Lele Kitchen

(Ryan Reynolds voiceover)The vibe is pure culinary artistry! East meets West taken to the next level!Feder warmly greeted us! He guided us to the best table!Julian would serve us! Super cordial and helpful!Oysters avec Preserved Lemon & Champagne. The perfect appetizer!Soup. Kabocha Squash w/ Dill & Truffle. A sensational melange of flavor and texture!Draniki w/ Trout. A sumptuous pancake covered w/ healthy goodiness accompanied by Trout caviar. Wow! The presentation and taste are sublime!Beet Patty. Parmesan foam. Roasted Cabbage. Now this is how all vegetarian dishes should be! Exceeded expectations!Skirt steak. Wagyu. Snake River Farms. Hearty! Delish! Gorgeous!Apple Cake. Magic disguised as a Granny Smith! Splendiferous! Cappucino. Yes! Yes! yes!My gosh! A Michelin star would feel right at home in Lele Kitchen. What a fine dining hidden gem!Would order everything again!Thanks, Julian and Feder!Woohoo!

What a fantastic restaurant I finally had the chance to visit!I celebrated my birthday at Lele Kitchen with friends, and it couldn't have been a better choice.Since there were eight of us, we went with the special Family Style menu--a generous assortment of nearly all the restaurant's dishes, served at once for everyone to share and enjoy together.The only slight challenge for our group of four couples was having to divide some dishes into eight portions ourselves. And when the food is this delicious, sharing isn't easy!Having dined at Michelin-starred restaurants before, I can confidently say that Lele Kitchen is more than worthy of being in the guide--and could easily earn all three stars. Every bite, from appetizers to mains to dessert, was simply divine.With an excellent selection of Californian wines, outstanding service, and a beautifully designed interior, this place is a gem.We can't wait to come back!

We had dinner here on a weekday with our friends. It's a small yet cozy place, with tasteful decor and an inviting atmosphere. The service was outstanding. Our table was attended by Ed, who was friendly, witty, and attentive to every detail while explaining the menu and making recommendations. Despite the menu being relatively short, Ed's enthusiasm and knowledge made a big difference, turning our evening into a truly special experience.We started with some appetizers, which we shared along with a nice bottle of wine. Since my wife doesn't drink, Ed thoughtfully offered her a complimentary non-alcoholic white wine that, according to him, had tannins added to mimic the taste of real wine. That was a nice touch.The wine selection is excellent and reasonably priced.For appetizers, we ordered a variety of dishes along with half a dozen oysters--everything was delicious. For the main course, we had pasta and two orders of king salmon among the four of us. The ravioli was so good that we ended up ordering a second round. The dessert selection was limited, but that wasn't a dealbreaker for us.There aren't many Eastern European/Russian eateries in the Bay Area, so this place is a welcome addition--especially in South San Jose, where it's hard to find a slightly upscale restaurant with both great food and service. I hope they continue to maintain their quality and refresh the menu regularly so we have even more reasons to return.

We dined here last evening for Valentine's Day and we were really, really impressed with the quality of the food.Everything is very meticulously prepared and subtly seasoned with care. The polenta cake with mushroom ragout was superb! Everything was great really and the wine pairing (which I rarely get) was excellent as well - generous pours!We sat at the bar, which was a nice experience as we were always close to one or more of the staff, who were all friendly and professional. We had the most interaction with Fedar, the service/events/beverage director, who explained all the details of the wine selections and details about the food courses. Great guy!The ambiance was elevated, classy, and somewhat modern. Because of the location, which is in kind of a corner strip mall, you don't necessarily expect "fancy" or elevated. But they've done a great job of elevating the aesthetics of both the exterior and interior of the building they occupy (with their bakery/cafe) - so approaching it from the outside, it looks classy, and inside is decorated to a level that matches their excellent cuisine.We look forward to coming back with our daughter to let her try the food here, and sample more appetizers and entrees from their main menu.It's fun to "discover" independent restaurants that service great food and clearly care about the quality of everything they present to their customers. I hope they do really well going forward and we'll be back soon.

I've always enjoyed brunches at Lele Cake, so my expectations were very high going into this dinner. Even so, it exceeded all my expectations. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. It felt upscale without being prissy. The service reflected this. Our server was friendly, professional, and knew everything about the menu.The beer pie tees would have belonged in a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant. It was savory and incredibly addictive. We also had the smoked salmon dranik, and it wasn't any less delicious. My wagyu flat iron was cooked to a perfect medium rare. For dessert, I went with the apple pie(?). It was creative and I enjoyed each bite of it. What looked like an apple on a plate was actually a white chocolate shell encasing an apple pie filling. I can see myself making the drive to Los Gatos just to dine here again. Would highly recommend.

