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BBE Editor's Pick

Ame

689 Mission St., San Francisco (SOMA)   map

Ame
Ame, the creation of the renowned duo Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani (justly famous for their Terra Restaurant in the Napa Valley), delivers balanced flavors in every dish, requiring laser-sharp attention. Stay focused: You don’t want to miss a beat of the chefs delicate surgery, often operating with basic Italian, French or Japanese notes—the lobster comes in a yuzu brown butter sauce, while the grilled quail gets a truffle sauce. Don’t fill up on the sashimi bar menu or you might miss out on the chawan-mushi all dolled up with lobster and sea urchin. The modern interior, inside the St. Regis hotel, is spare and chic but not cold; dark wood and muted colors, soften the room.

menu musts*

Lissa’s staff meal (cuttlefish noodles,sea urchin and quail egg)
Chawan-mushi (Savory custard with lobster,clams and eel)
Sake-marinated black cod, shrimp dumplings in shiso broth
Wagyu beef carpaccio with arugula salad and fried oysters
Whole Maine lobster with gai-lan and sea urchin
*menu changes seasonally

sweet seats

From the tables set in front of the open kitchen you can watch the first act of your meal being created.

chew on this

Co-owner Hiro Sone knows how to rock ’n’ roll. Sone once made a guest appearance on electric guitar with the Back Burner Blues Band, a group of musical Bay Area chefs.

hours

dinner: Mon.–Thurs. 6 PM–9:30 PM; Fri.–Sat. 5:30 PM–10 PM; Sun. 5:30–9:50 PM

price range

$34 (Alaskan black cod) to $39 (whole Maine lobster)

689 Mission St. (at 3rd St.), San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-284-4040   map   www.amerestaurant.com $$$


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