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E & O Trading Company
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
314 Sutter St(between Grant Ave & Stockton St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Neighborhood: Union Square
(415) 693-0303
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
773 reviews for E & O Trading Company
Review Highlights
"The corn fritters are absolutely worth the wait."
(in 257 reviews)
"Try the butternut squash dumplings."
(in 25 reviews)
"shaking beef (a must try to all that go here."
(in 71 reviews)
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773 reviews in English
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Review from Jessica C.
Piedmont, CA
2/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I was highly skeptical of this place when making my reservation due to the mediocre reviews. BUT! My friends insisted that we must go, so I gave it a shot.
I must say, I was not disappointed. Maybe it was the atmosphere and the constant questioning to myself of how they got so many BIG decor items in this place, who knows? My food was tasty and I want to give them extra applause for the creative presentations.
I recommend the shitake fries and the chicken lettuce wraps! Great ambiance and service! -
Review from Flip F.
Lafayette, CA
2/1/2012
Had a great meal today - been here a lot, as i work in the area. Had a Indonesian Curry soup that I will definitely get again. The gingerale is homemade...and fantastic. For the first time, I had the pork buns which are made in a open face sort of way - delicious flavors.
For dinner I usually enjoy the spareribs and the shaking beef - old standby - however recently have been a little disappointed in the Shaking Beef.
generally, one of my more favorite places in the City for Lunch or Dinner - also close to the Sutter/Stockton garage to boot.... -
Review from samantha l.
Sacramento, CA
1/30/2012
This place has been on my list of places to eat ever since I saw it featured on the Food Network's the Best Thing I Ever ate. My boyfriend, my friend, and her boyfriend visited E & O Trading Company on a Saturday night at about 7:00 p.m. (We had made a reservation online at http://opentable.com.) We were quickly seated at a table upstairs, which seemed a bit quieter than downstairs, and handed menus.
We ordered drinks and the featured "best thing I ever ate" the Indonesian corn fritters ($13) right away. The waiter let us know that it only came with three, but that "he could add another one in there." Of course we said yes, little did we know that it would be an extra $3.50. I mean, I didn't EXPECT it to be free, but just by the way he said it, it seemed like he was doing us such a favor.
The waiter then disappeared for about 10-15 minutes. He then came to drop off our drinks and he informed us that he had to go drop off other drinks and that he'd be back to take our orders. He came back probably 15 minutes after that. At least the corn fritters came out earlier.
Anyway, about the food (served family style):
-Indonesian corn fritters ($13 for 3 and $3.50 for the extra one): they really didn't have that much spice/flavor to them. Everyone at my table gave it a solid, "meh." Good enough, but not great.
-Crispy sesame chicken rolls ($12/ 2 rolls): they were pieces of chicken wrapped in egg roll wrappers. The whole thing wasn't that flavorful; the sauce had a strong mustard flavor, but I wasn't too fond of it.
-Hoisin and Coffee glazed spare ribs ($16): about 6 pieces, this was the best dish of the night. Plenty of meat and pretty tender. The flavor was good. The cole slaw it was served with was really bland and no body at my table touched it. Make sure to get this dish!
-Beggar's chicken ($13, from the special Year of the Dragon menu): foil-wrapped chicken, 3 servings, pretty tasty. This dish came out about 15 minutes after all of our other dishes so we didn't really even want it anymore. It tasted good, but I just wasn't that hungry anymore.
-Eggplant ($9): we didn't order this dish, but it was brought to our table. We then told the waiter and he said that the kitchen made a mistake and that we could have it. It was decent.
Overall, the food was decent (some things were better than others); but the service was lacking. Our waiter was never to be found and the fact that we waited so long between dishes annoyed us. The waiter asked us if we had a show to go to after; we said no (but thought to ourselves, we still want our food in a timely manner).
Notes:
-Parking may be difficult in the Union Square area. -
Review from David C.
1/30/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I'm not quite sure I understand the 'theme' that E&O is going for in terms of their strange decor, but their food turned out pretty good.
