It is very rare that I like everything on a multi-course menu, especially if there are as many as 12 courses. Ethel's Fancy serves a "Discovery Menu" that is full of fun dishes, and I liked each one. Each dish incorporated different flavors in an innovative way. I also like how an à la carte menu is available if you want a larger serving of one course. The drinks are pricy, but I am here for the food! read more

We were blown away by the food and service. My friend had such a wonderful birthday at Ethel's Fancy. Thank you for making her day. I love the decor here, it's fancy for sure. We got the tasting menu and everything was phenomenal. read more

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A solid 4.5 stars. Ethel's Fancy is a Michelin-recommended restaurant, and they offer a unique menu with great service. We had a mostly wonderful dining experience, with just a couple of dishes that we weren't as satisfied with. Here's what we loved: Milk Bread - This is a must get. The soft and tender bread served with butter and Maldon sea salt was amazing. Beef Skewers - These were delicious. Each bite was filled with a juicy complex flavor. Coconut Fritters - Topped with gorgeous slices of King Salmon, we thought this variation of Japanese nigiri was a tasty morsel. Crispy Pork Belly - The pork belly was as promised, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The citrus pieces gave this dish an added layer of flavor as well. Black Cod - The fish was melt in your mouth tender. While the ginger soy was a tad on the salty side, the ajo blanco helped balance out the flavors. On the so-so side: Cucumbers and Spring Onions - this dish didn't wow me as much as I was hoping for. I think it needed a touch more acidity to give it more pop. Prime Beef Striploin - While it was made to order, this was an especially disappointing dish for us, due to the big piece of gristle throughout the steak. For a prime grade piece of beef, we weren't expecting that. Enough said. The ambiance had an inviting feel, and the staff was wonderful. We caught a glimpse of Chef Scott a couple of times, and it's always nice to see the chef in action. read more

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The quality of our experiences have gone down over the last few visits. On our most recent one, my table thought our server was high because she seemed so out of it. When we asked for recommendations, she didn't really give us any. When our friend asked for vegetarian options, she was pretty condescending. Another server dropped utensils on my partners shoulders twice. They also sent food out to the wrong table. We have celebrated many special occasions here and love the food so we will probably be back. We would love to see better training of staff. read more

We tried a decent amount of items from the menu! I think we started off strong with the milk bread and the coconut fritters. The fritters were definitely my favorite. It was crispy and the coconut flavor was light. Another favorite was the kelp noodles they were so flavorful with the mushrooms and the noodles were chewy and good. The yellowtail rice was also good. The scallops were most unique with the flavors changing from curry to tart lemon. I wouldn't get the sesame pancakes or steak again though. They weren't amazing but they were still good. Overall I would come back. read more

Celebrating the anniversary at the Ethel Fancy - friendly service with a delicious meal salty milk bread, sesame seeds pancakes, skirt steak, deep fried swordfish. read more

