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Ethel's Fancy Palo Alto Reviews
It's been awhile I dined in a Palo Alto restaurant.
The more I eat, the pickier I get. It has to be creative or authentic to worth my visit, I told myself. Ethel's Fancy caught my eye with its menu. Happily it wasn't hard to book a dinner just a couple weekends in the near future. It's casual and busy on a Saturday evening. We were lucky to get seated in the backroom, which is smaller with only 3 tables but shielded away from the open kitchen smell or noises in the main room. Our waitress Maxim was professional and friendly. Her practice exceeded the normal taking orders and coming to check on your once, she stopped by at the end of the meal at each table and chatted a bit with each guests. The menu has everything, so no off the menu daily specials. The Marsels section is small quantity apertizers while the "Sharables" in the middle are bigger portion apertizers. The last 3 dishes, Swordfish $40, Halibut $42, and Ribeye $76 are main dishes. I have to say small or big, the appetizers came in as 4 pieces per plate, so expect to have one piece of each dish and not always a second. I like their creative appetizers, so we focused mainly on them. -Warm sesame pancakes, house smoked halibut, avocado, chili crisp: The halibut was chopped into very small pieces and mixed in with the yogurt and avocado mush with chili sauce on top. The sesame pancakes are small but baked just rightly soft. With the chili sauce it adds a kick to the whole dish, but the halibut pieces are what our table all liked. -"Salt & Pepper" octopus, blistered cherry tomatoes, corn grits, maitake mushroom: don't recall eating the mushroom much but the octopus were crispy and unlike the cantonese "salt and pepper" style that tasted salty, this one does not. I'd say I tasted more sweetness than saltiness in the octopus. But the flavors were mixed right and we enjoyed each bite. -Cispy Pork Belly, burrata, citrus, miso caramel: We had disagreements on this dish at the table. I wish the pork belly could have a thicker layer of fat in the middle to encourage the marriage of mandarin and Korean pink daikon, but someone else was happy the pork belly was not overly fattening. Now that I looked at the description, I did not recall tasting much miso, but the overall flavoring was rich, yet not very memorable to me. -Yellowfin tuna on koshihikari rice, soft metzer farm duck egg, mushroom tsukadani, chicken skin: I had the most expectation on this dish but found it the most bland among the others. Maybe I wish there's a zest of sesame oil to bring up the aroma, the raw duck egg mixing into the rice seemed to disappeared entirely from visual or taste. The mushrooms were lovely but the rice lacked a flavor of its own. I would give this dish the lowest score among the rest sadly. -Hochija tapioca pudding, peach mulberry, rice cracker crunch: This dish came a lot more interesting than just a pudding. Despite the descriptions, I did not expect peach chunks on top of the pudding, and they didn't make the pudding sweeter or sour. The pudding had enough hochija flavor but still a mildly sweet dessert. The rice cracker was interesting as it was covered with sesame yet I tasted saltiness and white chocolate and later confirmed by Maxim. Eating at Palo Alto has its cost. The bill had a 6$ surcharge. However, their suggested tips calculation was calculated based on just the food and drinks before the surcharge and tax, so I was very happy to follow its guide. The restroom was clean and thoughtful to provide tissues near the sink and next to the door for guests. The owner lady opened the door for us when we walked out and said goodbye. It was a lovely experience.
Favorite restaurant in Palo Alto.
The food never dissappoints. The ambiance is always fun and can't wait until my next dinner here!
Nice bartenders Food was delish and well done Nice
Nice bartenders Food was delish and well done Nice interiors :) 4/5 stars only because I feel like it's bit pricey for some dishes like the ribeye is 76 but I think it could be lower...
Tastefully balanced food fusing Asian elements into
Tastefully balanced food fusing Asian elements into contemporary cuisine. Dishes are both refined yet comforting. Fresh bread with butter is delicious.
I made a reservation for my partner and I to eat at Ethel's
I made a reservation for my partner and I to eat at Ethel's Fancy to celebrate our wedding anniversary at 5:30pm on a Saturday. We ended up getting there at opening at 5pm and were promptly seated anyways. They even swapped out the regular menu for a special one with "Happy Anniversary" written on the top! Overall, we were very impressed by our meal, from the just-chatty-enough waiter, to the warm-minimalist decor, to the amazingly delicious food that checked every box for flavor and texture! We have already told multiple people to go and are excited for our next visit to try the next season's menu!
