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The House
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants American (New) Asian Fusion, American (New) [Edit]
1230 Grant Ave(at Broadway St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 986-8612
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- 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:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
2004 reviews for The House
Review Highlights
"The sea bass is always soft, moist and yummy."
(in 738 reviews)
"We had the deep fried salmon roll - amazing."
(in 128 reviews)
"yummm but the wasabi noodles with salmon - superb."
(in 318 reviews)
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2004 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew P.
Alameda, CA
2/8/2012 4 photos
Been here 2 times and it's a 5-star experience every time! Nice little hole in the wall type place in North Beach. The House is Asian Fusion at its best and won't disappoint once you get past the crowd of people standing in line. Ambience is pretty classy and upscale, but at the same time pretty casual.
Made reservations beforehand for prime time spot during 6-8 pm and once we got there they sat us at our reserved time. For the main entry, me and my friend ordered the Deep-Fried Salmon Roll with Chinese hot mustard and Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy. The Sea Bass melted in my mouth with every bite I took! This isn't your ordinary Sea Bass, it's Chilean Sea Bass! The salmon perfectly complements the sea bass with that kick of mustard.
For dessert we got the Coconut Crème Brulee with passion fruit sauce and Deep Fried Bananas. The crème brulee is sweet and creamy.
Highly recommend the House for it's exquisite taste and ambiance. -
Review from Annie Y.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
The House benefits from its charming exterior and prime location in North Beach. It is seemingly a tasteful date spot in an intimate space.
This restaurant was a disappointment for me on all accounts. The food is not horrible but it was the kind of meal you would expect to have on a first class UA flight. I am surprised to see that this place has 4.5 stars and many reviews. We ordered the flank steak with garlic noodles as well as the truffle kobe steak. The asian fusion felt forced; the steak was cooked well but it was layered with needless sauce creations that masked the natural juices of the grass fed beef. Such a tragedy. It's like like forcing a Betty Johnson dress on Audrey Hepburn.
If you are remotely claustrophobic and value hearing your companion(s) over dinner, this is not the place for you. It's an uncomfortable tight and loud space. There is much better food in the city however, I'm prettty sure this place will continue to be popular. -
Review from Priscilla W.
San Francisco, CA
The House is great for both lunch and dinner, but I much prefer to eat here during lunch because it's cheaper for about the same portion and there's fewer people, thus shorter wait time. Main entrees served during lunch and dinner vary. There's always about 3 to 5 specials of the day, with oysters most likely being one of them. Also, depending how late you eat dinner and if you wait outside the restaurant, you may encounter some crazy, drunken panhandlers.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the flatiron steak with roasted shitake mushroom sauce (lunch item). HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Very tender steak, cooked to your desired perfection. Ask for medium well, you get medium well. The mushroom sauce is AMAZING. It's sooo creamy and delicious that I could lick the plate clean if no one were looking. I also love their oysters, both cooked and raw, and their spicy cilantro mignonette sauce served with them. It's packed with so many flavors, definitely giving your tongue a tickle.
I'm somewhat thankful The House is such a hassle to get to from the other side of the city, or else I'd be eating here weekly.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/20/2009
My dad and I go out for lunch here and then, and since he eats out a lot, I can trust his judgment.… Read more »
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Review from Joan T.
Millbrae, CA
2/4/2012
The food here is great! I love coming here, although it is a bit heavy on the wallet... I usually have a reservation when I come here to eat since this place is really small and has very limited seating. So either get there early before the rush or make a reservation ahead of time.
I've been here twice, and both times I have had a pleasant experience. Both times I have ordered the Wasabi Noodles and the Sea Bass. So good. I can't even describe how good the sea bass is. Once it's in your mouth, it's like heaven! And the wasabi noodles. Amazing! I'll always order these two here. I recommend it!
It's been a while since I've been here so my review isn't as recent as I would like it to be. But from the recent reviews, it seems that the wasabi noodles and sea bass is still the popular items!!
Food is a bit pricey, but well worth it. Yum! -
Review from Brian A.
Seattle, WA
1/28/2012
The value for the quality of the food and taste is seriously unbeatable. My GF and I walked there for lunch after we toured Alcatraz...and the reviews are right, The House is Unbeatable. We arrived around 2pm on a Saturday and were seated right away.