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Food is a 5/5 but our experience in the back room was a 3/5. This sort of makes it difficult to come up with an accurate rating, but I think I'll stick with 4/5. At Mary A's recommendation, I made a reservation for 5 for my sister's bachelorette weekend - we arrived for our reservation on a Friday evening at 7:45pm and were seated in the back room with blue walls. It's a small room with 3 tables for 5 people each, with a window into the main dining room. Unfortunately, I think this room spoiled the overall experience for us. First, the room is between the bathrooms and the main dining hall. There is a front kitchen area but I think that there was also a hallway connecting to more kitchen area (or perhaps where dishes was washed, I dunno.) There's a lot of foot traffic, so the staff regularly used a sliding door to close off this blue room. There's a few downsides to this room: 1) out of sight out of mind: we definitely felt like service was slow. I'll put time stamps of when I took pictures of each dish, but there was definitely a lot of sitting around. 2) Not sure if we had more gnats due to proximity to the bathroom or to kitchen/warewashing area, but there were some flying insects. One even landed in my wine :( - our waiter replaced the glass at no cost, but I spotted more gnats and felt like I had to finish my replacement glass quickly to avoid the same experience. 3) if there is a loud group in the room, it quickly becomes overwhelming. We were in the middle table next to a table of 5 with boisterous people that were drinking. There were times that they broke out in laughter and it was SO loud that 1) it drowned out anything that someone at OUR table was saying and 2) made people flinch at the loudness. We were putting in our order and their sudden laughter made our waiter flinch!! My back was to the last table in the room, but the other bridesmaids told me that that table kept glancing over at the loud table. It's not something that can be really controlled by the restaurant especially with drunk people, but it made for a worse experience for us. That being said, the food was some of the best that weekend. I would say that the family style works best for groups of 4 or smaller. I always wanted another bite but we couldn't justify getting a second of any plate. And at the end, we had been waiting for so long for food that we opted to not order anything else beyond what we had ordered. Milk bread (8:15pm): really tasty and very soft. Lightly cured kampachi (8:27pm): absolutely lovely. Spinach was perfectly seasoned and the kampachi had the perfect bite of a fresh raw fish. Grilled Caledonian blue prawns (8:29pm): I don't even like prawns all that much but I liked these! Most of us had never sucked on a prawn head the way our parents have, but we did and it was sooo creamy and rich. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out! Only downside is that it came with only 4 prawns so two of us had to split one. Rodriguez farm spring strawberries: this was a recommendation by our waiter and it was... interesting. It had some sort of granita and some sort of vinegar to it (which wasn't listed on the menu) - unfortunately it wasn't a good pick (doesn't balance out the taste like balsamic vinegar on strawberries). "Salt and pepper" Spanish octopus (8:45pm): really delicious - fried and crispy. Kelp noodles (8:49pm): I'm obsessed with these and it's the one dish I would've loved to reorder if I could. They were buttery, and a nice bite to them and just sooo tasty. Swordfish, katsu-style (9:08pm): I loved this as well - even though it was fried, it tasted light and bright. Yuzu kosho glazed trout (9:26pm): this felt more on the raw side, which I personally love but my sister usually doesn't - but we both loved this dish! Honestly, all of the seafood dishes were a hit! Again, the food was fantastic but the experience in the back room was not so great. It was too loud until that group left, and then it felt like it took a really long time for food to come out (last 2 dishes took nearly 20 min each to come out). I would definitely be interested in coming back again and dining in the main room. Ultimately, I was mostly disappointed that I couldn't give my sister the best experience at the first dinner of her bachelorette weekend. read more

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Had a reservation for 6:15pm for dinner date. Parking is along the street so you may have to walk a bit to get to restaurant. There is indoor and outdoor dining, and the ambiance is very lively. There is an indoor bar as well. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and gave good recommendations that paired well together. HOKKAIDO SCALLOP TARTARE: scallops were so fresh and this tartare had so many layers. There are little bursts of flavors in each bite, ranging from curry to ponzu. Very unique flavor profile. Seaweed rice paper was light but added nice crunch WARM SESAME PANCAKES + SMOKED TROUT DIP: so perfect. Never thought to pair sesame pancakes with smoked trout but it works so well. Although there are chili crisps, it is not very spicy, just adds crunch FULL BELLY FARM MIZUNA SALAD: the cheese is very creamy and was a nice contrast to the bitter notes of the greens. We were given a knife to cut up the large leaves haha HAND CUT KELP NOODLES: abalone was cooked well, not overly chewy. Good mushroom fragrance in every bite. Noodles were good texture, not overly chewy either SWORDFISH KATSU-STYLE: breaded and fried well, but the star of the show was actually the spiced kumquats. It elevated the otherwise normal taste of deep fried fish. The sauce was kind of like a more tart hollandaise BANANA BLACK SESAME SOFT SERVE: this is such an amazing combo. Perfect way to cap off the dinner Such a beautiful experience, will be coming back to try other seasonal menu items! read more

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Ethel's Fancy is the type of restaurant that seems like it's well on its way to a Michelin star; at least in my opinion. My friend and I shared an array of dishes for the night: - salt and pepper spanish octopus (5/5) - yellowfin tuna on koshihikari rice (5/5) - grilled brandt farms beef striploin (5/5) - oysters on the half (3/5) - rouge de bordeaux milk bread (5/5) - kampachi crudo: (5/5) As you can see, most were incredible! Our server recommended the kampachi crudo which was nestled on a yakitori cracker; deliciously unique and definitely the number one for me. I also really enjoyed the anchovy peppercorn sauce that accompanied the beef striploin, which was cooked to medium-rare perfection. The only small bite that I didn't quite adore was the oysters. Although I'm usually a crème fraîche fanatic, I felt it didn't pair really well with the oysters. Thus, I'd rate this restaurant a 4.5/5, but will round up as 5/6 of the dishes were straight hits. Service was good; our server was attentive and our waters were frequently refilled. The woody interior makes the space feel cozy while maintaining a mid-century modern aesthetic. We left full and wanting to come back! read more

