Foraged ingredients and freshly caught local fish — you may have had Bay Area seafood, but you haven’t really experienced it until you’ve dined with Geoff.
Host Geoff has over 20 years of culinary experience.
For host Geoff, Ichido – the Japanese word for “one time” – is the foundation of what his dinner is built on. It’s an experience that will never truly repeat itself. When you’re a guest at his table, you’re given the opportunity to be in the moment and cherish the present, not only for the food being served but the people, the conversations and the atmosphere around you. Dinner with host Geoff is more than sitting and eating. It’s going on a journey and experiencing the full story behind the menu that brought you there in the first place.
Located at Sequoia Sake – San Francisco’s first and only sake brewery – Geoff’s communal dining table seats 30 guests every week. But preparation begins long before guests arrive on Friday night. As a fisherman by trade, Geoff spends the week on the water catching fish while foraging for local ingredients. Combined with his 20 years of culinary experience, which includes being mentored by renowned chef Nobuo Fukuda, Geoff carefully crafts the week’s tasting menu – a non-traditional take on Japanese cuisine rooted in California flavor.
Aligned with Japanese tradition, when you arrive at Geoff’s experience, you’ll be asked to remove your shoes. Slippers are available on-site for you to wear throughout the dinner. Before the sit-down portion begins, you have the option to purchase sake. Geoff usually recommends options that pair with the menu. After a few minutes of mingling, you’ll grab your seat and Geoff will kick off your culinary journey for the evening.
The multi-course menu (usually around 8-10 courses) varies week by week, depending on the season and the catch. Dishes include seafood favorites like: halibut, black cod, and steelhead. Throughout the dinner, Geoff speaks about every dish which is beautifully presented and thoughtfully plated. Don’t be surprised if he comes out with a whole fish in hand. Part of Geoff’s experience is all about education and learning the story behind what you’re eating.
As the evening comes to a wrap, Geoff ends the night with closing words and an invitation to reflect on the last few hours that left you feeling full in the most holistic way. The experience is one that can never be re-created. It’s a moment where people whose paths may have never crossed, came together in a communal setting. It’s a moment of ichido.
Book your seat at Geoff’s table here.
About Host Geoff:
With 20 years under his apron, Chef Reed owes much of his culinary awareness to the ocean and mountains that surrounded him as a native of McKinleyville, California. This was fostered early on with his parent’s garden, fishing in the creek behind the house and having full reign to play in the kitchen. He has opened and worked at several award-winning Bay Area restaurants and serves as a culinary board member with the Norwegian Seafood Council.
