By: Leah Sycoff

Not far from a superb bookstore and some quaint shops in a seemingly Italian area of San Francisco is this intriguing little restaurant with the designated name Pesce e Riso. After a lovely walk through town, this is the perfect place to go to wind down and enjoy a chic concoction while being emerged into an aura of sweet simplicity. But are the flavors really simple? No… they are not! They are just perfectly prepared to seem simple, but in fact, the combination of flavors is laced with opposite style. Yes.. it may seem odd, but this restaurant is not simply flavored by the Italian flair. It is composed of coordinated chaos, engraved by Washoku. Such Italian flavors privileged with Japenese accouterments holds an audacity like not many others, an audacity to possibly start a new trend. Is it possible that a new FAD will arise from this contemporary brew of spice and soul? The piquancy of wasabi and the essence of Italian tradition blend seamlessly. Intricate flavors blend in harmony and unrealistic expectations are met. As the Italian and Japenese couple marries, what was foreign becomes native. They interweave together surprisingly well. One dish, in particular, was purely impeccable. This was the Lamb Chop dish. The lamb chop itself was sweet, but salty producing a perfectly cooked piece of meat. The dish was composed of ingredients that put the person eating on two different continents but not at all confused. Sweet potato sang a saccharine song while immersed in tangy blood orange miso. Brussel sprouts and mint danced around the lamb chop as well, producing a marvelous performance. The next course… dessert! An extravagant combination of Italian Tiramisu and Japenese Matcha assembled the ultimate unexpected balance. 

There is also a spin-off of this restaurant named Noodle Girl that is on Berkeley’s campus. This would also be a fantastic stop if you are ever in California. Sometimes seemingly strange combinations are worth a bite, so if you pass a unique restaurant, do not shy from entering and having the culinary experience of a lifetime!