Kiln

I recently dined at kiln. The service was warm and attentive, and the ambiance was beautiful and intimate, both truly enjoyable. However, from a culinary perspective, the experience did not feel aligned with a two star Michelin level, if anything it felt closer to one star. While the menu was interesting in concept, many dishes tasted very similar to one another, creating a very repetitive experience that exploited the same flavors/textures over and over again. Several plates leaned overly greasy and salty, and a noticeable number of preparations were excessively raw or not well executed. As someone very familiar with blood sausage, that particular dish unfortunately missed the mark. The box of sweets at the end was also underwhelming in flavor and finish. Certain elements, especially a

This may be perhaps one of my favorite Michelin experiences in San Francisco. In my personal perspective, I think Kiln may be superior to Benu, but I think that that's also hard to say as it really depends on the palate of the beholder. A few of my favorite dishes include: - Hakkaido Scallop with Musquee de Provence - Maine Lobster with preserved elderflower - Dungeness Crab with Shinko Pear - Black Cod with Deoduck, Schrenckii caviar. The cod was cooked to perfection. I personally strive to do this. And a few of the paired wines I enjoyed include: - Tatomer Riesling 2008 and 2021 from Santa Barbara CA - Didier Daguerneau "Siliex" 2020 from Loire Valley, France - Albert Grivault "Clos Blanc" 1996 and 2021 Pommard, Burgundy France The food was a lot more than I could consume which was qui

Kiln exceeded my expectations. The food was delicious and creative. The abalone was a little salty for my taste, but everything else was amazing. The best dishes were the langoustine, the lobster, and the olive oil ice cream. The chef was not shy away from using a healthy amount of fat and oils for flavors. The meal ends up being on the heavier side however. The wine list was good. The service was personable. The ambience lights were just the right amount for mood and great food photography.

A truly exceptional experience, worth every penny. It makes sense that they got two stars so quickly. The ambience, style and service was refined yet intimate. They took note of the occasion and made sure to help us celebrate. Out of the ten-plus two/three starred Michelin restaurants we are lucky enough to visit, it was absolutely one of the top three. What a treat, can’t recommend highly enough

Was very hyped about this place, but my dining experience fell short of expectations. I don’t mind going back, but it’s not at the top of my list. I consider the menu to be interesting, but it needs more polish and palate cleansers + Menu was protein forward, which is absolutely my type. I was particularly impressed with the scallop dish. The mignardises were also quite good. - The seafood section had some minor issues, but still overall enjoyable. Meanwhile, the meat section was just disappointing for me. And from the photos, you can already tell the foam and sauce were quite overused in this menu - Most of the dishes were good with interesting layers of flavors, but they were not outstanding. Some dishes needed to be more balanced. 2 of them, the Dungeness crab and the abalone, were esp