The Wild

The Wild is a great spot if you're looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion (we came to celebrate our anniversary) or simply want to splurge on a well prepared meal. The ingredients for each dish were fresh and some were very unique since their theme includes freshly foraged elements. The highlight for me was definitely the venison, but even the amuse bouche was a delightful first-bite and the dessert a well-balanced end. Service was attentive and you can tell their staff pay close attention to details. I'd also recommend the beverage pairings. I opted for the wine and my husband opted for the spirits pouring. There were definitely a number of unique spirits provided but I personally still found the wine to pair better with the food and enhanced some of the flavors of the dishes. Beautiful decor too and a high quality place overall.

As longtime fans of Gozu, we were hesitant to experience its successor but decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations, both in terms of service and food quality.From the outset, the service was a bit unprofessional. We, along with two other parties, waited at the entrance for over 10 minutes with no acknowledgment, let alone an explanation. The kitchen also seemed overwhelmed--odd, given that much of the crew from Gozu remains. Chefs were visibly bumping into each other, and the open kitchen suddenly feels crowded at times. Another major issue was their inflexible approach to allergies. The prix fixe menu required the entire party to order the same dishes, meaning one person's dietary restriction would rule out trying the menu for the entire group. When we did the math, ordering à la carte using prix fixe items actually cost a few dollars less, which was counterintuitive.The food itself was uninspired and, at times, poorly executed. The cold crab dish leaned heavily on an oversized cucumber vessel, overshadowing the delicate caviar and crab. The Sonoma duck confit was overly salty and messy to eat, while the California Holstein beef was so raw it was difficult to chew. The most baffling dish of the night was the uni with lobster broth and noodles--whoever conceptualized this did the fresh uni a disservice. The broth drowned out its natural sweetness, and the noodles were the lowest quality flour-based lo mein, turning mushy almost immediately. To make matters worse, the beef and uni noodles were served at the same time, so by the time you had a bite of one, the other had already suffered texturally.To top it all off, the server was visibly displeased when we declined dessert--not that we were inclined to prolong the experience. Gozu was a restaurant that exuded precision, thoughtfulness, and balance. The Wild SF, by contrast, feels somewhat chaotic, poorly conceived, and not worth the price. We were so disappointed, but as the transition was still relatively recent, we would wish the restaurant all the best as it continues to develop and grow.

Food: 4Decor: 4Service: 4Came here for dinner after booking a res a few minutes prior. Overall, excellent meal and great to see the team continuing this next phase of Gozu. Would definitely come back again, especially since they're on inKind.coastal yellowtail crudo, spruce, bonito ponzu 16 4/5. Great start to the meal with some yellowtail crudo. Ponzu was infused with bonito that was aged for several days.sonoma duck confit, savoy cabbage, pickled pearl onion, japanese rice, tonkatsu 234/5. Great dish and beautiful presentation.sea urchin noodles, chayote squash, charcoal-scented black garlic, uni-lobster broth 454/5. Another great dish and great presentation. Ramen noodles were cooked perfectly.Service was excellent.

It was hard to decide between a 4 or 5 star rate here. I ultimately settled on 5 because while there was a serious flub I think most people would enjoy all aspects of this restaurant Let's start with the flub: we came for the venison. We love venison. The pieces we were each served were so tough we could hardly cut, let alone chew. When waitstaff asked how we liked we told them there was an issue. They made a Lus a new portion. This came from the loin and was delightful. The chef handling the meat told us our first portion came from the end of a very long piece and these newer ones from the loin. Um, no duh-- but YOU should not be serving the ends if they are that tough. If this is a 5 star restaurant, have consistent and good cuts, and do something more appropriate with the tough ends. We had 3 different folks check in to make sure the 2nd try was ok. They handled the issue appropriately, but it should not have happened in the first place We would recommend and return here though. The ambiance is nice, upscale and modern. Everyone there seemed to be celebrating a birthday. The seating is at high stools, which is not my first choice, but the stools have backs and 2 options to rest your feet. There are 2 spots with regular chairs and a table off to the side for a family- sized party in regular chairs. Both would work for ADA needs, but the former would not be good for a medical device in tow ( eg service dog or oxygen tank) unless they adjusted the proximity of the adjacent high stool Service friendly and helpful. They can pour you a taste of a sake to see if you like to order. There is plenty to watch-- the fire, the chefs cooking. Crudo: caught that morning. Taste is good. Pieces a bit thickly cut Caviar sundae: nice balance of flavors and textures Venison: as described in paragraph 1 above. Duck: they subbed out the sun choke because I'm intolerant. It was shredded nd mixed with nice veg and rice. Good Smokey flavor Uni noodles: we were skeptical because Santa Barbara Uni is usually not as good as japanese. While there was a slight bitterness it was balanced by the brothAmuse bouche-- good flavor and texture Desserts were excellent! Rich, balanced with textures and flavors Bathroom grade A+. Japanese toilets, lovely wooden sink, cloth towels, clean, Aesop soap, gender neutral single serve, 1 or 2 are ADA accessible

