Eight Tables by George Chen

This is a 3.5 rounded down for value and because I had a hard time adjusting to their strong incense smell during the duration of our meal. After following their directions to finding the spot and taking a ride up the elevator, I was very impressed by their waiting area decor. The chandelier caught my eye, and I really liked the pictures.After the last of our party arrived we were led to a nice big round table for the 5 of us in a somewhat private room. They started us off with some fruit and the menus to peruse. The wait staff were very good about giving us time to browse the offerings. One thing to note was that both the half bottle of wine we wanted and the sake we wanted were not available. We did end up getting a bottle of another similar wine which was fine, but the sake they tried to recommend to us was not to our liking, so we settled for just the wine.For the food, I think the flavors were all a bit muted or too delicate for my palate. The 9 bite starter plate had a very good fried congee ball that I enjoyed, but some of the other bites were served room temp or actually a tad cold (not sure if that was intentional or not but it didn't help for things like the somewhat dray salty pork belly). I did like the drunken spot prawn, and they were pretty generous giving us 8 prawns for 5 of us (although I feel like they might as well have given us 10 at that point). I liked the veggies in the abalone dish, and the 3 cup smoked chicken was actually very flavorful and filling with the rice although it was not the 3 cup I was expecting.We were given some parting gifts, and the staff were very nice in allowing us to sit there and chat another half hour after we had paid and were the last customers. We never felt rushed, so for the service I would definitely give 5 stars. For the value though of the dishes, I didn't leave hungry, but I was just barely full. One thing that stood out to me was when we chose the abalone, I think we were expecting at least one full abalone, but it was thin slivers of what felt like maybe just half an abalone at best. I am glad I tried it as I want to support the elevated Chinese food dining experience.

Dinner review. Tasting menu.Silk Road Milk Oolong | Goji Berry | Jujube Date(Best) Jiu Gong GeSweet | Salty | Sour | Bitter Numbing | Spicy | Fragrant | Sharp | SmokySilken Egg Tofu Custard Kaluga Gold Caviar | Lily Bulb | Meyer Lemon(Highlight) Cold Noodle Fresh Soy Milk | Sesame | Uni(Highlight) White Pepper Sea Bream Broth | Suan Cai | Cilantro3 Cup Smoked Chicken Basil | Chinese EggplantCumin Spiced Napa Valley Lamb Daikon Radish | Morel Mushroom | FennelDungeness Crab Risotto Chinese Sausage | Shiitake Mushroom | GarlicCalifornia Citrus 8 Varieties From local farmsChocolate Ganache Jasmine Ice Cream | Wild Flower Honey | BarleyOverall, "I'm a fan."

We had the 9 course menu. We dined from 5:30 - 9:00 pm from opening to closing. Unbelievable. We loved the family photos upon entrance. Incense wafting upon arrival. The spa vibes at our table. Neutral tones and perfect lighting. The design of each dish reflected artistic thoughtfulness. This was most obvious during the tour of flavors. We admired the frosted glass holding the soy milk noodles, for example. Pescatarians, gluten-free diners, have no worries. Even if they didn't confirm our dietary restrictions beforehand they remembered them on the customized menus.The silken egg custard with kumamoto oysters and caviar was a standout. We both loved in the gorgeous tour of flavors the center numbing bite and the liquid congee encased in tender tempura.When they accidentally brought out two meat-based rice dishes they made up for it in heaps. They brought back a pescatarian version and an extra taste for my sweetie to have with me, again. Then, they shaved black truffle all over our dishes. So many slices! What a lovely treat. I loved that our meal ended on a bold note. Sharp vinegary gai lan and tender squid in a spicy sauce I kept licking off of my chopsticks. Yes.8 different kinds of citrus to cleanse the palette. Then, deconstructed boba! The milk tea ice cream used a black tea which tasted so clean and balanced. I wish we could have met the chefs to say thank you, it would have made our night. What a special delight.

