Chez Papa Resto

Chez Papa used to be one of my go-​to places for steak tartare and a glass of wine. The dark interior was once romantic and mysterious to me. Now, I wonder what it was hiding all along.
We heard whispers of foie gras as their last hurrah, so Susy C. made reservations for our trio. We looked forward to the meal but were alas, disappointed. We were poured tasting portions of wine even though we each ordered full glasses. Our server did catch that mistake and corrected it without prompting. It was at least another 20 minutes before our choices for the tasting menu were taken, though.
What a sad, sad excuse for a tasting menu it was. 4 courses for $ 85 is practically unheard of. There was one course, a tourchon on foie that was «complimentary.» It was ok, the lemon curd it came with was so sour, I couldn’t take a second taste of it. Having paid a $ 15 supplement for the wine pairing just for this course to make the course a duo of foie, the seared piece that came with it wasn’t worth the $ 15. Neither was the shot of sparkling wine. I paid ANOTHER $ 15 for a seared piece to top my duck breast entrée. Again, not worth it, but at least it wasn’t the fried liver chip like the piece that topped Susy’s duck.
I very recently enjoyed a superb 7 course tasting at Jean Georges, NYC that left me in Michelin starred heaven. While that meal was worth more to me than what I paid… I paid nearly the same amount for this meal. Imagine my dismay.
Since Chez Papa closed last night, I’m sure these complaints will fall on deaf ears. Ah, c’est la vie…

WE.GOT.DUPED.
After nearly a 5 year run in Mint Plaza, Chez Papa Resto closed its doors last night. While I’m sure there are a lot of sad foodies out there, their closing meal was a bitter departure for me.
Although I had a less than stellar experience at Chez Papa Resto about a year and a half, I couldn’t resist the urge of getting a taste of the forbidden fruit. As a farewell and thanks to their loyal customers, Chez Papa Resto advertised a Four-​Course Tasting Menu for $ 65. With an additional $ 30 for a Sauternes Cocktail, you would receive «complimentary» foie gras since it’s illegal to sell foie gras in CA.
Little did we know, we would be mislead and waste our hard earned money on this meal.
Had I known that our meal would end up costing MORE than Gary Danko, La Folie, Michael Mina, and more than any other fine dining Michelin starred restaurant I’ve been to, I would NOT have never returned to Chez Papa Resto. This micro meal was the second most expensive meal after French Laundry and that was with double the courses.
When we arrived and were seated, the Four-​Course Tasting Menu was $ 85 NOT $ 65 as advertised. There was an additional $ 15 supplemental fee to add seared foie gras to your entrée which I of course had to take advantage of. Shoot, it saves me a trip to LV and saves me the embarrassment of being found on the floor of the hotel lobby as security hovers over me (yeup, that is what Vegas does to me). Each course was miniscule and not the norm for a four-​course tasting menu. The Pork Belly appetizer was literally two small bites:
. It was absolutely divine but the size of an amuse bouche? *Sad pouty face* For an extra $ 15 supplement for the Sauternes Cocktail (which was basically a shot of sparkling wine), the seared foie was the size of a wheat thin:
. I’ve never seen foie that small before. EVER. And it wasn’t even Hudson Valley Grade A foie as it wasn’t luxuriously rich as other foie I’ve had. My main entrée of Seared Duck Breast had a crisp exterior with a tender interior though it was a bit dry and very gamey:
. The added seared foie for $ 15 was also the size of a micro foie. My poor friend’s foie didn’t even taste like foie and more like liverwurst because it was overcooked to a char. Talk about milking it for what it’s worth. We each ended dinner with the Dulce de Leche Panna Cotta which were presented as a trio of mini disks:
.
$ 500 later for a party of 3 (with just a mediocre glass of wine a person), I couldn’t help but feel I got my (I) …
*Grabs ankles*

