Commonwealth

San Francisco, California





This is the type of restaurant that I seek after and am always thrilled when I discover something of it's caliber! Each dish was a creative interpretation with significant effort made in delivering unique illustrations of texture and flavor throughout the meal. I would imagine that anything one orders off of this menu is impressive.

The restaurant is just forty-five seats with Chef Jason Fox creating the exciting and experimental menu. This lauded spot has been open since 2010 and has garnered semifinalist status for Best New Restaurant from the James Beard Foundation, as well as attaining the status of a single Michelin star in 2016. Furthermore, the restaurant boasts giving back to the community. For every diner who orders the tasting menu, ten dollars is given to a local nonprofit organization. The beneficiaries of the donation change every two weeks.

Now, on to the food!

Seaweed potato chips with vinegar foam.
This was certainly a play on fish and chips for me. It reminded me of salt and vinegar chip with the seaweed and then was not heavy or overbearing with flavor due to the frothy lightness of the vinegar foam. What a delightfully playful bite to dip a crispy chip into foam! Although the foam was not heavy, it retained enough body to also not melt or dissolve immediately when scooped onto the chip.

Smoked squash, kohlrabi, fromage blanc, buckwheat, wild herbs, pumpkin consommé
This had an outstanding smokiness that was unmistakably comparable to a campfire, but still retaining the sweetness of the applewood used during the smoking process. It had a thick and meaty essence rather than the soft texture one might expect from a cooked squash. Simple remarkable compared to any other squash I have had. The bites were punctuated infrequently by the crunchiness of the buckwheat, of which I would have sprinkled more liberally. The pumpkin consommé was also a creative and unusual idea that truly had the characteristics of a thin, yet hearty, broth. Was surprised that it remained clear, although it was constituted by pumpkin. The herbs also could have been more intense for me due to the strong smokiness of this selection.

Sea urchin, chilled beet custard, smoked bone marrow cream, nasturtium, yuzu kasha

Sea urchin, chilled beet custard, smoked bone marrow cream, nasturtium, yuzu kasha

I have learned to anticipate that urchin will be salty and overwhelmingly "sea" like in taste, but this was a superior idea, demonstrating again the menu being outside of the box. Paired with the urchin was a beet custard that was quite a thick texture, as one would expect with a custard. It was sweet, but with added subtle smokiness from the cream, unlike the strong smokiness delivered on the previous dish. I wonder if perhaps the smokiness would not have been such a subtle experience for me had I not just enjoyed the smoked squash prior to this? That could have been a welcome recommendation from the waiter, as I would have no other way to know that one flavor might overpower the next. 

Mussels, cipollini, trout roe, charred cabbage, saffron, chervil, oyster cream

This plate was the most straightforward, but certainly delivered a perfect bite with the oyster sauce that was enriched further by the saffron. For me, the texture contrast of the robustly popping trout rose was most notable with each bite. This added a refreshing component to flavors that may have otherwise been too rich. The mussels could have been more tender in my opinion, but were cooked both in the shell and then again after being hulled, so I was concerned that this would obliterate any chance for them to remain tender. Additionally, the cabbage was too large and unwieldy on the plate, so I cut it. However, this was an action achieved only after some difficulty due to it's texture after being cooked, but it was nonetheless a nice boat for carrying the sauce, which I did not want left behind on the plate. 

Black truffle dumplings with bok choy, egg yolk jam, black garlic pearls, and mushroom broth

This melted immediately when eaten! It truly dissolved nearly the moment that it landed on the tongue with a very soft consistency. The pungency of the bok chop was too sharp and bitter a contrast for me, but the broth was superior with the egg jam adding an exclamation point that made this unforgettable. 

This difficult-to-impress writer departed from this particular meal feeling very satisfied with the details and creativity occurring consistently. Aside from the feeling that each plate was pricey, it was a delightful excursion. It was clear that significant effort was dedicated to each installment on the menu, making the price point seem more reasonable. Please do enjoy this stop if you have the opportunity! Cheers!