Chez TJ

Glad I finally tried Chez TJ. The scallop, bonito, wagyu and sticky toffee dishes were my favorites. I think with the caviar, truffle, and wagyu dishes (no supplements), Chez TJ was a better bang for buck than Plumed Horse, which I tried several months back. But Plumed Horse's service and setting felt more like a fine dining experience, and there were more surprises by way of creativity at Plumed Horse. I think if I had to recommend one South Bay Michelin restaurant of the two, it'd be Plumed Horse. For service - I liked the host, who doubled as bartender, I think, for a short menu of craft cocktails. The drinks were classic - not a lot of "mixology" here - he made subtle, notable changes via the liquor used, which made each drink more smooth without changing abv. We chatted with him a bit about it, chill guy, passionate about his craft. The staff service was okay, less polished than I usually experience for Michelin. For the vibe, the place looked super casual. It was a Victorian house, sure, but in the way that a ton of houses are Victorian in San Francisco - very commonplace. Partly because they don't play up the Victorian details with the decor. Prime example - One odd design choice was this giant RGB backlit glass with a picture of a peacock. It was like something you'd see at a dim sum place. Kind of gaudy. It was out of place here but honestly funny and charming in a way. On to food - there were so many dishes: N25 Caviar Buckwheat Crepe, Salsify - idk about this one. This tasted more like a cold, soggy thick soba noodle than a crepe. Love caviar so I feel like I could've just had this as a caviar bump. Longer Table Farm Savoy Cabbage - tbh this is on our menu and I either forgot to take a photo or I have no idea what food fell under this description. Oops. Green Garlic Cornet, Hiramasa, Fermented Daikon - so good. Really surprising - just looked like a tiny decorative garnish but packed a punch with flavor. Full Belly Farm Potato Veloute - pretty good, not sure the narrow glass was my favorite vessel for it. No complaints, I like veloute and could've eaten a bowl of it. Silver Sky Ranch Egg, Perigord Truffle - they described this as "scrambled egg" to us but it was more like...watery, whipped, uncooked scramble egg - right before you cook it. I love eggs and truffle, so I still mopped this up, but I didn't love the texture or combination of the two. The bread going with it also overpowered the truffle more than I'd like... just personal preference. Hokkaido Scallop, Longer Table Farm Honeynut Squash, Pomegranate - scallop was perfectly cooked, I liked the combo of squash and pomegranate. I think the proportion of pomegranate could have been dialed down a smidge. Easy fix though, I just left more of it on my plate. Bonito, Black Trumpet Mushroom, Front Porch Farm Brassicas - bonito is not my favorite fish but this dish was so good. That sauce is life. Mulled Cider Sorbet - I just had a couple bites of this. Not into those kind of fall spices, especially for palate cleanser sorbet. To each their own, only I didn't finish mine so could just be me. Broken Arrow Ranch Quail, Toscano Farm Beets, Smoked Crema - I liked the kick of heat here, I feel like you don't get much of that in fine dining for French food. It tasted like an elevated spicy chicken wing. Not my favorite dish but it was interesting. Masami Ranch Wagyu, Longer Table Farm Puntarelle, Sunchoke Poppy Sunflower Seed - favorite dish. The sauce was on point. Meat was perfectly cooked. The crispy sunchokes and sunchoke puree were amazing. One of the best dishes of the night. Pain Levain, Naval Orange Ricotta - love a good bread and butter but did not love this bread and it was paired with ricotta, came off really sweet. I took a couple of bites. Blood Orange Semifreddo, Earl Grey, Pink Peppercorn - pretty good but this dessert made me think of the strawberry shortcake at plumed horse and I liked the latter way better. I didn't eat much of this. I prefer ice cream or gelato over semifreddo and thought this dessert was too sweet. Pear Miso Sticky Toffee Pudding, Brillat Savarin - love toffee pudding! Pleasant surprise. Petit foursPecan Praline - way too sweet for me. I liked the texture though. Cherry Hibiscus Pâte de Fruit - this tastes the same to me every fine dining restaurant I go to. Espresso Financiers - liked this one best of the bunch.