We shared:
The Chinese Chicken salad...it wasn't the salad we saw as walked in with greens, but it was so good. The Chicken was the perfect temperature and the vegetables were very fresh.
The Shrimp and white bean dumplings were flavorful...but they were just steamed, believe they would have been better if they were pan fried with a slightly crunchy noodle.
The Wasabi noodles with Salmon...so flavorful...a very subtle wasabi flavor with a large perfectly cooked filet of Salmon. Can't believe it was only $11.
I wish they would open "The House" in Seattle! -
Review from Lien T.
San Jose, CA
HmMm, Asian Fusion at it's best!
We had dinner reservations for a party of four, but we still waited approximately 30 minutes for our table. I am not too sure whether they are punctual with their reservations, because there were a few other parties with reservations that had to wait as well. I guess it doesn't hurt to make reservations anyway though, because the restaurant is tiny and it can get really crowded and cramped.
The menu was very brief with one dish that really stood out to me, the warm wasabi house noodles with Angus flatiron steak--so naturally I went with that! We also ordered two appetizers to share: deep-fried salmon roll with Chinese hot mustard (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and the blue lake bean tempura (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The appetizers were beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. The deep-fried salmon roll was warm and buttery. The blue lake bean tempura was lightly battered and deep-fried to perfection.
The main course, the warm wasabi house noodles with steak (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) was bursting with flavor. The warm wasabi noodles left a brief and subtle burning sensation in my mouth that was quickly neutralized with the steak and slaw. The steak was a little on the chewier side, but edible. I sneaked in a taste of my girlfriend's grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and it was heavenly! The sea bass was so crispy and blackened on the exterior, but still very flaky inside.
The staff was very knowledgeable and attentive. I am usually skeptical of Asian Fusion places, because their food is always lacking. The House is far form lacking; I was very impressed. I do recommend giving them a try! -
Review from Garrett L.
Los Alamitos, CA
Updated - 1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
My girlfriend's mother made reservations here a week ahead and heard it was good. The first time I came here was I believe about five years ago. I don't remember much from then,but I did remember the restaurant was small and we waited for a while. I've heard even though you have reservations you might have to wait for a while, about 30mins. Without reservations you could be waiting for easily 2 hours. So I suggest making reservations.
Parking is always crazy so after we found a spot we headed to The House. It was pouring rain so we got seated right away. So if it's pouring rain, it's a good time to go. We were seated and immediately served drinks. They give you a small plate of cucumber pieces soaked in vinager that was really good. Only thing is that they charge you if you want more. We ordered our food right away. My girlfriend ordered the seabass, which sounded like the most popular according to yelp. Her mother ordered the steak, and I ordered the Ono.
The Ono was delicious and looked like a scuplture. The seabass was delicious with the yummy mashed potatoes. The green beans however were not so great. With my meal I had the lychee black ice tea and it made my meal taste better.
For dessert we ordered the coconut creme brulee, chocolagte truffle cake, and the apple crisp. My favorite was the apple crisp because it was warm and delicious with the vanilla ice cream. The creme brulee was good, except for some burnt parts on the sugar top. The chocolate truffle cake was a little too rich for me, but it was perfect for my girlfriend's mother so she ate it.
Overall service was good. I've heard from friends and family that they haven't gone back because of the horrible service from their last visit. I on the other hand had great service and a great meal. It's on the pricey side so its good to go every once in a while.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/28/2008
The last time i visited SF i went here to eat dinner one night. It was a really small restaurant and… Read more »
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Review from Kathy D.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
RESERVATIONS A MUST!
They only hold the reservations up to 15 minutes and then they will try to accommodate you as needed. Parking in the area is tough so come early.
This is a very small restaurant in the north beach area, which can get pretty crowded so beware if you are claustraphobic! The decor is very simple and clean but the food makes up for its simplicity. Asian fusion has always made me skeptic but this place proved me wrong. The dishes are plentiful and very well plated. I must emphasize very WELL plated for a little restaurant like this. It would make you feel like you are in a fine dining dinner but in a smaller scale venue.
What we ordered:
1. Deep Fried Salmon roll with chinese hot mustard- I loved this! It felt like I was eating an eggroll with medium rare cooked salmon in the middle, which is hard to master. The chinese mustard sauce, take it a bit at a time. It definitely is strong!
2. Warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak- I was scared for the challenge of eating wasabi noodles but this was nothing to be feared! Green noodles with a hint of wasabi, which went well with the steak. It wasn't overpowering at all! Definitely unique in its combination!
3. Chicken breast with roasted portabella white truffle oil sauce- the meat was so moist and tender. it went perfectly well with the mashed truffle sauce potatoes that came with it. my boyfriend was absolutely in love with it
We didn't get to try their desserts but we will definitely next time when we are in the city! Definite must to try in SF! -
Review from Quynh-An P.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
I came here for a friend's birthday last night. Now, it's not that this place is bad, but I don't really understand the hype everyone's said about it. It's ok, but it's nothing special. And I dunno, I don't know if $26 for a pork chop is really "reasonably" priced. I was expecting something more imaginative, more...infusiony. I got a porkchop, some mashed potatoes, and 2 asparagus spears. Really? That's it? Sure, the sauce was ok, but it was a little too buttery for my taste....and nothing super inventive (i.e. I've had this before years ago). The boyfriend got the sea bass since everyone seemed to be raving about it. It's sea bass, you can't really mess it up...but that was about it. They had sauteed green beans. Really? Because we can't do that at home ourselves.
Additionally, we had brought a cake for our friend. I'm totally cool with a cake cutting fee. We had brought a candle and had wanted our friend to make the first cut. Apparently we're required to use THEIR candle and they won't let us cut it ourselves. They had to cut it. Ok...kind of weird, but whatever. I mean, less mess for me, but I thought it was weird that the waitress went off about how we couldn't bring our own candles. Just tell me that once and don't make a big deal about it.
Overall, not impressed and will not be making my way here again. -
Review from yeeman n.
1/23/2012
I am generally not a fan of fusion food. 5 stars for knowing how to do it right!
Also, the food was cooked perfectly. And they punch little houses on the place mats! -
Review from Matt Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
Wow! Talk about exceeding expectations! I had never heard of this place and it's not in a trendy spot like the Mission or Hayes Valley, but this is easily one of the most delicious and flawlessly executed meal I've had in months.
(1) Charred baby octopus and crispy pork skin salad. Very tasty. The salad is kind of like a cole slaw style cabbage and carrot salad, but the baby octopus was cooked perfectly tender with a nice char that added extra flavor.
(2) Pork chop with pomegranate currant sauce. HOLY @#$!#. I could eat this every night for the rest of the year. Everyone knows how hard it is to make a good pork chop, but this was absolutely 100% perfectly cooked. Meat was tender and juicy and well seasoned. If it weren't for the sticky sauce, I would have picked it up and gnawed the meat off the bone.
(3) Sea bass with noodles. PERFECT. We Asians tend to prefer our fish on the rare side, so I'm always grumpy when "Western" restaurants overcook the fish. Not here. Fish was soft and tender and melted in your mouth. Noodles were thick and delicious and slightly chewy.
This place is tiny, so be sure to have reservations. But holy crap, if I'm going to get obese, I want to get obese on this food. -
Review from Vickie Z.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was not what I expected. Asian fusion is actually good here!
The portions are really big and the service is fast!
I will be back :D -
Review from Hana H.
1/13/2012
Long overdue review.
Food: Excellent!. Here is a list of the great meal I've had:
1. Ahi tuna tartare with roasted nori chips
2. Deep-fried salmon roll with chinese hot mustard
3. Warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak
4. Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy
5. Grilled ahi tuna (rare) with spicy mustard aioli
6. Niman ranch pork chop with pomegranate currant sauce
7. Angus ribeye steak, housemade teriyaki, toasted garlic butter
The wait: Horrible. It took us 2 hrs to be able to sit down and order our food.
Service: Excellent! -
Review from Jennifer B.
Fallen Leaf, CA
2/5/2012 3 photos
From the staff, to the small dinner, to the entree, to the Japanese pumpkin macadamia desert...... Everything was spectacular. Just wish there was a Ladies Only bathroom, thats why only 4 star. Make sure to make a reservation - very small. Will definitely come again when in SF
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Review from Mandy C.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
The mussels and the sea bass were only mehhh! Plus it was hard to get our wait person's attention and she was rude. Not going back again.