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Ethel's Fancy offers an Asian twist in their dinner menu, offering shareable plates in a relaxed atmosphere. Our group came here for an early dinner, and we were seated right away. We started off with Rogue de Bordeaux Milk Bread (served with cultured amazake butter), Warm Sesame Pancakes (with house-smoked trout, avocado, and yuzu kararin), and Tempura of Baby Artichokes (with stepladder creamery cabrillo and thai basil goddess). I was curious about the following when I had looked over the menu, and ordered the Hand-Cut Golden Sesame Noodles (with basil ramp butter, mentaiko, shasta morels, and matcha) and the Liberty Farms Duck Dumplings (with mushroom xo, onion scapes, and peanuts). Others enjoyed their Crispy Pork Belly, the Yellowfin Tuna on Koshihikari Rice, and the 'Salt and Pepper' Spanish Octopus. The menu also offers cocktails, wine, beer, and sake, and even zero proof options. Staff were friendly, and the restaurant itself is cute, bright, and airy; there are also some tables outside for an al fresco dining option. A good spot to get some drinks and some apps to share. +shareable apps +cocktails +friendly service read more

Wanted to try more dishes, but after the first four items we ordered were so basic and underwhelming, our appetites were honestly killed. We got the sesame pancake with trout, coconut salmon fritters, yellowtail tuna on Koshihikari rice, and crispy blue shrimp. 1. Sesame pancake with trout: the pancake was incredibly dry, like eating an old sponge. It came with a smoked trout dip that tasted very basic and was paired with avocado and yuzu, but the flavors completely clashed. The yuzu was practically nonexistent. This dish was just sad. 2. Coconut salmon fritters: these were good, but honestly they tasted almost identical to a Vietnamese dish called bánh ít trần. Even the fish-sauce flavored salmon reminded me of it. Tasty? Kinda. Memorable or unique? Not at all. 3. Yellowtail tuna on Koshihikari rice: it was okay, but it's literally just fish on top of rice. There wasn't much else going on. (at least the fish was fresh). 4. Crispy blue shrimp: another disappointing dish. It was basically shrimp tempura with a fancy name, except we paid $34 for it. At that price point, we're expecting umami, delicate crispy shrimp, not something you can find almost anywhere else. I'll give 1 star for the excellent service and another star for the amazing drinks. The food, however, felt overpriced, uninspired, and lacking any standout flavors. We left feeling more disappointed than impressed. read more

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Came here for dinner with a coworker. We didn't have a reservation and were able to score a spot at the bar. Restaurant is very vibey. Low lighting + pretty tiles, super moody and fun to hang around in! Perfect for a date night. Loved the plethora of mocktail options! I found the food to be phenomenal! The dishes had unique pairings you wouldn't be able to find elsewhere. Service was also incredibly kind and helpful. Would come back! [this review was made in connection with a Toast promotion] read more

cute and chill little spot! my favorite was the blue prawns - duck dumplings - octopus - pork belly - scallop tarter - milk bread. i'd say i like everything except the milk bread and feeling meh about the scallop tartare. the scallop had curry flavor in it but it def overpowered the scallops' natural taste. milk bread felt like it was a little denser in texture which was fine but the flavorful was quite bland so didn't care much for it. blue prawns were so juicy and flavorful, the way they were cooked really preserved and elevated the prawns' natural taste. duck dumplings almost tasted like there's some pate in them and the salt and pepper octopus was so tender and the potato salad complimented the octopus with well! our server was extremely friendly and def made us feel very welcome. i liked the speed of which they served the different dishes and never made us feel rushed either. read more

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Came for Valentine's Day and the prefix menu was great! Service was attentive. All dishes came out fairly quickly even though we were eating each dish fast. Wine recommendations also paired well with the various dishes we had. A lot of the menu for the night is a bit different than what can be ordered in the regular dinner service, so maybe we were spoiled a bit. But, all the dishes were great and there was a great mixture of seafood and meat, along with a few carb-focused dishes. Desserts were tasty and finished the night perfectly. read more

