowl), sweet corn, and caramelized onions, the juicy Côte de Porc Noir is sourced from a Kurobuta hog (Berkshire from Iowa). If you love heritage pork this is the dish to order.
The generous dessert portions are large enough to share with 2-3 people. The new Apple Quince Tart is inspired by the classic Tarte Tatin recipe. The goat milk and quince sorbets added a refreshing note, cutting the tart's buttery base. If you really want to indulge, the wildly popular Warm Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Caramel Ice Cream is your ticket to sugar nirvana. It has a nice crispy croissant layer on top, and as you dive in you reach the chocolaty crème brulée-like layer on the bottom.
The famous Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (Courtesy Chaya).
If you're in the Embarcadero area in the next ten days, check out their signature cocktail and appetizer favorites at 30-66% off regular prices. Who can resist $1 oysters? This “Countdown to 10-10-10” promo is available at the bar and lounge area.
Day 1: Red Dragon Roll for $10
Day 2: Takara Nigori Unfiltered for $9
Day 3: Sancerre BTG for $8
Day 4: Tuna Tartare for $7
Day 5: Basil Cucumber Gimlet for $6
Day 6: Mini Burger & Fries for $5
Day 7: Chaya Vitamin V for $4
Day 8: $3 Garlic Fries
Day 9: $2 Sapporo Draught Beer
Day 10: $1 Oysters
For more info or to make reservations, visit www.thechaya.com.
For editorial consideration, a press invitation was provided for this post.
Reader Comments (2)
A place where I can get sushi AND croissant bread pudding? My dreams have been answered. ;)
And don't forget the beautiful view!! ;)