Josephine L.
Yelp
I'm embarrassed.
I came here last year, when The Gallery was just a tiny slip of a restaurant with one long communal table in the center. Now it's all grown up, gotten married and had kids--the previously limited menu is now two-sided and features several new dishes, the artwork has multiplied and the furniture has increased to accommodate many more diners. How could I have forgotten to review this spot and missed a whole year of changes? I'm such a bad auntie.
Anywho, the food is just as delectable as it was last time.
- Mentaiko Fries: Because seafood and potatoes always belong together
- Chicken Nanban: Super juicy with a fun...egg salad?...sort of topping
Kushi-age a la carte: In total, I think we've gotten the scallop, king crab, tiger shrimp, Japanese whiting, miso-marinated camembert. If you're stumped on what to pick, just get some combination of these, esp. the camembert. Mmmm, fried cheese
- Makimono Sushi Roll Set: The only disappointment for me. Too much wasabi in all of the rolls, and the fatty tuna roll was bizarrely paired with diced onions-- a bad combo.
- MUSE Chirashi: Probably the best chirashi bowl in the city, and certainly the most beautiful. What makes this chirashi different is not only that the fish is cut into bite-sized cubes (instead of those annoying long pieces that are impossible to eat with rice), but also the rice is seasoned in layers with seaweed and sesame, so you get a flavorfully complex experience in each bite. All the fish favorites are provided and in generous amounts. At $32, this is the best chirashi deal in town.
- Kinoko Udon: Don't leave without having one udon dish, given the noodz are made in-house and just the chewiest things ever. We opted for the Kinoko because, hello, mushrooms?
- Housemade Soft Serve: Seems like a cop-out for dessert but is actually a winner with perfectly textured soft serve drizzled with sauce made from real fruits. All three flavors are spectacular.
Throw in the Japanese hospitality, romantic lighting, industrial chic decor, and artwork, and you pretty much have the perfect dinner spot. As a bonus, The Gallery is still pretty under the radar, so come before some influencer "discovers" it and destroys it with a post narrated in their signature nasal, bored monotone.