Wow, where to even start??!! Delicious fresh and unique
Wow, where to even start??!! Delicious fresh and unique small plates to share, service that is amazing, fun upbeat music, friendly and helpful staff... Ethel's Fancy is definitely my favorite place to enjoy dinner and sharing a fabulous meal with friends and family!
I was traveling to the area on business and used Yelp to
I was traveling to the area on business and used Yelp to help me find Ethel's Fancy. I figured I would stop by for dinner at the bar. Luckily they had one spot left open at the bar, as many other spots at the bar seemed to be reserved for other parties. It was already quite busy when I arrived around 6 PM in the evening. The ambiance at the bar is nice- bar tenders were friendly and attentive. Don't be shy and ask them what's good on the menu! I settled on the swordfish that's made katsu style and absolutely loved it! It came with a hot mustard sauce that was spicy so beware if you don't like spicy foods. I, on the other hand, thought the swordfish was fried to perfection- crispy on the outside without ruining the taste and texture of the fish itself. I followed up with a dessert suggestion from one of the bartenders, which was an amazing soft serve with toasted almonds. The only bummer is that they do change their menu occasionally- probably depending on season and chefs trying out new recipes. Just double check their current menu before you go!
Service was fantastic.
Wait staff were very polite, attentive and efficient. Food was delicious! We had the best experience and definitely recommend this restaurant!
Solid pre-fix menu given we were a group of 6.
The food came out fast and the service was great. We had soo much we were left stuffed! We added on their oysters which had a fruity vinaigrette which I wasn't sure if I loved. It was good but not sure I would have done that combo for my oysters the milk bread was on point (don't forget the whipped butter and the sea salt). The steak was cooked perfectly medium a rare and the asparagus was awesome. All in all a great restaurant at a good price. It was pricy but I think worth it!
People get sold on presentation.
I'll admit, the gourmet presentation is nice but the flavors are a bit mild and I'm not one that needs food to pop. It's nice to try once but even though we are in the Top 1% salary category, I'd say only go here if money grows on trees for you because the portions are tiny and the food is way too expensive. We aren't huge eaters but we spent $150 on food plus tip and were still hungry upon departure. I have to wonder if the 5-star reviews are legit reviews.
Brought out of town colleagues here from Japan.
They loved every bite. Chef is Japanese Hawaiian so food is a fusion of Japanese, Californian and Hawaiian flavors. He worked at French Laundry before. This is his first restaurant. Our server Madison was amazing. Very hospitable and brought her southern charm. Service was professional. Ambiance great for groups and catching up. Felt cozy, upscale, and simple modern. Not pretentious. Surprisingly the price was just right. Less than $100 per person at our table of five and we all ordered an alcoholic drink or two. Came hungry, left full! Will be back!!
Despite the restaurant being fully booked, we managed to
Despite the restaurant being fully booked, we managed to snag spots at the bar upon opening. Many of the tapas plates were delectable, especially the sesame pancakes, with the right notes of warmth and sweetness. The service was especially great because the bartenders were receptive to our needs, and our plates came out relatively fast. It was an elevated dining experience, with a modern ambiance. Would highly recommend for a date night!
Our first time at Ethel's Fancy.
It was a special occasion for us, we had made reservations a couple of weeks back. The only negative -- arrived and were taken by the hostess to the last table nearest to the restroom and kitchen area. My wife had seen an empty table at the front of the restaurant when we entered. She politely asked the hostess that we be seated in the front area. Fortunately the hostess agreed and we proceeded to enjoy a pleasant dinner. We would have left had she not relented. Wonder why the hostess chose to seat us at the back? Question for the owners of the restaurant... Food and service were superb after that initial negative experience. We had the trout, hamachi crudo, octopus (a bit dry), soft serve for dessert. Food preparation was extremely creative and tasty. Decor is understated but elegant.
First time here.
