Vegetarians should stay away! I knew my options were limited by looking at the menu and I was fine with that. Being a vegetarian for 30 years, I'm used to going to a restaurant and only seeing a couple items that I can eat. Imagine my shock when I was told that nearly everything under the Salads & Vegetables listing had fish sauce in it. Why on earth do you need to put fish sauce in the salad and vegetable items, the only things a vegetarian can eat at this restaurant. It feels like they go out of their way to keep vegetarians from coming - or certainly returning. They were able to make a couple of these items for me without fish sauce, but they had to clear it with the chef (which seemed to be a big deal). Subsequently, the food took extra a long to come (45+ mins) because it was a 'special order'. What I received was tasty, but I don't plan on going back. I would not recommend this restaurant if you or anyone in your party is a vegetarian. read more

Ernest is expensive for an everyday dinner but it's not absurdly expensive for the quality and portion of food you get. The menu changes quite frequently but we ordered: 1. Koshihikari Fried Rice - this was fabulous. for the two of us, this was plenty! The aroma was there, the rice grain was perfectly round and distinct. YUM 2. Sushi Rice - the famous beef tartare with ikura. It definitely met expectations! 3. Country Pâté - we had this and while it was yum, I find the scallion pancake a little too crispy/overly cooked so the flakes were literally alllll over the table when you try and break apart the scallion pancake so be warned it gets messy! I do wish this was a little bit more chewy and less crispy. The Pate was great though and tasted less like a traditional pate and more chunky (not a bad thing!) 4. BBQ Cumin Lamb - OMG SO GOOD. I love lamb and the cumin treatment to this was definitely special - it kind of reminds me of laoganma hahah 5. Strawberry shortcake shaved ice - !!! WOULD GET AGAIN EASILY. Yes, it's expensive but that's the price of any shaved ice place and this place is the highest quality you can get with all in-house ingredients. I loved the whipped cream-esque topping that reminded me of Haupia Their service is also impeccable - the waitress was super honest and didn't try to upsell us (in fact, she kept saying we shouldn't order more or it'll be take out - I appreciate that honesty); they also help you fold your napkin each time you step away from your chair and also clean the table between courses to prepare the next round of food (and the communal utensils that supplement) read more

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Celebrated a very belated birthday w/ my friend here. Parking is ok if you go early but beware of tents. They offer a tasting menu but we opted to order a la carte. All of the dishes were good except for the pork belly and octopus entree. We were under the impression that this would be a regular dish but it was served as a salad w/ bits and pieces of the protein. The dressing was a bit heavy and it was the one dish we didn't finish. The uni toast was glorious - crispy bread w/ a huge pile of uni on top. We ordered 4x. Service was friendly and it's a trendy spot for a date. read more

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We sampled about 70% of the menu, and overall, everything was excellent--except for the main dishes. The steak and frites were just average, and the BBQ Pork Tsukune didn't stand out. If you go, consider sticking to drinks and appetizers--we loved our cocktails. However, if you're younger and not white, your experience might not be as welcoming. Our server was dismissive and seemed annoyed. You don't have to be overly friendly, but at the very least, don't make guests feel like an inconvenience. read more

ERNEST | San Francisco ERNEST is a New San Francisco restaurant located in the Mission District from Michelin-starred chef Brandon Rice. This fine-dining establishment has an open kitchen that prepares some of the unique dishes and desserts mentioned above. Not only do their menus change from time to time, but they also incorporate a lot of different cuisines that branch from Japanese, Chinese, American, and even Mexican. Aside from each being super pricey, we did order quite a few things, as you can tell. My favorites would have to be the beef tartare, bone marrow dumplings, uni carbonara, and the chocolate shell (aka ice cream). The flavor profiles, plating, service, and even chefs truly outdid themselves. I would definitely come back for the "Let The Kitchen Cook For You" promo that cost about $97 per person. If you're looking for elevating dining and want to have a good experience, come check out Ernest in San Francisco! read more

