Recommends

sushigirl

Joined 11 years ago

It was good but pricey. I had purchased a Groupon for Bushi-Tei. I called to make reservations and was told he'd try to squeeze us in, I don't know what that was all about, when we got there there were 2 people in the restaurant, 1/2 way through our meal 2 more people came in, I was expecting a crowd.

I ordered the foie gras and I did thoroughly enjoy it, but for the tiny piece I got, it wasn't worth the $20. I also had the Big eye tuna, 4 decent sizes and the risotto was excellent. My husband had the braised beef tongue, all he could say was that he could have had a tongue taco for $2.00 on 24th Street that would be better. The rest of us liked the food but....at 2:00 a.m., 3:45 a.m., 6:20 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. my stomach was not happy, I had terrible pains in my stomach, it felt like the food was lying there like a large lump of cement, at the 6:20 a.m. trip to the bathroom the diarrhea came, I felt a little better. I talked to the others in our group and they were fine, I'm the only one that had the foie gras. Our bill came to $209.00, $169.00 with the $40. discount, but back up to $209.00 with the tip, our waiter was very attentive, sure he was, the place was empty. I was very impressed with the white ceramic silverware rests, very cute, very innovative, the owner had them custom made.

If I didn't have such a rough night I'd go back, but since my stomach was in an upheaval, I won't be going back. There are so many fine restaurants here that I won't miss going back.

Doesn't Recommend

diamondsrforever

Joined 4 years ago

if you're in the mood for throwing your money. This restaurant won a 1* Michelin in 2007? Well, those days are long gone too!

Let me tell you what abomination of food we had. Foie gras appetizer

Foie gras, $20 that was passable. Not great, nothing fantastic. As a matter of fact, there was too much added to it, and there was a puddle of grease IN the bowl! How unappetizing is that? My friend had the yellow beet appetizer, with exactly 4 pieces of dried-up fresh (yeah right) truffle shavings on top.

Golden beet carpaccio, roasted paprika coulis, mizuna, truffle tapenade $12. Now how the heck does sournand earthy supposed to match? It didn't even contrast either. Just an atrocious, amateur pairing.

For entrees, I had the Sonoma duck breast yada yada. Sonoma duck breast, baby mizuna, mascarpone-mustard, dried chutney $28

According to the waiter, there was supposed to have some type of reduction with it, never saw it on the plate. Crunchy chunks of mystery stuff on top of my duck just didn't match once again. My friend had the beef cheeks, a $42 abomination!

Washugyu beef tender loin, potato anna, perigourdine $42

The French waiter described it as so gelatinous and the ladies especially love it for their skin (like collagen injections -- are you getting the picture how full of it these people are?) since it has been cooking for over 6 hours. What got to the table looked like 2 at the most. Save for a teeny center portion, the meat was tough! How can I describe it, hard, like chewy doughy, as opposed to the melt in your mouth, collagen-filled meat that was sold to us.

2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 bottles of mineral water = $150 after tip

Do you want to get ripped off too? This is the perfect place if you're in the mood for throwing your money away for one of the most horrendous food experiences I had since a couple of days ago when I went to 16 Mile in Millbrae.

Recommends

foodielover

Joined 9 years ago

Food nicely presented, friendly service, good date place - ambience. If you are a large portion diner, this is not the place for you. The 4 of us were full with 3 courses/person. The quail appetizer is one of the chef's signature dish, came in a metal dish with enoki mushrooms on the bottom and quail on top, a couple of pieces wrapped with serrano ham and a tiny pitcher (doll house size) of aged vinegar - all delish. The foie gras was very good (had a taste of it). The tuna tartare was beautifully presented w/a bottom layer of avocado, but not enough chopped tuna on top. You're served these thick breadsticks (1 stick per couple) with a lge marble-sized butter and wafers of seaweed crackers made by the chef. We got tiny puffs filled w/a sauce and tiny cake with a gingery cookie and sliver of brownie and a soft truffle for each diner, comp from the chef. The lobster entree with gnocchi was good, but for $30, I could've had a whole lobster tail instead of pieces. Don't usually like gnocchi but this was actually good, more chewy than starchy. The lobster was a bit bland. The duck was about 4 oz and very good, drizzled with a mustard/marscapone sauce. Did not like the bite of sea scallop my friend gave me, it was fishy tasting. Desserts are ok, the carmelized banana was chewy and didn't look like a banana. The minature flourless choc souffle was passe. I prefer souffles the French way, still oozing, this was not. The black sesame dessert was pretty tasty. It was difficult to understand our waiter because of his accent and he had to pull out his little notebook to describe the daily items on the 5 course which was $95! The vegetarian was 3 course for $45. We went ala carte. Still, with 3 courses each (and an extra appetizer) and a bottle of wine with coffee, you're out almost $400 for the evening for 4. We didn't have any problems with getting our water glasses continually filled and lingered for 2 hrs during dinner & no one rushed us out. The bathroom is very nice, never seen a Toto toilet before, heated seat!

