Aster, San Francisco

Why did we dine here? – Aster is the latest in the Daniel Patterson Restaurant Group’s establishments. (Coi, Alta CA, etc) It is focused on California Cuisine using local farmers, ranchers and purveyors products, especially produce. They earned One Michelin Star in 2016. Executive Chef Brett Michael Cooper (Rubicon, Coi, Saison, Outerlands) has a long distinguished record for fine cooking.

The San Francisco dot com boom is allow most of the major restaurant groups to open their second, third, etc place. When will this end?

The real reason we were dining here was that we could not get into Al’s Place even though we got their 30 minutes early.

Insider Tip – Ordering a la carte is a cheaper ticket.

Cuisine – New American
Location – San Francisco Mission District
Opened – 2015

Service – Aster had very good service. As with other top San Francisco restaurants, folks were constantly watching to ensure we had what we needed. Pacing was good, recommendations strong.
Verdict – Aster has only 3.5 stars on Yelp. It deserves more. The cuisine is inventive and well executed.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Maybe. 1 Hour? Maybe.

Aster Signature Dishes – Lamb, Bread, Trout.

Aster’s Menu is focused on a four course $59 prix fixe meal and changes all the time. This reminds me of Trestle, but at a higher price. The entire table needs to commit to it though. You can also order ala carte like we did.
6 appetizers ($13-$15), 4 entrees ($23-$27), and 3 desserts ($12). A couple options for Vegetarians. Wines by the glass from $12-$42.

Website Aster Menu

Aster Food Picks:

Sourdough, House Cultured Butter ($5) is made everyday. It comes warm and is Fantastic. Watch out Tartine. Crisp edge with some rich butter.

Chicories, Buttermilk-Miso, Asian Pear, Watermelon Radish, Olive ($13) is an interesting Asian influenced salad that was plated to half our bowl. Rich dressing with bitter hints and savory flavor in every bite.

Hokkaido Squash Soup, Persimmon, Pepita, Marrow ($13) was a hot rich soup, poured tableside. It was like having a 2 course appetizer. You could drink the soup, then work on the rest of the plate.

Trout, Tokyo Turnip, Grapes, Charred Scallion-Brown Butter ($25) looked great and tasted even better. Small on the portion size.

Milk-Fed Lamb, Cabbage, Quince, Sunchoke, Hibiscus ($27) was the best entree of the night. Lamb cooked 3 ways – Seared, Braised, and Roulade. Seasoned, Cooked Really well. Loved the seared lamb leg. Sweet cabbage accented this dish nicely

OK: (Order if you like this dish)

Pork Shoulder, Carrot, Satsuma, Shiitake Furikake ($26) was just OK, but should have been better. 2 large cubes of tender meat. A bit lacking in structure. The accompaniment did not work well.

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None

Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?

Aster Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Very Good)
Service Rating:	(Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Very Good)
Value Rating:	(Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes