This past Sunday’s Bauer review showed some new love for San Mateo, with a pretty glowing assessment of All Spice and chef Sachin Chopra (most recently of Sakoon), and Bauer notes that “it would probably have lines out the door if it was in San Francisco.” He writes, of a chocolate-hued short rib vindaloo topped with goat cheese and a bouquet of radish sprouts, “Engaging all the senses, it’s bold on the entry, with more subtle elements emerging afterward.” Furthermore he loves the star anise and fennel confit chicken wings (pictured), and the Indian bread fritters Ma Mere, which are a tribute to Chopra’s grandmother. He points to a few dishes that don’t quite work, like a chicken roulade, a tamarind pork belly, and some “rubbery” scallops that he nonetheless says were “imaginatively seasoned,” so the final score is two and a half stars. [Chron, Earlier]
