Oakland's tasting menu scene runs through James Syhabout's two-star Commis on Piedmont Avenue. Pacific Rim influences meet Bay Area produce in one of California's most precise rooms.

Alice Waters codified California cuisine across the Bay in Berkeley in 1971. James Syhabout opened Commis in Oakland in 2009 and earned the city's first Michelin star within months, with a second star added in 2015. The Pacific Rim and California produce template now runs through Mago, Pomet, Burdell and most of the city's serious kitchens, with Sun Moon Studio earning Oakland's newest star in 2025.

Where to eat Californian tasting menu in Oakland

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hr 30 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 4 farmers market eggs
  • 200g spring peas, shelled
  • 100g pea shoots
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 1 small spring onion, sliced
  • Sea salt, black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh herbs (chervil, tarragon)

Method

  1. Bring a pan of water to 62 C. Slow-poach the eggs whole for one hour.
  2. Blanch spring peas in salted boiling water for 30 seconds, refresh in ice water.
  3. Saute spring onion in butter over low heat until just tender, add half the peas and crush gently.
  4. Plate the pea puree, crack the egg yolk on top, scatter remaining peas, pea shoots and herbs. Finish with olive oil and sea salt.

Editor tip. California tasting menus are about restraint. Cook only what is at peak; serve it cool, clean and obvious.