Staying in Sunnyvale in the heart of Silicon Valley surrounded Google offices may not sound like the ideal weekend “getaway.” But when you tell me there is a Bay Area hotel with a Japanese-American chef cooking inspired Japanese-influenced food, a Suntory Toki highball machine in-house and Japanese whiskey focus, I’m intrigued.
When invited for a beer and food truck fest weekend and beer dinner with Japas Cervejaria, three badass Japanese-Brazilian women who founded the artful, delicious brewery, I had to check out the new Tetra, Autograph Collection hotel, opened in February 2022. In fact, these kind of communal events are regulars at Tetra — another draw, with food and live music events like this beer fest showcasing local musicians, September 18th’s SunDAE Social! with none other than SF’s Humphry Slocombe, or an upcoming poetry event featuring a poet laureate. It’s also close to Levi Stadium and Shoreline Amphitheater for those needing a place to crash after a concert or game.
Tetra is the more upscale hotel compared to its (still nice) neighbor AC Hotel on the same property. Especially on weekends, you can get reasonable rates at Tetra, sometimes around or under $200 a night. The lofty entrance is warm in browns and grays, wood slats on the ceiling, a striking indoor-outdoor space known as the Nexus between both hotels marked by sculptures. Outdoors on the third floor between buildings is a smaller pool — sometimes without kids splashing around noisily — and lounging area with couches and olive trees.
Rooms are lean, clean in neutral tones but with luxury notes like 300-thread count sheets, ultra-soft Bellino Fine Linen jersey knit hooded robes, custom jersey knit slippers and, best of all, the incomparable Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and SF’s Fellow electric kettles in each room. The hotel is also pet-friendly (yes!) for an additional fee.
Tetra’s Adestria, Coffee Manufactory & Nokori
Coffee Manufactory in the lobby is a morning savior on the coffee front, with a few gourmet snacks and drinks and Tetra chef Hideki Myo’s Japanese milk bread sandwiches to grab-and-go, including cold egg or lobster salad sandos. Adrestia is where chef Myo gets to show off his creative California cuisine with Japanese influence, and, of course, natural and local ingredients. Chef hails from Tokyo and has cooked over two decades in California. His hamachi crudo, laced with sweet onions, serrano peppers, black sea salt, ponzu, olive oil and yuzu kosho, recalls his mother’s recipes, while his cold smoked beef carpaccio in Mizunara cask whiskey barrel aged soy sauce, partnered with tea leaf salad and Japanese cucumber is a dreamy, meaty salad. Even roasted tri-color carrots generously dotted with avocado, blood orange and crunchy sprouted seeds in roasted green tomato vinaigrette is a standout salad.
The most irresistible dish, however, may be Myo’s grilled lobster sando on milk bread, oozing lobster in miso aïoli, furikake and togarashi cheese sauce. Yes, please. Thankfully, you can also get this in Nokori, Tetra’s bar/restaurant. A 40-ounce Creekstone tomahawk bone-in ribeye steak is cooked perfectly medium-rare in sparing creamy brandy sauce, while my top entree was red rice-crusted branzino fish in preserved lemon, caper leaves salad and fregola caponata. Ubiquitous flourless chocolate cake trended decades ago, but it’s hard to stop eating the fluffy, dark goodness here with mixed berries and Hokkaido whipped cream. Even more of a treat is their creamy house Scotch whisky ice cream partnered with a shot of Scotch. Like the hotel, the restaurant sports subtle elegance in touches like a striking communal table made from wood the owners picked out in Bali and ceramic plates from Oakland’s Luv Haus.
Nokori, Tetra’s Japanese whisky bar, is the other biggest draw here. Quality cocktails, Japanese whiskies, beer and sake all make it a winner for the entire Peninsula, but a whole highball menu is tough to find in most cities, much less the ‘burbs (in San Francisco, one of the nation’s best highball menus with Suntory machine is at PCH). A Suntory Toki highball machine turns out extra-effervescent perfection in highballs like a gorgeously subtle yuzu highball, a basil leaf High Baller and pricier ($27) decadence like Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky over a melon ball in Sodawari. Also available at Nokori (except when sold out), a special Tetra edition of Japas Cervejaria Omotenashi Super Dry Rice Lager with yuzu may have been my favorite of all Japas’ beers with its perfect balance, easy drinking yet not lacking in complexity. This is a unique bar in the entire Bay Area.
Tetra Beer & Food Truck Fest
Held August 27, 2022, four food trucks, four local bands and four breweries on a Saturday event ($35 with unlimited beer; food for purchase) exemplified the kind of communal goodness Tetra is hosting. Local musicians Kira Hooks, Ren Geisick, Noah & the Arkiteks and William Bohrer all set a chill vibe that would have also fit beachside. Besides special guests Japas Cervejaria here from Brazil, other breweries there were Sunnyvale’s Shaka Brewing, Oakland’s Federation Brewing and San Francisco’s Barebottle (good times with that Mango Flossi mango lassi sour ale). Food trucks were TaKoz Mod Mex, BunBao, TeaUp and ABVE the Basics, the latter’s deep fried elote (corn) dish a fun one.
LOCAL BITES & BREAKFASTS ON THE DRIVE TO/FROM
On the drive to/from Sunnyvale, a stop at Redwood City’s La Biscotteria is in order for the best biscotti in NorCal, including my favorite anise dark chocolate and second fave, dark chocolate orange. The aromatic biscotti texture is Italy-perfect for coffee-dipping. They also make lovely house cannolis, pleasing my Sicilian side. A treasure since 2003, Angela and Augustine Buonocore tribute Augustine’s grandfather, who was co-owner of San Francisco’s California Macaroni Company, and grandmother Nonna Maria, who taught him how to bake biscotti. It is a special place, refreshingly focused on perfection in one arena.
Fresh off major changes with chef David Kinch set to depart his three Michelin restaurant Manresa after 20 years as of December 31, 2022, this April 2022, his fourth Manresa Bread bakery opened in Palo Alto. I’ve never had a bum pastry or bread at any Manresa and this location is no exception, whether perfected croissants, seasonal danish or levain loaves. Only at this location, their pepperoni open-faced pizza bread, grilled to order and drizzled in hot honey, is irresistible. So is their salty, rye-bread-esque Chocolate Cherry Granola with its oat, rye flakes, buckwheat groats base laced with coconut oil, tart cherries, cocoa nibs.
// 400 W. Java Drive, Sunnyvale; www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sjcva-tetra-hotel-autograph-collection/dining