Doesn't Recommend

akamrsd

Joined 6 years ago

worth skipping. Bushi-tei offered beautifully displayed, miniature portioned and mediocre food in gigantic, heavy white plates. Interior was nothing to remember, and nice thing about the bathroom is the Japanese toilet that's probably old news to most of us who've seen it/heard of it. Service was poor and probably very judgmental staff who favors those who order more. Some friends and I celebrated a birthday at Bushi-tei. Noone greeted us, although there were waiters, host and hostess standing at the front. After I smiled, did the staff smiled back. Foreign waitstaff, neither French nor Japanese, mentioned the Omakase menu and said there were only 15 made that day and that it was exceptional. He didn't explain any further until we asked for more detail. Small portions weren't the problem--problem was food did not live up to price expectations. Octopus was fishy and tough. Duck was a sliver of meat covered with sauce. Tuna was overcooked on the outside and tasteless. It was the sauces that saved most of the dishes. We saw the waiter once and never saw him again. The rest of the time, some Spanish speaking guys came by. Some of us always seemed to get water, refilled wine and bread, while the rest of us never did. It looked like those who ordered Okamase were well treated, while the rest were ignored. Noone folded our napkins when we left our seats like in most fancy restaurants. The host and hostess stood by the front the entire time and just stared at us. Very uncomfortable. When asked about dessert, one of the Spanish waiters explained a dish as being similar to a Spanish dessert, blah, blah with no other descriptions. Dessert was ordinary with hints of Japanese spices.

Too many good restaurants in the Bay Area to waste time on this one. Skip it.

Recommends

Lorraine Sanders

Joined 8 years ago

Artfully prepared Cal-French cuisine punched up with Japanese flair characterizes this fine-dining destination in Japantown.. In Short
Lamb chops accompanied by Satsuma yams and a wasabi port sauce and a lobster-and-crab starter with papaya, ginger cream and curry oil are indicative of Chef Waka's inventive twist on continental fare. As food arrives carefully garnished, drizzled and stacked to perfection on ceramic place settings designed by the restaurant's owners, a wall-sized mirror tilted toward diners stationed at the dining room's long communal table makes an impression almost as dramatic as the food's presentation.

Recommends

supergirlpw1

Joined 7 years ago

artistic perfection!!!. we wandered into this little restaurant and some how got incredibly lucky! the host was wonderfully accommodating and pushed two tables together so the two of us could sit close, and our service was unforgettable! our peruvian server, andy, never once interrupted us while we were involved in conversation, but any time he sensed an opening he'd make excellent suggestions and tell us a little about himself. even the busboy would smile and chat for a minute but was also well mannered and never imposing. everyone was personal yet respectful of our space. WHY is that so hard to find?

i thought the food was second to none. if you are looking for dollar value then go somewhere else. this chef is an artist and every plate felt like his creation down to the tiniest detail. it's japanese french fusion at it's absolute finest! all the way to the desserts, if one can stay open to the experience, it is unforgettable!

the interior design is worth sitting and appreciating as well. there is even a little ceramic rest for all the silver and the chopsticks, and the dishes are all dainty and impeccably paired to frame every course. one definitely comes out smiling after experiencing what looked to be the finest bathroom in the city! what a great touch!!! (i still believe the saying you can tell how good a restaurant is by the appearance of the bathroom....and this is the place to prove that !)

Recommends

haida

Joined 7 years ago

entrees are very little for a high price.. Lovely interior design. Food beautifully presented. Entrees are VERY small, really appetizers, 3oz and under and pricey for the quantity. Waitress has an attitude toward our host. They were out of first 2 wines requested although her suggestions were good. Would not go back

Recommends

jmau

Joined 7 years ago

Unique dining in Japantown. I celebrated an anniversary at Bushi-tei last weekend, and it was a wonderful experience. We had to wait about 20 minutes for our table even though we had a reservation, but the host gave us each a glass of champagne on the house to compensate for the wait. Not to mention that we were able to pass the time sitting at their gorgeous communal table. The food was as beautiful to look at as it was enjoyable to eat, from the bread and complementary amuse bouche, to the kobe beef entree, which is one of my favorite dishes served anywhere in the city! The highlight, though, is the bathroom- without a doubt the best facilities in the Bay Area. You will have to go for yourself to see why!

Recommends

goodgrl24

Joined 7 years ago

great place. i don't usually go out to such fine dining places but a friend took me and we loved the experience. we had dinner for over 2 hours because she tried the omakase menu and i had the tuna. the owners are adorable and attentive and so were our waiters and servers! our glasses were never more than half empty and the information given was quite impressive. i love the decor and i'm surprised that the other reviewers didn't like the restaurant. maybe you have to try it for yourself but i had a wonderful time at bushi-tei

Doesn't Recommend

doofazoid

Joined 7 years ago

What a disappointment. Totally speechless as to how disappointing my dining experience was at bushi tei. At the strong recommendation of our server, we opted to try the omakase menu. It provided a lot of promise, which was easily broken as each dish came through. Japanese flavors? where were they? Our last dish even reminded me of a hotel wedding banquet gone bad, really bad. Cold mashed potatoes, boiled haricot vert to accompany a venison loin...It was definitely sad.