From the moment you step into the elevator, to walking out to the lobby area, the whole dining experience was so well thought out and curated for the perfect private dinner moment. The restaurant had a minimalist + contemporary design, soothing music, dim lighting. The seating is designed in a way so you have an intimate experience with your dining companions. There's also a very noticeable incense smell in the restaurant, which was interesting. Our waiters were very professional and attentive: regularly refilling our drinks, answering any questions we had and explaining each course. They were super nice as well and we had the most lovely experienceWe had the culinary explorations, medium tasting menu: - Silk Road: tea was homey and brewed perfectly -- subtle but with a noticeable taste of lavender and mint. The fruit was extremely sweet too: loved the lychee and cherries, which offered a refreshing taste to the start of your meal- Jiu gong ge: I think this is their most iconic course, 9 dishes tasting all flavors, ranging from sour to fragrant to smoky. So beautifully plated and delicious -- I loved the different textures and flavor profiles used to highlight the ingredients from all of china - Soak in the spring: this was very refreshing and subtle, which was very much needed after the jiu gong ge.- Egg tofu: creamy and cheesy, it tasted foamy in the middle. Tofu was very soft - Black cod: fish was super soft and broke apart in even bits when you cut through it. the broth was my favorite: light and savory. There was a layer of greens underneath that elevated the fish broth flavor - Soy braised smoked chicken: this was definitely my second favorite course. you could smell the chicken immediately when it was brought in: smoky and extremely tender. The sauce was delicious and it paired well with the rice. Super fun extra detail: they let you pick the knife you use for this course beforehand!- Jasmine tea pudding: cold dessert to end your meal. Distinct strawberry flavor and very nice ice creamWe were completely stuffed by dessert. At the end of the meal, they send you home with a few sweet treats and the menu that you received during the beginning of the dinner. incredible experience and would love to come back again!

Amazing experience and unreal place. So refined, special, intimate, and crazy attentive.The food is so unique and a completely unique experience. Each course is very unique and filled with flavor.The photo is the first course of 9 different tastes and flavors! They have teas that are curated and so delicious.A phenomenal experience overall!!

I reserved on Tock, after hearing that China live had a more 'upscale' tasting menu at this new restaurant. Located in a private mostly residential alley-way, tucked behind the China live building (Only accessible through the alley-way) is an absolutely beautiful and serene restaurant fittingly called 'Eight Tables' as they've got eight tables -- each private. Intimate, quiet, not necessarily dark, but the decor has a luxurious aura to it. Service is professional, quite exceptional except for a small hiccup with the receipt -- that I will get into later.Prior to visiting, my advice for you, is to enjoy a nice long walk through Chinatown, maybe enjoy the fortune cookie factory, golden gate bakery, maybe pick up a few bits of dim sum here and there, because you will otherwise be hungry after your meal. $185 for the medium size menu (7 "courses") -- Culinary Explorations - 烹饪探索I also opted for the non-alcoholic "Kunming Beverage Pairing" -- which was $90 per person, when paired with Culinary Explorations. Given no description on tock, I incorrectly assumed this would be somewhat of a mocktail pairing, or something fitting without alcohol. Unfortunately for me, and perhaps more my fault than theirs -- their entire non-alcoholic menu seemed to be wines and cocktails with 'reduced' alcohol contents (Something like .5% alcohol remaining?). After 2 "non-alcoholic" wine pairings arrived, I let the staff know that I wasn't keen on the idea of "non-alcoholic" wines and cocktails, and they seemed to be receptive of this information when they walked away with the third wine pairing, but only to come back with a "non-alcoholic" gin, vodka, and several "non-alcoholic" wine beverages. I guess they didn't understand in the end -- and we ended up without one of the pairings -- Not that I wanted it anyway. Lesson learned, I'll have to just drink sparkling water next time. (Their tea menu is highway robbery. Most teas they serve are sourced from the same place Imperial Tea Court gets their tea for less than 8% of the cost they charge)1. Silk Road : Milk oolong | Goji Berry | Jujube DateMy first thoughts were first course is a tea? This can't be a great sign. The tea is good, but is it worthy of a 'course' in a tasting menu?2. Jiu Gong Ge: Sweet | Salty | Sour | Bitter | Numbing | Spicy | Fragrant | Sharp | SmokyThis was the most substantial course -- being roughly 9 individual bites of dumplings, which are supposed to invoke the 9 essential flavors of traditional Chinese cooking. I felt that most of the flavors were balanced and the textures were very fitting to each flavor -- whether crispy, chewy, or soft. With that, a lot of the flavors that you'd expect to hit very heavy in flavor were slightly too mellow -- to the point of the flavor not really 'scratching' that 'itch'. 3. Soak In The SpringCordyceps | Snap Peas | CrabI really enjoyed this course, but struggled a little bit to understand the flavor profiles. Individual flavors were good, but collectively confusing.4. Silken TofuSea Urchin | Salted Egg Yolk | Sea LettuceMy favorite course. It had a sort of steamed egg on the bottom and hollandaise cream sauce on top. Sea urchins were high quality, maintaining a nice and firm, and then milky texture when eaten.5. 3 Cup Duck BreastLily Bulb | Chinese Eggplant | BasilNot exactly what I was imagining when I heard 3 cup duck breast. The 3 cup refers to the sauce -- soy sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar. (With a little bit of basil oil added, to make it unique). The duck breast was a bite, definitely surprising, considering this was the major protein of the meal -- I knew at this point I was leaving hungry.6. Rice PorridgeLap Cheong | Lap Yuk | Shiitake MushroomContinuing the thought above, the rice porridge I figured was going to be the filler course, to finish off. Imagine my surprise when my spoon bangs the bottom of the bowl, to only be the depth of a single grain of rice. Absolutely tiny smear of porridge. 7. First of the Season StrawberryJasmine Tea | Wild Flower Honey | RhubarbTasty. Refreshing. But once again, quite small.Once we receive the check, we paid a total of $841.83 for two people. This was because we were overcharged ($240) for the $180 we should've been charged for the kunming pairing. After bringing it up with the staff, we did recieve the difference back in a tock refund (albeit not including the 20% service, SF mandate, and tax that is charged on top of the mistake -- an additional ~$27 mistake I will not get back) -- however it is still eye-opening that this kind of mistake happens when there's only eight tables to service at this restaurant.