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Love the food here. The ambience is a bit bright and the wooden seats are not the most comfortable. But the food is excellent and innovative. One of the top places in SF. MUST HAVE Fresh earthquake bay oyster with shiso and ponzu. Japanese rendition of a fresh oyster dish. Executrd better than in Japanese places. The flavor is perfect and balanced. Not too salty. A bit of ponzu just enough to enhance the oyster flavor. I would come back and get more of this next time. Mortadella fried rice. The mortadella adds a lot of the base layer foundation for this dish. Light and fluffy rice. Scattering of the egg in the fried rice dish. Not too oily. Comfort food Salt and pepper squid. A bit of heat from the fermented jalapeno but tempered because it's fermented. Slices of little gem dispersed with bits of squid. Making this 1/3 salad 1/3 appetizer 1/3 main dish. Innovative! Soft serve ice cream with chocolate. Who doesn't love soft-served when the chocolate is poured on top of the tower of ice cream in front of you to solidify? Great ending to the meal. AVOID: blue fin tuna tartare. I had high aspiration for this dish but the seaweed on top completely overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the tartar underneath. Underwhelming. The other signature trait of a fantastic restaurant is the impeccable quality of wine. I had the gruner veitliner by the glass and it was excellent. Balanced acidity, complex, and worked well with the dish that we ordered. There is also a Riesling off the menu by the glass if you like a splash of sweetness in the wine with the spicy food. read more

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A very unique dining experience that is well worth your money. We made a reservation for my birthday and chose the $99 set menu item. There were 4 courses with lots of plates during the courses. All the courses were made to be split amongst your party and all very delicious. My favorite was the tuna tartare, shishito pepper, and the steak. Everyone was very friendly, kind, and accommodating. They played an interesting playlist of music, but other than that the ambiance was nice too. We dined at the lower 2 tables by the stairs, so I'm curious for next time what the experience is like at the upper dining area. read more

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Food: Chicken Liver Mousse: I'm not a big liver fan, but this was one of my favorites of the night. It wad rich yet balanced by the hoisin. Moreso, the scallion pancake was so crispy and seasoned well Sushi rice: lived up to the hype of the other Yelp reviews - definitely get it if you're a fan of beef tartare Chawanmushi: most surprising dish. Lots of depth of flavors - rich umami and a bit smokey Honmachi - brought back memories of the menu. The flavors are really solid, but I just wish there was more fish. There was probably enough for 2 tacos not the 4 given. Love the avocado sauce that came with the dish rich spicy and a bit acidic. Roasted pineapples were great too Lo mein - tasted very much like a carbonara. I'd probably skip Pork ribs - most disappointing dish of the night. We saw so many reviews rave about it and decided to order it. Frankly, it was your normal standard ribs - nothing special or memorable flavor wise besides a bit of smokiness. The meat at times was tender for the thicker pieces but other times had some chew back. I wish in a way these ribs were overall more juicy since I thought they were a tad on the drier side Strawberry Shortcake Shave Ice: seasonal item and definitely worth ordering! Love the strawberry filling and cream that was layered in and atop the dessert. It's a fairly large serving, perfect for 3 This has been on my to visit list for a little bit and I'm glad I finally got to. Reservations are definitely recommended and overall, it was a dinner that I would come back again in a different season to try some of their other seasonal items. The food had some hits and some misses, but I was impressed by the service. The server was super helpful in describing the menu and coursing out our selections into 3 courses. After each course, the plates were cleared and next course was ready. If you're ordering 5-6 items, I would recommend considering the pre fixed since it might be a more economical way of trying most of the menu. read more

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Ernest continues to be the first place I recommend to people looking for an excellent dining experience in the city. I love dropping in and dining at the bar. All of the staff are friendly and welcoming, really making me feel like family when I visit. They really know how to elevate comfort food, making everything from Parker house rolls to dumplings stand out. Sometimes I just want to drop in for their amazing shaved ice flavor of the month (the Mont Blanc and strawberry shortcake were the best). I hope they continue to have great success so I can enjoy their ever changing menu. read more

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I was treated here for dinner by my lovely daughter, otherwise, I would not have known about it!!! Lovely setting, bright, roomy and modern atmosphere. Arrived a bit early and got seated at the beautiful bar. They have an ample choices of drinks and special cocktails. For dinner we chose the chef's choice which is honestly the way to go as it picks the best of the menu items and brings them together. We were served the raw seafood platter set on ice. It was the most amazing fresh seafood. Loved the oysters, poke and fresh salmon roe. The uni toast is definitely a must try if you are an uni lover. I also enjoyed the few meat selection that followed. The entire dinner was refreshing with fresh ingredients and ending it with the signature soft serve (fantastic refreshing flavors) was such a great way to finish the dining experience. read more

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The best dining experience! I love their food and service. Yes it's definitely a splurge for a meal, but worth it with good company! They change up their menu slightly every now and then but always keep the most popular items! Honestly the most underrated item on the menu: their Parker rolls with butter. The first time I ordered it, we had to get another one LOL Also if if looks like there are no reservations, just add yourself to be alerted if one opens up because it most likely will! read more