2.5
I had always wanted to dine here since I am a fan of Chez Maman (both dogpatch and Chez Maman West locations) & Chez Papa Bistrot. Perhaps it is a good thing I never really bothered until close to closing.
I had heard that they pretty much lost their lease because the owner of the building did not want to renew. I could be wrong, but whatever does it matter now? Since they were closing, they were offering a $ 65 4 course tasting menu. This was advertised online via their website as well as sfist, sfgate, sfeater (you get the picture) etc. I had also heard through the grapevine that there would be foie… Made reservations.
Although I didn’t really have high expectations, I was still disappointed.
While the interior and atmosphere are sleek, sexy and intimate enough, the food & service fell short. Everybody probably threw their standards out the window since they were closing anyhow.
I was hoping to try regular menu items (particularly the Snake River Farms steak tartare), but upon seating I was told there was the 4 course chef’s tasting menu ONLY. Not just that, but I noticed it was $ 85 instead of the $ 65 that was advertised. Okay, an extra $ 20 no big deal right? That would have been fine if the food lived up to the price tag but it did not. A 3 course meal at Gary Danko doesn’t even start off at $ 85, it starts off at $ 73. Ugghhh. I could tell everything was set up on the fly and haphazardly. Example: typos on menus. Pairings was spelled wrong on every single menu (they had pairngings) as well as torchon, which was spelled as tourchon. Pretty unprofessional but why bother to fix it, right? They’re closing anyway… Still, it looks very bad.
I chose to start with a the beet salad and stuck with just the torchon of the «complimentary» mid course of foie. For my entrée I went with the grilled duck breast and panna cotta for dessert.
The amuse bouche of kampachi was pretty tasty. Really liked the Kaffir lime and the yuzu sorbet, but the ponzu was highly unnecessary and tasted out of place.
Beet salad supposedly had some dehydrated blue cheese. I don’t think I got any because I certainly did not taste any cheese. It did also say there is persimmon purée but I don’t think I had any of that either. Instead, there were 2 strange 1×1 inch squares of what looked and tasted like fruit leather. That is definitely NOT a purée. Also said there was an orange macaroon (shouldn’t it be macaron?) but there was a tiny looking meringue thing on top of my beets. *shrugs* At least the beets were okay, they tasted how they should.
While I opted for the beet salad, my friends went with the crispy pork belly. Cher N. gave me a piece of hers and it was delicious. Just like the Chinese version.
The complimentary mid course of foie torchon was a tad bit sinewy. The lemon curd purée thing that came on the side was too sour to be accompanying the torchon. My friends paid an additional $ 15 for a glass of wine and a piece of seared foie. They gave me a bit, heavenly. I miss it.
We each ordered the grilled duck breast and added foie. Looks wise, it was aesthetically pleasing. Beautifully perfectly grilled slices duck breast with slivers of pink peeping out under my BURNT as-​thin-​as-​grilled-​beef-​tongue-​at-​izakaya piece of foie. *sigh* My friends agreed it was overcooked and it was dry. It tasted like cow liver. My friends gave me pieces of theirs and it was done properly.
While the duck breast was cooked properly, it had a gamey aftertaste I was not keen on. I had to add freshly cracked black pepper to mask it. Still, I enjoyed it.
Pana cotta was great, and probably the best part of our meal.
You know what was the worst? Seeing a bill of $ 420.
While the food was a bit above sub-​par, it was not worth it. Ugh what a waste.
Au revoir, Chez Papa Restro. Good Riddance

