Eight Tables - SF's Next Michelin Star Restaurant?
China Live is quickly expanding and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In early October, China Live launched its newest addition, the upscale Eight Tables by George Chen. Even though there has been some buzz around it, the new restaurant has remained a bit mysterious. Lucky for me, my boss heard that I really wanted to experience Eight Tables so he reached out to George Chen who graciously invited us in. And yes, that was my boss in my Insta Stories (not a new boyfriend or a random date) for all of you who clicked on his tag, which happened to be quite a lot of people. 😂
First, a little background on China Live for those of you not familiar with the innovative concept. China Live is a modern "food emporium" and has also been described as the Chinese version of Eataly, though the concepts have quite a few differences. Located in San Francisco's Chinatown and bordering Little Italy, China Live stands out with its sleek design.
On the first floor, the marketplace includes a shop, cafe, bar, and restaurant. The Market Restaurant has three separate open kitchens where you can watch your food being prepared as you eat (I recommend sitting at the dim sum counter if possible). One of their most popular items is the Sheng Jian Bao (pan-fried pork buns), which I can't personally vouch for since I don't eat meat but I do have to admit they look pretty amazing and probably should not be missed. I was able to try the Fried Scallion Bread and those were worth every calorie. My favorite dish, however, was the Crystal White Shrimp. They also serve up the BIGGEST Vegetarian Pot Stickers I have ever seen.
Moving onto the second floor of the marketplace is the hidden bar, Cold Drinks, which recently opened only a few weeks before Eight Tables. Stepping into the bar made me feel like I had just been transported to an upscale lounge in Shanghai or Hong Kong. The bartenders are dressed in white tuxes, the couches are velvet, and the ceiling is lined with gold pipes. Cold Drinks is the perfect stop before or after dinner if you're feeling a little bougie but be warned, the cocktails are not cheap (as in there's a $52 cocktail on the menu with most of the drinks ranging from $16-$22). Pro tip: you can't access Cold Drinks from inside the marketplace so take the nondescript concrete stairs outside on the right of the building to the second floor and the bar is behind the first door you see once you reach the top.
Now finally onto my dinner at Eight Tables. Even though Eight Tables is also on the second floor, you can't access it from the same stairwell used for Cold Drinks. Instead, there is a back alleyway that you could have passed a million times but not know it was there. At the very end of the alley, there is a dimly lit gold plate with the number 8 and an elevator (fun fact: 8 is a lucky number in Chinese, which is why everything about the restaurant revolves around 8, even down to the address). Once you enter the restaurant, you are greeted with George's family pictures on the wall and a glowing wine cellar. The concept for Eight Tables is described as "Private Chateau Cuisine" because George wants you to feel like you are dining in his own home, hence the family pics. As you may have guessed, there are only eight tables in the dining room, two of which are larger and can accommodate bigger parties.
Moving onto the food! To my surprise, there were actually ten courses and not eight (you would guess that there would be eight courses, right?). If you plan to dine here, you must go with an open mind because there is no menu (only a drink menu) until the end of the meal so you won't know what to expect. Lucky for you, I am sharing everything I ate that night! Since I'm pescatarian and don't eat meat, George and his team were very accommodating and created substitute dishes for the courses that contained meat but kept the concept. Unlucky for those of you who don't like surprises, the menu is constantly changing based on what is in season and what produce is freshest that day so what I ate may not end up being what you eat. The dishes will probably be similar for the most part but with slightly different ingredients. I hope this gives you an idea of what kind of dishes you might be served. Read on for descriptions of each course below the pictures!
1st Course: Jiu Gong Ge, or the Nine Essential Flavors of Chinese Cuisine. Each bite-sized taste has a different flavor profile such as sweet, salty, spicy, and sour.
2nd Course: Four Seas Dumpling with Russian Golden Osetra, Sea Urchin, and Heirloom Salad. I've eaten a lot of dumplings throughout my life and this one was probably the most unique dumpling I've had and also my favorite bite of the night. The concept of the dumpling is similar to Har Gow (steamed crystal shrimp dumpling) but it has four pockets containing caviar, creme fraiche, and chives. Creme fraiche in a dumpling?? Certainly not a combination I would ever think of but it works surprisingly well. To top it all off, there is also uni on the plate surrounding the dumpling.
3rd Course: Mock Goose made from "Eel" Crisp, Ginseng Beard, and Smoked Turnip/Barbeque Shao Kao with Peking Duck Skin, Iberico Char Siu, and Siu Yuk Sandwich. The "eel" in my vegetarian version was made from soy skin. I can't speak for the barbeque but I thoroughly enjoyed my dish.
4th Course: Gulf Prawn & Consomme with Glass Yam Noodles, Chestnut Prawn Ball, and Trout Roe. The gulf prawn was extremely flavorful and happened to be my boss's favorite bite of the night (probably because he could eat it with his hand).
5th Course: Icelandic Cod in Banana Leaf with Bamboo "Cannelloni", Lotus Root, and Cabbage Purse. I was expecting a bigger piece of cod but it was probably for the best that it wasn't since we were only halfway through our courses.
6th Course: White Asparagus/Velvet Chicken with Burgundy Truffle, Matsutake Mushroom, and Shiitake Mushroom. It's truffle season and I'm glad they layered it on! The dish was also accompanied by the prettiest scallion mantou (steamed bread) shaped as a rose.
7th Course: Red Abalone/Red Dongpo Pork with Yellow Chives, Baby Bok Choy, and Black Bean Sauce. My dish was served in the abalone shell and had a well-balanced mix of textures and flavors.
8th Course: Veggie Potsticker/Foie Gras Potsticker with a Black Sesame, Peanut Mochi. The chefs at China Live really like to make a statement with their potstickers. One of my friends said, "that is the most extra potsticker I've ever seen" if that gives you any indication of how grand their potstickers are. However, I didn't quite understand the potsticker and mochi combination, especially since one is sweet and the other is savory, but I still thoroughly enjoyed each item on its own.
9th Course: Chrysanthemum Granita with Yogurt and Preserved Plum. The granita was a refreshing palate cleanser, which was a nice gateway into the final course, dessert.
10th Course: Mascarpone Cheese/Chinese Sea Grass with Passion Fruit and Mesquite Bubbles. The sea grass is made from gelatin so I received a mascarpone cheese version instead. The mesquite bubbles were an interesting touch but not a combination I would seek out again since I'm not the biggest fan of smokey flavors.
Right when we thought we were done eating, they brought out a small plate of bite-size treats, all of which were delicious. Then they presented the check in a Chinese book along with a box of chocolates, chopsticks, and the menu from the night to take home.
The tasting menu is $225 per person with cocktails starting at $20 and the optional wine pairing at $125. It's clear that Eight Tables is trying to earn a Michelin star and their pricing certainly reflects that. It's a pricey experience but if you have the opportunity to experience it, I would recommend doing so (especially if they earn a star and their prices go up).
