Ama by Brad Kilgore: Table for 6 ($50 deposit)

Ama by Brad Kilgore opened in September of this year, following a lot of anticipation. The restaurant anchors the food offerings in the newly revitalized Transamerica Pyramid complex. It is an Italian-Japanese fusion concept, though the chef emphasizes that most dishes are Italian first. Kilgore has worked at some of the leading molecular gastronomy restaurants in the US (like Alinea in Chicago), so we may see some of those influences (foam!) here as well.

"Ama" references both the Japanese word for female pearl divers and the Italian expression for love and devotion.

The menu features inventive dishes that marry the Italian and Japanese traditions, such as:

• Squid-ink arancini with tamari, soy sauce, and mushroom.
• Citrus-miso king salmon over a lobster-tomato bisque.
• Bluefin tuna tartare carpaccio served over a crispy rice ball.
• A signature soft-boiled egg topped with a brûléed Gruyère foam and caviar.
• Lumache pasta in a vodka sauce with Calabrian and Japanese chiles.

A few caveats:
There is no official menu online. The restaurant discourages phone use and photos, so there are not a lot of pictures of the dishes available. Some reviews are here and here.

The restaurant has two dining spaces, the Copper Room and a hidden Social Club. The Social Club has some exclusive items on the menu, but it isn’t possible to book large parties there, so I think we’ll be in the Copper Room. We can definitely try to check out the Social Club.

Costs
Unfortunately, without a menu, this is a little hard to predict. This is a fine dining experience, though. It looks like entrees range from $26 (squid ink arancini) to $90 (fancy steak), so likely a total of $75-200 pp with a drink, tax, and tip, depending on what you order.

There will be a $50 deposit to hold your seat and to cover the no show fee that the restaurant charges. I will collect that once reservations open, and I will subtract it from your total at dinner.

Each diner’s orders will be calculated separately; however, shared items will be divided up amongst those who eat them. No separate checks. Please be prepared to split the check and pay via cash, Venmo, Zelle, or Apple Pay.

Taxes and Fees
Dining in San Francisco has a sales tax (8.625%). The restaurant charges an employee health mandate and likely a mandatory gratuity for a large party.

Parking and Transportation
Muni 8 to Kearny & Jackson, 1 to Clay & Montgomery
~10 minute walk from Montgomery BART
Street parking & garages nearby