Char Siu Cod: A+
Definitely the highlight of the night. The cod was extremely buttery and flakes of it melted in your mouth. There was a nice smokey aftertaste from the of char siu seasoning. It was served over a bed of traditional asian choy that was stir fried. People weren't kidding when they recommend this dish. Its not only tasty, but has alot of character and Asian elements in it. Extremely innovative.
Mushroom Dumplings with Foie Gras sauce: A-
Portion and taste was on point. The dumpling was cooked perfectly, and the skins melted in your mouth. Mushroom medley inside was flavored well, and paired very well with the foie gras butter sauce. Definitely can recommend this dish.
Tangy Duck Breast over Mashed Yams: B
Sweet flavors were too overpowering in both the glaze on the duck as well as in the yam mash. Duck breast was a tad overcooked, making it tougher to chew than I would have liked. Yam mash was interesting and innovative, but I could only stand the sweetness for a few bites.
Albacore Crudo: C
Albacore itself tasted great and was fresh, but the natural milky flavor was smothered by the olive oil (it was drenched). Also, for the price of this dish (~15) i expected a better portion. The dish probably amounted to one piece of traditional sashimi at a japanese restaurant.
Overall, it was an average experience. The service was mediocre. There are definitely places I can recommend within walking distance over E&O, but this was a nice new place to try. -
Review from Ben L.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The ribs are absolutely worth it. Highly recommended.
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Review from Albert H.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm always a little suspicious of "Asian Fusion" places, simply because it is often an excuse to make random food - all the rules go out the door. Happily, E&O has a vague focus on southeast asian flavors ( despite the random Japanese and Chinese decor thrown in ) and seems able to maintain it.
After fighting traffic for an hour to get up there, we ran in at the very last minute for happy hour, and the bar guy was more than happy to oblige us - very nice of him. Cocktails are vaguely tropical/asian/dutch themed and for the most part decently made. They have a good set of local and macro beers on tap.
The corn fritters are something everyone should try - tasty and interesting - but the smaller happy hour portion at the bar is probably plenty. You get a lot of fritters if you order it off the appetizer menu for $13.
While the food is not ... quite ... authentic to its roots, the interpretations from shiitake mushroom dumplings with foie sauce to a roasted eggplant dish actually taste good - something missing from a lot of random "fusion" food.
Service, though somewhat rushed, was by and large fast and friendly. It's a beautiful three-level restaurant ( restrooms and banquet room in the basement ). Pretty much the only viable parking is in the Sutter/Stockton garage next door.
We find ourselves coming back here, especially when they are running a special. It's a good, solid meal with honest flavors and creativity. Recommended. -
Review from Priyam D.
Fremont, CA
2/7/2012
The ambiance of the restaurant is great. It's a good balance between a nice place and a more a relaxed vibe. The food was not bad. It was a little bland for my taste, but the meat was cooked well and the presentation was nice. I had the steak satay, which I liked. It was a good change from the usual chicken satay but still retained that flavor one would expect. The chicken and pork shumai was so-so. It was not something I couldn't find elsewhere.
What I really didn't like about the restaurant was the service. Granted I've only been once, so maybe it was just a bad waiter. We had to wait a ridiculously long time before someone came to take out order. And even when he did, he was snappy with his answers to our questions about the food. It almost felt like I was getting poor service because I was with such a large party. Just because we have to give you a larger tip doesn't mean that you can compromise on service. -
Review from Marley Q.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I've been to E&O since they first opened a ton of times for happy hour while working in Fidi and always had a good experience with service and food/drinks were always decent and tasty. Recently, we had to find a place in downtown that would be kid friendly to have dinner with out of towners. I wanted to avoid the a chain like Cheesecake Factory. I thought of E&O so I made reservations for 4 adults and 2 toddlers. Experience was great. They had boosters, little twisty things for the kids to play with, and make some chicken and noodles for the kids that wasn't on the menu. They also accommodated with the dessert by offering a single scoop for each child instead of having to get the trio. They were very accommodating overall and made it a pleasant experience dining with kids.
-
Review from Gev M.
1/21/2012
Great place for Happy Hour, especially when with a larger group...
