Ama

Dress in Your Best Outfit to Sample Ama’s Creative Japanese-Italian Menu in San Francisco | Eater SF

"From the lacquered bar into the curtained-off social club, I felt the Miami roots of chef Bradley Kilgore in the sultry, flattering lighting, the DJ booth, and a see-and-be-seen living room where patrons in towering heels and lacy dresses dine with Diplo-esque companions. The menu is sharp, inventive, and full of surprises across a Japanese-Italian theme: of the raw bar, the kampachi crudo, gently doused in blood orange ponzu and shiso oil, is especially delicate, while otoro sashimi in roasted garlic dashi is slightly meatier with an Italian-influenced green olive granita. Pastas are the big strength—the uni putanesca pairs dainty agnolinoti with fresh sea urchin and dashes of tomato and basil, and an umami-packed bolognese features a pecorino and dashi cream. A giant wagyu meatball is approachable and fun to eat, an airy meat orb atop a slightly funky tomato sauce under a silky Parm fondue; get the fluffy brioche to soak up the sauce. For dessert, the miso tiramisu is sweet and perfectly sticky, and the mango kakigori is refreshing and light. A postcard with your name awaits at the table—a gimmick, but a good one—and while the room offers plenty of Instagrammable moments, phones are discouraged. It’s popular for birthday bashes and group celebrations (book way ahead), and if I’m dining with a friend and want to hear each other better, I request one of the middle booths, farther from the group tables." - Flora Tsapovsky