New Restaurant Sekoya Opens in Palo Alto | Eater SF

"Moody yet vibrant, the new Sekoya Lounge & Kitchen on California Avenue debuts as a late-night, neighborhood-minded restaurant that hopes to earn both a Michelin Bib and, as owner Steve Ugur says, possibly a star “completely on accident” despite offering approachable items like a smash burger. The menu from chef Jason Johnson leans French and Mediterranean while drawing on many cuisines, featuring luxurious dishes such as chicken liver mousse served with savory doughnuts, a binchotan grill for smoke-infused skewers (including beef tongue), a nutty, creamy lamb tartare alongside snappy lavash crackers, and an impressively deboned sea bream lathered in brown butter and served head-on — a technique Johnson says only he and one other Londoner chef use. Bar manager Erik Rivera aims to make the spot a drink destination with tiny edible pinecone garnishes, spirulina-based cerulean syrups, upcycled and dehydrated components like strawberries reimagined in a Fruit Roll-Up style, and most cocktails named after California mountain passes (the Little Pigeon is a bright nonalcoholic riff on a paloma); a high-elevation wine list curated by Steve caters to terroir heads. The sprawling interior pairs Venetian plaster and archways with Moroccan-style rugs and colorful lounge seating, and each table highlights a different tree — from English elm tables in the lounge to warm walnut-topped tables and a dramatic tree-trunk table by Nashville maker Sawdust & Whiskey — all designed to feel luxurious without being pretentious and to function as a true neighborhood place." - Paolo Bicchieri