Tasting House

Go before it gets Michelin reviewed!!! One of THE best gastronomy experiences in the South Bay. The ambiance was so cozy, intimate while classy- French bistro style - with live music. It felt lively and warm. Now let's get to food! Presentation, timing, flavor profiles, textures, taste, diversity, uniqueness - you know name they had it and knocked it out of the park!! We went for the 15 course tasting menu, which can I say was worth every $175 dollar!! They infused global food cuisines into Californian eg they had pani puris (with beet powder cover) stuffed with venison tartare!! And it was delicious! Fennel salad in an oyster shell was beyond. The mushroom soup was a burst of umami going between warm and cold textures. Main courses included fish chicken AND beef - they didn't skimp out on anything - and each topped the next. Dessert was immaculate. Usually desserts push me over the edge with unwanted fullness but chef Julian kept it delicate, intricate, delicious and light. Cutest thing: they had a super cute game where they personalized your palette cleanser food option! I won't spoil it for you but it was super cute (hint: if you get the tech bro option, they serve your course on a circuit board!)Not to mention, the warmth of service and care towards diners. They sent us home with delicious tea and baked goods since we were in a rush. Also want to highlight: Insane wine collection and pairing!! (You don't have to go for the pairing for the chefs tasting if you don't want to spend behind it, you can't go wrong with getting a couple of glasses)Oh they also have a cute little bubbles bar hidden. Super cute. I can't rave any more about it - you just need to find a reason and go for yourself. I promise it's a wonderful culinary experience!! Here's a quick TikTok video on my experience: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2kBscmS/

This review is for the 15 course chef's tasting menu. First, the meal was about 4hrs long. The pacing was very slow mid dinner onwards. It really hindered the experience as we got extremely tired/sleepy during our course. I wish there was a warning when booking about the dinner time. The 4hrs would have been more tolerable if we actually liked the food.. I really wanted to like this menu but my boyfriend and I only liked maybe 4/15 dishes of the entire dinner, only liked one main dish and some small bites. I would recommend they focus on quality instead of quantity next time. The only dishes that we liked were the amuse bouches, 1st seafood dish, steak dish, "Californian stereotypes" palette cleanser, pie, and mini desserts with tea. This is the first time I've had a multi course meal and did not like the majority of the food.Unfortunately I wish we went with the normal menu or went elsewhere for our special occasion. We actually want to redo our celebratory dinner elsewhere because of this. Perhaps their normal dinner menu may be a better choice.The ambience and service was quite well done. The service was attentive and we enjoyed the little details like the Polaroid photo, chef table visit, and table side tea service. The wine pairings were also great, I would definitely drink the wines that were chosen again. The live music was great and one of the highlights of the night.

I've dined at Tasting House 4 times & experienced Chef Julien's tasting menu (2024 Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter). I have yet to come for their a la carte dinner menu.This review is for Chef Julien's tasting menu for Winter 2024. Pictures are interspersed with items from the other tasting menus mentioned above.Tasting House is gunning for Michelin stars; that is evident. Chef Julien's tasting menu is clear in its vision & has a deeply personal & warm execution to it. All of his dishes are grounded in family & heart (just have him explain the backstory of his dishes to you table-side) & are reflections of his playful, laid back, & chill demeanor while also having fantastic balance, depth of flavor, & eccentricity in combinations.His menu reaches far & wide with Swedish, Japanese kaiseki, "I'm drunk in Lower East Side New York at 4am & want something fried," classic & nouveau French, Indian, & Californian.While this may sound like a smattering of cuisines, it is deeply reflective of Chef Julien's training, background, & travels. Rarely have I come across a tasting menu that is based in a chef's eclectic travels & experiences but captures the "moment" so perfectly with a clear, linear story without reading like a "greatest hits compiliation" album of disjointedness. This is cooking at a higher level. Every course feels like an intimate 1:1 conversation, learning more, & peeling back another layer. Truly special.You may be treated with:- Smorrebrod from the Baltics with a lovely smoked fish- Venison pani puri- "Caviar on a pillow"- Pumpkin curry- Possibly the best "gunpowder" pigeon I've ever had- Coconut curry Mount Lassen trout- Geoduck, fennel, & husk cherries- Chicken pithivierMany of the front & back of house hail from Michelin starred pedigrees (since Manresa closed, many have come here) so you're experiencing the knowledge & execution of a 3-star Michelin restaurant but with the "I'm hanging out at the neighborhood bistro" environs.The entire front of house - Bryan, Juan Pablo, Mary, Dani, & more treat you like old friends & family.Bryan, Juan Pablo, & Mary whip up absolutely wild wine pairings that are eccentric but also grounded in classics. Fancy a out of left field orange wine from Portugal? Yup. Or a lovely Mount Eden pinot noir? Or a wildly fun Jura chardonnay to pair with the aforementioned coconut curry Mount Lassen trout? How about a high acidity & freshly cut bouquet & florals viognier to accompany the geoduck? Or an anfora bianco with its gorgeous texture to accompany a sweet tomato & hamachi?The wine program at Tasting House is truly fun, eclectic, wild, & playful. The pairings not only complement each course but elevate them without overshadowing.I'm very excited to see what the future holds for Tasting House. In my opinion, it's shining & full of star(s).