Happy Hour is Monday - Saturday 3-6pm. In addition to a house white and red ($6 each), they offer draft beers ($4) and signature cocktails ($6). Nice departure from all the wine bars that are scattered all over the FiDi. A co-worker tried the Lanai (pineapple infused rum) and highly recommended it! Excellent regular wine and cocktail menu (non-happy hour prices) also.
Happy hour bar bites were kind of amazing! The mushroom satay was absolutely fantastic, and an excellent veggie option. So smoky, I could have sworn it was smothored in BBQ sauce. It's $1.50 but actualy a decent individual size, and comes with a good portion of pickled veggies on the side. Fried risotto balls (with a chipotle mayo sauce?) was really good also, but be prepared to order 2 or 3 as they go fast, and are heavy but not very filling ($4 for 3 balls - hehe). Fry bread was OK - I ended up eating it with my entree salad. Corn fritter bites were also OK, but not my favorite.
Food: Miso Ceasar salad was typical, but tasty nonetheless. The roasted eggplant (w/ tofu, basil, chiles) rocked my world! Sauce was a tad heavy, but when coupled with the veggie brown rice stir fry = excellent balance! BTW, in case you did not catch on, this place has excellent food options for vegetarians!
Great for sharing! Great for groups! Reservations recommended. -
Review from Vanessa L.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
Very interesting! this restaurant is huge and the ambiance is awesome. The food was really good but definitely on the pricey side.
I would highly recommend the chicken lettuce wraps - the sriracha sauce and butter lettuce cups are what sets them apart from any other lettuce wraps.
I understand the corn fritters are a big hit and were on the foo network but i wasn't a huge fan of them! I was underwhelmed! -
Review from Paul B.
2/3/2012
I had an amazing experience at E & O. When you go there order the corn fritters, butternut squash ravioli, and the hoisin coffee ribs. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. The drinks were unique an flavorful as well. My favorite is the Basil martini! All around amazing food and amazing service!
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Review from Kiyan R.
Goleta, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
There's something about these Asian Fusion places that I just love. From the minute I walked in, I experienced great vibes from this place. The host seated my group of 10 immediately (without reservation) and instead of making us to wait, he allowed us to "borrow" a reserved table until the party arrived.
As you probably guessed, this place is "family style" which allows us as customers obtain a greater variety of flavors and phytonutrients than your average visit to another restaurant. My group ordered something from pretty much every grouping on the menu and there seriously wasn't a dish we disliked.The chicken lettuce wraps were particularly phenomenal.
The main thing I'd recommend about this place is to bring an open mind and empty stomach. A few people in our group hated the food because they were expecting Chinese food but overall I'd say everyone else were very content with the experience. Go here with a large group and give everything a taste (the more people, the more food! ;) -
Review from KT W.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This food is fantastic! I absolutely love this place - it's great for a trendy night out, for drinks, appetizers, or a nice dinner. Drinks are awesome, food is very interesting and definitely tasty. I also love that you can make a reservation on http://opentable.com.
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Review from Ron P.
Oakland, CA
1/7/2012
Sometimes I head over to E&O for the corn fritters and a beer for lunch. The fritters are that good, if you like fried goodness with soy dipping sauce like me!
Pluses:
1. Corn fritters. These are my fave. 9/10
2. Great for a group of 6-8 people. It's fun to order a bunch of small plates and to share different dishes. You'll need a reservation though.
3. Miso bass was excellent. 8/10
4. Shaking beef was very good as always. 8/10
Minuses:
1. A bit on the slow side. Could have been much better.
2. Not really very authentic but asian fusion as a category isn't about authenticity.
3. Brussel sprouts were a bit charred and overdone. Tasty option for vegetarians though. 6/10
4. Baby bok choy was plain. 4/10 -
Review from Greg K.
12/23/2011
This is a place to go back to for sure.
1. Ambiance - Very nice. It can be casual, intimate or a bit more formal. It is entirely up to you and all can fit easily. Nice Decor, large setting, bar area, private rooms downstair and plenty of waiting room to wait for your table.