Don't let the unassuming location fool you, Lele Kitchen is an excellent upscale dining experience that lives up to the high bar set by its sister bakery and café next door, Lele Cake. They offer up a fascinating combination of California-meets-Eastern Europe, showing itself through a number of unique menu items featuring smoked seafood and beetroots along with the more traditional mainstays of fine dining such as steak and pasta dishes.We began our meal with a serving of the Steamboat Oysters with mignonette which ended up being so delicious that we capped our meal with a second round of shellfish in lieu of dessert. Following that, we tried the Pommes Dauphine which were beautifully crafted, light and fluffy with a wonderfully thin and crisp crust. The flavor was rather mild but the textures were impeccable. We rounded out the appetizers with a Smoked Salmon Dranik which was decent, but ended up tasting exactly like a bagel with cream cheese & lox which, while tasty, is hard to justify ordering again at that price point.For entrees we opted for the Housemade Porcini & Truffle Ravioli along with the Wild AK Halibut. The halibut was fine but a little underwhelming as the fish was a tad dense and dry for my taste and the accompaniments were a little too mild to bring any wow factor to the dish. The ravioli on the underhand was an absolute treat, and may just be my favorite pasta dish I can remember ordering. It was incredibly rich and bursting with umami flavor thanks to the combination of the mushrooms and miso butter, a must-try if you find yourself at Lele Kitchen.On top of the excellent food, the serve was top-notch and the setting is elegant and warm, perfect for a date night or special occasion. Lele Kitchen is a stellar addition to the neighborhood and I hope I'm able to find my way back here soon!

We have been fans of Lele Cake, the charming café next door, for quite some time now, and with the opening of Lele Kitchen, it was only a matter of time before we ended up visiting it. Specializing in Eastern European/Belarusian-inspired dishes with a "California farm-to-fork" ethos, this restaurant brings a fresh, innovative approach to dining. Their commitment to sourcing high-quality ingredients from local farmers' markets and nearby farms truly shines through in every dish. Open for dinner with reservations required, we were delighted to secure a spot and easily found parking in the nearby lot.Appetizers and StartersWe began our culinary journey with an exquisite Oyster Tasting Trio: - Mignonette: classic preparation that highlights the fresh, briny flavor of the oyster while adding a tangy and aromatic twist (preserved lemon and champagne mignonette sauce).- Cream and Roe: Clean and refreshing, perfectly complemented by a horseradish cream and the indulgence of Tsar Nikolai smoked trout roe. - Granita: A delightful pairing of raspberry and honey, offering a subtle sweetness that elevated the briny freshness of the oysters. Next, we savored the Pommes Dauphine, golden potato puffs served with a rich and herbaceous dill mayo. Light, crispy, and bursting with flavor, they set a high bar for what was to come.The Mackerel Crudo was a masterpiece of balance and complexity. Thinly sliced mackerel was paired with cucumber, radish, citrus, horseradish, pistachio, yuzu, and parsley oil. Each bite was a harmonious mix of textures and bright, fresh flavors. The Dranik, a Belarusian-inspired potato pancake, came topped with smoked trout, avocado, cilantro crema, and crispy onions. The contrast between the rich, creamy toppings and the crispy pancake was delightful.Main Course:For our entrées, we were blown away by the depth of flavor and artistry of the dishes: 1. Wild Northern Halibut: Perfectly cooked, the halibut was paired with a duo of roasted and puréed cauliflowers, sweet baby broccoli, pearl onions, and a luscious miso hollandaise sauce. Every component on the plate was executed with precision and added to the dish's elegance. 2. Wild Mushroom and English Pea Tortelloni: Handmade pasta stuffed with earthy wild mushrooms and sweet English peas, topped with a dill rye bread crumble and chervil. This dish was the epitome of comfort and sophistication, with layers of flavor in every bite. DessertTo close out the meal, we indulged in their Cheesecake, a creamy delight that struck the perfect balance of richness and sweetness. As a special surprise, we were also treated to their Apple Cake, a beautifully presented dessert that truly showcased the kitchen's creativity and finesse. Each dish at Lele Kitchen was a work of art, not only in flavor but in presentation. The immaculate plating was so impressive that we hesitated to dig in, marveling at the effort and skill that went into each creation. This level of attention to detail, combined with the thoughtful incorporation of local, seasonal ingredients, made the experience truly special.From start to finish, this was a sumptuous dining experience. Whether you're a fan of Eastern European cuisine or simply appreciate culinary excellence, Lele Kitchen is a gem worth visiting. The warm hospitality and surprise touches--like the Apple Cake--made us feel right at home. We can't wait to return!

Delicious!The best kitchen in California and sure in Bay Area. Main, deserts, vine, service exerting perfect

Amazing kitchen and service! The chef is on top!Have tried almost everything in menu and this is the best restaurant in Bay Area.You should try it!

I recently hosted a surprise birthday celebration at Lele Kitchen, and it was t a wonderful experience. The diverse group of guests all had a fantastic time. The restaurant's ambiance was perfect for the occasion, and both the food and wine were exceptional. The service provided by the Lele Kitchen staff was outstanding and truly contributed to the event's success. In fact, several guests enjoyed the food so much that they returned to Lele Cafe the following day!