A fantastic meal here last week! Lots of pro’s besides great food & service:
— any # of diners can order a tasting menu.
— we got 1 small bite, 2 starters, 3 entrees, 2 desserts, & a 3-​course tasting menu for 5. Total? Only $ 50pp including tax/​tip!
MUST-​HAVES: Kobe beef, pork belly (tasting menu), risotto, duck breast, cocoa nib éclair, aerated chocolate.
DISAPPOINTMENTS: 65 degree duck egg, dulce de leche.
~~SMALL BITES~~
* (free) Cheese bread ball — 4 stars
pic:
Really tasty, the bread buttery, flaky, & soft yet crisp. Subtle but definitely present cheese flavor.
* Kobe Beef — 4.5 stars
pic:
(Tartare Brioche, set of 2, $ 8)
Absolutely fantastic. A delicious crunch to the toast topped w/​the incredibly tender & tasty beef. A favorite of the night.
~~STARTERS~~
* 65 degree Duck Egg — 3 stars
pic:
(Romanesco, Califlower Purée, Lemon Chips, Cipollini Onions, Brown Butter Crumbs. $ 14)
I was sad to realize there was no runny yolk. It was soft but still solid. The veggies were completely bland & lacked texture. Don’t order this.
* Fennel «risotto» — 3.5 stars
pic:
(free — because the chef wasn’t happy with an entrée & they came out late)
Everyone really loved this, but for me the flavor was too vinegar-​y for a risotto. I also didn’t realize this was meant to be a gluten-​free «risotto» made only of fennel.
~~ENTREES~~
* Roasted Local Halibut — 4 stars
pic:
(Chestnuts, Buddha’s Head, Brussels Sprouts, Parisienne Gnocchi. $ 27)
I found the halibut itself to be dry, tho the skin was crisped perfectly. It was a couple ppl’s favorite dish of the night & they say halibut is inherently on the dry side.
* Risotto — 4.5 stars
pic:
(Confit Matsutake Mushrooms, Idiazabal Cheese, Marcona Almonds, Frid Quail Egg. $ 24)
Fantastic. Perfectly creamy, flavored well yet subtly (mushrooms are easily overpowering but came out perfect here), & of course I loved the runny egg yolk.
* Grilled Duck Breast — 4.5 stars
pic:
(Date Purée, Chicory, Cranberries, Candied Pink Lemons, Coffee Soil, Duck Jus. $ 27)
The meat was super tender & like heaven to bite into. Everything else was fantastic. But I’m personally not a big fan of cranberries, especially in entrees, as they are overly tart/​sweet & overpowering.
~~DESSERTS~~
* Dulce de Leche — 3 stars
pic:
(Panna Cotta, Chocolate Soil, Goat Milk Ice Cream)
The panna cotta itself came in four TINY servings, w/​o that easy-​to-​slice-​through texture you’d normally expect, & w/​o the normal vanilla flavor. The ice cream seemed more like a sorbet, kind of watery and light.
* Cocoa Nib Éclair — 4.5 stars
pic:
(Pistachio Ice Cream, Toasted Almonds, Warm Chocolate Sauce)
Delicious! Love love.
~~CHEFS TASTING MENU~~ $ 65
Mise en Bourche
* Kampuchi — 4 stars
pic:
(Sashimi, Togarashi, Watermelon Radish, Kaffir Lime, Coconut Foam, Ponzu)
Tiny but lots of flavor & very fresh/​tender fish packed into a small space!
Appetizer
* Crispy Pork Belly — 4.5 stars
pic:
(Eggplant Chips, Potato Crumble, Hibiscus, Dashi Gelee)
Absolutely worth getting the tasting menu just for this. Fantastic.
Entrée
* Braised Veal Breast — 5 stars
pic:
(Heirloom Radish, Parsnip Purée, Charred Onions, Meyer Lemon Emulsion)
A surprise favorite of the night! Flavor was strong — savory w/​a slightly sweet hint. The veal had a wonderfully crispy layer on top and the meat was crazy tender & delicious.
Dessert
* Aerated Chocolate — 4 stars
pic:
(Pain d’epice Sponge cake, Kumquats, Praline Ice Cream)
Didn’t expect much, but the sponge cake was dense & moist (the way I like my desserts!), the chocolate dark, kumquats tart, all paired well w/​the sweet & heavy ice cream.

Ambience — this restaurant is very cozy with dim lighting. it’s not too loud which was nice.
Food — unfortunately, while the ambience, service, and drinks were great… the food was slightly disappointing. I got the Grilled Duck Breast and the duck was a bit on the dry side. not the juicy tender duck that you would expect for the price. The purée on the side was not too exciting either, was a bit bland. My friend go the Roasted Halibut which was very fresh and had nice texture but again, was not particularly flavorful.
Drinks — both the Bitter Blossom and Morning Bell were great! Would definitely come back to try more of their drinks menu.