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Wow. Made reservations for a late Saturday afternoon opting to get the pre fixe menu and we were 100% impressed and extremely satisfied with everything we got! The chefs truly outdid themselves. The flavors, plating, everything that went into each dish that came out was just amazing. For a party of 3, we had more than enough food to go around and leave with very full but happy stomachs. Aside from the food, the cocktails were delicious and the customer service was excellent. As busy as this restaurant was, not once was it felt in the service. While it is a little of a hidden gem in between warehouses, the interior is pristine with a great view of the kitchen to see all the chefs hard at work. Don't second guess it, make a reservation! read more

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We came in to try Ernest for a birthday celebration. The food was really mediocre at best and the quality did not match up to the prices. The best thing we had here was the soft serve sundae for dessert (it came with nice crunchy bits and the chocolate sauce is poured on top live at the table). All the other dishes were truly forgettable. The pork tonkatsu was dry, the chicken wings were decent but so many other places do a better job of it so not worth coming here for that alone, the potato pave had good texture but needed seasoning, and the Parker rolls were okay - nothing special. What was most disappointing was the service: the waiter kind of seemed upset that we were there even though we were there for a celebration. They were also not really helpful with suggestions of what to order off the menu! Perhaps it was just a one-off bad day for them but we did not come away with a great feeling at the end read more

Ernest - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Overall, their food tastes quite Chinese, but overall it's just okay. The char siu pork neck is quite tender and tastes pretty good. The fried rice is fairly ordinary and the portion sizes are a bit small. The main highlight is that their Basque cake is really delicious! It's soft and not overly sweet, with a slightly crispy top layer, which is really nice. The Mont Blanc shaved ice is also quite good. The Mont Blanc itself doesn't have much flavor, but the sweet ice underneath balances it out, so it's not too heavy when eaten together. Lastly, the service attitude is somewhat below average (possibly because we didn't order any seafood?). read more

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One of the best upscale New American/Californian restaurants you'll find in SF, with a Japanese twist! The chef comes from Rich Table, another famous and staple restaurant. We ordered a la carte across 6 people, and got to share most things off the menu. Some of the standouts were the Parker house rolls, pork shank (with crispy skin!), and the xo fried rice. Make sure to save room for dessert -- especially their classic sundae and rotating seasonal kakigori! Drinks were also superb and service was impeccable, with our plates being changed out after every course. Always excited to come back for a good vibe here! read more

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For my sister's birthday, we made reservations at Ernest. If you tell them it's your birthday they will give you a special dessert on the house. It was one of the most delicious meals that I have ever had. We all ordered the tasting menu since we wanted to try everything. Each dish came out looking so beautiful and tasted unique with an Asian flair. By the end of the meal, we were stuffed and could barely eat the dessert. Word of advice: make sure you pace yourself and wear your eating pants. Can't wait to come back when we have something else to celebrate. read more

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Ernest is both an intimate and openly inviting space through the restaurant. The menu and service do not disappoint. The Chanterelle Mushrooms were amazingly flavorful, with a rich umami flavor, ponzu, rutabaga and bursts of fresh smoked trout roe to refresh and excite the palate. This was my favorite dish of the night. The Sea Urchin Pierogis were rich as the uni was mixed with kabocha and the pierogis cooked in brown butter. This is definitely a winter dish. Pomegranate and parsley cut the richness with its acidic and fresh green tastes. Dessert was a chocolate covered praline ice cream sundae. It was a beautiful, perfect swirl with streaks of crunchy praline and hot chocolate poured over that hardened immediately. The vanilla ice cream was so rich, creamy and thick! I loved it with the crunchy chocolate and pralines. There is a tasting menu that sounded amazing for $97 per person. Next time. read more

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Not friendly staff, our waitress working in the bar area was cold/ talks fast and unwelcoming, could barely catch what she was saying bc she spoke so damn fast. very rushed throughout our meal and no information on to what to expect from the tasting menu other than you get a lil bit of everything lol um ok! for a place that appears to be upscale/ casual fine dining they need to retrain the staff. they seem unhappy and annoyed if asked questions. will not be returning! but the food was good however I rather spend my money elsewhere where I feel welcomed. read more