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My boyfriend tried making a reservation a week in advance but unfortunately they did not have any availability for a Friday night, as they were mostly booked out. We decided to do a walk in since the bar seating is first come first serve. Inside the restaurant is beautifully decorated, and the staff were so incredibly friendly and kind! We only had to wait about 30 mins and the front desk did an amazing job updating us on the status of our wait. While we were waiting, the manager of the restaurant gave us sparkling wine on the house because he felt bad we had to wait, which we thought was such a thoughtful gesture! We chose this place to celebrate our anniversary and although it was a little bit of wait, the service here already made it worth it. As for the food, we ordered the oysters, milk bread, kampachi, sugar snap peas, tuna on koshikari rice, dry aged duck, and the black cod. The food was absolutely delicious! The duck was probably the only item on our order that we would skip out on next time, but everything else we would definitely get again. The oysters were our favorite item that we ordered! It was topped with an aerated ponzu sauce with a celery oil(?) and that was amazing. Definitely recommend the oysters. Ended the night with some dessert recommended by the bartender, the pistachio financier. It was such a nice, warm dessert and a delicious way to end the meal. The Hokkaido milk custard with the pastry was a great combo, and I would highly recommend to end the meal with this dessert. Thank you to the staff at Ethel's Fancy for making our anniversary night memorable! read more

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Pretty darn good. Came to celebrate my anniversary with husband and we really enjoyed our night out. We started off with some drinks. My husband got the Shibuya Express which was Japanese Whiskey and really enjoyed this. I got the Penguin Dreams, that clarified milk was impressive but the drink tasted like a cucumber water. For appetizers we got the sesame pancake: I thought this would have been an Asian sesame pancake but it was a tiny bread with sesame on it. The smoked trout with hot chili spread nicely on the toast and was a great bite. 4/5 Milk bread: Can't go wrong with fluffy delicious bread, we started our meal out extra carby but no regrets. 5/5 Crispy pork belly was decent, my husband wasn't a huge fan. It was crispy and not too oily but not a stand out dish for us. 3/5 Egg and koshihikari rice was tasty, I liked the saltiness of the ikura. 4/5 Katsu swordfish was our favorite thing! I always find swordfish a little dry but when fried it was moist and I enjoyed the flavors of the pineapple guava and finger lime. 5/5 Beef striploin was cooked so well, I was super full by this course but it was still good. 5/5 We got a free ice cream since it was our anniversay and the banana soft serve was so good. It wasn't too sweet, we could taste the banana flavor but I really loved the warabimochi. It was so pillowy soft. 5/5 read more

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Came here to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend and had such a great experience. He made the reservation and chose this spot specifically for their milk bread -- and as someone who loves bread, I was very excited. He hyped it up all day, and it absolutely did not disappoint. I'm honestly just sad I didn't order one to go haha. Everything we ordered was delicious! We got the Milk Bread (of course), Crispy Pork Belly, Sesame Pancake, Katsu Swordfish, and Spanish Octopus. The only dish I wasn't completely sold on was the sauce for the katsu swordfish -- it felt like it was missing a little something. I also really loved the interior and the overall vibe. Our seating area let us see some of the food prep before dishes were sent out, and watching them glaze the milk bread was honestly amazing. read more

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I hardly give 5 stars, but Ethel's Fancy deserves it. First of all what I look for in a restaurant is their personality- are they welcoming, with sincerity ? Yes, Yes, Yes. When I first made the reservation on Open table it allowed me to ask questions.. For each question, I received a personal response immediately from Mickey. He made me feel like I was asking my friend. When I arrived, I saw this tall, striking host walking to hep me. I asked his name, it was Mickey. We exchanged warm greetings, then he showed us to the Chefs Counter. We started chatting like new friends I asked about the chef. He informed me that Chef Scott Nishiyama, has a distinguished fine-dining pedigree, having worked at renowned restaurants including Daniel in New York and The French Laundry in Yountville. Also he previously earned a Michelin star as the executive chef of Chez TJ in Mountain View. I told Mickey I'd love to meet him since I was friends with Daniel. "Of course" he said, and a minute later I'm shaking hands with Scott. I was impressed with his humble, sweet demeanor. And then the food, Stephen, our friendly informative waiter gave us suggestions from the menu - I had no idea snap peas could taste that great. Shrimp was better than Spain. My husband loved the scallop tar tar- not my usual taste but enjoyed watching him love it. We saw a pork chop dish being prepared which looked great so added that to our dinner. Again fabulous. It was wonderful watching how the cooks cared about each dish, plus enjoyed seeing a lovely camaraderie and sincerity from everyone. This is a Restaurant that we will make our home away from home whenever we eat out. That's what I look for in a restaurant with great food. Thank you to everyone at Ethel's Fancy. I will be seeing you soon.. Fondly, Stephanie Herman read more

