Never one to let a new Asian eatery go untested, Patricia Unterman makes a beeline to Chotto, being the first print reviewer to make it to the Marina izakaya. She says that owners owners Tad and Zerlayna Horie take “the high road at every juncture,” complimenting the design and their “big selection” of small dishes. She’s a big fan of the fried stuff, and the “big square of buttery [grilled] saba, Spanish mackerel.” She calls the chicken tsukune (meatballs) “irresistible” and she recommends the regular ramen, in which the noodles are “exactly cooked.” [Examiner]
Michael Bauer meanwhile gives the Peninsula a little love, and visits Station 1 in Woodside, home to Zach Freitas who was most recently chef de cuisine at Commis. He calls the place “down-home” and says he had “a solid meal” or three. He writes, “Freitas is following the lead of many young chefs with his casual approach. Most of his handiwork is served on whimsical handcrafted pottery, some emblazoned with childlike drawings that include stick figures. But what’s on the plate is more impressive than the surroundings.” He compliments the brassicas dish (which might owe a debt to Saison), and a “land and sea” dish which sounds like it has Manresa lineage — Freitas also worked there. He says “not every dish lights up,” but there’s barely a complaint to be found. Nonetheless, a strong but unspectacular two and a half stars. [Chron]