We enjoyed the food but the music was very loud full bass rock. So, this is not a place to go to if you want to enjoy your meal and be able to talk to the person(s) you are with. Unfortunate as we left without dessert (which have received great reviews) as a headache was developing due to the volume of the music. I realize many restaurants are playing loud music these days, possibly to keep diners from lingering (?), but for the price you pay and wanting to enjoy the dining experience, this is not appropriate.
adorable ambiance and i like the ambition with all the
adorable ambiance and i like the ambition with all the fusions of flavors. i think a strong point of ethel's was their distinct flavoring of all their dishes. one that most stood out to me was the pork belly--insane marinade, yummy burrata, and nice pairings of oranges to balance. other noteworthy dishes were the blue house farm gel lettuces and the miso marinated cucumbers. the charcoal grilled octopus was also really interesting because it was really intense with flavor but unfortunately a little over salted--the curry in the dish however, was really pleasant. the service was very consistent throughout although im sad the waiter said i made the wrong decision on dessert--i thought the cheesecake was really light and not too sweet a nice way to end the meal. definitely a spot to look out for if you're looking for a nicer place to possibly splurge for a night, but i wouldn't consider it my first option.
I had a lovely dinner here with my mom on a Friday evening!
I had a lovely dinner here with my mom on a Friday evening! The service was wonderful and we really enjoyed a lot of the dishes we tried - specifically the milk bread with sweet potato brown butter, the heirloom cauliflower with kiwi, and the pork belly with miso. The asian fusion definitely comes across in the flavors as well as in the fun wall decor. A couple dishes didn't particularly stand out, like the pork & beef skewers and the rice with poached egg, but overall I enjoyed the meal and would come back to try more!
Everything was amazing.
The service was 5 stars & so is the food. My favorite was probably the sesame pancake. The crudo was so good I loved the perilla & tangerine combination. The rigatoni was my second favorite! The spicy breadcrumbs really complimented the whole dish. Snap pea's were delicious too. The octopus was yummy. My least favorite was the katsu swordfish but I also hardly ever eat swordfish. It was still good just not a favorite. This was such a lovely restaurant. I'll be back to try the rest of the menu.
Amazing food, Asian inspired modern American cuisine.
The portions are small but delectable. Highly recommend.
TLDR: Quaint spot situated just off of University Ave that
TLDR: Quaint spot situated just off of University Ave that is sure to delight your tastebuds! Ethel's Fancy certainly deserves the recognition it gets for its amazing food, great service, and overall fun ambiance. We were able to get a table for two in the outdoor "patio" for a Thursday Night at 6PM--to be honest, I do prefer the outdoor seating if the temperature permits just given how loud the inside could get when seated to the max. The server was extremely helpful in helping us order just the right amount of food for two, which included the milk bread (honestly, 5/5 and the sweet potato puree that comes with it was AMAZING), the sesame pancakes, the Kampachi crudo, heirloom cauliflower, and crispy pork belly. For dessert, we also had the ice cream with green apple ice shavings, which wasn't overbearingly apple flavored and a perfect way to cap off the meal. Even though none of the dishes were exceptionally large portions, we were able to leave the night fairly stuffed and at a reasonable price for the area. When we were leaving, we both remarked that we would definitely make our way back here soon to try out some of the other options on the menu! Hint: If you are trying to come here, make sure you grab a reservation ASAP!
This place has been on my list for a while and so glad it's
This place has been on my list for a while and so glad it's finally checked off and totally lived up to the hype. Actually kicking myself for not coming sooner. Ambiance was great - buzzing on a Friday night while not so loud that you couldn't hear your conversations. Service was warm and friendly and courses came out pretty fast as well. The milk bread blew me away with the sweet potato brown butter dip -- I'll return just to gorge on that myself. Cauliflower had a wonderful sauce as well that we ordered another serving. The crudo was beautiful and well balanced. My least favorites were the menaiko pasta and pork belly (which I don't usually enjoy) though my companion raved that the pork belly was the best she's had. Desserts did not shine as much as the savory dishes. Super glad we came and will be back for sure.
