Arcadia restaurant, A Michael Mina Modern American Steakhouse- 6/15/12

To be honest I have never heard of Arcadia restaurant before!  Kevin wanted a good steak so I searched "steakhouse" and I was surprised to find out that Arcadia belongs to Michel Mina!

After looking at the menu and reading the reviews I decided to give it a try...

Midtown garden at night.

The assorted bread was served warm (actually pretty hot) were excellent!

The sun dried tomato spread was flavorful and very tasty!  I really like it.

Appetizer 1:  Hand cut beef tartare with quail egg, lemon, lotus root chip

We decided to share two appetizers among the three of us.

The first appetizer we ordered is the Hand cut beef tartare with quail egg, lemon, lotus root chip.

This is how the dish was brought to the table.

Next our waiter, took the quail egg and mixed it with lemon, capers, and herbs.

Next he mixed the tartare with the quail egg mixture and then put the whole thing on the glass container that is sitting on top of glass filled with ice.

Hoa told the waiter that we will eat the whole tartare before it has a chance to get cold!

Next our waiter, took the quail egg and mixed it with lemon, capers, and herbs.

Close look at the dish. I was told that they use beef sirloin for this dish

Close look at the tartare on ice.

Appetizer 2: Foie gras slider with Salinas strawberry and Mizuna

What a great idea to served foie gras as a slider!  we split this slider into 3 portion and all I can say it was delicious!

The brioche bun was very good, and the foie gras is to die for, combined with the wilted mizuna, a roasted strawberry and the strawberry sauce... Delicious!

Look inside the foie gras slider!

Our steaks:

I will serve this dish the next time I have a party but I will only serve it on 1 bun instead of 2 buns.  We are trying to cut carbs!

The steak was perfectly cooked and Kevin said it was tender, juicy and delicious.

By the time Kevin was finish with his dish there was nothing left but the bone, which is a very good sign!

I ordered the skirt steak - rare!

Flank steak is somewhat tough but is a very flavorful cut of beef. It is best cooked medium rare or rare in my case and thinly sliced at an angle and it practically melts in your mouth.

The portion is on the generous side and I could not finish my plate so I took some home

Hoa choose to have the American Kobe flat iron cut.

I am not familiar with the Flat iron cut but it is also known as butlers' steak.  It is cut with the grain, from the shoulder of the animal, producing a cut that tastes good, but is a bit tougher because it's not cross-grain. This cut is used as a means of selling a less expensive steak from a more expensive animal, for example Kobe beef which is the case here.

Hoa said his steak was very tasty but it was a bit on the tough side but it is still an excellent piece of meat.

Hoa also like his steak to be on the rare side and that is exactly what he got!

All the steaks came with a piece of roasted yellow bell pepper and shallot (so sweet).

Duck fat fries has a nice flavor and very crispy (that's how I like my fried) but to be honest I could not tell the different from regular fries vs. duck fat.  Portion is big portion and definitely enough to share among 2 or 3 people. The fried came with ketchup which I did not use, I prefer Dijon Mustard.

Hoa Ordered a nice glass or red wine to go with his steak!

Kevin enjoying his steak!  He did not bother to eat the fried until all of his steak was gone!

A meal is not complete with a hot cup of coffee!

On to dessert.. I ordered a molten chocolate cake with salted praline caramel ice cream..

On to dessert.. I ordered a molten chocolate cake with salted praline caramel ice cream..

Coffee and dessert - end of a great meal

The food at Arcadia is down home and cozy, in contrast to the glossy and fancy conceptual fare of Mina's elegant San Francisco restaurant( two stars in the Michelin) but Arcadia's food transcends good dinning experience by exceptional ingredients and disciplined cooking.  Mina's creativity shows in dishes such as the hand cut beef tartare and the foie gras slider!

Arcadia is one of San Jose's best kept dining secrets, it is tucked behind the glass walls of the downtown Marriott Hotel with only a small awning proclaiming its presence but now that I have eaten here I will definitely come back with friends. 

Filed under: Restaurants