All Spice - San Mateo (CA)

5 /5 Sankha Hota: I really like this fine dining restaurant. The food presentation, taste and variety does elevate the level of experience. Been to many high end restaurants, but for the price point and service (nothing extravagant but attentive) this restaurant shines. All the dishes were thoughtful and had plenty of umami. Worth going back again when they refresh the menu. The menu is somewhat prefix as you can choose from a few options. Overall a great restaurant to visit.

5 /5 Lani X: My husband and I went here for our anniversary. 4 stars for the food, rounded up to 5 overall. Decently priced tasting menu with a variety of choices. My hubs and I decided on 3 courses each (2 appetizers and 1 main). My two favorite dishes were the complimentary chilled butternut squash soup and the peach and tomato tart. The soup was an excellent start especially on a hot day! The tart was so good and had hints of truffle. Since Ive never had venison, I gave it a shot. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this dish as much but I think its more that I dont like venison vs how it was prepared. It reminded me a bit if how lamb tastes and I do not enjoy lamb either. I was very jealous of my husbands oxtail though. That was amazing ! Everything was presented/plated very well too. Service was also excellent. Very friendly staff and attentive with refilling water quickly and went off their recommendations for some of our choices. The restaurant was also super cute in a converted house with its own parking lot. It is tucked away from the street though and you could easily miss it (thank goodness for Google maps!). The lot was full that day but we were able to snag street parking right behind the lot.

3 /5 Doah Kwon: Nothing really stood out or felt memorable. The entree meat was tough to chew and overcooked, though the appetizers were amazing. Aside from one or two starters, the mains just weren’t that good. The dessert was decent but also nothing memorable or standout.

2 /5 Leah: The environment was quiet and private, and the service was attentive without being intrusive. While the space has some character, the overall setting felt fairly average and did not reflect the level of a more refined fine dining environment. Despite these positives, the food itself did not meet expectations. Most dishes tasted very similar, and the overall flavors were consistently too salty, whether from the seasoning or the sauces. Even for someone who enjoys bold flavors, this felt excessive rather than intentional. The cod we ordered was also slightly burnt, which was disappointing at this price point. For two people, the bill came to over $250. While the ingredients appeared decent, the value was not there. Given the pricing, the dishes lacked refinement and balance, and the experience overall was not one I would recommend.

5 /5 Jenn Jiang: Best in San Mateo and the food is at Michelin one star level. Love the aged beef scallops onion soup and black cod. Well we actually liked everything, including the bread and butter. The restaurant is behind other buildings at the main street. Plenty of parking and not too many people there for weekday night. Also very glad to see when the check came, no ridiculous so called employee benefits fee added like many other fine restaurants thought they are entitled to charge their customers. Love everything and will be back.