Stupid place
Stupid place. Not good food at all and lackluster service. They charge for every little thing even a very tiny bowl of rice
I love the concept of Ethel's Fancy! They offer a very
I love the concept of Ethel's Fancy! They offer a very unique menu with the guise that everything is for sharing. Celebrated my birthday here with a friend, and although it wasn't quite anything I'd like to repeat, it was one I was appreciative to have experienced. My absolute biggest gripe is that the menu isn't descriptive enough. Menu descriptions are there to captivate, but also INFORM, and with today's knowledge of food adversities, it's a disaster if you don't list the main ingredients. The salt and pepper broccolini sent me through the roof because I was upset. It's described as a simply seasoned broccolini dish, but what I got was batter-fried broccolini (batter was HARD and cut up my gums), onions/shallots (don't specifically know which because it wasn't listed), some raisin-type fruit, cilantro, and green onions. WHAT A SURPRISE. If I had allergies or dietary restrictions, I would be stuck between wanting to send the dish back or just picking it apart for the parts I thought I was actually ordering. With all the "exotic" foods my friend and I ordered, we wanted a safety net dish we could find comfort in when we returned from our fork-adventures. Oh well. On another note, the coconut fritter wagyu app was actually amazing. The coconut was crispy, but soft on the inside, and didn't taste overwhelmingly like coconut. This dish was perfection and the perfect portion, too. Something good to try and taste/nibble on, but nothing to get full off of. (5/5)Crispy pork: it was okay. Nothing super special, and with all pork I've had, it was dry. A bit tough. Nothing memorable. (3/5)Almond soft serve: YES. GET IT. The cocoa nib merengue adds such a nice contrast with texture (light, airy, crispy) from the ice cream, which is soft and smooth (the way soft serve should be!). The banana cream kind of got to be a bit too banana-y towards the middle, but the caramel helped balance it out. There was a lot going on with this dessert, but being someone who loves bursts of different flavors at once, I was all for it. My friend, however, said the almond got too almondy and she didn't want to finish it. --service--Workers are all very friendly! You truly feel like you're dining at an upscale restaurant and everyone seems to take their job seriously. I appreciate that. Overall: Seems like they have seasonal/changing menus, so maybe I'll come back when they change it! For now, I'm satiated with everything from my first visit to Ethel's Fancy!
Celebrated my birthday here.
Parking was tough, but that's par for the course in Palo Alto. Great ambiance, good feel, nice decor and architected ceiling. Service was awesome, and an open, small but effective kitchen was cool to watch. Next time I wanna sit at the counter to really watch the kitchen in action. Creative drink menu. Tried the oops a daisy, which was fruity and sweet. They also have a nice wine selection. For dinner, tried the milk bread, coconut fritters and broccolini. The bread and broccolini are a must try! The bread was freshly baked, warm, soft and pull apart awesome, especially when dipped in the unique brown butter and sweet potato puree/dip. The broccolini, also a star! Tempura fried but still very light and tons of flavor. The coconut fritters, while crispy on the outside, were a little too gelatinous in the interior for me. Just OK, but many other reviewers liked it. Tried the pork belly, which was very good, as was the sea bass, whose skin was super crispy and fish perfectly executed. For desert, tried the almond cookies, which were more of a kind of pirouette style cookies affixed in a very almond extract forward, very sweet ice cream. Again, while others raved, it was just OK for me. Will definitely return to try some of the other dishes and desserts.
This place was excellent! The food is flavorful and plated
This place was excellent! The food is flavorful and plated very thoughtfully. Share style is fun too as you get to try more dishes. Cocktails were also very nice. The service was ok. We had a few instances if having things delivered to the table in duplicate. Atmosphere and deco is super fun and playful. The only not on point dish was the mochi dessert. The cherry just didn't go with the light chocolate mouse. Dark chocolate mouse with matcha mochi would have worked way better. Still a great meal and place!
Awesome new addition to Palo Alto's restaurant scene!
Awesome new addition to Palo Alto's restaurant scene! Delicious preparations and a beautiful dining room make this a restaurant I will keep wanting to return to.
A fancy family owned restaurant at Palo Alto ! I love their
A fancy family owned restaurant at Palo Alto ! I love their style. You can order and try many small dishes or main courses. I like the oysters, Wagyu appetizer, scallops, crab noodle, my favorite is the pork! Dessert is also tasty! The best part is the Nice service!
Service started well and then deteriorated;Food started
Service started well and then deteriorated;Food started good but the flavors are kinda odd, and not in a good way; I think we'll give it a try in the summer or fall...hope it improves and lasts!
It was okay, had higher expectations.