It had been a little over a year and I just needed to go back to what is still my favorite restaurant in San Francisco for my daughter's 21st birthday. Was happy to see that the only waiter I've ever had here was still working. When you haven't been here before or it has been a long time as it was in this case it is highly recommended you go with the Chef's prix fixe menu. The whole table must get the Prix Fixe and it is actually better to go with more people as you are served in a more family style mode and get to experience all the desserts. For example, I had only seen but never tasted their Shave Ice dessert, as I had always gone on a one on one date, and we were given two more "adult type" desserts but this time with 4 people we were given all of the desserts. First of all, when you do the chef's menu, you are likely to get anything, except for the main meat entree (prime rib for this menu) and the tater tot caviar which is something I highly recommend if you are a caviar lover. Blini are great but tater tots are just the right amount of playfulness for this menu. my only disappointment was to see that the Uni Lo Mein was gone from the menu and apparently hadn't been there in 9 months. Definitely so good that one time I gave an extra order to take home. I'll assume they might bring it back for the summer. The meal came in four waves: 1st Appetizer - Totten Oysters, Vegetable Crudite, Little Gems with puffed grains, cherry Blossom King Salmon, Mexican shrimp coctel and the marquee Ikura and Beef Tartare. 2nd Course - Grilled avocado with Trout roe, parker House Rolls, bbQ oysters, roasted cabbage, and marinated citrus with Chicharron, Main course: Tonkatsu, Fried Rice, homemade sausage served in lettuce cup wraps, and a potato pave served with apple butter, sour cream and porcini puree Dessert Course- Hibiscus Shave Ice, soft serve sundae, cookies and cream robed in Caramel sea salt Basque cheesecake All in all it would have been easier to list what we did NOT have on the menu. My 89 year old mother, who is a super critical Asian cook, was very pleased which was a relief as when she asked where we were going and heard about it being some Asian-fusion and farm to table type dishes, started to wrinkle her nose. My 21 year old daughter loved Brandon's Japanese Whiskey milk punch as well as the adventurousness of all the dishes for her birthday meal with dad. All in all just another successful meal at Ernest read more

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We made reservations a month in advance and were so excited to have a night out for my birthday dinner at Ernest. With a new little one-date nights are extra special these days; just imagine our enthusiasm! Ernest did not diss appoint, I'm certain they probably don't need another glowing review, still, I'll add my 2 cents: The staff made me feel so special for my birthday, even though the place was packed; they texted 15 minutes early to let us know our table was ready, provided a sweet little birthday card/note and the most decadent hazelnut chocolate sundae after dinner. Dinner was amazing: beautifully plated, intentionally conversation-worthy faire. So , tea on the highlights: -The crab buns blew us away -The seared tuna & foie plate was impeccable (too bad it was only on the menu for the night) -the pressed potatoes with truffle were so rich and sumptuous -The shrimp cocktail was such a large serving and absolutely delicious -I love making bread with a very similar recipe to theirs-we thought it was perfect -uni toast was bomb In our opinion we could've absolutely done without the tuna tartare- it did not have great visual presentation and was not well balanced (the rice seemed undone and the allium or matcha? powder was bitter) -The beef tartare was just ok The sauce in the oysters was salty and overpowering The caviar was perfect but did not pair well with salty tater tots All in all Ernest has way more hits than misses and that's why We will certainly be back! read more

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The food, service, and ambience was excellent! A lot of the dishes were inspired by the chefs travels to Japan. My favorite dish was the shishito peppers, it was an elevated dish compared to the standard. Cocktails were great too. I would definitely come back. read more

