I had the opportunity to snag a last-minute reservation at the bar at Protégé (1 star in Palo Alto, CA). The restaurant itself is modern with an open kitchen you can see from the bar. They serve contemporary American food with a twist. In addition, they have an extensive wine menu, from where we ordered a bottle of bubbly.

We began with the Shigoku oysters and their famous crab & caviar from their snacks menu. The Shigoku oysters came with a rose and mignonette foam which paired perfectly with the saltiness of the oysters. The crab & caviar comes in an eggshell, and cute duck feet stand. The caviar on top brought savoriness to the soft yuzu-infused egg and sweet crab meat. A must-get item at Protege! The snack menu is by piece; I recommend everyone gets their own, too good to share.

Moving onto the appetizers, we shared a Yellowtail aguachile and Spanish octopus. The yellowtail in the aguachile had a firm texture with no fishiness. The microgreens and jalapenos brought a freshness to the dish, and the li hing mui brought a slight tartness that was not overpowering. The Spanish octopus was cooked to perfection over an olive tapenade and artichokes. The flavors were well balanced so that you could taste the freshness of the octopus.

Afterward, we moved on to our entrees. We began with their special of the day mushroom lasagna with prosciutto and shaved truffles and the black bass. The lasagna had nine layers of yummy mushroom goodness topped with fragrant truffle—one of the most savory dishes of the night. The black bass was a welcomed surprise after the lasagna on top of winter squash with fresh Thai herbs and Tom Kha broth. The fish was cooked to perfection with light crispy skin, and the Tom Kha broth was more like a delicious sauce for the bass. The herbs helped lighten the dish.

Last but not least were the desserts, we ended with a fantastic chocolate creme brûlée and apple toffee cake. The creme brûlée was creamy topped with chocolate crumble that was not too rich. The apple toffee cake was warm and topped with chai ice cream—a great end to dinner.

Overall, I had a fantastic dinner at Protege and would recommend this restaurant for celebrating special occasions or a special date night. Every dish was well thought out and balanced in all its flavors. However, I will admit that their plates are on the smaller side, so you may need to order more dishes to feel full.