2. Parking - Right at the Sutter / Stockton garage, so easy, depending on what time you try to park.
3. Service - The front reception handling your reservations is very professional and pleasant. Makes you feel welcome and friendly instead of other places that act as if you have been graced to be in their restaurant. Table service - Roberto was our server and he was freakin awesome. He was funny, put up with all the photo's we asked him to take and he even posed with us. He was entertaining, and he was helpful. He allowed us to do the happy hour at our table instead of at the bar only area. I would give him alone a 5+++ star rating. Thanks for making our evening fun Roberto.
4. Food - Very interesting asian-esque food. I actually like the taste and simplicity of the food.
Indonesian Corn Fritters - Unique, great texture, and good taste. Excellent with the sauce it comes with.
Salt and Pepper Calamari - Very crunchy, tender and light at the same time. This requires skill to make and it was perfect.
Shitake Mushroom Dumpling - These little things were very, very tasty. I am a siu mai type of dumpling eater and these things were nice.
Chicken Satay - Difficult to make great as many times the chicken is dry or not tender. Here it was both tender and juicy. Very nice!!!
Himilayan Red Rice Stir Fry - Okay, I have to go back and try this again. I was eating this down, no sucking this down so quick, that I have to go back to really enjoy it again. I believe it had pork and prawns, however, it was just so tasty that I was scarfing this down too quick to notice. No matter, just order this when you go!
5. Great for large or small parties of all sizes with the private rooms and tables in the main dining room. We went here for a small middle school / high school reunion friends we haven't seen in a long time and enjoyed time here!
GK says, this place is good, it has a great environment and the servers are going to be as fun as YOU are, so if you are having fun, you will have fun! -
Review from mike l.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not bad not great. Food comes out on small plates and family style. Quality of the food was ok. It's asian fusion like hoisin spareribs and seared ahi...
Service could have been better. We asked the waiter to take a picture of our birthday party and you know what he said? He said sorry im too busy. You make the call if you want to go there or not. -
Review from Chef Peter C.
Torrance, CA
1/2/2012
Hi , went with my family of 4 New Years Eve 2011/12 .The Host was very accomodating and friendly as we didn't have a reservation . He got us a table and we were appreciative . Service nice , ambiance great .
Here's our dinner
1 Risotto ball 5/10 Didn't love no butternut flavor .
2 Corn fritters 9/10 very different and fun. fresh corn with a light batter yum
3 Beef Short rub sliders 7/10 yummy needed a little kick but good
4 Chicken satay 7/10 good little too thick but nice sauce
5 Himalayan red rice stir fry 10/10 delicious great flavor
6 Salt n Pepper Calamari 6/10 Good but little overcooked
Classic Mai Tai was fabulous
Cheers -
Review from Jennie K.
11/26/2011
The restaurant we first went to - Daffodil - pretended they didn't "get" our reservation, and said they only had a $50 buffet that evening. So we moved on and tried to find another restaurant that looked good.
I hate giving one-star reviews, I really do, especially when the main server is nice.
However, all the lovely decor and nice servers won't help when your food is just plain bad and way overpriced. (If you need an idea of what I think is worthy of 4-5 stars, look at my reviews. They range from the cheapest but delicious dive, to the glorious, fancy foodie place. Which is to say that I don't discriminate - I love good food wherever it arrives.)
I paid $62 including tax and tip for one of the worst meals I've had in San Francisco - the only part worth it was the tip for the main server. The others brought out the wrong food multiple times. And the food issues weren't even a "well, I like x THIS way, but they gave me slightly different y." It was more about "you said this is kimchee but it's more like chopped fresh cabbage in hoisin sauce." In addition, the portions are so minuscule - even on the entrees - we weren't even full. My boyfriend went to Del Taco (!!!) just to get full for cheap.
It wasn't a plating issue. I cook and I know the challenges in plating food beautifully while also making sure there's an appropriate amount of food. This was not it - it was so not on par with Bistro Central Parc, One Market, Waterbar, or even Boulevard (which I thought was highly overrated but at least I was full!).
It hurts me - in the wallet - when I pay for a "good" meal that is so awful. Avoid. -
Review from Wayne L.
Millbrae, CA
12/4/2011
Came upon E&O Trading Company after a horrible experience at a Chinatown restaurant. We ate a little at that restaurant, then decided to find another place to eat. We checked Yelp and found E&O Trading Company on Sutter.