It was good. They sat us early (great host skills) upstairs in an acute corner so the rectangular table was a bit awkward but doable. The wood grain table color did not complement the lineup of jewel like first dishes... made the caviar look like some crock country spread. Was able to have conversation with my friend and not feel like anyone could eavesdrop (corner had generous table spacing to adjacent guests). We went with the $139 prefix which included the caviar and Hokkaido uni toast. The caviar over butter dish came with fried puff dusted with matcha powder. I think I'm more a purist and would have enjoyed the caviar with cream and chives on a toast point more. My friend liked the puff balls where I would slit it open and fill it with the caviar + butter. I love love Hokkaido uni... but the uni toast sticks were (just) good. I think the buttery toast stick took a little away from the cold creamy sweet Hokkaido uni. You know how they say you eat with your eyes? Well uni on toast was monochromatic in a way... Again, my friend who does not really eat raw like it. This approach to uni works for introduction to the newbie. On the ice tray: The steak tartare topped with glistening roe... yum ! Tastes as good as it looks. The presentation for this was stellar... contrary of colors with the black nori to wrap it... the pop of the glistening spheres of (trout?) roe was perfect in temp, taste, and texture... which imparted its umami salinity to the knife cut bright red steak tartare. Place a scoop of it (with the rice that was under the red) into crispy nori then into your mouth... wonderful! Was a hit at the table for everyone! The 2 oysters were so delicious with all the toppings and sauce! There were two triangles of melon with spice dusting. It was one the hot side... not mild. I liked it. A bit of a pallet cleaner. On a separate plate was the tostada ceviche... it was doable. Think it was shrimp. Not wowed. Forgot about the bowl of tuna tartare covered with a black sheet... okay. Not wowed. Then there were two mid course items: shishito peppers and tomato bowl. Guess mid course means veggies. I was hoping for a Chawamushi. Final course was the steak and fried rice . Cooked medium rare by design: Nailed it! Came with onion rings. Fried rice had eggs, okra, finely diced zucchini (green and yellow and or yellow bush scallop squash) , and paper thin slivers of shallots or red onion. A little red sauce... slightly spicy... along the lines of Korean flavoring. It was good... but a little too oily... especially when pairing it with a bite of the steak. And the fried egg pieces were too big compared to the fine chopped squash... white and yellow egg charred... but no char or wok hei on the rice... Cocktails were delicious and went down easily. I had 3 of the Alpine Colada... short Crystal clear glass with a big cube and crystal clear liquor. Been on my list of restaurants to hit for over a year. I might have expected too much. But in the end it was good. We were full and had to take food home. I'd give it 4.5 stars... Since I've had almost everything on this seasonal menu (via the prefix), next time I'll order a la cart: steak tartare (I'll ask for chives on side), Chawamushi (since it was not in my prefix), oysters , and cocktails. And the Porchini pasta and Monterey squid that I read on other reviews. Cheers! read more

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If you plan to come here, I highly recommend booking a reservation around 3-4 weeks in advance if you want a weekend slot. On the weekday, if you plan to go the week of, you can get a spot at 5:00PM (right at opening) or around 9:00PM. Drinks wise: it's $15 per cocktail. We got the "let the kitchen cook for you". This is where the chief gives you a sampler of 11 different items (7 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 1 desert). This menu varies per day / chef. My favorite out of everything that we've gotten was the sushi rice. Overall, great experience and wonderful service. They change your dish and folks every time they bring a new item out. I recommend ordering the dishes separately as you'll get way more food and the prices is almost the same as going with the "let the kitchen cook for you" option. read more

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Getting a next-day reservation at Ernest is some type of luck!!! It's so difficult to get a table here, I'm so grateful and thankful that I did because the "let the chef cook for you" tasting menu was truly an experience of a lifetime. and so glad we came in the spring for the seasonal latest! THANK YOU CHEF AND TEAM ERNEST The space is industrial chic: Ernest is nestled in the Mission next to Tartine and San Ho Won. There's a lower and upper seating area and the restaurant is spacious, airy, and bright. I liked when they opened up the curtains around sunset to let more light in :-) Food lives up to the hype. This is a praised outpost for a reason! "I will never forget" savory dishes for me were the anchovies with milk bread croutons, sushi rice, salmon sashimi with tom kha sauce (YUM???), lo mein, chawanmushi, and fried rice. The tasting menu is a lot of food, so be warned -- but many of the dishes reheat well as leftovers. I had the fried rice the next day for lunch and it was the best office box lunch I've ever had. EVERY SINGLE DESSERT WAS INCREDIBLE. The biggest hit for our table were the dessert courses. The soft serve is like a gourmet ice cream Ferrero Rocher, and the texture + flavor combo for the shaved ice is seriously incomparable. Medium-rare basque cheesecake was also very very interesting For first-timers, definitely worth it to do the tasting to figure out what hits and doesn't hit for you. I think the next time we visit, we will do à la carte, skipping some of the stuff that didn't hit so much for us (chicken liver, mostly) Ernest is solidly at the top of my SF restaurant list after my visit, and I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in top-of-the-line cuisine. Just do come very hungry and expect to be fed !!! read more

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Hands down the best $99 you'll spend on a prefix menu. The food is non-stop, it's delicious and it's pretty easy to snag a reservation. I would 10/10 recommend this for a date night, ladies night, for every and all things! read more