For me, the beauty of fine dining is… everything! I love dressing to dine. Most of the time I bring wine from my cellar, which provides me with the wonderful treat of time spent studying the menu. It builds my anticipation for what is yet to come.. .
I wanted to try this restaurant ever since I read Connie C’s review on it back when she was still a Unilocal CM. Last night was my turn. YAY! I know. Try to contain your excitement there is still a good amount of review to read!
Whitney, our server was excellent. She was helpful with questions, polite with my strange way of ordering, and attentive without being intrusive. She made sure we felt special and had a great dining experience.
I enjoyed a Hangar One martini with three perfectly pickled onions while figuring out which bottle of wine we would enjoy with the courses we wanted.
We started with oysters and Kobe tartare for our opening courses. Skip these. Why? I didn’t like the foam or the type of briny oysters they serve here. The Kobe beef tartare was jarring. The huge chunks of raw garlic setting my tongue on fire battling with the abundance of parsley and shallots did everything to deny he wonderful rich taste of Kobe to shine. The best beef tartare in the city is at Bix.
The meal took a polar turn for the best with the next course: 65 degree duck egg. This is the second best thing i’ve eaten in 2012. The plating was gorgeous. The duck egg was wonderfully rich and decadent.. . perfect. The variety of tastes that were on the plate offered your tongue front, middle and rear flavor action. This really was a remarkable dish. I would come here again specifically to have this again.
I had the steak for my entrée. Thank you chefs for giving me accurate temperature. I asked for medium — I got medium. The beef was velvety to the bite, the mashed potatoes were nice, and the veggies were yum.
The wine list here offers great moderate price point wines that give you a wonderful taste of why the French are masters at winemaking. I think this is an advantageous situation for the nervous diner who doesn’t have a lot of wine experience — let alone wine and food pairing experience. Chez Papa strategically offers wines from a modest wine list that pair effortlessly with their menu offerings.
Whitney gave me a taste of a great Sauvignon Blanc so I could gage the quality of the list. It was delicious. I rarely drink white wine, but when I do, it is never big California oaky, buttery whites. In the end, I chose a great blend red wine for our dinner.
I would be happy to visit again even if only to have another duck egg paired with one of their great bottles of French white wine.
Enjoy the gorgeous photos I took of this memorable dinner :)

While the room itself is inviting and the service impeccable. I found the food somewhat lacking in flavor and the portion size disappointingly small at CHEZ PAPA. I found the ONION SOUP impressive visually but the flavor was bland and lacked any sort of punch. The KOBE STEAK TATARE was miniscule even for an appetizer dish and the SMOKED DUCK BREAST was pleasant but not a home run, again lacking any true stand out flavor. Finally, a dozen thick-​cut fries for $ 8? Umm, no.
With all the amazing French-​inspired fare in the city I don’t know if I would give CHEZ PAPA another chance. I know a lot of people out there like it but after my first try, I don’t know if I am one of them.

Been here twice and enjoyed it both times. Yummy french food, non-​snooty service, able to make reservations easily via OpenTable. I’ve had delicious dishes — from the tender duck breast to an incredible poached salmon — never anything missing. Although I’ll admit the portions can leave one wanting, but that just leaves room for dessert.
It’s pricey, but not nearly as pricey as the fanciest french places. Plus it’s conveniently located near all the hotels I stay at when I’m in town on business.

If you’ve eaten at their Chez Papa Bistro, then you probably know what you can expect at their Resto. Its amazing. Came here with a bunch of work colleagues and it happened to be the week before the famed California Foie Gras ban. That said, the menu was very Foie Gras centric (find my photo of the menu that I posted). We ended up trying all sorts of Foie Gras dishes and each one was just amazing. We also had the octopus and that too was amazing. Okay– I’ll stop now. You get the point. The restaurant is located near the heart of the city and easy to get to. Cant wait to come back!

Lord have mercy dinner was good. We went to say farewell to Foie Gras in California. I know I know the ban probably won’t last and people will find a way to offer it etc. But it was a great excuse to have a tasting menu. So we got the Foie Gras tasting menu and it was amazing. First course was some kind of small sandwich with a sweet compote or something with the savory foie gras. So good. Then came a couple more courses and the main I got the steak with foie gras. Desert was amazing as well with some kind of foie gras flan type of desert paired with a sweet chocolate mouse or something.
Server was excellent. She was amazingly patient with us. Have never had a bad meal at any of their restaurants.

