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Panam
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Castro2367 Market St
(between 16th St & Noe St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 556-6200
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
19 reviews for Panam
Wow, this is an amazing place. I had frog legs - gourmet style - for the first time, and they were delicious. I loved the drink selections (they have a full bar) and the other appetizers I tried were just amazing. The chef is apparently very recognized and I can see why. Just really good combinations of tastes.
I was eating and drinking there with my friend, the amazing designer, Maxime Genauzeau (D.M.G. Design), who actually designed Panam. I have to give him a shout out, because he did such a wonderful job.
I plan on returning this weekend for drinks and appetizers - it's very close to home. :)
I took more than a week to mull over what was one of the worst meals I've had in San Francisco.
A little free amuse bouche came to the table. It was a cream of mushroom soup. It was worse than canned soup and tasted strongly of salt.
I had frog's legs in a persillade sauce to begin. When the dish arrived I found out instead of a traditional persillade, the tiny frog knuckles were coated in a parsely tempura. That could have been ok, but the tempura had zero flavor and completely overshadowed the frog (which was tough, bland and a little cold.) There was a little parsely olive oil puree on the plate along with some little cherry tomatoes.
Next I had the coq au vin. What arrived at the table were several circular slices of chicken breast cooked hard as a rock over a little bordelaise sauce that managed to taste like nothing except salt. It was served with a side of vegetables stewed to the point that they were mushy and all tasted the same. I couldn't eat it.
Service seemed a little lax as well. The place wasn't very busy and most of the waiters were leaning up against something talking the entire meal. My waiter seemed nice. The waitress on the next table had no idea what she was describing to guests. She said the Chocolate Mille Feuille was a chocolate dessert that was chocolatey.
Fortunately they have a great bar. May be if I come back I will stick to drinks.
Even champions can stumble out of the gate.
One thing is certain, and that is that Panam, and by association chef/co-owner Laurent Guillaume, definitely have a pair of brass ones. Their menu of classic French dishes is overly ambitious; the appetizers alone would bring Julia Child to her knees. What's more, only a froggie could produce such a caliber of wine list. We tried several by the glass, all reasonably priced and delicious. But while Chef Guillaume's menu exhibits brio and bravado, the delivery falls well short of the mark.
The best dish of the evening was, by far, the dessert, the 1000 FEUILLE CHOCOLAT - thin sheets of chocolate layered with macadamia nut cream, enshrined by a chocolate "slinky" and spun sugar. Had we started the meal with dessert, we would have left very, very impressed and clamoring for more.
The FOIE GRAS TORCHONS were billed as "slow cooking", and indeed, they took forever and a day to materialize at our table. Spread on some slightly burnt brioche with a dab of Medjool mash, the foie gras ruffled my interest, but did not have me pining for more. The DUCK RAVIOLI in a raisin-port reduction and a truffle thyme emulsion was a striking confluence of flavors. The sauce, instead of suffering from the collision of disparate ingredients, held together beautifully, and we mopped up every drop with some decent pommes frites and French bread. It was the ravioli itself that brought this dish down a notch. The pasta was not thoroughly cooked and was mostly devoid of any trace of web-footed waterfowl.
The main courses, slightly displaced and re-routed to a number of tables instead of ours, were a swing and a miss. Both the lamb Panam and the 'Moscovic' duck (intended to be Muscovy, perhaps?) had us swapping looks of, "I wonder if his is any better?" The lamb, despite its 7-hour braising and a beautiful consistency, was devoid of flavor. The duck had slightly more to offer, but mostly because of its jus and the mushroom and spaetzle accompaniment. Similarly, the truffle mash potatoes that came with the lamb were a hit, and not just for us, but for the surrounding tables as well.
For all of its flaws, Panam showed humility and appreciation to its customers. There were public apologies, the likes of which made up for much of the evening's fits and starts. The waitstaff, in spite of the foibles, kept it together and showed a modicum of poise, all the while never getting a break. I walked away from Panam disappointed with the food, but sympathetic to a newcomer that is reaching for great heights. In the end, I had respect for how they handled themselves in a crisis and I hold out hope that this will pay off over time. Their conciliatory gestures won't bring salvation, but they were a nice comb-over.
