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Last night I enjoyed a gorgeous birthday dinner at Saketini. We both had the tasting menu, five courses chosen by the chef, not necessarily off of the menu. Last time we ate there, I asked about the tasting menu and was told that it’s a good idea to call ahead, so that the chef can pick out some special ingredients for the meal.

We did call ahead, and when we walked in, it was the chef who greeted us. He recognized our reservation and acknowledged that we asked for the tasting menu. After we sat and I had an Orion Beer in front of me, we started our journey. First out was an artistic presentation of oysters. One served on the half shell and topped with two kinds of caviar. The other oyster served as a shooter, sans alcohol and with a tangy liquid. Neither my wife, nor I are big oyster eaters, but these were incredibly fresh and plump (maybe too plump for a novice oyster shooter).

Next up was a dish of fried wontons stuffed with a mixture of salmon, herbs and cream cheese. Drizzled with a light sauce, it was lovely. Following the wontons we had a yellowtail sashimi salad. The strips of fresh-that-day-yellowtail were laid on a shredded salad with a spciy dressing. Moving from surf to turf, out came a generous serving of beef tataki. Seared beef, sliced thin and topped with a light salad, some vinegary sauce and bonito flakes. The bonito flakes added a very complimentary smokey flavor to the dish.

Last up was dessert. We got two different kinds of ice cream, deep fried and drizzled with chocolate sauce. After we cleaned out the martini glasses the ice cream came in, we looked at each other, deeply satisfied and perfectly full.

After dinner, I asked to meet the chef quickly. He came out and I thanked him for the great meal. He confirmed that it is a good idea to call ahead and told us that he had been planning the meal over the last few days. Lucky us, it was a great birthday present for me!

So, where do you go for your birthday? I don’t have a regular place, sometimes we make a nice meal at home or go to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Give us your suggestions in the comments.

By Jonah (see more of his posts). Jonah is the founder of la.foodblogging and also created Digesty, a food blog aggregator and Cheww.com, a spam free foodblog search engine.