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3.5/5 (rounding up because service was 5/5) My boyfriend and I did the tasting menu and we were expecting better. I got 2 cocktails - the daiquiri bolognese and lime fizz and both were delicious! The appetizers were the best out of the 3 courses. Our favorites were the Mexican shrimp and the beef tartare. The oysters were good but I wouldn't pay $4 each if we were to do a la carte. The second course was a sweet potato dish, stir fry broccoli with garlic and chili, and the Parker rolls. The Parker rolls were the best in this course. The broccoli was good but tasted like something I could make at home. The sweet potato dish was a miss for us. I'm not a fan of sweet and savory so this just didn't work for me. The third course was the pork neck tonkatsu and the fried rice which were both ok, nothing amazing. The pork neck sauce needed some sweetness to balance the salty sauce. In summary, there were some great dishes, some meh and a few misses. I've heard great things from friends about other dishes so I suggest doing a la carte and skipping the tasting menu. read more

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Came here for a birthday celebration and we ordered everything that sounded good to us. There was no holding back. - Beef tartare - this was our favorite appetizer. The meat was seasoned so well. - Uni toast - I'm a fan of uni and this was good. The uni didn't have an ocean smell or taste like some places. The toast doesn't really add much to the dish. I prefer to just eat the uni by itself. - Chicken liver mousse - I was expecting something similar to a pate. Now I know they're very different. I wouldn't order this again. I'm not a fan of the texture or taste. - A5 wagyu katsu sando - as expected the wagyu was delicious but the beef tartare is still my favorite. The sando was just really good meat with bread. Nothing really memorable or unique about this. - Lo mein - I don't remember if I like this or not but this dish still ranks higher than the chicken liver mousse. The liver mousse was very memorable as the least favorite dish. - Strawberry shortcake shaved ice - I remember thinking we'll have no problem finishing this after everything we ate because this is just ice but I was wrong. This was huge and after everything we ordered, we were stuffed by the time we finished dessert. This wasn't too sweet and I really like the shortcake pieces throughout the shaved ice. The strawberry syrup tasted fresh and not artificial. The cream on top added a subtle creaminess and complex texture to the dish that otherwise would've felt pretty boring to eat. read more

Came here for a holiday dinner and Anniversary. The service was excellent. The host was very personable, food came out quickly, and the staff was very attentive. We ordered multiple dishes. Our favorites are the Monterey squid with broccolini - very balanced and flavorful, the ribeye with nori (seaweed) butter - new take that gave complexity to this dish, and the French omelet with truffles - light and fragrant option. The Mexican shrimp Coxtel was also good and the portion is large for two people. Lastly we got soft serve for dessert a can miss item as they pour magic chocolate that hardens into a shell on the salted hazelnut ice cream. read more

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Came here for a "casual" weeknight dinner. Meaning, we had to run an errand nearby, learned that they had walk-ins, and got there pretty much right when they opened to get a seat at the bar. At first I wanted to do their chef's choice, but when I asked what they thought would be on it, they said "not any of the expensive stuff"... which is everything I had come here to try, haha. Got the uni toast, caviar, chicken liver, sushi rice, early girl tomatoes, and (obviously) the ice cream sundae. My favorite was the early girl tomatoes - was happy to get some in before the end of the season. Whatever seasoning blend they used with it, was magical. Also, the cocktails here are pretty good. Was really digging the Makrut Lime Fizz. Ended up being like $250 for 2 people for our "casual dinner", but ayyyy treat yo self. read more

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We got a last minute reservation and did a light dinner quite late, plus a sundae and cocktails. The sundae absolutely cannot be missed. The cocktails were delicious - get the one with egg white omg! Highly recommend the pate, as well, really unexpected and exciting flavors I've never had in the city. Cant wait to come back with more time and more friends! read more

Ernest - Ernest Sundae with crispy valrona chocolate coating - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Made a reservation for Ernest about 3 weeks ahead of time and was able to get a reservation for 2 on a Sunday night at 5pm. Reservations go quickly so I definitely recommend booking asap and checking regularly. We visited to celebrate a birthday, and when we were seated, their was a cute hand written card wishing happy birthday. You can order a La carte or do a pre fixe menu. The pre fixe menu includes about 90% of the total food menu which for $97, was a good deal in our opinion, especially if you're looking to try many of the dishes. The food comes in 3 waves plus dessert, with each wave consisting of multiple items. - MSG martini - King Salmon - Summerstone Oyster - Mexican Shrimp Coctel - Sushi Rice - Cucumber & Avocado - Lo Mein - Heirloom Tomatoes - Parker House Rolls - Aged Beef Dumplings - Koshihikari Fried Rice - Pork Neck Tonkatsu Overall, the entire experience and food quality was great and we were incredibly stuffed at the end. However, nothing absolutely wow'd us. The first wave of raw items were all awesome, probably our favorite of the 3 waves. We were also fans of the lo mein, cucumber & avocado, heirloom tomatoes, and pork tonkatsu. There was only one item we didn't like, which was the aged beef dumplings; we found that the dough was quite thick and the dish was actually a bit bland. Overall though, still a great spot for dinner. There's a few items on the menu we didn't get in our pre fixe so we're already thinking about giving it another shot to try some of those items read more

