Watch
2:54
December 10, 2015
Remember summer? We do…and we threw this beach party back in the throes of the season to bring together the ChefsFeed chef community and celebrate it.
ChefJames Syhabout
San Francisco
About James Syhabout
James Syhabout is the chef/co-owner of Commis and Old Kan Beer & Co. He is the the only chef in Oakland with a Michelin-star restaurant — first learned about food, taught by his mom in the language of refugees, in a culture of kin related by circumstance. His food relies on quiet gestures: the subtle juiciness of chervil stems in a pork dish, or the gilded scent of caramelized onion in a savory financier cookie.
Accolades
- One Star (Commis)Michelin Guide
- Nominee for Best Chef: WestJames Beard Foundation
- 10 Best New Restaurants (Commis)GQ Magazine
- Four Stars (Commis)San Francisco magazine
- Best New ChefsFood & Wine
- ChefsFeed WinnerOne of the Best Things to Eat in SF
Featured Content
Watch
4:11
September 9, 2015
Chef Kim Alter of Plum restaurant in Oakland visits chef James Syhabout's restaurant Hawker Fare to order the kao mun gai, a comforting Thai chicken and rice dish that James puts his spin on using a few modern techniques. In The Usual, the country's best chefs reveal the one dish that blows their mind again and again, then head behind-the-scenes to meet the creators.
Where I Go Out
Garlic cheese steak
$, Sandwiches, American, Lower Pacific Heights
"This is just a really good, simple cheesesteak done well. The bread is soft and moist but crispy on the outside. I like to get it with sweet and spicy peppers."
Pupusas
$$, Latin American, Patten
"I've never been disappointed by the pupusas on Foothill Boulevard. You can watch them make your pupusa right in front of you, patting it by hand and cooking it on the griddle; you can't get fresher than this! I like to get both the chicharrón and cheese ones, and I top them with cabbage, carrots, and jalapeños."
Anything on the menu
$, Indian, Southwest Berkeley
"When it comes to Indian food, you usually sit down at a restaurant and get your curry and naan bread. However, at Vik's Chaat Corner, it's all based on street food, so most of it comes in snack form, such as different types of flatbreads, samosas, and condiments (I especially like their cholle, or spicy garbanzo bean curry). It's a fun and different way of eating Indian food."
Double skin
$$, Chinese, Downtown Berkeley
"I've never seen anything served like this before. The whole thing is very light and structurally appealing to eat. It's such a different, non-stereotypical dish to see at a Chinese restaurant, although it has strong nuances of Chinese cuisine. It comes with calamari, shrimp, sea cucumber, and pork, as well as all the garnishes around the plate. From the translucent mung bean noodles to the raw vegetables, it's very refreshing. It's tossed tableside with soy sauce and hot mustard."
Commis Reserve Caviar and champagne
$$$, Cocktail Bar, Modern, Full Bar, Cocktail, Piedmont Avenue
"Late night snack at the bar in CDP @#someonehastodoit"
Navarro vineyards Pinot Noir grape juice, Hennessy Cognac and lemon
$$$, Cocktail Bar, Modern, Full Bar, Cocktail, Piedmont Avenue
"My favorite drink at CDP. It's called Rapper's Delight but I also call it Purple Drank. It's Navarro vineyards Pinot Noir grape juice, Hennessy Cognac and lemon. It's bangin'. 🍇🥃#keepitrealandsimple"
At My Venues
Tasting menu
$$$$, Reservations, Modern, New American, Piedmont Avenue
"It's my go-to splurge right now. Commis is small and intimate, and the food is always delicious."
Tasting menu
$$$$, Reservations, Modern, New American, Piedmont Avenue
"I've gone a handful of times and the food is always executed perfectly and the service is flawless."
Tasting menu
$$$$, Reservations, Modern, New American, Piedmont Avenue
"I can't say I have a favorite dish because the fixed menu changes all the time, but James uses all the same produce that we do at Camino in such a different way that it has been really eye-opening and inspiring."
Flounder with blossoms, elderflower vinegar, and safflower oil
$$$$, Reservations, Modern, New American, Piedmont Avenue
"Spring flounder salted with laurel bay blossoms, elderflower vinegar and safflower oil. #springtime"
Grilled pork, mustard, maple, and oats
$$, Brewery, Acorn Industrial
"Pork jowl cured then grilled directly on embers, oats braised with mustard and maple. #atthepass"
