Discover how number5kitchen in San Carlos blends seasonal California cooking, sustainable seafood, and thoughtful sourcing into every dish. Read on as Chef Henry Eng shares the inspiration and mission behind his restaurant.
Tell us a little bit about your restaurant.
number5kitchen is a small, independently owned restaurant in downtown San Carlos (the midpoint between San Francisco and San Jose) in Silicon Valley, focused on seasonal cooking and a constantly evolving menu shaped by what excites us at the moment. We are deeply ingredient-driven. The goal is simple: cook food that feels alive, honest, and memorable.
Our cooking balances California seasonality with classic techniques. One week, we may be serving pasta with fresh morel mushrooms and coastal english peas, another week a whole roasted fish with a broth built from trim and shells saved throughout the week. We care deeply about flavor, and using ingredients fully and responsibly. We serve food and wine that are worth gathering around.
Can you share the story behind the founding of number5kitchen?
We identified what our neighborhood was missing — a place like us — and built it.
From the beginning, the goal was not to scale or follow trends. It was to build something that felt right for the way we eat and host. That still shows up in everything: the modest dining room, the constantly changing menu, and the way we work directly with farmers and fishermen.
We are still shaped by that original idea. We’re trying to make a neighborhood restaurant that people recognize as their own, and hopefully one that resonates beyond the area too.
The ocean is central to your business. Can you share more about how?
Living and cooking in Northern California, it’s impossible to separate the ocean from how we think about food. We are close enough to the Pacific that it shapes what shows up in the kitchen through climate, agriculture, and available seafood. Ingredients like uni, spot prawns, Dungeness crab, sardines, anchovies, and shellfish are not just menu items for us; they’re reminders that we are working within a living system that changes constantly. What is exceptional one week may not be available the next, and we respect that instead of forcing consistency where it does not exist.
Seasonality matters in seafood just as much as it does in produce. There are moments when something is abundant and at its peak, and moments when serving it simply does not make sense. Part of our cooking is learning to respond to that rhythm rather than override it.
What ocean-friendly practices does your restaurant have in place? What sets your restaurant apart in terms of its commitment to sustainability and ocean health in particular?
We approach sustainability practically rather than performatively. That means making operational decisions that actually reduce waste and environmental impact.
Some examples:
What probably sets us apart is that sustainability is integrated into daily decision-making. Small independent restaurants like us can move faster and more thoughtfully than larger operations because we are behind every decision.
Tell me about your commitment to sustainability. Why is it important for your restaurants to be "ocean friendly"?
We are an ingredient-driven restaurant, and that philosophy extends to our water. Wild seafood is a finite resource. If we are going to put it on the plate, we owe it to the ingredient — and to the guest — to source it responsibly and use it completely. The ocean-friendly framework recognizes restaurants that are already doing the right thing. That's where we fit.
What inspired you to follow sustainable practices and to become an Ocean Friendly Restaurant?
It starts with the food. When we source something like a wild king salmon or spot prawns and can tell the story of where they came from and who caught them — guests respond to that.
That same mindset carries into how we cook and manage waste. Dungeness crab shells become stock. Beet greens become pesto. Mushroom trimmings and citrus peels become sauces, and condiments. We try to treat the entire ingredient as usable, not just the most obvious part.
Why do you think it’s important for the hospitality industry to prioritize sustainability?
Restaurants are the last link in the supply chain and the first place most people encounter these ingredients. We have real purchasing power and real influence over what guests think is normal. If we normalize provenance, seasonality, and whole-ingredient cooking, that ripples outward.
What role can you see the industry playing in protecting our ocean?
Buy wild and sustainable products, know your vendor, and use everything you buy. It sounds simple because it is. The industry does not need a complicated program; it needs purchasing and kitchen discipline. The rest follows.
Do you find that customers are receptive to your mission and eco-friendly practices?
Yes! Most guests do not want a lecture while they are dining, but they do appreciate knowing that thought and care went into the experience beyond just flavor. Increasingly, people are asking questions about sourcing, seasonality, packaging, and waste. Guests are more informed than they were five years ago.
Can you share a guest story or piece of feedback you’ve received about your sustainability efforts?
Firefly squid is a good example. It's a hyperseasonal item from Japan — only on the menu for a few weeks in Spring, then it's gone. When we explain why they are called firefly squid, where they come from, how they are caught and their hyper-seasonality, the dish and the dining experience transform. The guests are experiencing more than just a meal. That is why we build the menu around seasons and sourcing rather than locking in a static list of dishes.
Anything upcoming you'd like to plug?
We host ongoing wine dinners in collaboration with a local vineyard—intimate, multi-course evenings with paired wines. It is a natural extension of what we do: great sourcing, seasonal cooking, a producer who cares about the land as much as we care about the kitchen. For more details on upcoming events, visit our website.
What are your goals for the future?
Keep deepening the sourcing relationships, keep the menu honest to the season, and keep finding ways to use everything we bring through the door. The goal is not to get bigger—it is to get better at what we already do. The challenge with restaurants is resisting the pressure to become generic as we grow. We want number5kitchen to keep feeling personal. That is the part worth protecting.