I also learned a harsh lesson, which smarted as if my conscience had been rapped with a slide rule. I cherished the possibility of nabbing a Yelp "first" for Panam, and early in the evening I selfishly looked forward to the distinction, and for what? A number? Bragging rights? As the meal wore on (and on...and on...), and as the fabric of our opening night experience unraveled, I blanched at the thought of writing a negative first review. I envisioned how disappointing it would be for the hopeful new restaurant to be tripped out of the gate by a pitiless critic. In the end, my ambition was tempered by mercy, and I've opted instead never to judge a restaurant by its opening night. It deserves some runway, a chance to spread its wings before being clipped by ass clowns like me. Everyone deserves a mulligan, especially when you're new to the game.
I'll return to Panam in a few weeks and update this review, and I vow to avoid opening nights from here on out.
Namaste, newbie, and may your namesake continue to evoke the theme of gay Paris, and not a bygone airline of the same name.
My meal was excellent because I listened to SF Weekly's horrible review of this place. We agree that the duck ravioli is AMAZING! I would come back over and over but only order that. My friend also liked his duck breast but said the skin was not crispy enough. Needs some time in the broiler. My fennel and green bean salad was gross but that's my fault. I knew the ingredients weren't really in season anymore.
SF Weekly and everyone at my table thought everything else sucked. Including some of the drinks. Why does the food in the Castro suck so bad?
I feel bad for this joint. It must thrive above a looming history of failure after failure on this property. Internally, it is small and strange. Strange feeling overall, like an uncomfortable conversation, But, I really enjoyed the food. I do think it depends what you order (as with most newbies) but the amuse-bouche was lovely, the duck raviole conjured a "When Harry Met Sally" moment, and the 7-hr braised lamb was so tender and juicy it just fell apart yet maintained it's structure and complex flavor. Oh, and we had cocktails for dessert - the espresso martini was unique and surprisingly delicious. The service here was reasonable but the restaurant was dead. The happy hour was a necessary element of the castro - cheap and strong. I hope the best for this newcomer!
My friends and I came here for late night desserts and drinks. My gf and I shared the dessert for two and it was fabulous - all the desserts were included in small portions. It should really cost more than $18 for the quality and deliciousness!
The drinks were stiff (something you should expect from any restaurants/bars in the castro, a plus for me!). The mojito there was one of the best I've had.
Love the decor and ambiance. It's a great place for delicious treats and good drinks!
Suspense gripped us as we received the bill. Like the quarterback in a football movie where his entire life flashes through his mind as the ball sails through the air towards the wide receiver in the end zone, we paused. Nervously clutching our napkins, not knowing what we had in store once we opened the plastic booklet holding our receipt, we sat in wait.
I moved first for the receipt, but hesitated, remembering asking for a wine list only to be rebuffed by a baby-faced server who reminded me this, after all, was opening night, and a wine list had not yet been printed up. I could see my dining partner mentally wrestling with himself recalling the hour we spent waiting for our appetizers, only to have them arrive so undercooked the words Al Dente are probably too glamorous a description. Or, was he recalling the next hour we waited for our entrees, during which time our server brought us a glass of wine that was not what we had ordered?
I heaved a sigh and looked around the dining room to cool down and noticed the pile of broken glass in the corner where a runner had swept someone's drunken foibles to the wall, only to have forgotten about the rule that if a glass breaks in a retail establishment, it's probably best to clean up the mess. I turned back to the crowd looking for inspiration. Though my dining partner and I were clearly the only straight men in the entire restaurant-- opening night at a restaurant in the Castro, Nils? What would your kids think?-- our new friends around us sat laughing over the fact that they were served the wrong dishes (no, duck does not resemble lamb) and that we were denied the phantom filet mignon that had emerged from the kitchen without an owner.
Now was the time. Man-up, Ross. It's now or never. So, I dove in and opened the bill with my confidant looking green. Instead of a receipt, I found a note that merely stated "Thank You!"
Huzzah! The day was won.
We paid the tip and left, never to return since this place will be closed in a month.
My friends and I dined there Sunday night after a long day out. There were 3 of us.