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Ernest is a great date or birthday spot. I highly recommend going with the pre fixed menu to get a taste of everything. Ernest is Asian fusion, so you'll find a lot of familiar flavors in new dishes. I went for my birthday and they have us a private room bc we had 8 people attending. The service was great and the portion sizes were respectable. They crafted their drinks well and I would recommend checking this spot out. read more

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My friends convinced me to give Ernest another chance after the average experience last time. Glad we did because the food was superb and much better than last time. Dalgona Martini: Definitely more bitter than your usual espresso martini but liked the frothiness of the dalgona and the rich bitterness. 4.5/5 Liver Mousse and Date Pop Tart: Personally not a fan of the dates. They added a little too much sweetness and tartness. Would have preferred if it was just the puff pastry and the liver mousse. Liver mousse was really smooth, basically like pate. 4/5 Potato Pave w Truffle: First time having a pave and was a little confused. Thought they would plate it with the horizontal layers on the plate so it would be easy to break into but that wasn't the case. A little too much of the creamy sauce for my taste. You can actually taste the truffles in this dish so that was a plus. Potatoes were average. I was expected pave to be a little crispier by it was only crispy on the outside. 4/5 Nashville Pork Tonakatsu: My lease favorite dish that we got this time around. A little on the dryer side and for nashville style coating, it was not spicy at all. Chive oil ranch was good but couldn't save the tonkatsu. 3.5/5 Duck Breast: The star of the show! I definitely recommend you get this. Was so good that we got another one after finishing. Duck was cooked to perfection (medium rare). Skin could have been a little crispier but probably absorbed the sauce from the salad. Salad was kind of like a thai papaya salad inspired dish. Great tart and slight spicy kick to it. Bean sprouts added texture and a slight crunch. Duck confit (i'm assuming) was added to the salad as well once you toss it. 5/5 BBQ oysters: Surprised to see cooked oysters on the menu but they did a good job. Smoky bbq flavor wasn't too overpowering and just perfect. Definitely add the lemon as the citrus helps balance the smoky bbq flavor. 4.5/5 Overall, happy with coming back to Ernest and giving them that second shot. Could be that last time we went they were just establishing their kitchen/menu. Would recommend and duck breast is a must have! read more

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We came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and it was one of my favorite meals I've ever had! They even left a "Happy Birthday" card on the table for us when we sat down. Instead of letting the kitchen cook for us since we were so full, we ordered a bunch of the dishes to try. Uni Toast ($29): The most perfect bite of uni and crispy toast. Even though it's small, it is packed with fresh uni. Crab Rangoon Dip ($17): This ended up being one of my favorite items we ordered. The peach in the dip gave it the perfect sweetness and paired perfectly with the wonton chips. Oysters ($4 each): We ordered Pinkerton oysters, which were really good with Ernest's vinegar and hot sauce. Sushi Rice ($21): One of the best dishes we ordered. You roll up the nori with the ikura, raw beef, and rice, and it tastes amazing. Japanese Sea Bream ($23): Definitely fresh, but I wish it had more flavor. The drops of plum flavor are really small and I could barely taste the chimichurri. I would pass on this next time. Parker House Rolls ($9): The softest rolls I've ever had. It was like eating fluffy heaven. My sister is obsessed with these and wishes she could have a whole ring to herself. Koshikari Fried Rice ($19): I love how they change the menu to have this dish always have seasonal vegetables. You could also really taste the wok flavor! Lo Mein ($25): We got the sea urchin carbonara version of the lo mein and it was super creamy. I was most excited for this dish, but I thought the flavor was just okay and it was pretty salty. Veal Sweetbreads ($21): My first time having sweetbread, which is the thymus or pancreas. It was drenched with sauce, which made it taste like buffalo sauce. It was also very small and the texture takes some time to get used to. I'd pass on this next time. Heirloom Tomatoes ($18): This was pretty good, but nothing too special. Soft Serve Sundae ($13): When this soft serve comes out, they drizzle the chocolate on right in front of you for the hard chocolate shell! The vanilla flavor is strong and the ice cream is creamy -- I definitely recommend getting this. read more