Staff was pushy about ordering more food since the portions are small. Only 3 items on the menu are entrees and the rest are small plates. No complimentary sides at all, kind of expected some bread or something. If value means anything to you, i'd go elsewhere, because the price has a palo alto premium and it's not really worth it.Flavors are great but technique needs work. too many bones in the $42 sea bass, overcooked and dry pork belly. I'm eager to see them improve but wouldn't go back.
been back several more times to try everything and still a
been back several more times to try everything and still a rave worthy place.Toasted coconut fritter and Milk bread brown butter dip are easy go-to. with the bread having that right amount of sweetness and consistent prep each time. the lightly fried asparagus and broccoli were also yummy. tuna and scallop tartare good, crispy pork belly excellent, chewy black sesame noodle interesting still, more spice this time. greek sourced grilled seabass was nicely done, grilled octopus solid and great texture. other desserts besides pop tart also pleasing -- the almond cookie soft serve and the mochi with crackers playing sweet and salty.
Impeccable service and scrumptious food.
We had a 9pm reservation and enjoyed a relaxed and unhurried meal. Standout dishes were the duck, pork belly, and milk bread. The crisp on the duck and pork belly was perfection. Delicious ginger and sesame sauces for each. The scallops were very good too. As other reviews say, they are still playing with the menu and figuring out the flavor balance of some of the dishes, but we have no doubt that Ethel's Fancy will be on the Michelin Gourmet list shortly. We will forever miss our beloved Prolific Oven, but it's impressive what Ethel's Fancy has done with the location, and the food lives up to our expectations. Great sound level in the restaurant too. If I had one crazy wish, it would be amazing if they collab'd with Prolific Oven to serve their Chocolate on Chocolate, Carrot cake, and Mocha cake slices as a nod to the former locale. But alas, even if that dream doesn't come true, we will be coming back to try out more dishes! Thanks, Ethel's Fancy, for a great evening out!
After having this place bookmarked for a while, we decided
After having this place bookmarked for a while, we decided to come here for valentine's day. I had extremely high expectations because of the raving reviews, but valentine's day was a prix fixe menu. With nothing posted, we came into this meal blind. When online said it was a four course meal to share, I expected it to be more similar to ernest's "let the kitchen cook for you" experience where you would get a good portion and a little of everything they are known for. Unfortunately, we left feeling like this experience was more of a cash grab than anything. With our total bill coming out to $440 after tip and tax for two people, it's sucks that the quality of food felt like it was under $120 total value. I overheard the server telling the other table that todays menu was all new items except for the coconut fritters. This to me was the first warning sign. Shouldn't we be served what is best at this restaurant instead of being guinea pigs for them? Their regular menu is not that over priced from what I have seen. Now to review the food without price as a factor... the toasted coconut fritters were just ok... I'd give it a 3.5/5 since i'm not the biggest coconut fan. The Yellowfin tuna and hokkaido scallop was a pleasant surprise. You could taste the freshness of the scallop a 4.5/5. The grilled cheese was probably the best item the whole night. The milk bread gave off a texture and taste reminiscent of the wonder bread course from é by jose andres 5/5. Lobster dumplings... I couldn't even taste it was lobster. Could've been shrimp for all I knew. The chili oil along with the braised bacon really overpowered and hints of seafood 3/5. The halibut was cooked to perfection with the crispy kale giving it a unique texture 4/5. The sirloin.. I wish they had used a fattier cut but the flavors were pretty good. I loved the sauce on the steak 4.5/5. The steak came with the smallest koshihikari rice, you would think that for $160pp they would give you each a rice lol. The mandarin creamsicle was pretty good with the icy mandarin texture over creamy ice cream was the perfect way to end it 4.5/5. The chocolate custard tart really thew me off though. I think it really should have just stopped at the mandarin dessert or have another dessert that this restaurant is known for.... Blueberry did not go well with the chocolate... "dalgona coffee" also did not go well... in a traditional sense, I was expecting the dalgona to be the crispy coffee bits but it's really just a coffee flavored mouse in this case. Anyways. I've never been more disappointed from a dining experience to be completely honest. I defining see potential in this place as the service was great and the interior is beautiful. I will definitely be coming back and ordering things myself and hopefully giving this place a better review...
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