Well, I didn't see this one coming! The quirky so-called Flintstone House down on I-280 in Hillsborough is going to open to the public for the first time this month as a high-end omakase pop-up with a Michelin-credentialed chef.
Amusingly, it's called Stoneage Omakase, and as the Chronicle reports, it opens July 12 with a 15-course, $230 omakase menu served by acclaimed sushi chef Masa Sasaki — who earned a Michelin star while at Maruya in San Francisco, and then opened his own restaurant Sasaki, both of which are now closed.
Sasaki was also attached to that crazy, NFT-backed private club/restaurant project planned for Salesforce Park that has now fallen through.
The owner of the Flintstone House, Florence Fang, is a former publisher of the San Francisco Examiner and is well known in the Chinese American community in SF. She has not lived in the house since purchasing it in 2017 for $2.8 million, and lives in a different home in Hillborough. After buying it, she proceeded to double down on the home's longtime nickname by installing same fairly garish lawn ornaments featuring Flintstones characters and the phrase "Yabba Dabba Doo." For this reason she was sued in 2019 by the town of Hillsborough, for being a "public nuisence," and for creating a "highly visible eyesore" that was "out of keeping with community standards."
It seemed Fang had not sought any permits for the installation of her menagerie, and some railings, and this battle went on for two years, with Fang counter-suing, until Fang ultimately settled with the city in 2021. Fang agreed to seek proper permits, the town agreed to approve them, and the town even paid out $125,000 to Fang to cover her legal expenses. (Sidebar: Do we think she sought a permit for this restaurant? Sorry, pop-up, which is run by a catering company, says the Chron.)
Originally built as an experiment in materials — shotcrete and rebar framing over mesh and inflated balloons — the quirky, bulbous, three-bedroom house was designed and built by architect William Nicholson in 1977. According to a former owner, no two ceiling heights are the same between the various rooms. It became a local landmark for those driving on I-280, and kids who grew up in the area no doubt called attention to it every time they went by.
Fang said that the house was going to be for entertaining purposes only, and that it was her "happy place," and it seems she has also collected a lot of Flintsones figurines that are featured in a display inside the home.
Now, those with a taste for sushi and expensive omakase experiences will get to dine inside — if you can get a reservations. Those reservations go live at 6 pm today (July 3), and my guess is they will go fast.
It appears there was an invite-only dinner this week for influencers, to promote the highly Instagrammable Stoneage Omakase, and you can see video of that below from of those invited. The menu includes A5 Wagyu nigiri, uni, and lots of fresh fish flown in from Japan.
The cave-like dining room, complete with fake stalagtites, features a U-shaped chef's table set up for just 12 guests at a time. And the Stoneage Omakase experience will only be available Thursday to Sunday from 6 to 9 pm, with buyouts and private events available as well.
Previously: Florence Fang Lashes Back With Countersuit Over Hillsborough's Flintstones House 'Harassment'