Special Dinner Experience That Will Remain Unforgettable in One's Lifetime: Chef's Table at One Market

Chef's Table at One Market

Only a few dining experiences are so unique that they will remain unforgettable in one's lifetime - for me, that special experience will be the Chef's Table at One Market Restaurant. 

Each night, this famed farm-to-table restaurant along the San Francisco Embarcadero sets aside a table in the heart of the kitchen for up to seven guests to enjoy a custom-made tasting menu created and served by Chef Mark Dommen, the hottest chefs in SF. Beyond indulging in mouthwatering items ranging from Tasmanian ocean trout to New York steak, the immersive Chef's Table experience includes a tour of the wine cellar and the kitchen, as well as an opportunity to assist the chef in creating one of the courses.

Beginning of the Journey

Upon arrival, the hostess led us directly to the kitchen to a round table inside the kitchen, where the chefs were cooking and plating food for the night's service. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling window in the kitchen was an impressive view of the Ferry Building.

Amuse Bouche

Each course throughout the dinner highlighted culinary ingenuity of Chef Mark, who brilliantly incorporated different ingredients that perfectly fused various textures and flavors together. The dinner commenced with a delectable plate of amuse bouche that included four small bites, including shrimp skewer in citrus froth and whipped potato topped with caviar. Some of my favorites from the tasting menu included:

Thinly Sliced Lamb's Tongue

I would have never thought to eat a lamb's tongue, but both the ingredients and the method of cooking in this dish were truly unique. Underneath rolled-up pieces of thinly sliced lamb's tongue, Chef Mark laid mustard vinaigrette for flavor and puffed, crunchy quinoa for texture. The lamb tongue was topped with fresh micro greens and diamond-shaped Asian pears. Finally, he cooked eggs in liquid nitrogen to separate the egg whites and the yolk, which turned into powder to complement the dish. For those wondering what a lamb's tongue tastes like, just think of it as a fancier bologna that tickles your tongue for more.

Tasmanian Ocean Trout "Mi Cuit"

A dish as photogenic as it is delicious, the "Mi Cuit" featured lightly cured Tasmanian ocean trout rolled atop a crunchy potato rösti with a side of sweet and savory pancetta vinaigrette. When I poked the peppered, sunny side up pastured chicken egg on top, the yolk oozed and spilled over to provide additional flavor and texture. 

Grilled Octopus

My favorite dish of the night was the Grilled Octopus with puree-like Japanese kabocha squash, pomegranate seeds, and baby wild arugula with a drizzle of olive oil. The octopus legs, perfectly confit in olive oil, was tender, plump and juicy, and I absolutely loved the slight kick of spiciness from the cayenne pepper in the kabocha squash as well as the sweet yet tart flavors enhanced by the pomegranate seeds.

Foie Gras, Scallop, N.Y. Steak

Besides these dishes, we also enjoyed rich and buttery Pan-Seared Foie Gras in seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, and duck-dashi consomme, Day Boat Scallop with buckwheat, leeks, pork belly, and pickled cipollini onions, and Grilled N.Y. Steak & Braised Beef Shoulder with celery root puree, mirepoix, baby vegetables, and thyme jus.

Onward to the Participatory Course!

Before the last savory course, One Market's general manager also led an informative kitchen and wine cellar tour. Additionally, we had to "earn" our dessert by engaging in a "participatory course." We put on chef's attire and helped to assemble different dessert under the guidance of the pastry chef. We dipped ramekins filled with vanilla bean and espresso in brown sugar and torched them, rolled square-shaped cheesecake and chocolate cake into a bed of cocoa nibs and toffee & almond mix, and drizzled the dessert plate with chocolate and caramel sauce before plating. And - of course - we enjoyed our creation to conclude the unforgettable Chef's Table experience at One Market.

One-of-a-Kind Experience

On the night we visited, One Market was especially busy because it hosted multiple large parties. As I watched the entire staff - everyone from the head chefs to the servers to the dish washers - working so hard to make every diners' experiences unique and special, I couldn't help but feel extremely appreciative and grateful for their effort. I will certainly return - at least to perfect torching that delicious creme brulee again!