This place opened again? Looks much better than when I went.
limbo2k
ETA: Adega’s Michelin star is no more.
Reddit seems to have eaten the text part of my post, so here it is again:
[Adega](https://www.adegarest.com) is San Jose’s first and only Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant recently reopened with a tasting menu after temporarily closing in December 2023. This was my first time trying Portuguese cuisine so take this as an uninformed, personal opinion.
The space is pleasant, though a bit loud. Service was attentive and kind (when a dish included mushrooms which we asked to avoid, both plates were removed and quickly replaced with correct servings). Presentation was top notch but overall, I was underwhelmed by the food.
The pre-opener was a selection of sea food based small bites. Mostly enjoyable pieces except for the bacalao which was served as a little croquettes that I found to be dry and lacking in flavor.
We got both kinds of caviar options. I found the white sturgeon to be lighter in flavor and more enjoyable but I can’t justify the cost for either one. I should start a separate thread about caviar, probably. I just don’t get it.
The crab salad with passion fruit foam was nice and refreshing. In general, I enjoyed the refreshing items throughout the meal. They served as a nice contrast to many other dishes that I found sweet or same-y.
Pumpkin rice was reminiscent of a risotto. The dish was served with a crackable crab “shell”. We did not opt for the white truffle add on. Perhaps that’s why I found it to be a bit too sweet and somewhat boring. The crackable “shell” added some variance in texture but wasn’t quite enough in my opinion.
I forget what the next dish was but it repeated the idea of a crackable crunchy top, this time with more success.
I’m not a fan of sword fish, so it’s no surprise I didn’t care for it. The dressing and dill sauce were not enough to make this dish interesting.
The beef course was two small pieces of New York steak. It was… ok?
Poached pear was served for pre-dessert (after a very enjoyable shaved iced amuse bouche which we did not capture). The pear was largely overwhelmed by cinnamon but the sorbet added some liveliness to the dish.
The dessert dish was a coffee panna-cotta served on top of a thin chocolate cake with a soy ice cream. I did enjoy the overall experience of the coffee and salty flavor mixing but I would have enjoyed something that highlighted the coffee flavor more.
Last, we got a selection of sweet bites. The chocolate with port (I think?) was my personal favorites.
We did not try any of the cocktails but my partner got the regular wine pairing. I am not a wine aficionado by any stretch but I did find the wines I tried to be a bit flat compared to local (California) varietals. The wines we enjoyed the most came with dessert and included a Madeira and an aged tawny port.
rsvandy
Been thinking about dropping by this place since it re-opened. I thought they lost their Michelin star a few years back, or had closed just prior to the Michelin update for that year.
bordeburgu26
Adega does not have a Michelin star. It’s not even Bib Gourmand.
Informal-Produce-408
I went to Adega recently as well and really enjoyed it.
5 Comments
This place opened again? Looks much better than when I went.
ETA: Adega’s Michelin star is no more.
Reddit seems to have eaten the text part of my post, so here it is again:
[Adega](https://www.adegarest.com) is San Jose’s first and only Michelin star restaurant. The restaurant recently reopened with a tasting menu after temporarily closing in December 2023. This was my first time trying Portuguese cuisine so take this as an uninformed, personal opinion.
The space is pleasant, though a bit loud. Service was attentive and kind (when a dish included mushrooms which we asked to avoid, both plates were removed and quickly replaced with correct servings). Presentation was top notch but overall, I was underwhelmed by the food.
The pre-opener was a selection of sea food based small bites. Mostly enjoyable pieces except for the bacalao which was served as a little croquettes that I found to be dry and lacking in flavor.
We got both kinds of caviar options. I found the white sturgeon to be lighter in flavor and more enjoyable but I can’t justify the cost for either one. I should start a separate thread about caviar, probably. I just don’t get it.
The crab salad with passion fruit foam was nice and refreshing. In general, I enjoyed the refreshing items throughout the meal. They served as a nice contrast to many other dishes that I found sweet or same-y.
Pumpkin rice was reminiscent of a risotto. The dish was served with a crackable crab “shell”. We did not opt for the white truffle add on. Perhaps that’s why I found it to be a bit too sweet and somewhat boring. The crackable “shell” added some variance in texture but wasn’t quite enough in my opinion.
I forget what the next dish was but it repeated the idea of a crackable crunchy top, this time with more success.
I’m not a fan of sword fish, so it’s no surprise I didn’t care for it. The dressing and dill sauce were not enough to make this dish interesting.
The beef course was two small pieces of New York steak. It was… ok?
Poached pear was served for pre-dessert (after a very enjoyable shaved iced amuse bouche which we did not capture). The pear was largely overwhelmed by cinnamon but the sorbet added some liveliness to the dish.
The dessert dish was a coffee panna-cotta served on top of a thin chocolate cake with a soy ice cream. I did enjoy the overall experience of the coffee and salty flavor mixing but I would have enjoyed something that highlighted the coffee flavor more.
Last, we got a selection of sweet bites. The chocolate with port (I think?) was my personal favorites.
We did not try any of the cocktails but my partner got the regular wine pairing. I am not a wine aficionado by any stretch but I did find the wines I tried to be a bit flat compared to local (California) varietals. The wines we enjoyed the most came with dessert and included a Madeira and an aged tawny port.
Been thinking about dropping by this place since it re-opened. I thought they lost their Michelin star a few years back, or had closed just prior to the Michelin update for that year.
Adega does not have a Michelin star. It’s not even Bib Gourmand.
I went to Adega recently as well and really enjoyed it.