76 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM innovative style sekoyapaloalto.com {food coloring} Steve is proud of the innovative menu: “Our Parker House rolls are made every day in-house and proofed for 24 hours. The beef tongue is slowcooked for three hours, skewered and finished on the grill. And people are surprised by our combination of chicken liver mousse with banana bread doughnuts.” Sekoya may be thoroughly modern and sophisticated, but the way Steve runs it is firmly rooted in old-school ideals. His formula of hard work and attention to detail is his secret to success. “I don’t think I’d be able to do this if I didn’t enjoy the restaurant business,” he shares. “I enjoy the instant gratification that you see from the guests, building a team, educating the staff. That for me is what a labor of love means.” thing from spacing out courses correctly to avoiding shortcuts when it comes to the food. “What we do is not easy—there’s so much competition,” he notes. “But the reason why we do the small things is because most restaurants don’t. When our guests dine here and then dine somewhere else, the small things we do will stand out that much more.” Sekoya’s menu is a true fusion of flavors inspired by Japan, Spain, France and the U.S., among others. The dishes are always fresh, seasonal and can be ordered no matter where you sit in the restaurant. Starters range from burrata with toybox cherry tomato confit to kona kampachi crudo; plates and entrees include lamb tartare, Mt. Lassen trout and hanger steak. There’s also “Amber Hour” at the Bar & Lounge (5-6PM Monday through Thursday and 4-6PM Fridays and Saturdays) with featured cocktails, Hibachi Grill skewers and kitchen specialities like popcorn beef chicharron, double-fried tempura mushrooms and a dry-aged smash burger.
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