we’re off to san francisco for the next edition of grain of salt’s u.s food adventures. this time it’s commonwealth; a progressive american restaurant in the eclectic mission district. “what is progressive american cuisine?”, you ask. what a fantastic question! you are very clever. though often confusing, like similar terms “modern australian” or “mcdonald’s restaurant,” progressive american has come to describe the innovative ways in which chefs are reappropriating traditional culinary practices through contemporary techniques and styles. 

commonwealth takes this definition one step further, using it to describe its unique charitable agenda. while executive chef jason fox reinvents american cuisine in the kitchen, the restaurant itself donates a portion of their profits to various charities. progressive indeed, and a concept i could sure get behind.

the donations come from commonwealth’s tasting menu: a six-course degustation for $65, $10 of which goes to a particular charity. on this night, the worthy recipient was direct relief international. though an exciting a la carte selection is also available, this philanthropic angle, in addition to the incredibly reasonable price (by sydney standards) sealed the deal for us. tasting menu it was!

but before that, we are presented with commonwealth’s signature complimentary opener: kombu dusted potato chips with malt vinegar espuma. while the white foam may appear dense here, it is in fact light and delicate, and the chips dangerously moorish. the combined effect is that of the best salt and vinegar chips imaginable. some quick stats: i ate 95% of these chips in approx. 2.5 minutes. my constant dining companion mr. joe king seems impressed/appalled. though we are immediately offered more by our attentive waiter, i feel it sensible to decline. 

the next dish to arrive is a spiced watermelon gazpacho. though i initially believe this to be the first of our tasting menu, i realise this is in fact another amuse bouche. excellent! the gazpacho delivers what it promises: smooth, sweet watermelon countered by a hit of chilli warmth. it is at once refreshing and intriguing. 

at last, the first of our tasting dishes arrives. at least i think it does. the menu tells me it is sockeye salmon tartare with chiogga beets, sorrel, and frozen horseradish. all i can see, however, is something that resembles a millennium dome/oversized golf ball/ aerial view of r2d2. where’s the tartare? i decide to use some neanderthal problem solving logic and hit the dome with my fork. 

one crack and the dish is revealed. the dome is the frozen horseradish, which instantly melts into the salmon. the fish itself is beautifully fresh and pairs well with the horseradish cream. unfortunately, i can’t get a sense of the aforementioned beets and there’s a nagging feeling that something is missing, texture-wise. an element of crunch would go a long way here. regardless, we are utterly impressed with this feat of culinary engineering. 

up next is a striking salad of radishes, goat’s milk butter, mache, and sunflower seeds. it is one of the most beautifully presented dishes i’ve seen, with the rough slate providing a bold contrast to the natural colours of the mache & radishes, which sit atop it. mr. joe king remarks how much he loves the salad, after having now recovered from witnessing me eat all those chips earlier. 

our meal takes an exciting turn when we see our next course: asparagus custard, beech mushrooms, chorizo, and jalapeno. the star of the dish, however, is a sea urchin, which floats on the custard’s surface. neither joe or i have tried sea urchin before, and i am delighted at the prospect. joe is slightly more apprehensive. we are both pleased to find it is incredibly smooth and melts in the mouth. the custard itself is undoubtedly unusual yet delicious, and i particularly enjoy the crispy nuggets of chorizo which i find on the bottom. 

the “main meal” of our tasting menu is next: veal cheeks with artichokes, crispy ham, smoked marrow, and burnt orange. it is yet another triumph for the progressive american cuisine genre, taking familiar flavours of tender veal and “bacon” and twisting them with unexpected orange gels and smoky marrow. the meat is perfectly cooked, and the overall dish reminds me of an avant-garde home cooked meal. you know, if your grandma was into molecular gastronomy. 

as the savoury component of our meal comes to a close, our palates are cleansed with a refreshing apricot sorbet with honey lime soda, which is presented ever-so-beautifully in a classic champagne coupe. 

our relishable meal at commonwealth concludes in a rather special and humorous way for me, personally. you see, earlier in our trip, i discovered a guilty american food pleasure: movie popcorn mixed with goober’s (chocolate covered peanuts), eaten in large handfuls. ok, that sounds embarrassing, and prior to our dinner at commonwealth: it was. but, in a delightful twist of fate, our dessert validated my new food habit. there it was: a peanut butter semifreddo with chocolate ganache and frozen popcorn. it tastes so similar to my movie treat that i can’t help but laugh. according to our waiter, the chef himself has a similar guilty food pleasure and sought to translate it into a fine dining context. it is a perfect conclusion to our meal, and makes me wonder how feasible it would be to sell liquid nitrogen popcorn at the cinema. 

as you can see, commonwealth is a brilliant, interesting restaurant. chef fox and his team harness fresh, seasonal ingredients and apply a variety of innovative techniques to create beautiful, impressive food. most remarkable, for us, however, is commonwealth’s incredible value for money. though i get the impression that locals feel it is quite expensive (and sure, it’s not cheap), joe & i both know that food of this calibre would set you back a lot more than $65 in our beloved home town. and it certainly wouldn’t include a $10 charitable donation. or copious helpings of awesome chips. 

stay tuned for the next edition of grain of salt’s u.s food adventures to see another fantastic american restaurant, and perhaps even some more dome-shaped meals*

(external restaurant image: kevin bond, zagat.com)

* there’s no more dome-shaped meals, sorry if it seemed as though there was.