A friend of the sister’s was in town for the weekend, so we joined the two of them + four others for dinner at Skool in Potrero Hill. I’d not even heard of the place, but it’d opened up summer 2010. Behind it all, two husband and wife pairs – Toshihoro and Hiroko Nagano and Andy and Olia Mirabell. The cuisine at Skool is Japanese-influenced, fish-focused and mindful of sourcing sustainable and local ingredients, which is definitely in line with what we like to eat.
We arrived a little early, so we grabbed some drinks at the bar. A word to the wise – if it’s still happy hour, the specials are only available at the bar and on the patio. Once you sit down at your table, you are subject to non-happy hour prices, even if you’re ordering the same beer.
Our appetizers – shared family-style.
Left: Uni Flan – Light Sea Urchin Flan Topped with Ikura and Fleur de Sel – Very tasty if you’re into the flavor of sea urchin. It hadn’t solidified all the way, so bits would drip through the holes in the baguette pieces.
Right: Hotate Ravioli – Hokkaido Scallop Stuffed with Roasted Golden Beets Topped with Micro Greens, Kiwi Yogurt Vinaigrette and Vanilla Oil – A unique idea, but in execution, the beets were cut into such small pieces that they didn’t bring about too much flavor. The raw scallops were very good though.
Our entrees –
Right: U-10 Scallop – Large Pan Seared Scallops Atop Celery Root and Apple Puree Served with Multigrain Rice, Coco Beans and a Cut Seasonal Vegetable – I’d been told ahead of time how great these were, so I HAD to order them. The scallops had a slightly burnt taste on the outside, but once you cut through to the inside, perfection. I really dug the puree, rice, beans, and vegetables that they were served with too.
Left: Squid Ink Spaghettina – Monterey Squid, Local White Shrimp, Garlic Tomato Compote, Japanese Red Curry, Lemon Grass Dashi-Broth, Seaweed Butter, Enoki Mushrooms, Shiso – RV and I agreed that this was the dish of the evening. It was so tasty!
The sister ordered the Sautéed Local Black Cod – Cumin Marinated Monterrey Black Cod with Seasonal Vegetable and Mushroom Duxelles, which I took a few bites of as well. For dessert, we shared the Anjou Pear Tart – Anjou Pear Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Overall, a very enjoyable dinner with good food and of course, good company. I’m definitely itching to go back for their happy hour specials.
PS – All photos above were taken by the sister on her phone.