Words cannot describe just what an incredible meal that I recently enjoyed at Eight Tables by George Chen. The concept of Eight Tables comes from the eponymous Chef and entrepreneur George Chen, as it replaced the long standing Gold Mountain restaurant that once stood along Broadway in San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood for decades. Since their opening in early 2017, this four level establishment was taken down all the way down to the studs of was once a multi-level establishment, and is now home to China Live, Cold Drinks Bar, and of course Eight Tables, the latter of which is so named as they only have eight tables within their restaurant serving their highly-cultivated dishes just five days a week. Located on the second floor of this bustling complex, Eight Tables is certainly on the higher-end of meals you will enjoy when coming to the city, especially in Chinatown, as Executive Chef Floyd Nunn and his team have worked to create a specifically curated pre-fix menu that not only satiates all of your tastebuds, but lifts them to places in which you have never known to have existed before. Ever since they opened, I have wanted to come here and just take it all in, and recently I got the chance to with a special private dinner that I was allowed to take part of, as Chefs Chen and Nunn hosted our large party in their exclusive Gold Mountain Room, which is so named in honor of their predecessor. The aesthetic of Eight Tables intentionally resembles that of an exclusive unattainable speakeasy located on the streets of Hong Kong, as their entrance is not even on Broadway but resides on a back alleyway that leads to Columbus Avenue, which gives visitors the feeling of entering an exotic unknown locale. Our multi-course menu was highlighted by one of Eight Tables signature dishes, their Jiu Gong Ge, which translates into "nine grids" in Chinese. This entrée features nine differently prepared small bites using traditional Chinese ingredients that are found throughout Chinatown. Each bite had a flavor represented including that of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, numbing, spicy, fragrant, sharp, and smokey. Of these nuanced bites, the highlights were their numbing bite, which was a deep fried puff of goodness, and their fragrant bite, which was like a small rice cake that was light and airy, yet both tasted sublime. For our second course, we tried their Silken Egg Custard, which was your traditional egg custard steamed and prepared in a traditional way combined with Ossetra Caviar and topped with a Lily Bulb oyster. This entree was perfection in a bowl. For our third course, we enjoyed their Sea Bream served in a creamy broth with dried chili pepper and coriander. The flavorful broth alone served this dish so well, as I made sure to savor every bite that I could consume. Then we were able to enjoy one entrée split into two dishes, their Smoked Garlic Chicken, which was served with Eight Treasure Sauce, Bok Choy, and a dumpling filled with a porcini mushroom. The chicken was so plentiful that their kitchen staff quartered it for our table to share and enjoy the overall smokiness with every bite.With our meal at its conclusion, they served us one last course, a Barley Chocolate Ganache, which was so sublime in its plating that the exquisite taste only added to our overall tasting. I cannot imagine a better plated, served and prepared meal. Even small things like the staff coming out in unison to make sure that every plate was placed on our elongated table did not go unnoticed. Overall the pricing for our meal for our large was actually rather reasonable considering the premium food and service we enjoyed this evening. Eight Tables has lived up to the hype of what a special meal should be, and I for one am so glad that they are here in San Francisco's Chinatown, thriving and serving the community of food connoisseurs where they usually wouldn't find it. Every dish was prepared with such foresight and had a story to tell of which I was eager to learn more about. I now know where to come for that one special meal that I will remember and cherish for a lifetime, and that meal has taken place at Eight Tables by George Chen.