2.5 STARSTaking slow food to the next level.Food especially fine dining should be savored and enjoyed but I didn't anticipate food service being mad slow at Chez TJ. It was so slow, I momentarily dozed off twice with drool dribbling down the corner of my mouth. Sexy!The welcome note indicates it takes 2-2.5 hours for the tasting menu but in reality takes 3-4+ hours. We spent 80%+ of our time just waiting for the courses (no reason given for the delay). Thirty minutes to plate each dessert is wild!Now that I got that out of the way, I choose Chez TJ for a special occasion splurge because they have outdoor seating. And, they've been consecutively awarded a Michelin star since 2007. Rezzies were easily made on OpenTable two weeks prior. M E N UContemporary French: 6-Course Blind Dégustation (Tasting) Menu for $225 pp. One supplement available that evening: Truffle Risotto (+$65). Wine pairing: nightly - $175, grand - $295, vintage - $595.Abbreviated 4-Course Garden Menu for $140 pp available Wednesday and Thursday only.20% service charge (additional tip is optional).D R I N K SOnly darks are available. Odd that no vodka or gin was available for a martini. * Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye, SF ($20 x2): https://tinyurl.com/228w8shk6 - C O U R S E / T A S T I N G / M E N U ($225 PP)* Amuse Bouche: N25 Caviar Fantasy w/ caviar crepe, caviar avocado mousse, rice crackers // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/2v4mne2z* Amuse Bouche: Full Belly Farm Heirloom Tomatoes, Piel de Sapo Melon w/ lemon epi // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/mtn25m5f(1) New Zealand Kinmedai, Iacopi Shelling Beans, Haricot Verts // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/t42mt8ku (2) Maine Lobster, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Quince // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/yz6dz7yc(3) Aladora Farms Duck, Fairytale Eggplant, Lonely Mountain Gooseberries // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/9wj9drud(4) Westholme Wagyu, G&S Corn, Lobster Mushroom // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/m9db8s46**Palate Cleanser***: "Summer Breeze": https://tinyurl.com/5brnzm2n(5) Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich, Black Cocoa // 2 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/387cpnu3(6) Chocolate Mousse, Roasted Figs, Candied Walnut // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/vrcd4wse* Mignardises - Cherry pomegranate pâte de fruit, palmier, chocolate haysticks: https://tinyurl.com/y7k4aptdHighlights of the night? The heirloom tomato + melon amuse showcased great seasonal produce and the smoked ribeye cap, compliments of the chef was deliciously rich and smoky (accompanied the leaner than anticipated westholme wagyu course). Aside from that, I found *most* courses mid to underwhelming with no wow factor to keep my palate engaged and looking forward to the next course. While pretty, the caviar amuse was one note with bland accompaniments. Most protein courses: kinmedai, lobster, and duck were overcooked for my personal preferences. Subpar bread accompanied three of the courses, either underbaked (lemon epi) or dry + hard (duck bao). Not having a sweet tooth, IMHO, two chocolate desserts was a bit much. Texturally, the chocolate mousse was better of the two as the mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich was rock hard. Pet peeve: to introduce a course as "crispy..." only to pour jus on top of the crispy skin rendering it soggy. This happened with the kinmedai and duck courses. Lastly, two sets of mignardises were just thrown in a bag together. None of them wrapped or placed in a box to take home. S E R V I C EStaff is kind and well-intentioned. They did their best but were green, lacking finesse and attention to detail. For example, water glass sat empty several times in 80+ degree weather (as various staff walked by), had to ask for second round of drinks, trying to take plates away with unfinished food, placing fresh utensils on top of crumbs, etc. Another table was brought a stool for their purse. I wasn't offered one so I had to place mine on the table. A M B I A N C EQuaint, charming Victorian home with a lovely garden patio (mostly shaded). P A R K I N GEasy street parking. Overall, I'm glad I knocked Chez TJ off my list for a special occasion but our experience was very disappointing at $300+ pp. TBH, it felt like dining at a resto during soft opening week, not an established fine dining one. Maybe it was a very off day training new staff but at this price point, it's not near the caliber of Michelin star restos I've been to.

