The Restaurant
California Seasons Through a Japanese Eye
Chef Scott Nishiyama named his restaurant Ethel's Fancy for a reason that reveals everything about the kind of cook he is: Ethel was his mother's name and his grandmother's name, and the restaurant honours both. That kind of emotional intelligence — the decision to carry personal history into a professional kitchen — infuses everything at Waverley Street with a warmth that Michelin stars cannot manufacture but can recognise.
The food is described as Modern California with Asian influences, but that undersells its precision. Nishiyama's training in Japanese technique expresses itself in the structural clarity of every dish — the way flavours are layered, the way textures are chosen, the way a plate arrives looking inevitable. The Milk Bread is one of Palo Alto's most discussed dishes: it arrives like a declaration of intent, soft and warm, with the kind of yield that stays with you. The Sesame Pancakes are equally singular. Pork belly paired with burrata — a combination that sounds contrived but lands with complete conviction.
The charcoal-grilled octopus is a study in what fire can do to texture and flavour when someone really knows what they're doing. Nishiyama's kitchen sources seasonally and thinks carefully: dishes change as the California seasons turn, and returning diners find different menus that maintain the same character. This is the kind of restaurant that rewards loyalty.
Booking requires planning: one to six days in advance is typical for dinner, and walk-ins rarely succeed. The restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays. For a first date in Palo Alto that generates conversation and signals considered taste, Ethel's Fancy is the most consistent recommendation in the city.
Why It's Perfect for a First Date
The first date works at Ethel's Fancy because everything about the restaurant creates the right conditions. The room is intimate without being claustrophobic. The food generates genuine curiosity — when the milk bread arrives, there is something to talk about. The menu's California-Japanese synthesis is unfamiliar enough to prompt questions and discovery, which is what the first ninety minutes of a first date actually require. Nishiyama's cooking has emotional intelligence built into it, which is not something that can be faked: you feel it in the pacing, in the care with which each dish is calibrated. A Michelin-recommended first date restaurant that remains one of the most sought-after tables in the Peninsula.
What Diners Say
"The milk bread arrived and we both went quiet for a moment. That's rare. Nishiyama's cooking has this quality of making you stop and pay attention. We're now in a relationship and we go back for our anniversaries."
"The pork belly with burrata is one of the ten best things I've eaten in California. The sesame pancakes are better than you expect them to be. This place rewards every visit."
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