A New Restaurant Brings a $75 Prix Fixe Menu to Downtown San Jose
M.O. Hospitality, the brains behind hotspots Paper Plane and Miniboss, continues to expand into downtown San Jose with the debut of Strata (pronounced “Stray-tuh”), opening on Wednesday, May 13, with a seasonal, California a la carte and prix fixe menu.
“We have to make sure it’s a really special experience because people are spending so much these days going out,”
Chef Roberto Mendoza’s menu will shift every six to eight weeks as the produce options change, ensuring an experience that feels “dynamic and really intentional,” co-owner Dan Phan says. It’s an especially important factor given that Strata is located at the base of a 600-unit luxury high-rise, as well as across the street from City Hall. Phan says the goal is for customers to have a different experience during each visit. “Hopefully that creates a really great experience over time for people as they come back.”
In the spirit of encouraging return visits, the menu is relatively affordable with opportunities to scale up; for example, the five-course prix fixe is $75 with optional upgrades like caviar, chicken-fried morel mushrooms served in a rich verjus beurre monte sauce with crab mousse and yam espuma, or even a wine or sake pairing. “We don’t want price to be a barrier to entry,” Phan says. The opening menu features items such as a tuna tostada served with avocado and salsa macha, or a Monterey Bay rockfish transformed into crudo made with white soy aguachile, and spiced with chile oil and sliced serrano peppers.
By the time diners get to the main entree, they’ll have a choice between another iteration of the aforementioned rockfish (this time cooked and in a squash veloute), a chicken roulade, or a $25 upgrade to a prime New York steak. “We have to make sure it’s a really special experience because people are spending so much these days going out,” Phan says. “And when they go out, we don’t want them to worry about anything.”
The a la carte menu in the lounge gives diners a chance to choose their own adventure. The rockfish crudo makes an appearance here, but otherwise, the menu skews differently from the prix fixe, with fewer dishes rotating out. In practice, that means items like a seasonal pizza, an 8-ounce dry-aged chuck burger, ricotta-stuffed tortellini, and a seasonal salad dressed in a Champagne vinaigrette, plus shareable items like a seafood tower or Dungeness crab lumpia.
M.O. built its name on a strong cocktail program at its bars, and that continues here. Co-owner George Lahlouh partnered with beverage director Ryan Ota on the drinks. You’ll see the duo get playful with their flavor pairings. Take the Calcutta Cooler, for instance, which combines tangerine, pineapple, and mace with gin and masala soda, or Sunstone, which pairs mezcal with tomato water gin, nectarine aperitif, plus lime and agave sweetener for balance. The wine list is just as considered, and thanks to a large wine room. Eos & Nyx sommelier David Castleberry has put together an expanded wine program traversing local and international wineries, whether that’s a sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley or pinot noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The opening of Strata is just the beginning; already, the group anticipates expanding into live entertainment in another year, possibly adding a stage for jazz bands. “Not only do we want to be a place people come and eat dinner, but we also want to be a community anchor, too,” Phan says. “And bringing people together through cocktails and food is something that we look forward to doing.”
Strata (181 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose) debuts on Wednesday, May 13, and is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
