Ox & Tiger

Cuisine	Japanese, SEA (Other)
Price	$$$$$ (over 100)
Rating	5/10
Last Visit	Aug. 12, 2022
Location	SFBA: San Francisco: Downtown + SoMa

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General Notes

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Ox and Tiger is quite possibly one of the most charming restaurants I've ever been to. The owners EJ and Hitomi are so friendly, and you get a front-row seat to see them do their magic -- it's a tiny restaurant (8 seats total). Each dish has a story behind it, and EJ / Hitomi take the time to explain the origin of the dish and what significance it has for them. It's an intimate experience that I have yet to get elsewhere.

I enjoyed the dishes but I felt that there was something missing from several of the dishes -- perhaps it wasn't well balanced, or it just didn't give me that "wow" factor that I'd expect from a tasting menu. A lot of the flavors were very unfamiliar to me (I really want to understand Filipino food better!). All in all though, I'd still recommend giving Ox and Tiger a try :)

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Positives

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> EJ and Hitomi are lovely. They're friendly, and more than any restaurant experience I've had in the past, they're open and engaging with telling their stories, and the motivation behind each dish. I came out of this experience with such an incredible admiration for their passion.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★★☆ Carioca -- coconut rice funel cake, peach mango, kinako, kuromitsu. This dish is delightful -- I love how it's both really satisfying but also leaves you feeling light. The coconut rice gives the funnel cake a wonderful texture.
• ★★★★ Takoyaki -- octopus, pluot, katsu sauce, aonori. Essentially, an interpretation of deconstructed takoyaki. Definitely the highlight of the meal for me -- the octopus was perfectly cooked, and the mochi was so chewy but had crispy pieces sprinkled on top. The sauces really work wonders with everything.
• ★★★☆ Tataki -- local king salmon, mango salsa, bagoong, mango milk. The combination seems odd at first, but it really works wonders. This was my first time having mango milk and it's absolutely delicious! The katsu green mango was lovely and brought a wonderful textural contrast
• ★☆☆☆ Negima -- patis brined chicken, tokyo negi, ginger chicken skin, negi jam, papaya atchara. The papaya atchara and patis-brined chicken were a bit too strong + salty for me. That being said, the cook on it was delightful and the ginger chicken skin is such a great idea.
• ★★★☆ Corn Ribs -- brentwood corn, tinapa butter, Shared Cultures miso, coconut. The butter + miso is absolutely fantastic, and the calamansi brought a welcome acidity to the dish. I would have liked a touch more char on the corn, and it was a bit difficult to eat as is, but those are minor nots.
• ★★☆☆ B-side Kamatis -- blistered tomatoes, shirasu, anchovy, shiro dashi sawsawan. I generally like the flavors -- the shirasu in particular was a great addition. But overall, it feels like something is missing here.
• ★★★☆ Lotus Root Chip + Creme Fraiche -- lotus root chip, creme fraiche, ikura, squid ink, scallions, aonori. The flavor is lovely; the ikura in particular adds a nice touch. Wish there were more!