The Progress -Michelin Star Restaurant Review

It just so happened that I spent my 27th birthday in the great city of San Francisco. I searched for restaurants to have my birthday dinner at and stumbled upon The Progress. The Michelin guide describes it: "Located around the corner from the epoch-making Fillmore Theater, this sunny NorCal-meets-Nordic destination is as disarming as it is ambitious. Colorful, vibrant dishes designed for sharing rise to the formidable task of tasting as good as they look, so order with abandon."

I could not have picked a better atmosphere to bring in my new year. Upon being immediately seated after arriving (I reserved a table a month in advance), my party and I were greeted with a delightful waitress. We started with drinks, I chose the One Punch Man which featured precisely mixed rum, bourbon, rau rum, pandan, cashew, lime & pineapple milk-wash. It was mildly sweet with a slight citrus backdrop which I thoroughly appreciated. We decided to skip appetizers and went straight for the main dishes. One of the highly recommended meals, which I was especially excited for was the Bbq Liberty Farms Half Duck with peanut fried rice & smoked chili vinegar. This was my first encounter with duck and I must say, I am extremely pleased with the taste. The breast was sliced and eloquently splayed around the peanut fried rice- which accompanied the smoked duck with crunchy peanut bits and a spicy chili vinegar that gave the right amount of heat to the dish. The rest of the duck (leg/thigh and wing) were placed on the side behind the rice. None of the duck was too greasy, it tasted moderately smoky, the salt was well balanced, with a minor bit of fat for that extra flavor. That was only the first entrée, we also ordered the Fried ‘Whole’ Mcfarland Springs Trout with Japanese mushrooms, pickled ginger & toasted black rice. Fried chunks of fresh trout lay across the middle of the displayed fish. The meat was thick, succulent, and tender. Its deep orange hue intrigued my tastebuds and the small Japanese mushrooms paired so well with it. Tiny clementine slices were sprinkled about the plate and were such a charming addition for my palate. It was a match made in heaven, the cold crunchy pickled ginger against the warm fried texture of the fish mingled in my mouth with harmony. We feasted on it leaving only bones on the plate, ready for dessert. A couple of the desserts we ordered were the Gateau Basque, a sweet, cookie-like dough enclosed with a thick pastry cream flavored with vanilla and orange zest topped with candied cranberries and a pear and lemon Ice Cream Sundae. I can't say I was exceptionally impressed with the desserts, although they were unique to the restaurant and worth a try.

Thank you to the staff at The Progress, I will be dining there again in the future!

9.5/10