E&O is a Asian fusion restaurant. We ordered sauteed eggplant with taro and garlic. Added Chinese vermicelli noodles with tofu and sweet sauce and sweet ribs.
The food was good, yet their not really all that different then the Chinese staples I've eaten. The service was good and responsive, especially after we told him we were in a rush.
Good Chinese food without the Chinatown grease. -
Review from Geoff A.
Colorado Springs, CO
1/20/2012
More like 3.5 stars. Interesting food but a tad expensive.
Ambience: I went on a Friday night and it was packed. There's bar seating, high-table group seating on a first-come basis and regular dining seating both downstairs and (more quieter) upstairs. I think on a week night it would be a little nicer with less people. A bigger problem was that it has an open kitchen and given that many of their items are char-grilled there is a heavy smokiness about the place.
Service: Very friendly and helpful. The maitre d' was accommodating to the fact that I didn't want to be sat at a bar in spite of being alone and found me a table.
Food: Interesting. I'd definitely be up for going back to try a few more things on the menu - it was tough to narrow down to a single choice amongst such a number of inspired concepts. I had the pork and it was tasty. I also got a side order of the home -made "kim-chee" (as I was intrigued). I now see why there were quotes around it - it wasn't at all like kim-chee, simply shredded cabbage with a sourish dressing.
Price: A little on the high side.
I'd go back, but it might be hard to convince others to come for the price. -
Review from Anthony A.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2011
E & O's image tempts a casual reviewer to give it four stars. I've been here a couple of times, years apart, and it really deserves only three stars.
My first visit here in 2006 thanks to a previous employer was uneventful. I only got to try a couple of appetizers, just a couple of egg rolls and some other forgettable stuff. My return for a recent dinner didn't blow me away either. I had the flatiron steak over cole slaw - huh? Cole slaw? I did a double-take but then realized that anything goes at an Asian-fusion place with a "crossroads of the Orient trading post" theme going on. I ordered a side of jasmine rice; the confused waitress brought it out later thinking I didn't really want it (huh?), and it was plain old long-grain rice rather than the jasmine I had ordered. Anyway, the steak was alright and the cole slaw was actually good. Our party split some chocolate mousse cakes for dessert, which were about average in taste and appearance.
E & O is one of those San Francisco places that people with aspirations for success are reluctant to talk down. The self-styled cognoscenti who appear in the local monthly magazines like to tout E & O as cutting-edge San Francisco. Folks, I'm at the point in my life where nothing I say about anything will either open or shut any doors for me. E & O is just okay. It's fine for a decent dinner but keep your expectations realistic. -
Review from Monica P.
12/1/2011
I've been here about 4 times now for a mixture of business and pleasure. The decor has a nice modern Asian vibe and the lighting is perfect...not too dark or bright. The service is accommodating and friendly, and they have nice big tables for larger parties. (Reservations recommended for groups over 4)
Food Recommendations:
Indonesian Corn Fritters
Calamari
Beef Short Rib Sliders (oh man!)
Hoisin and Coffee Glazed Spare Ribs
Green Beans
Bok Choy
It's true that the prices are a little high and the dishes are on the smaller side, but I loved everything I ordered. Maybe I got lucky and just made good choices :) And yes, you should order several dishes to share with the table. It's the best way to get a taste of more dishes and family style is just more fun. -
Review from Mike F.
Newport Beach, CA
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was OK. I liked the chicken satay but everything else was pretty standard. My wife and I came in to eat on a Thursday around 8pm and it was as if they were closing up shop. It was dead in there. Atmosphere suffered and the food was OK
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Review from Saya G.
San Diego, CA
1/15/2012
This was our second stop and I was so happy that they have happy hour on Saturdays. We got a long table at the bar and our waiter was great and always checking on us. The corn fritters are amazing and we ended up getting two orders. We tried other apps too that were very good. I thought the pork sliders were too gamey.
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Review from Virgo M.
Bay Area, CA
10/21/2011
We tried just about everything at our table and i loved anything that came my way. I am looking forward to a return visit. Service was great.