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I feel bad about leaving negative reviews. However I can't give this place any more than 1 star when considering the whole experience. I don't even remember having to leave a restaurant just because the experience was just so bad and the server made me feel so uncomfortable. First of all I don't really like when they ask you to put all the order at once. You can only order tasting menu and if you don't, you need to keep it flexible. What if you order too many dishes. What if you decide you want more food half way. The waiter emphasized that the chef doesn't like it when you don't put all the order at once and if you do, you might experience very long wait time between orders!!! The waiter was very intimidating and didn't come out nice at all! I was also surprised with the fact that the menu was very different from what we saw on Yelp. None of the dishes that I was excited about (Carbonara and grilled avocado) were in their new menu and I was kinda disappointed. Another interesting thing that happened was that, two people in our group were looking for Vegan dishes. They are not on a strict Vegan diet but just prefer to eat Vegan. When we asked the waiter if there are any options in the menu or whether the chef can make any dishes vegan more friendly, he pointed out to two dishes in the menu were both were not vegan (Persian Cucumber and Fried Rice). One had egg in it and the other one had yogurt. My point here is that, in a restaurant like this in San Francisco, the waiter should at least know what is Vegan and what is not. Regarding the food, nothing was that impressive to me. The heirloom tomato dish was just okay. The Persian cucumber was pretty basic and extremely over priced. I had the watermelon paper plane drink and most of my glass was ice and after a few min you couldn't even taste the drink. Overall the experience was way below the average. I felt very uneasy and intimidated by the way that the waiter treated us. We ended up just ordering some small dishes, have our drink and leave. Their reputation and rating on Yelp might be better reflecting of the tasting menu but ours was very bad. I was very excited about this place but I will not go back! read more

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Reservation is so hard to get. I snagged a 5pm Wednesday Resy for 2. But we were a party of 3. I emailed Ernest and they were able to accommodate us. There is $50 per person cancellation. We got lost looking for the entrance. It's right on corner Florida and Mariposa thru a black gate entrance. Open kitchen with main seating on second floor. There is a private room on the side. Not sure if you can reserved that. We decide on chef menu $97 and we added kaluga caviar $57 & Santa Barbara uni toast $25 to share. We were so full. Everything was delicious. Service was amazing. The cocktails was so good. read more

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One of the best meals I've had in San Francisco recently. We sat at the bar (excellent service) and opted for the premium tasting menu, which was a steal at $139. Generous portions and a wide variety of dishes. Our favorites were the doughnuts with caviar, beef tartar with roe, the spring vegetables, and the fried rice. We were least excited by the shrimp cocktail (all sauce) and the hanger steak, which while perfectly good, was not interesting compared to the other dishes. Looking forward to returning. read more

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Dined here a couple weeks ago and was so impressed by the food. Japanese influence in the flavors were perfect. We did the tasting menu and I'm so glad we did. Every course had something really special. My favorite was how they just live bomb you in the beginning with all the fun and creative seafood dishes. read more

Ernest - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This restaurant has become one of my new favorites. I feel like it lives up to the hype. It's so fresh and modern and it really embodies a San Francisco restaurant. We were very satisfied with our meal from the presentation to all the flavors. The restaurant is modern industrial, well kept. Server was nice and friendly and made some recommendations as well. Started off with kaluga caviar (with tater tots and créme fraîche), & Parker house rolls (with house cultured butter & it's milk). Entrees were lo mein (sea urchin "carbonara", olivier's bacon) and aged duck breast with smoked date, cabbage, orange. For dessert we got the medium rare basque cheesecake I already want to go back. This is definitely a nice date night restaurant. read more

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Unfortunately an L, for $200 the tasting menu is definitely not worth it. The food was pretty mediocre. A lot of restaurants seem to be following this trend of feeding you a bunch of sharp, sour pickled/fermented things, that was the flavor profile of 80% of the meal and I was not impressed. The rolls were ok, pretty salty. The katsu bare plating was lol it was okay nothing special. The uni toast at bansang is better, actually the whole experience at bansang is better (and much less expensive) as far as modern fusion Asian food goes. Service was p bad we weren't allowed to sit at the empty bar to wait for our table we had to just stand in an awkward area and then the when the waiter came he did his spiel of the menu and I TRIED to tell him that we we were ready and just wanted to do the tasting menu but he wouldn't let me get a word in and then abruptly left. The vibes were OFF and intense! I don't usually care much for service/ambiance but it was so meh and grey it didn't make you feel like you were having a special experience, just casual and not worth paying so much for. The best thing was the soft serve at the end read more

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