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Food, service, ambience = check, check, check! Was able to snag a reservation a few days ahead of time for 1 at the bar, and consequently had a prime view of all the action in the open kitchen. Blissfully enjoyed the following perfectly executed, "fancified" Japanese-American comfort cuisine, which really was too much food for a single diner, but YOLO: COCONUT FRITTER wild king salmon, shishito relish SHAVED KOHLRABI & POMEGRANATE golden goma sauce, mint KAMPACHI CRUDO preserved green tomato, half moon bay wasabi, yakatori cracker YELLOWFIN TUNA ON KOSHIHIKARI RICE sweet onion schmaltz, mushroom tsukadani, smoked ikura My server continuously checked on me, solicited and seemed genuinely interested in my assessment of each dish, and brought me a complimentary glass of VILLA DI CORLO 'Rolfshark,' Rosato, Lambrusco di Sorbara, Emilia-Romagna (Frizzante) 2021 when there was an unexpected delay with one of the courses! read more

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We basically went on a shopping spree here in one go and seriously, every single dish was superb. We came as a party of 4 and tried almost all the appetizers. Each dish was cooked to perfection. Top favorite was the Romanesco. Cooked and flavored to perfection. We ordered: Oysters, milk bread, romanesco, pancake, scallop tartare, kampachi crudo, cabbage, pork belly, blue prawns, octopus, kelp noodles and a couple of desserts. We thoroughly enjoyed every single dish. read more

Had to write this review ASAP because I had such an amazing birthday celebration here! Food (5/5) For our party of two, we ordered the Rouge de Bordeaux Milk Bread ($12), Kampachi Crudo ($26), "Salt and Pepper" Spanish Octopus ($29), Swordfish Katsu-Style ($43). The milk bread is definitely a must-get, though I was pleasantly surprised that the bread was more like a wheat bread rather than the typical Japanese white milk bread. The wheat gave the bread more of a QQ/bouncy-chewy texture which contrasted beautifully with the browned crust and sesame seeds. I enjoyed the Kampachi Crudo but I wouldn't get it again when I come back as I'd rather try the other dishes. I loved the Kampachi and radish/veggie topping which was refreshing but I felt like the sesame cracker underneath was a little too overbearing; my friend loved it so it's up to personal taste. The "Salt and Pepper" Spanish Octopus was perfect! I would definitely get it again - it was the perfect marriage of Taiwanese fried chicken (the kind you order at Quickly's) and Spanish octopus (larger size octopus piece). It was crispy and not overcooked which can be a hard sweet spot to find with octopus and the salt and pepper was perfect with the tomatoes. The Swordfish Katsu-Style was recommended by our server and it was really delicious - so crispy yet tender and again the presentation was like a bouquet of flowers/veggies. The sauce was definitely salty but appears to be that way intentionally (similar to katsu and katsu sauce?). I liked it but it was a little heavy for me so I would try another fish dish next time, but it definitely seems like a fan favorite. For dessert we ordered the Banana Milk Soft Serve which was the smoothest, velvetiest soft serve I've ever had, and it had a high cream content (or low water content) so it wasn't icy at all. They also provided us a Pistachio Financier with Custard Cream and Blueberry Sauce dessert on the house for my birthday! The custard cream paired perfectly with the crispiness of the financier and the tartness of the blueberry sauce. The price range was around $15 for desserts. For cocktails we tried the Broke Da Mouth ($20) and Penguin Dreams ($17). Our server recommended Broke Da Mouth when we asked for a sweet cocktail and it definitely is sweet but still quite strong. He also steered me towards the Penguin Dreams which was the perfect cocktail - it wasn't sweet but refreshing and you could barely taste the alcohol (perfect for me teehee). We left very, very stuffed. Price (5/5) Definitely on the $$$ side but imo well worth! Wait Time (5/5) Made a reservation a month in advance, when reservations open. We were seated immediately on arrival. Service (5/5) No issues with service. The team was very prompt with clearing plates and cleaning off the table while being minimally intrusive which is always appreciated. Ambiance (5/5) Warm interior, love the bar though we sat at a table. I did find it a little awkward as our two-person table was right by the entrance and at the time of our dinner we were surrounded by people waiting to be checked in. Otherwise the decor was fun - lots of Japanese cultural influence with the Murakami, Doraemon, and teru bozu hanging off the host stand hehe Parking/Access (5/5) Located right off of University Ave, it can be hard to find parking so you may have to be strategic (depends on if it's a weekday vs. weekend, etc). I was lucky enough to find a spot in closest lot by CVS :) Hands down new favorite restaurant! I would definitely be back to try the other dishes and cocktails!!! I enjoyed this more than the one Michelin star restaurant I visited in SF (also similar Asian fusion flavors). read more

