The InterContinental San Francisco Hotel introduces the latest creation from Chef de Cuisine Dennis Efthymiou: the exquisite Cornucopia Eight-Course Degustation Menu.
The menu pays homage to his Greek and Mediterranean heritage, drawing inspiration from his culinary journeys to the U.K., Middle East, and Peru, while incorporating Japanese and Thai ingredients and flavors. Chef Dennis celebrates the opulent autumn harvest season with a touch of elegance, bringing his culinary artistry to one of downtown San Francisco’s premier fine dining establishments.
As a descendant of Greece, Chef Dennis’s roots are intertwined with a rich tapestry of history and mythology, which beautifully intersects with the autumn season, where the cornucopia takes center stage. In ancient times, the cornucopia symbolized abundance and nourishment, closely linked to Greek and Roman mythology, particularly associated with deities connected to harvest and prosperity. Chef Dennis looks to the past to shape the future of fine dining in the heart of San Francisco with a multicultural vision.
The Cornucopia Eight-Course Degustation Menu by Chef de Cuisine Dennis Efthymiou unfolds with a Chef’s Welcome, featuring a Spinach Pie, Mussel in a Shell, and Golden Egg. The first course, titled Crabbing, harmoniously blends locally sourced Dungeness crab with curry cream, infusing Indian spices, Thai fragrances, and Peruvian chiles. Dungeness crab is delicately steamed and combined with lime mayo, granny smith apple, cucumber, pickled watermelon radish, basil seeds, and crispy yellow split peas.
A tribute to the origin of caviar in Ancient Greece and Persia is presented as the Caviar Sunflower. Chef Dennis sources Golden Osetra Caviar from a biodynamic farm in Greece, imported by Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, and accompanies it with smoked sturgeon mousse, served on a tartelette and adorned with edible sunflower petals.
An Earthen Rosebud, featuring beetroot, rose, Concord grape, yogurt, and Jaguar seeds, captures the essence of beauty, purity, and love at first sight. This imaginative interpretation of a Greek childhood salad includes a meticulously crafted rose made from yellow and red beetroot, accompanied by Greek yogurt labneh, Concord grape gel, and finished with Sicilian pistachio and rare white Jaguar cocoa seeds.
Thalassa, the goddess of the sea, takes diners back to Chef Dennis’s coastal hometown on the Ionian Sea with a dish called Scallop. The dish features natural blue colors, a result of seaweed and flowers, representing his time by the Mediterranean ocean.
Chef Dennis pays tribute to San Francisco’s artisanal bread-baking tradition with a freshly baked sourdough Bread & Butter, served with truffle sourdough and truffle butter, complemented by organic Greek extra virgin olive oil.
The main course, Land & Sea, draws inspiration from Spanish turbot and combines influences from French and Italian cuisines, featuring a brined and poached turbot fillet with three distinct sauces and parsnip prepared in various ways.
Nutty Secrets presents Iberico Secreto, a unique cut of pork with a distinctive flavor. The dish includes hazelnut praline, Black Arkansas apple gel, and espresso-soy gastrique, providing a balance of richness and contrast with red verjus pickled fresh cranberries.
Wagyu Bliss showcases Kagoshima A5 Wagyu beef from Japan, served with celery root puree, caramelized pearl onions, matsutake mushrooms, and shaved burgundy truffle.
Pumpkin Patch, inspired by Chef Dennis’s first visit to an American pumpkin patch, features a spiced pumpkin pie mousse, gingerbread soil, and matcha meringue.
Chocoberry Sunset, inspired by orange chocolate treats, combines sea buckthorn berries and rich Tainori chocolate in a decadent dessert.
The tasting menu concludes with Greek Macaron, Raspberry, Yuzu, Pistachio Bonbon, Bacon Twix, and Pate de Fruit.
Chef Dennis is committed to sustainability and is seeking out a local organic farm to grow specialty ingredients for the Cornucopia Eight-Course Degustation Menu.
The Cornucopia Eight-Course Degustation Menu, priced at $175, can be paired with suggested wines designed by Chef Dennis and Wine Director Isauro Zavala for an additional $110. A vegetarian option is also available to mirror the culinary experience.
Reservations for The Cornucopia Eight-Course Degustation Menu at Luce can be made through Tock.
