live 
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I think we need an evening there.
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after a two year absence I’m so happy animal is finally back. I saw a couple familiar faces from the foh but apparently the boh is entirely new.
both sergios were in the kitchen on this night.
no foie biscuit 
hamachi tostada 3.0, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanut, avocado
always a must order. this one had less height (no cabbage?) then the previous version, but still excellent. love the salty, sour, sweet, tart fish sauce vinaigrette and all the fresh herbs and peanuts, very vietnamese chicken salad-y.
chicken liver toast
another must order. I think I like this newest version even better. the liver and shallot jam are still insanely good but now it’s on crispy, soft, buttery brioche instead of a crusty toast.
(new) dungeness crab, tomato, kombu, shiso
really nice light and refreshing bites.
sugar snap peas, ponzu, green garlic, sesame
nice knife work and charring on these snap peas
chicken oyster yakitori, smoked paprika, crème fraiche
I think this may of had some tumeric in it, that with the dill, reminded me of another vietnamese dish, cha ca thang long.
the flavor was there but the oysters had a stringy texture like it was any old piece of thigh meat.
(new) chicken tsukune, ma la vinaigrette
surprise highlight of the night. the tsukune was juicy and flavorful and I could have eaten it plain and been happy. the sauce just made it even better, it was more of a sweet-spicy, there wasn’t any ma.
yellowtail collar, jerk spices, jicama, citrus, palm sugar
this hasn’t changed from previous versions. the sauce is sweet, collar is spicy and you definitely need to try and get a piece of citrus and onion in each bite to balance everything out.
boniato yam, lemon crème fraiche, pepita, salsa verde, za’atar
the yams were perfectly fried so it had a crisp outside but was still creamy on the inside.
crispy pig ear, red chili, lime, market egg
ears were solid but there was just too much lime
michy’s tuna tartare, cilantro, ginger, crème fraiche, chips
barbeque pork belly sandwich, slaw
another classic
quail fry, grits, maple bacon jus
breading on the quail was crispy but a bit too thick, loved the maple bacon.
and the ol 18% service charge is not a gratuity has reached animal, which was no surprise.
l did leave extra but at the same time still felt bad that I somehow under tipped.
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Damn, it looks like they are hitting on all cylinders from the jump! that is looks like a fantastic meal.
That service charge/tipping policy is pure douchebaggery though.
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38 posts were merged into an existing topic: Restaurant surcharges & service charges: threat or menace?
Okay, I’m mistaken. We’ve got resys someplace else next week and Animal on a later date. So much eating to do it’s hard to keep up! Will report back!
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No need to rehash @PorkyBelly’s report, but tacking on my stray impressions 
Obviously it’s been a couple years since I was at Animal, but was truly happy to see it up and running again with both sergios in the house.
Hamachi Tostada 3.0
An improvement–it was less sloppy and still punching with flavor.
Chicken Liver Toast
No. 2 on my Best Toasts Big Board. Also improved by the brioche toast.
Chicken Oyster Yakitori
I’m a bit conflicted on this one. I feel like I enjoyed the flavor itself more than @PorkyBelly, but also wondered if there was a bit more thigh in here than we probably thought there’d be. I mean, it would be 2 chickens for 4 oysters, and so I get how that just wouldn’t make sense for a restaurant to commit to fully. But I don’t actually know what’s going on behind the scenes 
Chicken Tsukune
Seriously, maybe has the chicken tsukune belt right now.
Boniato Yam
The fry was wonderfully light and it was such a great delicious bite–I could have had a whole order to myself.
Finally, here’s my power ranking.
- Chicken Liver Toast
- Chicken Tsukune
- Boniato Yam
- Hamachi Tostada 3.0
- BBQ Pork Belly Sandwich
- Michy’s Tuna Tartare
- Dungeness Crab
- Chicken Oyster Yakitori
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Crispy Pig Ear
- Yellowtail Collar
- Quail Fry
Any ways for Animal to go to the next level? The meal would have been better with chop sticks.
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Dodge city salami is what I pick up anytime I’m putting together a charcuterie board, but that’s not something I’d order at animal. Is it dressed up in any way or just served as sliced salami?
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we didn’t order it but the table next to us did, it looked like it was just slices on a plate.
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That seems very odd. Definitely skip that and just head to your local cheesemonger.
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I was thinking maybe a replacement of the petite basque with onions salami and toast. Slices of salami on a plate seems very odd.
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horses does the same thing with their saucisson.
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Was it at least crispy? I loved that dish.
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Mildly crispy, but not to the point where it really made up for it. The taste was there, I just felt like I didn’t get exactly what I was expecting 
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Bummer. I loved that dish so much - the flavorful, tender chix oysters, the spices, the super crispy skin! It really didn’t need the sauce. Simplicity. 
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hamachi tostada 3.0, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanut, avocado
(new) cheese toasty, cress
(new) ricotta gnudi, english peas, butter
(new) chicken tsukune, ma la vinaigrette
chicken oyster yakitori, smoked paprika, crème fraiche
roasted bone marrow, chimichurri
sweetbreads, spinach, hen of the woods, caper brown butter
braised rabbit, vin jaune, mushroom, irish champ
poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar
(new):grilled leg of lamb, aji panca, fara, marinated kale
flourless chocolate cake, cherry, soft cream
tres leches, strawberry
the best dessert at animal.
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What an overwritten amateurish piece of shit excuse for a review. 
I have a few reports backed up in the queue, but moved this one to the top @PorkyBelly. 
Ricotta Gnudi, English Peas, Butter
Fluffy, pillowy, goodness, and with the buttered peas… I will get this every time it’s on the menu. 
Chicken Liver Toast
I missed you so much and I your new brioche toast.
Chicken Tsukune + Ma la Vinaigrette
Juicy! I might these more than Aburiya Raku’s. RIP.
BBQ Pork Belly Sandwich & Slaw
No longer two for $18, now one for $12. Price/portion change aside it’s still tender fatty deliciousness. Maybe a tad overcooked this visit, but they were just getting back in stride. I give them a pass. It belongs on a Best Sandwich list! 
Hamachi Tostada 3.0, Fish Sauce Vinaigrette, Peanut, Avocado
Perfect balance of EVERYTHING! So good!
Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
LOVE! I haven’t enjoyed a dessert at Animal this much since the 1st year when they did a perfect panna cotta.
Imbibing…
We put the Cellador Chenille Cherry with apple cider & sour cherry notes in the sour beer category. Our server rec’d Where’s Linus?, Sauvignon Blanc as a by the glass choice and a dry, herbal Dewazakura “10th Degree” Ginjo.
Must note that Animal’s bartender is more generous than Son of a Gun’s. Note this sake pour.
It was only 2 of us and being our first time back in years we ordered classic favorites and a few new bonafide FTC hits. This sadly left off the once mouth watering Chicken Oyster Yakitori. 
Will do another time.
Service was great and we were pleasantly unsurprised to see familiar faces. Our happily congenial waiter said he was one of only two new FOH employees.
Welcome Back, Animal! 
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