Dine in the Court of Kubla Khan at Silks Restaurant

His Highness the Emperor Kubilai Khan - Shizu.

A stately pleasure-dome decree:

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to the sunless sea.

Kubla Khan - by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

     One of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city must surely be Silks at the Mandarin Hotel in the Financial District. The Mandarin Hotel chain is renowned for its global distinction of service with elegance and class.

     The Mandarin is one of my favorite hotels in San Francisco. Its lobby is well known to insiders as a "celebrity watching mecca." It is also well known for outstanding menus, both in the Mo Bar Lobby and upstairs in its flagship restaurant: Silks.

     Silks has enjoyed a special reputation in the city as one of the delights of fusion East meets West cuisine places. Designer Cheryl Rowley has given the room the dynastic feel of 12th century China where Italian explorer Marco Polo traveled and discovered the Silk Road and that is reflected in the preserved silk wall hangings and hand painted silk chandeliers.

     The menu had previously gone more to the sushi - Japanese side of the spectrum, but now under newly hired Executive Chef Orlando Pagan, it is exploring the other side of the Pacific Rim.

    One of the standouts on the menu was a Yellow Fin Tuna appetizer, which was served crusted with tea. It had a wonderful citrus marinade which cut the freshness of the fish beautifully.

    The parsnip soup was an imaginative addition to the menu. The humble parsnip is enjoying somewhat of a comeback, after a hiatus of nearly forty years. The soup boasted shaved black truffles, which contrasted the vegetable's agreeable sweetness with a woodsy finish.

    The wine service was superb. Australian sommelier Nicole Kosta knows her stuff, but doesn't overwhelm you with it. She guides one gently through the wine list maze and surprises with her intuitive pairings. Great wines, like great food, need time to breathe and Kosta appreciates that. The Reisling she chose for the Duck course was excellent.

    All of the chef's presentations were beautifully executed and served. The beef dish was a standout and the Chocolate Souffle dessert was quite simply "out-of-this-world." It had a textural contrast going on with a crispy layer underneath vying with the ultra light fluffiness of the upper tiers. The menu at Silks is subject to seasonal changes and so the choices may differ on your visit.

   To round things off, I had a wonderful cup of New Guinea coffee made with steamed milk. Just a little detail, but one that really makes the difference in taste.  The service was seamless, with no detail too small to be overlooked. A fine meal in a rarefied antique Kubla Khan-esque setting in a marvahlous hotel! What more could one ask?