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I had high hopes for Ethel's Fancy, especially after booking a month in advance and making the drive from San Jose with my family. With all the hype surrounding the restaurant, I was really looking forward to an exceptional experience. Unfortunately, while the food delivered, the service fell noticeably flat. We saw our server maybe two times throughout the entire meal. There was no warm welcome, no inquiry about whether it was our first time dining there, and no acknowledgment that we were celebrating a special occasion. Between courses, we received no check ins at all. For a restaurant with this level of reputation and waitlist, I expected much more attentiveness. I had also arrived at the restaurant early to put my card down for the table. When the bill came there must has been miscommunication because the host never gave my card to my server. By the time they figured that out I could tell they were rushing us to leave since the next reservation for our table was standing in the doorway. The bright spot, however, was the support staff. The food runners and back servers/bussers were the ones who truly stood out. In particular, the busser was wonderful, he noticed how long we had been sitting and proactively asked if we wanted dessert menus (which we definitely did). That small gesture made a big difference. As for the food, it was excellent. I especially loved the milk bread and the coconut fritters. Both were creative, flavorful, and beautifully executed. Overall, while the dishes impressed, the service left a lot to be desired. With a little more attention and warmth from the main server, the experience could have matched the rave reviews the restaurant receives. Bad service doesn't outweigh the food unfortunately so I will probably not be returning. read more

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What can I possibly say others have not raved about...the most simplest of ingredients are transformed and elevated into a mind-blowing mouthful! I could have had a meal with the sugar snap peas & crispy miatake mushroom alone! Smoked Brussel sprouts were a hit, as well as the beef strip loin! Everything was amazing and thoughtfully prepared and presented. We had a quarterly dinner here and everyone raved. Our strict vegetarian staff felt so pampered. Chef Scott was a genius! Sitting by the open kitchen, it was so quiet and a beautiful ballet ensued in the preparation and service! Special shout out to Mickey, Shelby, Peter and Emily...I would like to thank the many others but didn't catch their names. Thank you for an amazing meal! read more

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I can't stop thinking about this place. Between the service, ambience, and food, I'm not sure which was the standout--they were all exceptional. As soon as we arrived, Emilie greeted us with a warm welcome and a big smile, she quickly sat us at our table and welcomed us to the restaurant. Our server, Stephen, was incredible and so attentive to our table of five. He gave spot-on recommendations for appetizers, entrées, drinks, and dessert. Appetizers -- every single one was outstanding, each somehow better than the last: 1. Shaved Kohlrabi & Pomegranate - 12/10 2. Rouge de Bordeaux Milk Bread - 15/10 3. Warm Sesame Pancakes - 11/10 Main Entrées -- I'm still dreaming about the steak: 1. Full Belly Farm Mizuna Salad - My mom loved it! The presentation didn't even look like a salad--in the best way. 2. Yuzu Koshō Glazed North Pacific Halibut - My dad and aunt finished it in minutes; they couldn't stop talking about how amazing the flavors were. 3. Grilled Root Down Farm Young Chicken - My brother didn't expect a whole chicken leg, but it was buttery, tender, and cooked to perfection. 4. Grilled Brandt Farms Beef Striploin - An absolute must. The steak was perfectly cooked, the peppercorn sauce was the perfect complement, the potatoes were delicious, and the carrots added the nicest crunch. Desserts -- you truly have to get all three: 1. Banana Milk Soft Serve - Flavorful, nutty, light... I could eat bowls of this. 12/10 2. Chocolate Caramel Tart - My personal favorite. Rich and chocolaty, with the rosemary cream adding a fresh, elegant touch. 12/10 3. Griddled Pistachio Financier - Crumbly, flavorful, and light. 11/10 I can't wait for the pleasure of dining here again. read more

