Californios San Francisco - Mexican

It was a fluke that we were even in the city together at the same time. I had a 5-week US trip that involved multiple cities. We had planned to spend the first week together in Boston, after which Bryan would return to Hong Kong. Little did we know (until just a month before my long trip) that Bryan had a conference in San Francisco during the same week I would be there (!). Stars aligned and we managed to find ONE evening free where it was just the two of us. No work meetings, no dinners with friends.

“I’ve been wanting to try this place for a long time.”

Bryan’s a HUGE fan of Mexican food, and Californios showed up on his radar since it was a 2-Michelin starred Mexican restaurant, something neither of us have ever had before. The closest was Taco Maria in Costa Mesa (CA), which (to our great disappointment) closed in 2024 and re-opened in Ephraim, Wisconsin.

I’m so glad we nabbed the reservation. Soon after, Califnornios became ranked as the #14 restaurant on S. Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants in North America. Bryan opted for the bar seats, partly because he hadn’t brought formal clothing and thought the bar would be a more casual place to enjoy the same menu.

Here’s the whole tasting!

Californios Tasting Menu

Initial Bites

Our first bite was sope, a traditional masa dish consisting of masa filled with three different beans and topped with Tsar Nicouli caviar.

Our second bite was a tuna tostada - a thin, delicate crispy tostada topped with bluefin tuna (sustainably ranched in Baja California), a ring of Serrano peppers, and trout roe.

Next, a masa "doughnut" topped with uni + black truffle.

Mexican Wine?

I decided to try their exploration series, which allows you to try two different wines that use the same grape but are made in different regions (and thus different styles). Here, we compared a French Sancerre with a Mexican Casa Jipi 2019. Super interesting!

From the Sea . . .

Hamachi with a refreshing sorbet and a light broth.

Charred abalone with lots of ice.

A Savory Flan

Escabeches

Next, the server provided us with a number of different "toppings" that we could use for our tacos: roast garlic habanero salsa, red onion xnipec salsa, lacto-fermented carrots, lemon pickled serpent cucumber, and fresh limes.

A Series of Fancy Tacos

I love fried fish tacos! And this one was *impressive!*

**Bacalao Negro** consisted of a Mezcal and corn battered local black cod on top of a grilled poblano and Anaheim pepper salsa, Topped with tiny dollops of a huitlacoche & corn crema (that looked like corn) with a tiny cilantro garnish on top.

They make their own sourdough tortilla, which was delicious.

Next, we had a grilled fish taco made with rockfish from Bodega Bay. The fish came with a mixture of local tomatoes: smoked Early Girl tomatoes (Dirty Girl Farms), sungold tomatoes (Everything Under the Sun), currant tomatoes (Tucker Taylor), and Uchuva (lierra Vegetables Farm). These came atop a Hickory King Gold tortilla and tiny fingerlimes, which literally came from the Chef’s tree in his backyard.

Quail with Mole

The Beef Course (also the third / last taco)

Dessert

What a Meal

We really enjoyed our meal here! Chef Val Cantú certainly has passion for creating innovative dishes that still embody the spirit of Mexican food while highlighting the bounty of local California ingredients.

The cuisine is decidedly Mexican (not high end French style bites made with Mexican flavors). We especially enjoyed the multiple tacos with wildly creative flavor combinations. Several dishes focused on corn (I LOVE corn) and huitlacoche, and there was even a dessert empanada.

Bryan was in heaven, and said “I’d totally come back here.”

Wine pairings were fun (I tried a Mexican wine!). Additionally, the restaurant took serious efforts to use local California ingredients, partnering with several local farms.

All in all, we can totally understand why this restaurant is so hot.

It’s best to book early. However, do note the booking rules are strict. There’s a fixed tasting menu. You have to pay in full at the time of reservation. And if you cancel, it’s not refundable. So make sure you can go before you book.

It was a close call for us. Bryan’s flight actually came into SFO much later than originally planned. Thankfully, he made it in just a couple hours before the start of our meal! (Phew!)

Highly recommended!