Bauer Welcomes Keiko À Nob Hill to the 3 Star Club

In this past Sunday's Chron review, Sir Bauer shares his thoughts on Keiko À Nob Hill, the highly anticipated San Francisco debut for Seigo Takei and his wife chef Keiko Takahashi, who earned a Michelin star when she was at El Paseo in Mill Valley. Bauer welcomes the new restaurant to his three-star club, saying:

"It's the type of dining venture we haven't seen for a while. But then again, Takahashi isn't the type of chef we see often, either. The owners claim she's the first Japanese female chef to win a Michelin star, and her food shows a feminine delicacy and airy presentation as she weaves her native sensibilities with refined French technique."

Most of the review real estate is taken up with dish descriptions, from the delicate, "artistic" tasting menu items and signature foie gras with espresso sauce to Takahashi's "expert frying" displayed in the casual lounge menu (wherein "her soul is revealed"). Despite staff that's "a little clumsy compared with places like Gary Danko or French Laundry," Bauer still enjoys the feeling: "like you're dining with the 1 percent, eating food you're likely to find only about 1 percent of the time."

· All Keiko À Nob Hill Coverage [~ ESF ~]