My buddy and I had a Guy’s Night Out and decided to check out Twinflame to see if the hype was real…

Entering this huge modern space, you can tell that this place was about the “show”, but could it live up to the hype? The service staff are very attentive and always checking in to see how things are going. They also do a good job in explaining what the sauces are and how you should enjoy the meal.

As for the food, the Hamburg patties are delicious! Cooked perfectly over coals adding a nice char to the outside while the inside is packed with juices and flavor. The miso soup that comes with the meal was also delicious. We also ordered all three of the starters that were available… I would say that 1 of the 3 were really good, which was the Gamja Jeon, while two (Doobu Kim and Gim-Mari) of them were marginal. To finish off, we tried the Matcha Ice Cream, which was excellent!

Overall, we really enjoyed the experience of the meal. I’m giving it 5 stars for the Hamburg Steak and the service, but adding the appetizers, I’d give this restaurant a 4.5. Don’t take this as a negative, but I just wouldn’t order the two appetizers next time and would still be very full and very content with the meal.

We had the chance to attend the soft opening of Twinflame, a new Korean-Japanese robata restaurant on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The food, atmosphere, and service all made a great first impression, and it’s always exciting to discover a restaurant that gets so many things right from day one.

We started with the Doobu Kimchi, a dish made with crispy organic fried tofu, sautéed kimchi, kimchi purée, crispy nori, and scallions. It’s vegan and gluten-free, but more importantly, it’s packed with flavor and a great way to begin the meal.

For drinks, I enjoyed a glass of Domaine Red, Les Garçons Brouilly from France, followed by a glass of Shichida Junmai sake. Both paired beautifully with the food.

The highlight of the evening was the Japanese-style Wagyu hamburg steak, grilled over binchotan charcoal and served with Koshihikari rice, miso soup, and a perfectly poached egg. Rich, smoky, comforting, and easily one of my favorite dishes of the night.

We finished with ceremonial matcha ice cream served in a crisp monaka shell. It was creamy, balanced, and the perfect ending to an excellent dinner.