PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 71 with local produce.” Also heightening the meal? The presentation, on dishware by ceramic artisans Nicole Pilar and Laura DelaFuente that evokes the otherworldly beauty of sea creatures and the undulating forms of the ocean floor. Robin’s worryingly fragile water glasses, wild assortment of sake cups and even the custom chopstick rests all speak to Adam’s aesthetic sensibility. “For me, it’s very important what people touch,” he says, confessing to “a huge obsession with ceramicware.” The obvious care that goes into all aspects of a meal at Robin appears to be resonating with Peninsula diners. “The reception has been pretty amazing,” Adam says. “Just because you move out of the city doesn’t mean you don’t still enjoy going out on a date night.” The general response? “Thank you for giving us another option!” {food coloring} Step inside Robin Menlo Park and the outside world disappears. Upbeat music thrums, the lighting dims to date-night dark and the moody walls display dribbles of gold and a mural by Caroline Lizarraga. The polished blond curves of its sleek sushi bar catch the eye, as do the chefs producing a steady stream of mouthwatering bites with deft, exacting movements. The California influence means your top-notch nigiri might be dressed with a sliver of juicy summer peach, a bead of spicy apricot jam or a dab of smoky-sweet ancho chili puree. “I’m not Japanese, I’ve never lived in Japan, but I trained under a very serious Japanese chef,” Adam says of his mentor, Katsuya Uechi. “I still want to very much respect the craft and the fish.” But, he adds, being in California means having access to its amazing farms. “There’s no reason not to heighten the flavor of the fish For Adam, the culinary journey hasn’t always been easy. At his first Japanese restaurant job, he wasn’t allowed to touch fish for a year—he had to prove his knife skills on vegetables before working his way up to the cheapest fish. “I think it was three years before I touched a tuna!” But he was willing to put in the work. “I always wanted to be a chef, since I was little, little, little,” he confides. Adam is quick to deflect any credit for Robin’s popularity and highlight the contributions of his team. Staffing is key to any business’ success, and an omakase restaurant demands its chefs have a level of people skills and diner interaction that you don’t need in a typical kitchen. “People go back to a restaurant because they like the food, but more so because they like the way that restaurant made them
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