@8tables by George Chen 8 Kenneth Rexroth PI, San Francisco, CA 94133- Price: $150 for 5 courses; $250 for 8 course with optional wine pairing for $235 - RSVP: @opentable and @exploretock - Capacity: 2-6 peopleBe transported through the 9 essential flavors of Chinese Cuisine and thousands of years of traditions vis the art of tea and Si Fang Cai 私房菜 This stands as one of the few fine dining Chinese cuisine experiences that perfectly captured the essence of foods and ways of cooking that have been passed down for generations. While it certainly elevated it, it does not "over-fancify" it. Every bite as filled@both with nostalgia, truly unique flavor combinations, and an explosion of well blended flavors.

Behind some black bars lies a stunning, quaint and homey restaurant. Pieces of it, such as the chairs outside the bathroom, evoked a homey Chinese atmosphere. You can tell every piece of decor was lovingly picked out.Every single one of our servers was good humored, kind and knowledgeable. They were great with answering questions about the food and very attentive with our needs.Drinks - I forgot to take a picture of the menu so I can't remember exactly what we got, but I believe my boyfriend got a drink using entirely Japanese (shaky?) vodka and I got a duck washed whiskey. His was sweet whereas mine was Smokey. I found that the duck washing really did strengthen the smokiness of the whiskey in a really lovely way.Silk Road was a thoughtfully crafted opener with a heartwarming tea. They happen to use lavender, which is one of my favorites, so I was happy.The jiu gong ge was beautifully presented. My only complaint is that I absolutely adore Sichuan food and would have loved for a stronger spicy/numbing taste, but I understand the light introduction (perhaps an option to up the level for us crazies?)The Taiwanese cold noodle was surprisingly delicious. Smooth, silky, refreshing.The madai was masterfully cooked with the fish meat still tender and smooth while the top was perfectly crispy.The duck dish tasted smoked and the addition of the 6th spice was delightful. The house made hoisin had a subtle umami flavor that was divine and regrettably not bottled. I do wish there was more, but that's me being a glutton!The rib eye had a delicious yunnan spicy sauce paired with my favorite - pea shoots. I forgot to take a picture because I was so excited to eat it. The Carolina rice with XO was fluffy and perfect as well.Onto dessert. Thankfully, not too sweet. There were desserts on desserts and I regretted that I was only born with one stomach. The kitchen clearly had a lot of fun creating the dessert menu as there was pavlova, dragons breath, dun lai, and boot jai goh. It was all a beautiful fusion of flavors.Overall, a lovely lovely time :)

This was an upscale and intimate restaurant which we felt like we had a private booth. We had the Imperial Degustation menu, which, wasn't cheap but worth the experience. Every dish was delicious. Excellent service.