Memento SF — Restaurant in San Francisco

This review is a culmination of my multiple experience at Memento

Memento is not just a restaurant, it's a sentiment where warm genuine hospitality emanates; paired with it's eclectic low ABV cocktail program, inventive small plates and curated entrees.

The interior is moody, it's warm dimmed lighting just gently kisses your skin, this is a great spot for a date night, perhaps with some friends who enjoys dining out or a time alone at the bar with your glass of wine and a book.

After coming here a bunch of times, I can say that Memento is a neighborhood spot like no other in Noe Valley, the food here is different and experimental without straying away from Californian roots; and freshness is still the main focus. The ingredients are top tier and well selected both in the kitchen and the bar.

Drinks: I love the low ABV cocktails here, look out for the: Ghost Rider (complex and elegant spice), Memento Mori (tropical fruit and clean fresh notes), You had me at Hello (for the french 75 lovers) and Green Dragon (tea forward flavor profile). The drinks are well balanced and visually enticing. Also, ask for their mocktails because it's not listed but it's available. Their wine and beer selection is intentionally curated to pair with your food, so don't sleep on that either and ask for recommendations or any new concoction they're formulating.

Food: The small plates section (tapas) lets you go on an experience, they recommend sharing multiple plates. My personal favorites are:

*Empanadas (the dough here is the real star, it's light and not too doughy and the filling ratio pairs just right). *Mussels w/ Grilled Focaccia: this dish is just out of this world, it's almost addictive, just the slight sweetness from the coconut milk mixed with curry, makes this dish unforgettable. The sauce on this with the grilled focaccia.... you have to experience it for yourself *Za'atar Flat Bread: perfectly cooked flat bread, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes truly speaks to the quality of the ingredients. The Za'atar spice also leaves a memory of a spice market, it's nostalgic and quite memorable.

Going to the Mains: I have so much thoughts on this but I have to summarize my top favorites:

*Roasted Beets & Ricotta Rigatoni: this menu item sounds almost like an alliteration, and the flavor of this dish is something you'll only have here. It's vegetarian, but the beets serve as the base notes to ground this dish against the zingy ricotta and lemony parsley. Very inventive and playful! I never had anything like it before.

*Crispy Curry Chicken: The texture of hummus puree on this with coconut milk enlivens the Filipino in me, this dish is also gluten free since they use crispy garbanzo for the chicken, this is a must have and a legacy here. *Filet Mignon: This entree doesn't need a description because it's something you need to experience for yourself. I like this dish as medium rare and the cauliflower puree on this plays well with the filet's leanness.

Desserts (Pls make room because this is my favorite part!!!) They have other desserts on the menu and they are all really good! but...

*Caramel Flan: This is the winner, I honesty don't like desserts unless it's flan or tiramisu, so you can call me a snob on these two desserts (since I've had flan in Mexico, Spain and the Philippines). This Flan is the happy medium of rich and savory, it's also the right amount of sweetness while remaining rich and light, also without that weird eggy taste (iykyk). The caramel part of this dessert is not overbearing, it's a dance between two major components that could make or break a flan for me. This dish alone... I can write a 14 page thesis/review here... but that will probably get me banned for being obsessed here... But humor aside, bravo! This flan is perfection.

All in all, after reading this review, it's your turn to try it for yourself - hopefully I am the instrument that leads you to your favorite new spot and dishes...

Outstanding Anniversary Dinner!

We celebrated our anniversary at Memento in San Francisco’s Noe Valley and had an absolutely incredible experience! From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the casual elegant atmosphere and beautiful artwork throughout the restaurant.

Rafael, the owner, personally greeted and served us all evening. The thoughtful touches really stood out - there was an anniversary card waiting at our table and we were surprised with complimentary champagne to toast. This level of personal attention made the night feel truly special.

Cocktails were exceptional:

Defying Gravity (jalapeño tequila with passion fruit) - perfectly balanced with just the right amount of spice. Island In The Sun - like a refined piña colada with thyme, completely transparent thanks to their 4-day infusion process that Rafael explained.

Food highlights:

Truffle fries with truffle aioli - crispy and perfectly seasoned. Beef empanadas - crispy dough, flavorful filling, great carrot purée accompaniment. Millionaire Beef Tacos on blue corn tortillas - tender beef tenderloin, beautifully presented. Mussels with coconut curry sauce - this sauce was absolutely incredible, we took some home! The flan for dessert was the best I've ever had - thick custard texture with rich caramel.

Everything was beautifully presented with pansy flowers that Rafael told us come from their own backyard. The meatball stroganoff was the only dish that didn't quite hit the mark for us - the sauce could have used more flavor. However, this could be that the garlic and truffle from the Truffle fries, affected my ability to taste well.

As a special anniversary surprise, Rafael gifted us a slice of New York cheesecake that was absolutely perfect. His dessert wine pairing recommendation was also spot-on.

We felt like royalty the entire evening. The combination of creative cocktails, mostly outstanding food, beautiful atmosphere, and exceptional personal service from Rafael made this an unforgettable anniversary dinner. We're already planning our next visit and will definitely be recommending Memento to...

Finally got around to visiting Memento, one of the new restaurants in our neighborhood, and had pretty high expectations based on reviews, and wow, this place delivered. The starters/appetizers we tried -- salmon tartare with avocado and mussels with curry sauce -- were amazing (creamy!). The mains were very good though not as good as the starters, but then again most were so pricey that we stuck with the cheapest options so can't comment on those. The cocktails -- mostly built around soju -- were excellent (especially Black Noir: never quite tasted anything like it) with incredible ice cubes (edible flowers inside!) though the ice cubes were so big that it took up about 1/3rd of the volume and hence felt like you were getting short changed on the drink. The dessert we had, a chocolate-caramel-coconut flan was absolutely amazing, especially paired with a desert wine (though again, expensive: the desert wine was $15 for basically a shot).

And then there was the service. We went on a slow Tue evening so maybe we were predispositioned for great service, but it was outstanding. Not just our server, but everybody we interacted with.

And can't forget this: super clean bathroom! Great modern ambiance in general.

Overall, with amazing food, outstanding service, and great ambience, we'll be back and I hope this restaurant is around...