Award Worthy Neighborhood Gem in San Francisco!

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I’m thrilled that my son just moved to San Francisco so that I can merrily work my way around their culinary scene! My first tasks are to find the best neighborhood spots within walking distance and on our first try we landed on an award worthy neighborhood gem called Aliment.

I was a bit baffled by the name Aliment until I found out that it means food; nourishment. I loved their open spacious design, sleek style and comfortable acoustics. It is a small restaurant but does not give you a feeling of confinement. They offer a rotating beer and wine list along with a seasonal menu that concentrates on local sourcing. I found the menu to be current, yet innovative and interesting. Daniel did a great job helping us decide what to order and ensured we were well taken care of.

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Every item was well received by our group and enjoyed immensely. We weren’t super hungry so we each opted for either an entree or two small plates. I tasted them all and was duly impressed! The first of two small plates was their Kale Salad made with lacinata kale, avocado vinaigrette, pepitas and shaved parmesan. The dressing was a silky coating on the crisp kale softening it ever so slightly and engaging with the other ingredients.

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 The Braised Duck Bits small plate was a medley of pickled radish & choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage) salad with red curry sauce and glazed duck legs. Vibrant with a lively taste from the salad segment balanced with the sweet tender morsels of duck. Loved the small plate bowls!

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A sublime piece of certified sustainable Arctic Char adorned with crispy skin and topped with an almondine sauce. It was served with a dual variety sweet potato hash with a succulent pork belly prize hidden within!

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My entree was their Pork Chop. A thick bone in pork chop that I have no idea how they made so absolutely juicy and perfectly cooked without being underdone. They did the work of cutting it into easily accessed pieces which was a nice touch. The chop was covered in a yakatori sauce that was out of this world!  As an accompaniment, they served Japanese eggplant and zucchini slices mixed with shredded chicory and crisp little rice fritters they called ovalettes. A unique combination that all worked together.

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Dessert was really unnecessary at this point, but after listening to Daniel describe the four current flavors of their house made ice cream, we couldn’t resist and ordered their Spearmint Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut to share. The spearmint ice cream tasted like a subtle blast of fresh mint leaves spiked with chunks of rich dark chocolate. Not even comparable to the standard mint chip variety you have ever tasted before. The toasted coconut ice cream was also creamy and delicious with a subtle taste of pure coconut. It inspired me to go home and retrieve my resting ice cream maker for some new experimentation of my own!

Aliment is going on our list of places to re-visit often so that we will have the opportunity to try more of their delicacies on their changing seasonal menus.

 

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