With just days remaining until the foie gras ban arrives (boooo…), my friend and I made a last minute decision to check out Chez Papa’s four course foie gras tasting menu ($ 85). Since the food alone will make this long enough (we ordered each of the offerings for the middle two courses and shared), let’s get to it.
— AMUSE BOUCHE —
— Foie Gras Lollipops (
)
So deliciously unhealthy. After devouring hers, my friend warned me to eat mine in a single bite since it had a liquid, fatty center. Sure enough, as soon as it broke open, I was left with a mouthful of foie goodness. Yum.
— FIRST COURSE —
— Monterey Abalone, Foie Gras Mousse, Squash Blossoms, Crispy Pork Jowl, Purple Mustard (
)
By far, my favorite of the night. The abalone was cooked perfectly and it tasted fantastic! With or without the foie («with» would obviously be preferred), I would get this dish again. Of course, having more of the crispy pork jowl wouldn’t hurt either. SO GOOD!
— SECOND COURSE —
— Foie Gras Torchon, Coffee Soil, Brioche, Muscat Compressed Strawberries, Lemon Balm (
)
The foie gras had a rich taste and a creamy texture, and the strawberries were a great complement. The bitterness of the coffee soil was a nice way to contrast the fruity sweetness, but there was just too much of it. After a couple of bites, I had already scraped most of it to the side.
— Seared Foie Gras, Blueberries, Sauternes Gelée, Candied Brioche, Walnut Oil (
)
I thought the foie tasted fine, but I agree with my friend that the sear went too deep. The texture at the center ended up being firmer and stiffer than we had expected (instead of soft and fatty). It was still decent though, and I liked the candied brioche. On the other end, we both did not like the gelée…at all.
— ENTRÉE —
— Grilled Duck Breast, Grilled Foie Gras, Celeraic Purée, Candied Kumquats, Bing Cherries, Cardomom Duck Jus (
)
I thought the duck tasted okay, but my friend felt the smokiness got to be too much. Sadly, the pieces weren’t very meaty nor juicy. While the foie helped in that area, the dish was more miss than hit. The kumquats were a big part of that — the tartness and acidity were way too assertive for a delicate dish like duck.
— Roasted Flat Iron Steak, Seared Foie Gras, Baby Turnips, Porcini Mushrooms, Pomme Fondant, Foie Gras Sauce (
)
Even though there was foie in the sauce and a piece on the plate, the steak was the focus. And with such a big portion, it’s easy to see why. The meat was both tasty and tender, but the strip of tendon/​silver skin right down the middle was a bummer. The accompaniments were nice additions. Solid overall.
— DESSERT —
— Foie Gras Pound Cake, Blackberries, Foie Gras Powder, Vanilla Ice Cream (
)
The least impressive dish of the night. If the menu hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have guessed the pound cake had foie gras in it. The foie gras crumble was good though, but the dish had a sauce on it that was pretty unappealing.
As for the rest of the experience, I liked how the restaurant felt fairly relaxed while still maintaining a nicer vibe to it, and the quality of service was on par with other SF restaurants on its level. The overall menu was about THREE AND A HALF STARS for me, but I’m rounding to four since I’m in a good mood. I can’t say Chez Papa Resto’s foie gras menu is the best one to hit in these last few days (we originally planned on trying La Folie), but I wouldn’t mind coming back to check out what their regular menu is like.

Fancy pants place for fancy pants people.
Not good for a group as the sharing plates have teeny tiny portions. Drinks are fancy and strong. Good place to impress a date or for a company happy hour which is on the company but not a good place for everyday eats unless you are fancypants

3.5 stars. I’ve been here about twice more (one for a pre-​fixe and one for vday pre-​fixe) since I first tried this place and it’s just «ehh» now. They put on a good show of elegance and their venue is pretty sweet, but their food just isn’t memorable enough for the amount they charge. Their foie gras was pretty disappointing, and their main dishes are above average, but not good enough to want to come back here again.
Sorry Chez Papa Resto — I think it’s time for me to bid you farewell!

