i’ve tried to eat here many times, but the wait is always ridiculous. my friend decided to make a reservation for restaurant week & when he told me he had 2 extra seats available i couldn’t say no (even if i already ate out twice before in the same week!).

basically, everything is family style and the table has to agree on the dish. you can choose from 6 of their categories (on their regular menu). [2 small, 1 satay, 1 cold&hot, 1 fish, 1 meat, and 1 side]

for our 2 small dishes we went with the edamame dumplings (truffle, pea shoot and sake broth) & the chicken bao bun (chili sauce, shallot and sweet basil).

they bring all the food out according to the size of your party, so we were each allowed to have 2. these dumplings were possibly one of the most amazing things i’ve ever eaten. they were stuffed with edamame and absolutely delicious.

each person was allowed one of these. they were spicy & amazing.

for our satay we went with the kobe beef (apricot, soy and mirin). the beef was prepared perfectly, and the apricot sauce was great.

next up was our selection from the cold & hot menu. we went with the wild mushroom salad (goat cheese, puffed rice and truffle). it’s one of my friends favorites on the menu, so we thought we’d give it a try. it definitely had a kick to it, but i really liked it.

we didn’t need to think twice about what kind of meat to order. filet mignon (with soy butter and mustard) it was! heavenly!

the meat also came with fries. while they were some damn good fries, i don’t really know how they fit in with the menu…

for our fish selection we went with the seared tuna (on top of chilled soba noodles, avacado and tomato). very good!

and lastly (!) our side [really an entree, let’s be real] was the kobe beef fried rice (tomato, scallion and crispy shallots). there was barely any beef, but at this point we were all so full it really didn’t make a difference. and besides, we had more than enough beef in our other choices that it didn’t really bother anyone.

we also ordered a side of the crispy brussel sprouts (fish sauce, puffed rice and chili). another one of our friend’s favorites, and once again, we were not disappointed. 

for dessert they offered mini soft serve cones. sampan is known for their outrageous flavors, and tonight was no different.

for the vanilla we had popcorn!

& for chocolate we had almond joy! both were out of this world. the perfect size dessert to finish off our meal.

i will definitely be back to sampan. their menu has many more options i’m dying to try and everything was just amazing. they offer this type of menu (chef’s tasting) for $45 (it’s $35 over restaurant week) all year round. but honestly, you can share a few things and have more than enough for your table.