Faves:
- green onion fry bread * mango raita, curry sesame soy dipping sauces
- indonesian corn fritters * sweet chili soy sauce
- dan dan noodles * hill farm ground pork, cucumbers, scallions and spicy turnip chili sauce
- hoisin & coffee glazed spare ribs * hill farm natural pork, cole slaw
- vegetarian koda farm organic brown rice stir fry * tofu, mushrooms, market vegetables
oh and some fun choices for those who prefer no-alch beverages: the NO-jito and a refreshing homemade ginger ale! -
Review from Maile N.
10/23/2011
What an awesome deal we got through Travel Zoo, but we had to use it fast because the expiration date was coming up (I love these deals but why do I always wait til the last minute to use them...)!
So we went to dinner last Friday evening early before catching a show in Berkeley.
With the deal, we got:
*Indonesian corn fritters * sweet chili soy sauce (mmm, we liked these, crunchy and slightly sweet, very filling)
*Shiitake mushroom dumplings * foie gras miso sauce (mmm, tasty, moist with a hint of foie gras taste, intriguing)
*Thai spiced pork tenderloin * grilled peaches, watercress, sweet onion relish (we loved the grilled peaches and watercress, the tenderloin was actually a little dry)
*"Cellophane" kelp noodles * dungeness crab, snap peas, garlic, ginger (solid dish, loved the crab)
*Roasted eggplant * tofu, thai basil, chilies, dark soy (nice balance to the meal, very filling)
*Pomegranate Margarita (the deal included two of them, yum!)
*Apple upside down cake (yum! sweet, apple-y, mmm, with a corn muffin crust)
Nice service, great deal, solid meal. We were a little late for our show as we took our time eating, but it all worked out in the end.
I would come back to E&O Trading Company! -
Review from Jennie M.
Mountain View, CA
11/9/2011
I've only been to E&O once before, and that was the San Jose location. I've walked past the SF one several times, but finally went in there to grab some snacks with friends before a Bourbon and Branch outing. Luckily for us, it was happy hour! We sat on the comfy cushions in the front of the restaurant and ordered a bunch of half price appetizers. It was exactly what we needed, and the prices were good. My friends really enjoyed their cocktails (which ain't bad considering we were headed to the known fantastic cocktails at B&B next!), and we all enjoyed the appetizers. The corn fritters were nomtastic, but I was bummed to find out when they came that they are not gluten-free. The batter/breading they use is very light, so I took a chance (and paid the price later, but that was my choice), but thankfully they were so tasty to make the gluten-poison worthwhile. =)
It's a great location for food in the greater Union Square area, especially for happy hour on the weekends. At least when we were there, it seemed less crowded than most of the restaurants that are closer to the square and chock full of tourists. -
Review from Emily F.
Los Angeles, CA
11/27/2011 Seated via OpenTable
First time at E&O after it was recommended by a friend. We made reservations for dinner through yelp and didn't have any issues (I was expecting, perhaps, that they wouldn't have gotten the reservation).
My fiance and I had a really lovely time here. The waiter was able really knowledgeable about the menu and was able to suggest great dishes. For an app. we got Indonesian corn fritters-essentially patties of fried corn and vegetables. They were quite tasty and the dipping sauce was yummy, too. For entrees, I got a veg. dish from the "rice dish" section--the stir fry. It was certainly yummy, but nothing too out of the ordinary (which, I prefer, so it won me over). It was a nice portion with plenty of tofu and mushrooms. My fiance got the black pepper shaking beef and thought it was very tasty and didn't disappoint. The portions are nice and filling, so we didn't have any room for dessert!
A nice restaurant to try with an enjoyable wait-staff and ambiance. -
Review from Kirsten S.
San Francisco, CA
10/28/2011
Mmmmm.... Went here for dinner last night, on a travelzoo voucher that was about to expire. There were a couple issues here and there, but the meal definitely ended on an upswing and a positive note.
For me, the appetizers, including the corn fritters, were underwhelming. My BF pointed to my general apathy of fried foods when I said the fritters weren't all that, and yes, it is true, I prefer fresh foods to fried. The 2 appetizers we got were the crab dip and seared ahi stack. Of these, my favorite was the seared ahi, served on a crispy wonton.