I had a pleasant dining experience at Chez Papa Resto. Having heard great things about this restaurant, my expectation was high. I am happy to say that I am satisfied with both the service and the quality of food.
The service was excellent. Our server was knowledgeable of the menu and was able to give good recommendations. Timing between each courses was simply impeccable. There was just enough time for you to savor your last bite without feeling rushed or bored.
Food was lovely. For french cuisine at a moderate price range I think Chez Papa really exceeded my expectation. The foie gras duo, the torchon and the seared version, was flawless. I love the creativity of their dishes. Smoked Salmon ‘nibble’ looked lovely and tasted fantastic (as long as you don’t mind the ingredients stealing the spotlight of the salmon). The Charred Octopus has good tender texture but could be even better if the octopus is cripsy on the outside. The entrees were decent. I enjoyed the Roasted Butterfish but found Beef Tripe a bit ordinary.
The portion is on the small size even for French style cuisine standard. You will probably need at least 3 courses (nibble, appetizer and entrée) and a side to feel somewhat fulfilled.
Oh yes. They have some really good cocktails too. I might even opt for the cocktail pairing instead of wine pairing.

Warning — portions are small!
Recommended:
— beef cheek
— kobe steak tartare
— butterfish

The Chez Papa Burger is one of the best.
I ordered their burger during lunch (I’m pretty sure it’s the only time it’s available) and enjoyed an incredible meal. The burger was a great quality beef patty with a ton of great flavor and cooked perfectly (medium). Even though the menu didn’t give smoked gouda as one of the cheese options, I knew it was available and asked for it to be included with my burger and it ended up being a fantastic choice — it was totally decadent and totally delicious.
The service has always been attentive and great!

11:30am seems a little late for starting Brunch service so we arrived pretty hungry just a little after opening. The waiter convinced me to get the Grilled Aged Sirloin Burger (caramelized onion, rémoulade, pommes frites, choice of: bleu d’auvergne, goat, brie, gruyère $ 15) and the g/​f ordered up Eggs Any Way (roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, pistou vinaigrette $ 12) along with a Bloody Mary & Bellini ($ 6 ea).
Nicely made and refreshing drinks, the Bloody Mary was lightly spicy and had a small salad on top (
) with a cocktail onion, square of cucumber, olive, sprigs of celery, and a wedge of lime and wedge of lemon with freshly ground pepper.
There were 2 tables seated when we arrived so we thought we’d be getting our food quickly, but it took 35 minutes. When delivered our server apologized and said they had to deal with «an issue» in the kitchen. To make up for our wait, he comp’d us another order of drinks. OK, I’ll forgive you! ;-)
The g/f’s eggs were poached perfectly cooked with nice runny yolks. The potatoes had a light paprika coating separating themselves from the typical home fries. The veggies had a light vinaigrette and were al dente and delicious (
).
The burger plate came with a large pile of rosemary pommes frites and a small bowl of rémoulade on the side. In addition to the caramelized onion, there were some ripe tomato slices and greens (
).
From the couple of dime sized holes in the cheese and the mild flavor, it appeared they had subbed some other swiss cheese for the gruyère. The burger patty was nicely cooked and juicy (
), but was lacking in seasoning /​flavor despite it’s Aged status.
The rosemary fries were addicting along with the tasty rémoulade. Thin cut and perfectly crispy with just enough salt and the distinctive rosemary flavor.
Burger — 3.5 stars
Fries — 5 stars
Egg & Veggie dish — 4 stars