I walked in solo on a random Friday. Honestly I could write a novel just about the warm welcoming I received from everyone there. Dean was the star of the show, making sure I felt present in a bar surrounded by couples. A savory cream puff was the amuse buche. Beef carpaccio mmmm classic but so good which paired heavenly with my red whose name I don't recall unfortunately. The blanc de blanch champagne with the hamachi danced together with the smoke. The music was outstanding, so transient. The kicker was really the tea I was sent home with at the end of my meal. Although I wanted to have a third course, I was awfully full and ended it short. I long to return soon to try a dessert which I'm sure must be amazing. Go here with a loved one, you'll both love it.

I'd recommend the Tasting House for a romantic night out. The small restaurant sits at the end of the busy downtown road. There are multiple parking lots near by that are in walking distance.The service was very attentive. I loved the waiters that helped us select our food and talked through the portions. We ordered multiple dishes including the steak, short ribs, duck, and pasta. The steak was the star of the show while the other pasta were fun dishes I'd recommend you to try. In terms of tasting, I felt like the appetizers were the star of the show. We ordered beef tartare, puff pastries, cheese plates, and corn soup. Each dishes were unique and flavorful in the own ways. I'll be coming back for appetizers and drinks only for the next time!

Very busy when I attended but we were accommodated very nicely from the hostess / server. We came here after a very poor experience down the street and were glad we did! The wine list is out of the world, and the tasting menu is equally matched. Excellent spot for date night or an anniversary!

Well this was pretty darn cool! Such a lovely and unique menu, great wine selection, cozy but not crowded vibe - it's great having such an excellent restaurant in LG. The service was impeccable and detailed without being intrusive. I could tell how proud they are. Chef is top- shelf in creativity and quality. We had 2 small plates that we shared and split a main dish. All yummy and unique- and at excellent prices. All the wines, we'll recommend by Riley, were excellent and also well priced. One thought- I loved the idea of a pianist and their song choices were cool. Just kinda loud for the space. But maybe it's me

We had a very enjoyable 2 person dinner at around 715pm and enjoyed excellently balanced food with live jazz music. We intend to return to experience it again.I order the beef wellington which was seasoned in excellent balance. The steak was perfectly good to a uniform medium rare. The demi glace was a perfect representation, my only wish was that more was provided to eat with every bite. My wife had the duck which also was prepared perfectly. We also ordered pumpkin pastiche and the kampachi crudo (salad) which both exuded farm fresh ingredients with artistic blends of tastes.Unfortunately we are biologically at a point where red wine gives us headaches, so we were unable to order the recommended pairings, and instead went with a 2014 Godspeed Chardonnay from Napa as recommended by our server... and it worked well. I play saxophone myself so I appreciated the live jazz consisting of baby grand, string bass, jazz guitar, and a player who switched between tenor sax and the clarinet. The music was excellent, and I particularly appreciated the style of the woodwind player. One complaint is that because the restaurant is so small, the instrument come off as very loud. The Management should consider adding sound dampening to the ceiling and plexi sound shields to reduce the exposure to the guests; to get a more appropriate loudness.Service was excellent and friendly. The restaurant is small so seating means you are within a couple feet from other diners and easily can over hear conversations. The evening ambiance is relaxing and appropriately for an adult crowd. I would not expect to bring small children.We hope to return for the chef tasting prefix menu.

I had such an amazing Valentines Day here!! The ambiance was on point. The champagne and chef creations were delicious. The staff is absolutely delightful. Highly recommend.

Tasting House ruined my Valentines Day. They cancelled my reservation because they said I did not pick up the phone to give them my credit card info. Why did they not ask for this info at time of booking? Mary the manager canceled my reservation 2 days before stating she could not contact me to get my cc. I told her I do not answer calls due to my job. She was unapologetic. She gave my res away and stated that I should have confirmed with OpenTable. I have been to this venue 5 times and never had such experience or been treated in this way. Perhaps she needed an excuse to accommodate her friends?? Tasting House seems to make the rules as they go and it is a terrible business model.