Dinner really picked up when the main courses arrived. The shaking beef and oolong tea peking duck breast were our choices, and they were mmm mmm, so good. The beef was unbelievably melt in your mouth tender, and the sauce on that duck was pure heaven. Excellent flavors all around. My one criticism is that I had a problem with the amount of fat on the duck, and I was unable to eat it.
Dessert was a chocolate "silk road" cake, and it too was yummy. For all the wonderful things to eat in this city, I would say dessert courses are generally lacking. I am happy to say this dessert actually hits the right note of being rich, silky, and not too, too sweet.
All in all, we had a great meal. Also, service was on-point, we never, not once, wondered where anything was. We were attended to expertly. -
Review from Wakako U.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think E&O is a lot better since acquiring the new chef. The spicy pork sandwich was unique and delicious! Oh, and the corn fitters are the best - sweet and lightly fried!
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Review from Claudine V.
San Francisco, CA
10/23/2011
My BF and I came here and used our TRAVEL ZOO coupon for dinner . We absolutely enjoyed our food because everything they served was DELISH! Our coupon came with all of the things we ordered below except for the side order of eggplant.
Drink - Malbec
Appetizers -
corn fritters- yummy
Warm Dungeness crab dip with onion bread - YUM!
Prawn Satay- Yummy with good green dipping sauce
Entree- Shaking Beef and Pork Tenderloin - YUM
I saw that they have eggplant so I have to have it! And it was very tasty. It came with TOFU as well and Red Peppers which was perfect.
DESSERT: Banana Cream Tart- very yummy
For a Sunday, the place was busy and everyone was using their TRAVELZOO coupon.
Overall: FANTASTIC DINNER DATE:) -
Review from Derek N.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've eaten here several times.
Food is good. Some of my dishes were a bit salty.
The crab noodle dish is nice.
Fair selection.
I would eat here again. -
Review from Tim N.
10/22/2011
A great option for after work appetizers and drinks.
They've got a big space with high ceilings, and a lot of different options for where to sit (booths, tables, high-tops in the bar area, etc.). Their on-tap beer list is impressive and their Asian-influenced appetizers are tasty. Prices are pretty reasonable and so is the staff. Highly recommended! -
Review from Rachel K.
10/19/2011
Fantastic drinks. Small menu selection, but good quality & unique Chinese-style food. Great bar service.
A surprisingly small # of chinese restaurants in SF's Chinatown, so if you're craving chinese food stop here right before the Chinatown entrance! You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Maria C.
1/17/2012
only drank here. liked the set up, the lights are dim. happy hour 1-6 i believe? $4 beer, $6 wine -- both obviously limited selection. chose the white wine of the day which was pretty great! hear the food is decent so would like to come back to try that sometime! good for groups.
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Review from Greg G.
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know sort of not a fan. I came here the other night. It had been a crummy day and one of my friends wanted to come here. Eh you know I could tell before opening the door I was going to regret this but heck, you live you learn right?
So we got a bunch of dishes, corn fritters, sliders, lettuce wraps, and a dish that was like pork and pears (or something).
The first order out of my mouth however was for whatever was the strongest drink they served that wasn't just a shot. The server, who was very kind to our loud group, brought me a the house's special very orange flavored manhattan. It wasn't my thing. Waaay too sweet and $$ too. Drank it down pretty quickly to move on to just gin in the end and then beer (serve 90 minute ipa here, not my fave but cool to see a bar with it).
When the food came, I have to say the only real thing that I found ok, was the sliders and it was mainly because of the sweet mayo sauce on them. Overall overly pricey and not very good. -
Review from Joel F.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011
Ate lunch here with a couple co-workers for lunch, and was pretty pleased. We ordered:
--Chickpea Fries
--Seared Ahi Stack (very good)
--Beef Short Rib Sliders (good)
--Baby Bok Choy
--Dan Dan Noodles
Overall, all of the apps and entrees were good, just not worth 4 stars. My favorite dish was the Seared Ahi Stack--definitely 4 stars. The restaurant was out of the "Shaking Beef" which is supposedly one of the best selling dishes on the menu. Perhaps I'll update after eating the shaking beef. The birthday dessert was free and very rich/chocolatey. -
Review from Janet S.
