Don't call Harmony a Chinese Restaurant. After 4 years in the making, Harmony Restaurant finally opened in Marin County in early 2007. Owner Norman Louie, previously Operations Manager of Yank Sing restaurants in San Francisco for 15 years, had a vision of taking Asian cuisine to a higher level. This vision has inspired Norman to pull together the freshest, mostly organic ingredients to create a cuisine that is several notches above what anyone can find in local "Chinese" Restaurants. If you are looking for chop suey, fried rice and moo goo guy pan (and cheap menu prices) look elsewhere. What you get at Harmony, in addition to the tastiest, freshest food you will find in this area is a feeling of safety and, well, Harmony. There is no need to fear what you might not be seeing in the kitchen (as in many cheap Chinatown haunts) because Harmony has an open kitchen. That's right, Norman has nothing to hide! The decor is dark, polished and understated, even austere yet refined. Dark woods and textured fabric panels highlight the dining room space. The floor is polished wood with central carpet squares lending a Zen-like feeling to the room. My pal Feng-Shui has definitely been here. But the food is the star. First of all there is an assortment of Dim-Sum, 26 varieties of those little dumpling things such as Shrimp Gow, Pea Shoot Dumpling, Crescent Mushroom Dumpling (with chicken), classic Sui Mai and some sweet desserts. All priced $4.50 to $5.50 per serving. Now before you stuff yourself with these I suggest you carefully peruse the additional menu as there are some attractions not to be missed. The menu is mostly small plates (First Bites, Small Bites and More Bites) with a few larger (Main Bites)dishes. The "Vegetables" selection is one highlight of the menu and would make a multi course feast for any vegetarian. There are 9 different vegetable dishes on the menu. A few of the most enjoyable menu items are: Tea Smoked Duck ($11.50), tender duck with a smoke flavor that has a depth and savory character not usually encountered in this dish. Norman personally selects the firewood for the smoking as well as the ducks. Minced Lamb in Radicchio Cups ($12.50), stir fried ground lamb mixed with eggplant cubes, mint leaves, chili peppers and garlic. Scoop up mixture into leaves of Radicchio and crunch and smile. There are 3 beef, two chicken, 4 pork and 3 seafood dishes. The most expensive item on the menu is $15.00 for Wok Action Jumbo Prawns with Black Beans. Huge prawns tossed with 2 types of sweet onions fermented black beans and crushed garlic. But the vegetables are really special dishes you just don't find anywhere else. Whenever possible Norman sources local, organic produce and uses seasonal herbs and spices. Try Blue Lake Green Beans with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes, stir fried beans that are crisp and coated in a light white sauce tossed with toasted elephant garlic and organic cherry tomatoes ($10.00). Or try Sugar Snap Peas with Enoki Mushrooms and Chinese Chives ($11.50). They almost melt in your mouth. But there is still more if you can do it. A selection of rice and noodle dishes as well as 2 soups are available to complete the feast. There is a small wine selection, well thought out to complement the food, beer and a selection of 6 different teas. Reservations are a good idea, especially on weekends and at night. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and accepts most all major credit cards. All items on the menu are available to go. So hurry to Harmony. Then sit back and enjoy a new standard in fresh food. Harmony Restaurant, 800 Redwood Highway, Ste 401, Mill Valley, CA 94941 Tel: 415 381-5300 Just a few minutes from San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Copyright Marc R. Kauffman 2008 - 2011. All rights reserved.