4 stars for a solid Mountain View restaurant.I was visiting my sister in Mountain View and we decided to grab a reservation at Chez TJ to celebrate my birthday. Located on Villa Street near downtown Mountain View, we arrived at the venue to find a spot that almost struck me as being Southern proper in style (which appeals to me as somebody who has lived in the South for long periods of time). The host sat us at our table close to the small bar and the waitress came over to present options (e.g., which prix fixe options for food and wine). My sister is a vegetarian and my brother-in-law is a vegan, so the restaurant took extra care to make sure they received appropriate and tasty options. We started out with a couple fun appetizers, including a caviar dish, a fun scallop dish, and a really tasty truffle dish. After receiving a pallet cleanser, we moved on to several mains, which included lobster and wagyu, and some really great bread. The wagyu was fine, but the lobster was probably my favorite dish of the night. We then ended with a really solid semifreddo and a little dessert tray. I will say that our one complaint was that the food collectively wasn't very filling (we went to go grab some extra food from a nearby bar afterwards), but that is often par for the course at French prix fixe spots.Overall, Chez TJ provided us with a solid Michelin restaurant experience. While nothing blew me away enough to give 5 stars, I would be happy to check this spot out again next time I'm looking for an upscale Mountain View dinner.

Wow what an experience. This restaurant truly exceeded all expectations. If you are looking for fine dining in a very cozy and private setting this is your place. The food was beyond exceptional and the service was the cherry on top. The portions may look small but very well curated to satisfy your hunger. A very well deserved Michelin star. Special thanks to the chef, Ted, Minnie and Daniel!

This was a very unique experience. Everything was delicious. We knew in advance it would be a 2.5 hour meal so make sure you know that before going in. The ambience was really nice and the staff super friendly. Five stars all around!

Phenomenally experience here, highly recommend. Chez TJ has just renewed their Michelin star and does not disappoint. From the moment you walk in, you are completely taken care of and begin a fantastic blind tasting experience. From the little table for your bag to the timing and alignment of the plates on your table, everything looks put together. The food is also amazing and there are so many courses. The seafood courses were full of flavor, the duck and wagyu were cooked to perfection, and the desserts did not disappoint.

Oh gosh this was a fun experience. Really enjoyed it and their new chef, Stan, and there was a bit of room for improvement, judging it at the highest standard. This is a delayed review -- we were there in January on Stan's very first night of service, which was also a unique adventure for all. He came out to the table and greeted us, and he was just the nicest. Enjoyed geeking out about food with him and excited to see where he takes things.I've shared the menus, so I'll just touch on the highlights of the meal. The game bird entree portion was amazing and paired so well with the wine. The paso vino cheese was incredible. East component was really unique and interesting. There was one wine that tasted so heavily of magnolia, I felt like I was back in my hometown in the South. The desserts were so off the wall, too. Risks about, and it pays off. A very fun experience. There was an uni component that also was just expertly paired with the wine.As for improvement, their somm seemed a little... off that night, maybe? Maybe nervous? Not sure. His pairings were stellar, but something in his service there was a little lacking. Again, judging this place to the highest degree.Excited to hear that they'll be experimenting with other price points. Might end up back at some point, but for now, that night will definitely live in my memory :)

Spectacular! It was an honor to have Executive Chef Stan Michalski himself bring out several dishes himself. The food and the juxtaposition of each course and ingredients is just spectacular. No words would do justice to this exquisite experience. Having eaten at French Laundry and other Michelin Star restaurants, I attest Chez TJ, Stan's and his team's creativity and execution are remarkable and worthy of a lifetime experience. Beautiful ambiance, thoughtful selection of wine and spirits to accompany each course, dining at Chez TJ is a life long memory.

Third time came here with high expectation based on previous experience. Unfortunately it did not reach the high bar -- atmosphere and service were not good as I expected. Firstly we got seated in a not super comfortable corner, back facing a through a door , the constant breeze/ wind through it made dressed up us super cold. Secondly, when the first appetizer arrived , we were waiting for the utensils to start. And no one mentioned anything or get us hand towel to be ready for it. The first dish experience already set the tone negatively. ...Overall, the total cost for two of us is about $680, we didn't add any add ons what they spent too much time in trying to sell those to us. Food was good but not at the level of $340 each kind of satisfaction. A place for special occasion but not high expectations. I missed the dates that Chez still offers dish option instead full course Only.

We went here for Valentine's Day, and could not have been more impressed. A cute home converted into an upscale restaurant made for a romantic homie ambience. Service is formal and attentive. The menu was an inventive journey of courses which they made vegetarian for me.