When I am pressed for time (i.e. when I don't have time to skim through Yelp and Tripadvisor when traveling overseas), I usually ask my local friends where I should eat. Thus, my foodie friend to the rescue! She did ask if one of my criteria is to take beautiful food photos. That's a big, fat YES. So thank you to Tiara who suggested that we meet up at this restaurant. That's how I discovered the beauty that is Nopi, the sister restaurant of Ottolenghi.

Brilliant use of spices and fresh ingredients

Everything was well executed. From cocktails with a kick of passion fruit and lychee to the unique flavors of every dish with spices, such as coriander and cardamon. Who would have thought that a tablespoon of coriander seeds can make such a difference on a burrata. 

I can't make up my mind which one is my favorite because everything is damn good. The desserts are also as scintillating as the savory plates. Even the floor to ceiling mirrored restroom is amazing (sorry, no photo).

Even though Nopi tags itself as Mediterranean, I describe their cuisine as Californian Fusion with a hint of Indian and that's because the fresh ingredients reminds me so much of what San Franciscan restaurants are known for but with a much more flavorful twist from all the spices they use. Can Ottolenghi please bring Nopi to San Francisco? Pretty puhlease...