Jack Falstaff

This was quite the eating weekend. Of note was Jack Falstaff. I'm rarely in SOMA, but I have to say that in general I enjoy the vibe, price point, and style of food that I find down there.

The amuse of the night was apple soup. I didn't know how I'd fee about warm fruit puree, but it was quite nice.

The most popular dish at the table was the seared halibut on corn "chowder," a deconstructed mix of corn, saffron, horseradish greens, chive blossoms, and a few other herbs and spices. The "chowder," though not at all soupy, was delicious. The halibut had a perfectly seared crust and was moist on the inside, but I found it much too salty.

I had the Duroc pork, which came ramen style over a bed of spaghetti noodles and topped with an egg over easy, seaweed, daikon batons, green onions, and a slice of bacon. This dish, while brilliant in concept and at times delicious, has room for a lot of improvement. Let's count the ways.

1. The pork was perfect. I would love to have more opportunities to eat pork not just medium rare, but rare rare.
2. The daikon and seaweed were fine but uninspired. Surely something can be done to pump up the presentation.
3. The egg was cooked much too quickly and had rubbery edges and those air pockets that form when you cook an egg impatiently. I expect better at upwards of $30, it was worse than at most divey diners.
4. The "ramen" was overcooked spaghetti. And I love fully cooked pasta, so for me to say it was soggy is saying quite a lot. My friend, who likes pasta harder than al dente, called it disgusting.
5. The bacon was overcooked.
6. The broth was much too salty. One would think the chef would have known to ease up on the salt, considering there was going to be a slice of bacon floating in it.

That's all me being really mean this morning and picking one dish to death. Actually, the food was all quite good and the space very modern and chic. The service was lovely, and we had a great time.