Chez Papa Resto is a restaurant I been meaning to try for sometimes but never got around to it until now. It is definitely in the heart of downtown San Francisco off of the Mintz building. Had a date nite so what better place than Chez Papa.
Made reservation off and on for a few days until finally decided that Wednesday nite would be the nite. It was a nice, mild night to have a intimate French cuisine in no better place than San Francisco.
As we entered, our hostess greeted us very nicely and warming. The ambience is warm and inviting once again. I was lucky to once again… have a window table. To start out, I had a chardonnay and my date had Cab. He loves cab. The french bread came out warm along with the nice soft butter. So far so good.
I heard so many good reviews on the kobe beef tartare that I just gotta have it. The waiter did a beautiful gesture by mixing up the tartare into a heart shape. Awwwww… what made it even more memorable was it was so good. Probably the best tartare I have tasted yet. I ordered the seafood platter which consists of clams, shrimp and. My date had the steak that looks absolutely scrumpitous. Both entrees had a good portion which filled us up pretty quickly. We had no run for dessert!
Our waiters were attentive but slightly distracted. All in all, a good restaurant to be out and about midweek for a nice dinner with that special someone. So bon appetit everyone!!!

Let me start off by saying… Thank goodness I bought a $ 75 Groupon for $ 35 for Chez Papa or else I’d probably be even more disappointed…
I guess my expectations were too high. My friend raved about how good their Bistro location was. She also said they had bone marrow so immediately I was excited. I’m guessing they change their menu seasonally, so just because you see something someone ate, don’t get your heart set on it.
My friend and I came here Wednesday, August 25 for an 8:30pm reservation. We were promptly seated.
FOOD:
*Snake River Kobe Beef Tartare with Dijon Mustard, Capers, Shallots, Garlic, Toast Points ($ 16) — DELICIOUS! This was one of the best beef tartare dishes I’ve ever had, the beef was extremely tender! The waiter brought the dish and mixed it together at our table and even shaped it into a heart. Normally, I’m not a fan of capers, but the capers went unnoticed as soon as everything was mixed together.
*Seared Scallops with Shrimp, Clams, Sea Beans, Fingerling Potatoes ($ 29) — Fail… I have fish allergies so part of this is my fault for not checking if the bouillabaisse sauce contained fish when I ordered. As one of the waiters brought out the dish, the seafood and veggies was in the dish and the bouillabaisse sauce was in a separate soup dish. Before he could pour the sauce into the seafood and veggies, I said «wait, does this have fish in it?». He answered «yes» and quickly poured the sauce. Why would you do that if I said wait?! I had to speak with our waitress to tell her the situation and she said she’d have another one made for me. However, she came back and said they ran out of clams and the chef would be mixing the seafood in a white sauce so it wasn’t as dry. The seafood turned out tender, the sea peas crunchy, but the sauce made the dish too salty!
SERVICE:
Our waitress was nice but often not found and rarely checked on.
LOCATION/​PARKING:
Chez Papa is located in Mint Plaza which has a nice courtyard like area. Parking does lack in the area though. Since Westfield is located half a block up, there are paid lots if you cannot find metered street parking.

A very pleasant dining experience. Service was friendly but unobtrusive. The food itself was really, really good, starters, mains, and desserts.
I didn’t drink wine myself but my companions were very pleased with the wine selection as well.
A very central place, were you can sit outside in summer, nevertheless a bit removed from downtown’s hectic and noise.

Happy Hour~
Monday — Thursday. 5pm — 7pm.
$ 3 draft beer
$ 5 house wine
$ 5 St. Tropez drinks
$ 6 special cocktails
$ 4 – 10 bar bites
The atmosphere during happy hour was quite different from my previous lunch visit. For starters, it was less hectic and was surprisingly quiet. Definitely differed from the usual rowdy chaotic happy hour spots. Great place to catch up with a friend and wind down after a busy workday.
We sat by the bar. I wanted something sweet and tasty, and the bartender suggested the Blood Orange Margarita (
). I’m not a big margarita person, but this drink was delicious. It was like nectar; sweet with the subtle taste of tequila. The glass was rimmed with salt and some sort of chili spice. Whoa what a kick. Yummy!
Then we shared an order of Tuna Tartare (
). The accompaniment of cucumber was different; gave a nice refreshing crunch. However, I thought the tartare itself was a bit too oily. The tuna was heavily minced, almost grounded to a paste. And so the texture and taste of the tuna was lost entirely.
Overall, I find Chez Papa Resto’s happy hour menu less impressive. Perhaps my expectations were set too high after that one extraordinary lunch.