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This was my first time at Ethel's Fancy. My friend had been wanting to try it so she made a reservation for a Friday night for three people. We got seated in a quieter area in the back which was nice. Otherwise, it was moderate noise level in the common area and a little more crowded. It's a nice date night spot if you're looking to impress someone. Our server was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. She made some recommendations and was very helpful about our questions regarding portion sizes. The food also came out at a good speed where the next dish would be presented after the previous one was done. The food was not bad. Some were hits and some I'd probably skip. Prices are pretty steep, especially given the portions. This is a family style restaurant, I do wish that they adjusted the dish sizes to party size because it felt like pretty much a tasting of each dish. The best thing on the menu that we got was probably the milk bread. It was crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. The bread tasted freshly baked and overall was just delicious! I also liked the crispy pork belly. The citrus on the pork belly gave it a nice acidity that helped balance the flavors. Everything else was tasty, but nothing really popped out as "different". We all got a drink each and the total we spent was about $100 per person. We were full by the end of the night, but probably because we ordered so many dishes to split between the three of us! read more

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Ethel's Fancy was one of my absolute favorite dining experiences in 2025. My girlfriends and I went there on a summer evening, and the meal was full of delight, creativity, and just the right touch of elegance. We tried a variety of dishes to share Milk Bread with Creamy Butter & Sea Salt - Such a simple but perfect start. The bread was soft and pillowy, and the butter + salty finish made it irresistible. Warm Sesame Pancakes - These were delightful. It tasted like a warm hug. They paired beautifully with halibut and a spicy chili spread. Yellowfin Tuna on Koshihikari Rice - The rice instantly transported me back to Kyoto. The tuna and smoked ikura were so fresh. Kampachi Crudo - Refreshing and delicate. The radish added brightness, and the crunchy cracker underneath gave a lovely contrast in texture. Coconut Fritter with Salmon - Such a creative twist, almost like a nigiri but playful and indulgent. Crispy Pork Belly - Rich and seared to perfection with a great balance of fat and meat. Unique pairing with burrata. Note that this dish is on a richer side. Yuzu Kosho Glazed North Pacific Halibut - One of my favorite bites of the night. The halibut was so delicate, it practically melted in my mouth, and the yuzu kosho glaze added just the right zing. Corn Ice Cream - A little on the sweet side, but I appreciated how unique it was. You could really taste the corn. Overall, I had a great experience and I can't wait to visit again! read more

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Great services, lovely fusion dishes but prices are on the high side. Recommend booking two weeks ahead.

2025 is not even over yet but my bday diner at Ethel's Fancy will be my favorite meal of the year by far. Highly recommend Ethel's Fancy, a top restaurant that is on the 2025 Michelin Guide. This is a gem for the Bay Area, especially for fine dining in the Peninsula. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Scott. He's the best of the best and used to be at Chez TJ when they had a Michelin star. He and the Ethel's fancy are definitely in the running for a Michelin star here if they are pursuing that, and I truly hope they get it soon. Incredible and friendly team led by Chef Scott Nishiyama. Our server, Mariah was awesome too. She gave good recs and attentive service. Hmm I'll even add on to the praise.. this will be one of the most memorable dines of all time. It's affordable and top quality, and I like how everything can be shared. I was seated at chef's counter seating and got to watch the action. It was like I was watching a cooking show or The Bear in real time. If I had to pick, my favorite dish of the night would have to be the striploin steak or salad with Shinko pears. Flavors of everything were incredible, and I do love Japanese food. I'm already planning my next visit! read more

