AS (Cupertino)

Last night ah Fai treated me to a birthday dinner at AS in Cupertino. It was a "man date" and I felt a bit self-conscious at times...  The restaurant's interior is very busy, and the decor, from what I remember, is rather simple. I was a dai heung lee - despite the restrained environment, the restaurant was a bit too "fancy" for me, even though many of the patrons were dressing rather casually. It is one of the few upscale restaurants in the area. There were a lot of couples present, and it seems to be a good restaurant for dates. I was surprised by all of the hustle and bustle on the floor; a lot of servers moving around. I was expecting something more sedate, but there were a lot of customers.


I received gifts from the chefs because it was my birthday, thanks to my insider connection. These included a dessert from the pastry chef, in addition to the two appetizers from the head chef - a shrimp appetizer (I am not a shrimp fan, but it was tender and fresh) and a lamb chop (very good!). For my entree I ordered the porterhouse while ah Fai had the rack of lamb. The seasoning for the steak reminded me of breakfast sausages; there was a pesto sauce for the beef. I had no complaints about the food, even though much of it (especially the desserts) was not paleo-friendly. As far as I can tell, it deserves its Michelin star, and business is good, despite the economy. (Not too much competition in the vicinity for that level of dining?) The service is impressive, specially some of the choreography by the servers.

While we were at the restaurant, ah Fai and I talked about his workplace and... food. I suggested he try Let's Be Frank because of the grass-fed meat. While we were on the topic of food trucks, he recommended HRD for the Korean sandwiches/burritos. I'd order some of the hot dogs but shipping is too much... I'll have to drop by the SF shop instead. (No retail partners in the South Bay!)

As for the dining being too fine for me... is this false populism on my part? Certainly it isn't something I grew up with, and it isn't something I can afford, so this was rather new to me and I did feel out of place. There was clean silverware for each course. I was under-dressed by Western standards. (I'll get a new suit and some sports jackets when I have a job.) I am not sure if I'll ever become comfortable with this sort of dining experience.