Sorrel — Restaurant in San Francisco

Was originally very excited to try this restaurant after following the pop up recently and hearing such great reviews. The night originally started good with some great aperitif cocktails. We ordered the house made focaccia to start, which was great, perhaps the best part of the night with a perfect quenelle of cultured butter. However to charge three dollars for some cultured butter is a little crazy, should be included in the price. I get it. You left some cream to culture for a few days, whipped it and strained out the buttermilk. It’s a pain, but to up charge for it is over the top. Got the crudo next which was alright, but a very tiny portion. Next ordered one of the pastas. Possibly the best dish of the night but was lacking something, a couple cheese stuffed pasta for $20 in a flat sauce seems too much. The sauce didn’t wow me. Some browned butter and poppy seeds. I was hoping for something more. The entrees were probably the worst part of the night. My boyfriend had the Farro which he said he could’ve faked it at home, tasted like watered down green goddess dressing with some useless frisée on top. What I was hoping to be the best part was actually the worst, each morel mushroom on the plate had dirt in it. As if they didn’t even wash them, and if they did, they didn’t let them soak enough to loosen the soil. Nothing less appealing than paying a chunk of money for a dish that has dirt in it. For my dish I got the pork, which felt extremely bland. Some thumbolina carrots and seared peaches, very little done to them. Again more useless frisée. The porkchop itself was lack luster, about half the portion you would get at most restaurants of this caliber. The sauce was a let down, tasted like a bland pork jus with some hydrated mustard seed. Severely lacking any punch, umph or acid. Ended the meal with the brown butter vanilla mousse. Some texture was missing. The ice cream didn’t taste like it read. The chocolate garnish was far too thick to be a crunch element. Because it was so thick, it overpowered the subtle flavors of butter and vanilla. It was missing that chew element from a cold ice cream, even a thick caramel could save it. Overall it was pretty disappointing. I saw a man a table away who ordered the same thing and the look on his face was disappointed like mine. Overall the restaurant seems to focus too heavily on small portions and plating than flavor. Perhaps they should go back to a tasting menu only. Ticket times were far too long between courses. When your portion sizes are so small you shouldn’t let people wait so long between eating. Perhaps the restaurants only saving grace was the atmosphere and the service. Our server, Desiree, was cordial, funny and phenomenal. Overall would not go back. Perhaps one of the worst meals I’ve had in the three years of...

Tasting Menu - Spring 5/27/2021 Oysters Amuse Bouche - Chilled Soup, Fried Octopus, Tuna Tartare Sourdough Focaccia Strawberries in “Variation” White Sturgeon Caviar Cappelletti “Grando Arso” California King Salmon Duck for two Sorrel Granita Coconut Sorrel Ice Cream Strawberries

My wife and I enjoyed the entire meal. The night before we went to TFL. I heard some good things about Sorrel, and I’m glad I made a reservation here. Our waitress was very friendly.

Our favorite dishes of the night: Sourdough Focaccia and cultured butter. White Sturgeon Caviar, the heart of palm and bright spring vegetables was a great dish, we were actually craving some vegetables. Every bite included caviar. So good!!! Strawberries “Variation” This was a unique dish, thought this was dessert at first but it all worked and was a fun dish. Cappelletti was a delight, the mascarpone and ricotta was divine. The duck for two, was one of the highlights of the night. At first we were the first ones to be seated and our waitress did not tell us about the Duck. But I overheard our neighbors and the waitress telling them about the duck for two. So I waived her down and then ordered it!!! Did not disappoint the duck breasts was beautifully cooked and the herbs and lacquer on the skin was tasty. The Sorrel granita and Coconut Sorrel Ice Cream, this was suppose to be a palate cleanser. This was more than a cleanser. This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. They should sell the granita and ice cream on hot summer days for people passing by. I really enjoyed the sweet & sour treat, this was simply amazing. I want recipe!!! Lastly the Dessert was so good, I wish I could have more. The Strawberries was a deconstructed white chocolate strawberry shortcake. We were so happy of the restraint in sweetness. It was perfect ending to a great meal.

There was one things that I didn’t like which was the broth that the California King Salmon was bathing in, was simply to salty.

Other than that it was great meal. Deserved the Michelin Star. I think it deserves another. Haha. But overall great meal, my wife and I have already talked about coming back to Sorrel. Wish you open one in...

You know it’s going to be a good night when you have enough dinner mates to order by what you DON’T want on the menu. Basically I got to try the whole menu at Sorrel, save for a handful of items, and I honestly liked everything I had here!

Notable dishes: Bagna Cauda & Herbs - Even if you aren’t an anchovy fan, I would suggest getting this if you order the bread. So much amazing umami.

Tuna Crudo - We almost skipped this dish because tuna crudo is everywhere. Maybe it was the super seasonal tomatoes or the shiso, but their crudo was surprisingly standout.

Foie Gras Parfait - Decadent, but mild flavored foie with a caramelized lavender sugar topping. This was reminiscent of savory creme brulee.

A5 Wagyu Tartare - Tartare is another dish that’s everywhere and usually underwhelming. The sesame fennel crisp here added such a nice dimension and burst of flavor. This may be the first tartare I enjoyed!

Cicatelli - You can’t wrong with artichoke, guanciale, buffalo milk ricotta, AND black truffle with pasta. This was my favorite of the pasta dishes.

Gnocchi - Another killer combo with sweet corn, chanterelle, chive, and fonduta. The gnocchi was fluffy, yet had the right amount of chew.

Scialatielli - I especially loved the texture of this flat, sheet-like pasta. The lamb and olive were an intense, but complimentary flavor punch.

Wagyu Zabuton - Wagyu is often cooked poorly, ruining a great cut of meat. This was well-executed and let the fatty goodness shine.

Buckwheat Ice Cream - The presentation was cute with puffed grains that looked like mini popcorn. The buckwheat and olive were a nice savory accompaniment to the almond praline base.

Raspberry Passionfruit Tart - Nothing crazy, just a really good fruit tart!!

Service was quite jovial, though timing wasn’t the best. Dessert took about 30 minutes to come out. Plates took a while to be cleared as well.

I was worried about the noise level mentioned in other reviews - it was definitely loud, but still bearable for my high sensitive personality. The five bottles of wine probably...