Ame Restaurant in SF is quite delicious.

After researching on Opentable and Yelp for over an hour, I finally chose Ame Restaurant on Mission and Third Street in San Francisco to take my husband for his birthday, as it had received one Michelin star. As you walk into the restaurant, you are greeted by an L-shape sushi bar followed by the entrance to the main dining area on the right hand side. It's very contemporary and I loved the overall feel of it already. Alvin decided on the 5 course tasting menu and I decided to pick off his plate as well as picking my own entree. First course was a sashimi trio, each with its own refreshing sauce. Second course was an asparagus puree soup with porcini mushroom that was just absolutely delicious. Third course is apparently the chef's signature dish - Alaskan black cod over a clear broth with two dumplings. The broth had a slight citrus taste to it and the two dumplings were very ordinary, but oh, the Alaskan black cod was pretty awesome. We've been told that it was marinated 24-48 hours and had this perfect blend of sweet taste with soy sauce grilled feeling and the texture was perfect. Loved it! The fourth was a tenderloin over risotto which I only had a small piece and found it ordinary. But Alvin loved it for its tenderness and flavor. I then had my braised short rib which was very good. For dessert, we had a milk chocolate peanut butter mousse crunch with ice milk that was amazingly good. So five out of the six dishes lived up to my expectations. It was, in my opinion, deserving of one Michelin star. Oh, and their bread is really good.

The evening would've been perfect if the service was more refined. Our first and second courses came prior to my glass of wine and Alvin's ice tea. I asked for hot water refill and was brought in a coffee pot that still had pieces of loose tea. And the butter for the bread was hard. The service was courteous, but not too attentive. If their overall service is more refined, it would've been deserving of its price tag. But the food speaks for itself and for foodies like me, it was still worth it.

Pasta Moon in Half Moon Bay

My husband and I go to Pasta Moon restaurant on Main Street in Half Moon Bay probably at least twice a month. It's not a short drive and we usually go on weekdays to avoid the long lines on weekends, so going after work is quite a trip, but so worth it. It's a charming restaurant on a charming street in the quaint Half Moon Bay. The service is always friendly and attentive and the food is quite authentic. They are known for their lasagne which I think it's big enough to feed four people. My husband loves it as do another friend of ours. But me, I go for the linguine with claims except I ask for the fettuccini instead. Their pasta, I believe, is "homemade"...it is just the right texture, perfect chewiness. The sauce is the perfect blend of fresh herbs and clam sauce with a hint of spice. And to top it off, they add small chunks of pancetta, Italian bacon which I think adds the perfect final touch to this yummy dish. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back soon! Their wines are reasonably priced and their other entrees such as the tuna pasta are very good as well. We love their sorbetto trio to end the perfect dinner, but they recently discontinued that dish. It's worth the drive...it will be a very pleasant experience. Just remember to make reservations and be prepared to still wait 15-30 minutes on a weekend even with reservations. Let me know what you think!