I finally dined here this weekend. Though the food was as delicious as described by others, I will not be eager to return because the service was quite disappointing. Annoying, actually.

The food was impeccable:
- The chickpea panisse was a good as it gets. Elegant, subtle, light.
- The deep fried ricotta "thingys" were a surprise to us. The menu did not describe it as deep-fried battered. One of our party of 3 was unable to eat it.

Thus began a series of disappointments in service. With all the detail of information about the ingredients, shouldn't someone offer that it's deep fried?

- charred asparagus was lovely. Served with trout roe, I actually missed the briny flavor of other roe. But the other 2 appreciated the softer flavor. The dish also included fiddlehead ferns and a poached egg.

And here entered problem #2:
This dish arrived as we were mid-way thru the first 2 dishes, each of which had fried items which should be eaten as soon as served.
By the time we dove into the sparagus dish, the egg was cold and getting a tad tough.

And that in essence was my main problem with the evening: too rushed. The moment the last bite was scooped up by a diner, a server grabbed it from the table. What's the rush? Isn't this about slow food and appreciating the meal and each other? Then just after we asked the staffer to leave the plate and wait a while before clearing dishes -- perhaps to allow one of us to mop up the sauce with a bit of bread -- another staff person immediately came along and tried to scoop the plate off the table.

Before I end my rant, I must say the black cod was extraordinary.

The food and the service stood in contrast to one another.
As much as the food was nuanced, creative and delicate, the service was cold, rushed and inhospitable.

Finally tried "Bar Cote" last nite. It's located directly across the street from Cafe Colucci, which has been my fave Ethiopian place for quite some time.

Bar Cote is excellent.

We had the 100% teff injera -- and the flavor was better than Colucci's, which has a slightly sour edge. Bar Cote's iteration seems more subtle.

The veggie combo was stunning -- especially the greens and also the cabbage. Bright, clean flavors. not oily at all.

Chicken tibs -- the best I've had. complex flavors. nicely integrated.

Service: extremely warm and attentive.

I will be back soon.

This was a particularly extraordinary event that Melanie assembled. The meal started with condiments-- 3 versions of chile preparations: the green chiles with garlic in vinegar grabbed my heart. Another with roasted chile & oil was an earthy version of a familiar preparation. And a third with small fried fish was quite unique, and one that I kept returning to.

The hot tea consisted of 2 parts of the plant: leaf and flower. Unclear if it’s from the same plant, or 2 different plants.

One test of a Burmese restaurant is the tea leaf salad. This version arrived without any presence of lettuce on the plate. The flavor of the fermented tea leaves was dominant and delicious. More of an earthy flavor than other versions I've enjoyed.

The appetizers were really exceptional. The Ginger Salad stood out for its freshness and the smooth flavors. But the star of the show for me was the fish dip with vegetables. I think it’s a dish that’s not on the menu, but was specially prepared for us (thank you again Melanie!): a platter of delicate squash leaves w/ tendrils, bitter melon leaves, sliced cucumber and new-to-all-of-us a seed that looks like a chestnut and tastes like Stinky Tofu or Durian. Fantastic flavor that one either is crazy about or driven crazy by…

The mohinga was the best I’ve had: a contrast of textures and flavors. Made with catfish – one of the few fish that I’m not a fan of – but without a trace of fish flavor. Served over thin rice vermicelli, with a side of sliced duck egg. Chef Lue told us that in Burma it’s a dish eaten at any time of day, from breakfast to late night snack. The samusa was quite different from the South Asian variety. It was flat and triangular shaped. Definitely a dish I'd order again, and again.

We took a break at this point, and when the second round of dishes started coming out of the kitchen, I was astonished by the complex flavors of the catfish plate, and also the pickled mango pork.

perhaps because I was already feeling quite sated, what followed didn’t wow me in quite the same manner as the first half of the meal. But I would enjoy the opportunity to taste the lamb again (along with the oxtail) which Chef Lue noted in Burma both are eaten at special banquet feasts.

The meal was finished with 2 plates of sweet things. I especially enjoyed a new twist on sweet sticky rice in banana leaves.

I look forward to returning here often. Here's hoping that Chef Lue's vision of establishing a farmer's market in the neighborhood for the farmers from Burma especially to come from Sacramento and the valley to sell their produce.