I had the vegetable risotto which was very very good.
My friends enjoyed their meals as well. One started with the frog legs, which he raved about. He also had the lentil soup, which was good. I took a taste. My other friend had the prawn appetizer and the chicken for his main meal. He also enjoyed it. Only one of us drank...next time :)
Our waitress also showed us a dessert, which was beautiful looking. Although none of us ordered dessert.
I loved the ambience of the restaurant and the colors.
I'll definitely be back and hope it succeeds.
Another new treat coming to the Castro. Though I do not know how long it will last. The food, sounds great, looks grand, even tastes great (the french-vegetarian-pescatarian dishes anyhoo). However, I don't think many new restaunteurs understand the neighborhood clientle. Many of those who frolick in the Castro want a home-style meal under $10. Many tourists usually frolick bars or never really eat in the neighborhood. And there are the few of us who once lived here, that pedaled down into the Mission or SOMA for better eats.
Though I applaud their efforts, I give this place 3 months tops before it closes it's door (like its predecessor Frisee). Unless they can bring in the clientle like those of Starbelly.
As for the food, I applaud the efforts of bringing vegetarian/pescatarian fare that's not a salad nor a thin-crust pizza and not California comfort (though I'm always a sucker for the latter). Thank you for the truffle mashed potatoes, YUM. While the small plates seem like what will keep the place open, I don't know how many people will really venture into the entree side of the menu (aforementioned clientle who want cheap food). Also, thanks for staying open until 1am!
This is just a review of the menu. So I'm anal and spelling is one of my quibbles, and the fact that the menu was misspelt has put me off trying the place, as I figure if they can't spell it, they probably won't be able to cook it. It's Spätzle (or Spaetzle), not Speatzel. And I'm also assuming that one gets more than one french fry with the entrée, so it should be 'Frites' and not 'Frite'. It's all about the details.
Well I went here unexpectedly on opening night. I was walking by on my way home from rehearsal and was texted by my friend, sister and brother-in law. They were inside trying it out. My brother-in-law did the design inside. I didn't know about that, so I'm really glad I commented positively about it when I went inside! Whew! It looks really great.
Now I came almost 2 hours into their meal, apparently, and they had not even recieved their appetizers! So it's kinda unfair, but I didn't have to suffer... I just came and there was food! Someone mentioned there wasn't a wine list, but I was given one. I had a lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Really delicious.
The food was super super super small... like a few bites. We had the frog's legs as well as yellowtail. Both had great flavors. The veggie side order was larger and really seasoned and oiled up nicely. OMG though the mousse was so delicious and dark, but not too rich. I mean, up there with the best I've ever had.
I get the impression that they were underprepared and the server staff was not all ready for this. Or the kitchen, since they were backed up. But these things are to be expected on a first night.
The host was quite gracious and I'm pretty sure they took a couple things off the bill as an apology. I really hope they succeed. I never made it to Frisee. This time, we need a place to stay. They are bold and ambitious, but I respect that. You go for it! Classy and refined. Try it, but don't be in a rush, okay?
They just opened, so this review is intended more for the owners than it is for other potential diners. it is in the spirit of wanting a new establishment to succeed that I write....
First, the decor is a little amped up for my taste. It's kind of 70 glam, a cross between Brandy Ho's (that same curved ceiling) on 18th and Lime.
1. Educate the wait staff. She should not have to run to the kitchen when asked a basic question about the way a dish is prepared.
2. Stop apologizing. Our waitress must have said "I'm sorry" 10 times in the first 30 minutes.
3. Food: my halibut was really bad. So over handled, so full of applied oil, sitting over veggies that were cooked to the point were they were beige. The resembled nothing that was ever fresh. Gentle with the fish, please.
3. My dining partners lamb was very good.
Their price point demands really good food. Sorry, it was a miss for us.
Maybe I'll go back.
I'm starting Panam out with three stars, but I hope to be able to move it up to four after they've had some time to work out all the kinks.
First, I think it's a great addition to the Castro dining scene, which is slowly improving. The fact that it has the Choquet's pedigree means a lot to me, as I'm very fond of their other restaurant.
