THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ame

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ame Restaurant Review:

A formal saké display and sushi- and sashimi-style glass bar hint at what's ahead at this luxe hotel restaurant, but California cuisine carries equal weight to the Asian influence throughout the menu. Ame’s ambience transmits luxury furthered by artistic plating, but the food, as is often the case with high-end hotel dining, comes in just a notch below expectations. While entrée selections are fairly limited, the wine list is extensive and exceptional, with 60 half bottles available and two half bottle wine flights. Pairings are well thought out and appropriate to California-Asian flavors. The signature dish, and our favorite, of broiled saké-marinated Alaskan black cod in shiso broth, is paired unexpectedly with a Pinot Noir with a rewarding result. Sashimi is clean and fresh, with the tempura "poke" offering a pleasant rendition in a tissue-paper-thin tempura crust. Some dishes come off erratically --- in one, dumplings are overly dense and undercooked, and in another, the focus on an oyster's texture (not generally considered the ingredient's strength) is misdirected. House-made ice creams boost first-rate desserts, from beer donuts to huckleberry parfait, and dessert wines by the glass impress, including both a Jurancon and a Quarts de Chaume, choices rarely seen on wine lists outside of France. Specialty cocktails are well-crafted and whimsical in construction.