Portland, OR
9/11/2011
One word: Gross.
The food is not good. I would say that it's on the same scale as Straights Restaurant in the San Francisco Westfield Shopping Centre. Everything that came from that kitchen tasted burnt. The food is pretentious. I understand that it is suppose to be fusion or what not, but it didn't taste like anything special. There was nothing Asian about the food-just because you add some lemongrass in it doesn't make it Asian (maybe the chopsticks made it Asian). I mean, what was it suppose to be fusioned with, burnt style cooking?
If I wanted to eat something gross, I'd hand a 2 year old a pan to fry me some eggs. They should really learn how to cook "Asian" food before stepping up to "Asian" fusion.
Not going back. -
Review from Aimee R.
9/15/2011
Came here for a Bachelorette Party dinner. There were 20 of us and they restaurant took care of us. The whole event went smoothly.
What we ordered: (3 on each table of 10 girls)
-Indonesian corn fritters: Crispy goodness. Fried corn is always yummy.
-Seared ahi stack: It was easy for us to divide because the ahi came on fried won ton skins. The ahi was fresh and the flavors were good.
-Butternut squash dumplings: These are on the sweeter side. The curry it came in was delicious.
-Wood roasted char siu black cod: Not the biggest portion but it was cooked well. The fish was flaky and it was seasoned well. Very tasty dish.
-Wood roasted chicken: The herbs and seasoning gave the chicken a lot of flavor. The meat was moist.
-Beef short rib sliders: I personally did not get to try these but everyone else enjoyed them.
-Thai basil lemon martini: Great flavor. The lemon was not too tart.
Restrooms: My only gripe is that the restrooms are downstairs. Since we were on the second floor each time we needed to use the restroom we would have to go down 2 staircases. Not cool when you are wearing heels. The women's restroom had about 4-5 stalls. They were clean and stocked.
I would definitely like to come back here and try some more items from their menu. -
Review from Kitty K.
San Bruno, CA
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved the atmosphere here (dim lighting and a mixture of decor) and the service was pretty fair. They were pretty busy, so even though I had a reservation, we didn't get a table till 20min. later. We would've been really upset if we were hungry, but luckily we had a late lunch so it didn't matter.
We came here because of the Travelzoo deal which consisted of a drink (Pom Margarita, Wine, or beer), corn fritters, 2 small plates, 2 entrees, and a dessert. We don't drink so unfortunately if you substitute for a non-spirit drink, they wouldn't let you have two of them per person (even though it was still below the allotted $10/person).
For drinks we had the ginger ale and the Pom Margarita. The ginger ale tasted as strong as a ginger beer so I really enjoyed it. If you don't drink a lot, the Pom Margarita is pretty strong. We had to order a sprite to make the drink more manageable.
The corn fritters was interesting. I enjoyed how the kernels were crispy on the outside, yet when you bit down on them, they would burst in your mouth. I personally didn't really like the sweet chili soy sauce that accompanied the dish as it was too tangy.
For the small plates, we ordered the warm dungeness crab dip w/ oven baked green onion fry bread and the steak satay w/ pickled veggies. The crab dip had real crab topped with bread crumbs and wasn't really creamy. The bread had the slight oven brick char which made the dish fantastic. The steak satay was done quite well and was nice and tender. The pickled veggies, however, had a bit of wasabi to it so we couldn't really enjoy the side.
As for the entrees, we had ordered the wood roasted game hen (w/ creamer potatoes, ginger, garlic, and spring onion) and the wood roasted oolong tea pekin duck breast (w/taro root mash and citrus almond marmalade). We were so full by this time, all we could do was take a nibble of each dish. The hen was tender and charred nicely. The potatoes were slightly seasoned with the garlic and were nice and soft. The duck was citrus-y due to the marmalade which kind of threw off the balance in my opinion. The taro mash was a bit over-powering. A bit of cream or something to tone it down a bit would've been nice.
Nearly all the desserts were sold out except for two unfortunately (sorbet/ice cream or ginger cookies), so we ordered the ginger cookies. They came out nice and warm and were spiced very well.
