This is the hardest reservation to get in the San Francisco Bay area. This is a strong 2, maybe 3 Michelin star experience. A top 2 meal in my life.Clint and Yoko have written a love letter to ultra refined Japanese flavors and umami with their Noodle in a Haystack tasting menu.Each dish is a poem to the carefully selected ingredients, where umami, acidity, texture, temperature, and depth are artfully balanced. The layering of garnish, sauces, oils, and acidity in each dish is masterful. The piece de resistance of my tasting menu was a fried 16 hour cooked pork belly, which was a textural adventure; crispy on the outside, melting on the inside, with different internal and external flavor profiles brought on my the pork's fattyness and the sauces on the inside and outside.All dishes feature numerous techniques. The amount of touches diners see put on them by Client and Yoko in their well rehearsed open-kitchen choreography is borderline dizzying.Clint and Yoko narrate the development of each dish, some which have been workshopped for 8+ years to get to their masterpiece state. They are excellent hosts and their conversations and story's during service really add an intimate personal connection.As an ultimate compliment to the chefs, I did not leave a single morsel of food on my plates when the 7 course menu was complete.Do what you need to do to get a seat at this restaurant, becauseit is truly an unforgettable masterpiece.1. Deviled Ramen Egg2. Kanpachi Crudo3. Japanese Caprese4. Dungeness Crab Gravy w. Alkaline silken tofu, topped with Salmon Roe and Sea bean and finished with roasted shrimp head oil5. Pork Belly Kakuni Karaage - 16hr braised6. Cucumber "quickle"
We had a great dinner at Noodle in a Haystack. The food was all amazing, and Clint and Yoko were so friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended!
Clint and Yoko have taken wonderful homemade cooking from their at-home pop-up to an official, real restaurant in the Richmond. I was a Kickstarter backer, so I recently got to experience the magic they're creating here in May during a lovely 7-course dinner with a sake pairing.When I describe it as an "experience" and not just a meal, I mean it in the fullest sense of the word. It's a small, 10-person place, where everyone is served at the same time so that Clint and Yoko can share their inspiration for each dish as it is served. I chose the sake pairing, and learned that they had been as thoughtful with their beverage menu as they are with their cooking - every sake was carefully chosen, and matched so well with what we were tasting.I'm not a foodie by any means, so I won't do a detailed breakdown of the dishes (I'll leave that to the reviewers that know food better). Based on the reactions of everyone else who ate there with us that night, I will say I believe that once NiaH officially opens (they said they are targeting Sept, depending on when they get through their Kickstarter pledge backlog) it will instantly become every San Francisco foodie and critic's top Japanese dining experience. At least, it's definitely mine.
Excellent, Unique, Phenomenal food. Attention to detail is amazing. One of the best coursed meals we have encountered. Watching Clint and Yoko plate and deliver the food is like a symphony. A MUST try! Highly recommend.
Phenomenal food. The chef and owners are so passionate about their craft, which makes for an exceptional dining experience!
I found out about this ramen pop-up from a friends visit. It’s run out of the creators’ home, and it truly has a comfortable homey feel, where you feel welcomed into their home. The food is delicious and unlike anything else in the Bay Area. The small dishes were actually wonderful and complex in flavor (ramen deviled egg, pickled cucumbers, curry potatoes, avocado nori toast) and the yuzu shio was amazing. We’ll be back for another one!