Second, the food was excellent. The fennel and green salad was amazingly good, the crab mimosa, the duck ravioli, the duck breast--all superb. The chef really knows what he's doing. Although I didn't have dessert myself, my friend's was an absolute work of art, and he pronounced it delicious.
On to the service: our server was great. Besides being young, attractive, and enthusiastic, I sensed that he cared about the people at his tables and did his best to serve them well. The problem was more in the kitchen, which seemed to have a problem with pacing and getting the dishes out. The intervals between courses were either too long or too quick, but never just right. I'm hoping that will even out soon.
The negatives, at this point: the music is waaay too loud for such a small space. We asked our server to turn it down, and he did, but it somehow crept back up again. Also, the ambient noise creeping in from the Cafe upstairs did nothing to enhance the ambiance.
I'm always a little wary when a restaurant styles itself as a "Bar, Restaurant, and Lounge." You can't have it all, and when I see "Lounge" in the description that makes me a bit nervous. I think of the dear, departed Mecca, which overemphasized the "lounge" and didn't pay enough attention to the "restaurant" aspects.
I will return after a couple of weeks and see how things go. At the moment, I'm liking it..................
I highly recommend the ravioli. It was soooo good. I had an excellent French wine recommended by the server. The woodwork and design gives it a very urban but cozy feel. We sampled all of the deserts and particularly enjoyed the chocolate. This restaurant just opened so they're working out the kinks but you can see it's teeming with potential and it's in an excellent location in the Castro.
beautiful design and restaurant .
the cocktail was really well executed , the pepe castro . we tried a lot of apetizers , all very tasty . for main course i got the lamb wich was delicious . dessert are not only beautiful but a delice as well .
great place overall
We came here on a Friday night and were seated upstairs without a wait. I think they are still getting the service part down. We had to wait a little bit to get our drinks, but since they just opened, I don't hold it against them.
The food here is solid, and the capiranas are excellent! The smoked trout salad was unique and refreshing. My halibut was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I really liked it even though it's hard for me to be a fan of fish dishes (I am more of a meat person). My fiance had the lamb which he really loved. Living in the neighborhood, we will definitely be back!!
On the plus side, I thought it was also very well priced with entrees just under $20 and a few above.
I waited a week before going in. After my experience, I know I should have waited MUCH longer. The appetizers were ok but not worth the prices charged. The pate came out with 3 small pieces, and the smoked trout salad was missing smoked trout. I ordered the braised lamb. When it arrived, it was 1/2 fat. I sent it back, and 10 minutes later the replacement came, but it had no sauce and was still quite fatty. Another person in our party ordered the halibut, which he said was "just ok". The only upside to our experience were the desserts, which were presented nicely and much better than the 2 previous courses.
We only had some specialty cocktails and appetizers but everything was delicious! The mojito with champagne was awesome! We had the duck ravioli with raisins in a port sauce and crab mimosa's, both excellent. Prices are reasonable and the environment is welcoming. We will return for dinner and desserts sometime.
So I to made the mistake of coming here on opening night. First lets start with the good: They did an amazing job with the small space provided and I actually like the setup (minus the connecting door to the Cafe no longer being there). The interior is modern and chic. I have to say, for the price point the food was lackluster and the menu read like they were trying to hard. The food was not bad, it just wasn't what I would expect for that price point. On top of that, our food took a really long time to prepare, which I will excuse because it was opening night (by the time the food got to us it had been at least 45 minutes to an hour, and the table next to us experienced a longer wait then us and were already seated when we arrived!!). Normally, I can subdue myself with the bread but even that was late, and when it did come it came with hard butter. I asked for olive oil and vinegar, but even that was a task, considering it was opening night. All these things were trivial and I will have to go again now that the dust has settled to update my review. One thing that did pleasantly surprise me were the drinks. My friend and I both had two rounds of drinks and all of our drinks were perfect. I have had manhatten's and cosmo's all around town and I know a perfect drink, and the bartender made a perfect drink! I definitely am going to give the food another chance but if it doesn't hit the mark a second time, I will be sure to be back for cocktails at the bar at least, considering I found my new man crush (for some reason they are always bartenders).
