Six Test Kitchen is in a place called Tin City and run by a very talented chef Ricky Odbert.   Named because Chef started the venture in his dad’s garage as a six seat pop-up.  Now it’s in a commercial/retail development of tin buildings, what else?  Inside it’s anything but tin though.  Twelve very lucky people are seated at a beautiful counter and receive a tasting menu that’s beautifully presented and prepared.  Chef Odbert is tremendously helped by the talented sommelier John Seals who designs pairings for the meal but also can suggest some wonderful interesting bottles to use instead.  The guests are staggered in their seating times so you may not be eating what the person beside you is.  One of the four chefs working in the open kitchen present and describe your courses and I was lucky to get a printed menu following the meal to help me with my scribbled notes.  It was a really fabulous evening and one I’d suggest to anyone traveling in the area, but reservations are popular so book early.  They’ve had one Michelin Star since 2021 and were the first restaurant in the area to receive one.

Set-up

 

Food

The tasting started with a broth of roast chicken with rosemary and thyme.

 

Next were 3 bites – a Grassy Bar oyster was with pomello, yuzu kosho ponzu jelly and basil.  The seasonings introduced a bitter element to the tasty small oyster.

Smoked Steelhead trout was in a ‘sandwich’ on a mix of sour cream and dill.  The “bread” was a thin crisp cracker with the seasonings from an “everything bagel.”  The smokey fish was excellent with the dipping sauce below it.

Wagyu beef was mixed with onion and miso and topped with sheep’s milk cheese and presented in a thin tartlet shell. It had milder flavors and a chewy texture. Very good.

 

Halibut was aged one week and then plated with Asian pear, pickled turnip, chili crunch and ginger.  This one was nicely spicy with crisp thin garlic chips for added crunch.  The mild fish was great for this combo.

 

Chawanmushi was topped with smoked pork and its broth, pismo clam, yuzu, sea lettuce, mushrooms, roe and radish.  The warm custard was excellent with the clams, roe and other ingredients.

 

Black cod was aged 10 days and then combined with sour cabbage juice, maitake, savoy cabbage and brown butter.  This rich combination with one of my favorite fish was rich and exquisite.  It was presented with a consommé made from the fish heads which had a fabulous depth of flavor and a smoky essence.  This was a lick-your-plate clean kind of course.

 

Liberty Farms duck was dry aged 2 weeks and then plated with caramelized carrots and herbs.  Additional plates held a brioche stuffed with confit duck leg, which was totally yummy.  Another plate held the duck liver with reduced carrot juice and toasted pistachios.  The sauce on the main plate was made from the bones and the carrots had been glazed in duck fat.  Everything here was fantastic.

 

You had to choose your knife for the next course of dry-aged pork loin with onion, parsnip purée, sherry and foie gras infused sauce.  The nice medium rare tender pork was with some caramelized onion and the sweet purée.  Another good one.

 

Strawberry sorbet was topped with cherry blossom and white sesame and sitting on vanilla ice cream and finally topped with a buttery crisp cookie.  Divine combination of wonderfully harmonious flavors.

 

Earl Grey ice cream was topped with honey, caramelized white chocolate, and quince.  Some shredded gelatin cubes of quince were in the ice cream for a very fun texture.  The cold changed the texture of the pâtes de fruits cubes and they added a lovely acid to the fine combination.

 

Three last treats were passionfruit pâtes de fruit topped with gochujaru and raspberry that was good.

 

Chamomile milk shake that was topped with kumquat and thyme for a round liquid filled one bite ball.  Lovely.

 

Candy cap mushroom caramel was topped with whipped chocolate and meringue for a sweet, chewy couple bites of dessert goodness.  What a fantastic end to a really fabulous meal.