Overall experience was more like a 3.5 but rounded up since there is a lot of potential for this restaurant. The wild has a very unassuming entrance but upon arrival we were greeted by a host and seated promptly. The open kitchen was magnificent and it was quite an experience being able to see how each dish was prepared. Highlights:The uni pasta was umami and creamy which is my favorite flavor combination. The brininess of the uni cut into the richness of the foam and just created a flavor harmony. Duck was succulent and the fat to lean meat ratio was perfect. The foie gras elevated the dish and though I initially thought it would be too rich, it ended being very delightful. The cocktails, unfortunately, were not of our palate. I would skip out on alcohol if I were to ever to come back.Service was okay but I was really disappointed when we were handed the bill when my group wanted to add on some items. The waitstaff didn't really check up on us and only came to describe the dishes they were presenting. Not a bad place to check out if you are looking for a modern dining experience.

The wild is one of the better fine dining restaurants that I've been to in a long time. The whole menu is terrific and each dish is creative and unique. The foraged ingredient theme means you're trying things like seaweeds and plants and flowers that you wouldn't normally try.I appreciate the a la carte menu. It allows the two us to try twice as many dishes!The tomato appetizer was so refreshing and full of flavor. The abalone and venison warm dishes were both delicious. The duck and blackberry was an amazing combo. And the uni noodles were creamy and decadent. The matcha tart is a full-size tart and is one of the best matcha tarts that I've had in a while!The service is impeccable and the chefs' attention to detail is top-notch. We'll definitely be back!

This new concept from the team that brought you Gozu was one of my favorite recent dining experiences!Born out of the same space, is The Wild, a California-forward menu that features wild and cultivated local ingredients. The new direction allows the chefs to reconnect with their roots in a less restrictive format, and I am here for it.The concise menu features a la carte dishes or a chef's choice 5-course tasting for $130. I had the chef's tasting with additional supplements, and I love that I can definitively say every course was a hit.I loved the forest presentation of the first few chilled courses, from a fresh heirloom tomato avocado salad to a meaty tuna crudo.Next were the warm dishes, which started off strong with grilled mussels in a creamy sweet potato sauce. This was such a great example of what I crave in an elevated comfort food dish. I also had much anticipation for the uni noodles, and expectations were exceeded, just like the overflowing uni foam topping. An aged Sonoma duck with blackberry and salsify rounded off the strong, savory courses. Then came a caviar sundae, which served as a transition to dessert. This was the most memorable course of the night. I've never had anything quite like caviar with white asparagus and corn, and this interesting, savory-sweet combo gave my taste buds a new flavor profile to crave.Lastly, dessert featured one of my favorite pastries, the Bordeaux cannelé. The Wild's version incorporated porcini powder, for a hint of savory, served with candy cap caramel and birch ice cream.Service was wonderful as well, and I enjoyed the intimate counter seating around the central hearth.

I was walking between some buildings when I randomly saw this place during the day a few days ago, so I was extra surprised when we ended up here to celebrate our anniversary. While it feels pretty unassuming from the outside, and probably by design since there is a huge blocking wall painted in black, the inside is gorgeous, sleek, spacious and moody in just the right way. One of the things that really impressed me here is their whiskey menu. I do feel like many places, whiskey is sort of an after thought and they have some standard list, but at The Wild they really took this seriously and had an extensive list which is reflected in their whiskey room wall. I love this new concept space in place of GOZU because the attention to detail is phenomenal. While I felt like the portions were a bit on the smaller side, the flavor that each dish packed was indisputable. I really love the open kitchen concept, the smell of the char and the visual treat of the flames. Excellent fine dining concept and def. come before they raise prices!

One of the best meals I've had in my life! Must try! Great for date night/special occasion.Beautiful decor, excellent service and food was extraordinarily amazing! Go with the chef's choice for the taste of everything! My favorites were the duck and canele. If I had to pick a least favorite it would be the tuna and the sour gummy at the end. All of the chefs presented their dish. You can tell how much work went into every dish! The chef's choice is listed as 5 course but I kept getting pleasantly surprised when more food came out. The canape, palette cleanser, desserts were also served. Loved the nice touch with all the staff signing birthday card and the complementary cake. It's one of the few meals where I got happier and happier as the meal progressed. I left feeling satisfied but if you have a big appetite you might need a snack after. Was able to find parking across the street on Saturday at 530p.You won't regret eating here!!

I liked the simple decor & it felt like a close tight knit experience. However, the portions are extremely small for the tasting menu and it took 3 hours for 5 courses to come out which includes a pretty much premade dessert. We also had a friend with shellfish allergy and our server did not substitute her dish because she didn't know mollusks were a type of shellfish.