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On concept there are many restaurants who can fit the bill, but in my experience most of them are over-priced with mediocre food. So many places in the bay area fit that description. BUT Ethel's Fancy does not! They actually deliver on great, innovative and unique food, great flavor with very good service in a great space. We really loved our experience and was the case from the mix of regulars whom the manager warmly greeted to new folks like us. We started with the milk bread, scallion pancake with halibut dip and coconut fritters. They were all fantastic, but the most surprising and unique was the coconut fritters which were served almost like a nigiri with salmon on top. Loved the texture and flavor of this bite. Other highlights were the pork belly which comes in 4 bites and the hamachi crudo. Dessert ended with a nice banana ice cream with peanut mochi and a very chocolatey tart. Our service was warm, attentive and our server was very helpful with the menu. There's a great vibe and warmth in the restaurant. We loved it! read more

A solid restaurant to go to whether you're celebrating a special occasion, on a date night, or just having a nice night out with friends. The Japanese influenced new American menu is unique and appealing. The food was very good but fell a little short of mind blowing. The service was friendly. My friend and I sat outside which had a very different vibe than the modern yet warm decor inside. A little on the pricey side but what isn't these days? As for the food, we ordered 2 bites, 2 small plates and 1 main. - warm sesame pancakes - these came out warm and fluffy, a bit softer than I expected but very good. The smoked fish and chili crisp was delicious! - coconut fritters - the presentation is almost like a nigiri except instead of rice, it's a fried coconut rice fritter. - salt and pepper octopus - I really enjoyed this dish. The octopus was tender with a light batter on the outside. The tomatoes, onions, aji amarillo, and vinaigrette all helped to balance out the dish and provide interesting flavor contrasts - yellowfin tuna on koshihikari - I had mixed feelings about this dish. While I enjoyed the smoked Ikura, the earthiness of the mushrooms with the smokiness felt a bit too nature-y on the palate and like it needed to be balanced out with something a bit more punchy. - swordfish katsu - pleasantly surprised by this as I don't usually like swordfish but the preparation here yielded a tender and juicy dish. read more

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4.5 stars Made reservations online. The waiter recommended two small plates , two mediums plates and one large plate for a party of two. He meticulously described the best sellers and recommendations. We ordered : Sesame pancake - 10/10. Amazing and so good with the avocado smoked trout and hot chili spread. Milk bread- 10/10. I was honestly really full but the milk bread is amazing and reminds me of the one from Ernest. Tofu with uni - 6/10. Underwhelmed with this. House made tofu with uni. But didn't really stand out. Mushroom gnochetti- 7/10 creamy and savory. Only wish the gnocchi was more soft and pillowy. Hamachi crudo - 8/10. Fresh hamachi on a sesame crisp toast thing. Had micro greens a sauce. It was delicious. Steak - 9/10. Cooked medium rare. It was honestly perfect and filling. Came with potato and carrots and a sauce. Waiter said it's cooked over a hot fire. Corn dessert - 9/10. We got a complimentary dessert for celebrating our anniversary. It's made from corn and served with ice cream. Overall , the meal was delicious. It is new American with Asian inspiration. Reminds me a lot of the Ernest restaurant in sf without the long drive. I'm a fan of this place also I saw they have high chairs for little babies which is a plus read more

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Sesame pancakes - doughy, great dip. Interesting combo with smoked fish and avocado. Coconut critters - Quite coconut-y, the chili on top gave a little kick. Lots of coconuts. Octopus - it's deep fried and was very tender. It's very different from grill. I thought the grilled green onion was very good Yellow fin tuna - It's like poke. Probably the least impressive dish. Duck - Interesting crispy skin and perfectly tender. read more

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My standout favorites were the fish dishes. Loved the contrast of the crispy rice crackers with the fresh fish and fruit elements. The rice dishes were a hearty addition with different textures and flavors and the crispy pork belly a little too oily maybe if we ordered a vegetable with it we would have enjoyed more. Love the seasonal produce chosen to accompany each dish and I don't think a single ingredient was repeated. The decor and ambiance was chic and hip with the hits of the 2000's. Perfect for a date night or girls night out. Drinks not photographed but also as creative as the dishes. Can't wait to see what other seasons bring to the menu! read more

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