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Habibi Restaurant - CLOSED
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
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"This place rocks. You have to try the buffet, its reasonably priced, and the food is super fresh and has excellent choices from North to…" read more »
8 reviews for Habibi Restaurant
It's tucked out of the way but amazingly fresh food; much cheaper than Mango Bay (next to Nob Hill) and friendly, attentive service. I found the portions adequate and although I wouldn't say this is highly authentic the food is tasty, not greasy and an "all the hits" selection.
Recommend: Shanghai Noodles....
We were all consistently at $12 per person...
UPDATE: Apr 2008, annnnnnddd it's closed. This space has killed several restaurants in the last 6 years. Next up is the new owner "Sushi Blossom"
3.5 stars
This is a review by a vegetarian.
We had all veggie. Spring rolls and Samosas to start and a tofu with spicy black bean sauce & Monk's delight for mains.
The portion size was just fine. 6 fats halves for the spring rolls and 5 samosas that were cyliders that looked a little more like taquitos (but tasted just like samosas).
My Monk's delight was really good with nice fat Shanghai noodles that had heft and tofu that was neither too crispy nor too gooey. The whole slight was slightly sweet and slightly sour. My friend complained that his spicy black bean tofu (which came with rice included) was too salty. But he ate the whole thing.
Service was spot on. Water refills were offered, dessert was offered and when refused a bill immediately proffered.
I'll be going back and trying something else before this cursed spot dooms another entrepreneur.
I've had Chinese Chinese and Indian Chinese and Vietnamese Chinese -- but this is my first Middle Eastern Chinese food. Well, Middle Eastern Pan-Asian food is more accurate.
This entire strip mall is struggling: the Mexican place next door recenty turned over and the video rental place at the other end just folded. The space Habibi occupies turns was most recently a Mediterranean restaurant. The new owners have given it a brighter and cleaner look, though somewhat eclectic (visualize a black-and-white checkered tile floor with Japanese paper lanterns set off by a framed picture of some anonymous US city at nighttime).
The food is mixed: we liked the dan dan noodles and chicken satay (or, as the kids call it, chicken-on-a-stick). The flavors were bright, the vegetables were cooked al dente, and the chicken had a nice combination of flavors from the marinade and the high-heat grilling.
On the other hand, stay away from the chicken pho. The broth lacked character and the rice noodles were too limp.
The Vietnamese rolls were just so-so (very small shrimp), as were and the Indian-style samosa rolls (basically a potato-and-pea filling fried in an eggroll style skin).
As C.F. and KQN observe, portions are on the small size, though presentation is nicely down and the waiter was very friendly (then again, we were the only diners).
You know, it wasn't bad but it wasn't that good either. 2 stars for food and 1 star extra because the service was friendly.
Habibi is in a nondescript strip mall next to a Mexican food place, La Higuerita. The Mexican place is mostly known for its bar which seems to attract these crusty, hard-smokin', leathery-skinned types. My husband calls it La Hickorita.
The interior of Habibi is very simple. Wooden chairs, lime green paint, views of the stark kitchen. Not too cozy but clean. We ordered Monk's Delight which was not at all how it was described in the menu although the udon style noodles in the dish are nice. Waiter misinformed us about the spice in the children's peanut sauce and sugar in the food (the food is sweet like Thai food) but he was quite nice and friendly. I liked the Vietnamese rolls but my hsuband said he saw them premade and sitting in the open in the buffet which kind of grossed me out. They tasted fresh. Hopefully they hadn't been sitting out there too long!
Found this restaurant through http://Restaurant.com and thought we would give it a try. It's relatively new - open a couple months, I believe - and very easy to miss (it's hidden in the complex behind the Arco am/pm on Ralston). The staff was very polite and attentive (good thing, as we were the only people there), and the food was decent. Unfortunately the portions are small and the price is high - all dishes could fit comfortably on a bread plate and still cost over $8-10. If it weren't for our coupon, we would probably balk. It's too bad because the service and cleanliness is top notch...I might come back, but only with another coupon!
What do you get from a Middle Eastern named place run by two Spanish guys and a Vietnamese guy? A crazy noveau/fusion asian place that serves Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese items. The place is very new and the server was super attentive and friendly. As stated by the C.F. the portions are a bit small and with drinks and dessert it was somewhat expensive. However the food was very fresh and mixture of cooking techniques to traditional dishes was interesting. Since they are new I think it might take a bit for them to find their way but I'll probably give another try.
I went here last Monday with some friends of mine. We were the only people in the place for dinner, something I found a bit discerning. The food was all confusing, just like the lime green decore, logo sign, and our waiter's polo shirt. There were loud 80s music playing in the background. The food wasn't very middle eastern at all. Even though I kept looking at the logo which is arabic for baby or something. The food was kinda of like Malaysian/Chinese/Thai/Indian food. The most fusion thing was the samosa rolls appetizer which were potato curry in an egg roll casing. It wasn't that exciting. We had all veggie dishes. The portions were big but I could have gotten this at a normal asian place, too, and probably for cheaper, sans bad 80s music.
I came across this restaurant through a friend that told me I had to try it. The food is delicious! After the first time she brought me here, i fell in love with the unique and delightful taste. I have tried three of their menu items, not including the appetizers and the bites i take from my husband or friend! The chicken-on-the-stick (as my friend and i call it as well) was superb. The sauce is some kind of peanut sauce that i could not get enough of. I have tried the Pad Thai (my favorite), Coconut Lemon Grass Soup(Delicious!), and the Beef Celantro salad (also delicious).
Unlike the others, i think the portions are big. I found myself getting stuffed with the meals, yet they were so good i kept eating. I did notice, however, that when my friend ordered an item from the Chinese Favorites, the portions were smaller, but the presentation was nicely done. I think it has to do with which item you order, because when we order noodles, soup, or salads, they are big portion sizes.
The second time i came back with my husband, and he enjoyed the Yellow Curry with chicken and vegetables. That one was a bit on the spicy side for me! But nonetheless, i will keep coming back, trying new things on the menu when i try to keep myself from ordering the delicious pad thai! i can't get enough!
And I would like to note that i notice people are confused about what the food really is. The name sounds Arabic, but I'm not sure, seeing that i do not know that language. But if you note, underneath, it says Asian Cuisine, and that's what it is.
I absolutly recommend this place. I actually like the attention the waiter has to us as he was always friendly and recommended us great items each time!