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Review from Dan L.
Garden Grove, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Favorite restaurant in SF so far, I love this place!
I've been here twice and luckily both times we didn't have to wait more than 10 mins for a party of two.
So far I've had the chance to try:
Deep-fried salmon roll with chinese hot mustard
Warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak
Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy
Hand's down favorite would have to be the Flatiron steak w/ wasabi noodles for the range of flavors. But everything tasted amazing and the service was awesome!!
I would definitely go out of my way to stop by here every time I'm in SF. -
Review from Denise L.
San Francisco, CA
For the four years that I've been coming here, The House has never failed me.
I think Anthony Bourdain should definitely come here for the Layover episode of San Francisco (I haven't seen that episode yet but if he doesn't want to miss out, The House is the place to go).
If you haven't already done so, please try the pomegranate pork dish. You won't consider that a mistake in your life--so do it!
Sad to say, the pork chop is so good, that for the four (maybe five) times I've been to The House, I've always ordered the pork dish. I will for sure order something else next time though.
My date ordered the curry udon noodles with chicken (not sure if this is only on the lunch menu). But I couldn't help myself from drooling over his noodle over my plate of pork chop. This does not mean that you shouldn't try the pork chop or that the curry udon noodle is better, they are both equally as good--it just means I need to not order the pork chop next time.
Anyway, you leave feeling really content. My favorite hole-in-the-wall place in SF. :)1 Previous Review:
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4/21/2011
Great price, great taste! The pork pomegranate dish is a must eat! Everything was spectacular!
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Review from Andrea V.
Belmont, CA
1/22/2012
Omg, the Coconut Creme Brulee with Passion Fruit Puree was beyond perfect....
The Tea was just OK though
Make Reservations early!
We got a table at 5:30, & the next one available was at 9:30
Good quality, tasty food!! -
Review from Janelle C.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Though I'm giving this place 5 stars, they did do something that really drives me crazy! My friend and I are enjoying our appetizers, we're on the last one and there is one large plate between us and then we each have our own small plate with fork and knife. All of the sudden, the waitress comes up and tries to take away our small plates, fork and knife...we both ask her not to saying "no, wait, we're not done!!" But she took them anyway saying she had to because she's bringing out our main dish. I thought this was really pushy ... she brought us a new fork and knife a couple minutes later and we had to have the rest of the appetizer both cutting and forking in the middle of the table. Just seemed really silly and rushed.
That said, the dumplings were amazing, the salmon roll was incredible and the flat iron steak on noodles was fantastic, spicy and absolute heaven!
Love this little restaurant, great food and can't wait to come back and give them another shot....I just hope they don't rush me through my food again. -
Review from Jenny L.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I give this place a solid 3.5 stars. In grade school they tell you to round up if it's 0.5 or more, so here I am rounding it up to 4 stars (the things we learn in elementary school. LOL!) It's really a 3.5 IMO though.
I don't get why this place is rated so highly on Yelp. Everything was good, yes, but it wasn't OMGIWANTTOCOMEBACKRIGHTAWAY good.
Got the Caesar Salad with Crispy Scallops to share between two people for the appetizer. Portion was perfect for two as a starter. Scallops were sweet, but I wish they weren't deep fried. Salad itself was pretty plain.
We ordered the garlic ginger sea bass which was cooked to perfection. It came with a side of green beans and yakisoba noodles. Both sides were mediocre.
The ribeye steak was perfectly medium rare. It was a pretty big portion and the meat was tender. It came with a small side of mashed potatoes and some broccolini. Again, sides were ok...
Ended the meal with chocolate truffle cake w/ coffee ice cream. Dessert was pretty amazing. Rich, but not too sweet. Definitely check it out if you're here.
I feel that all the food was delicately flavored. Presentation of the food is like artwork. Very pretty.
It's pretty tough to find parking in the streets here. Supposedly there's a parking lot somewhere around there, but I didn't find it. I got lucky and parked 2 blocks up...after circling around 3-4 times.
Oh...if you come here, make reservations. Place is pretty small and without reservations, you'd probably have to wait outside in the sidewalk. -
Review from Elena N.
San Francisco, CA
With so many reviews and such a high rating, I expected more from this place. Had dinner here a couple weeks ago with some friends and was disappointed. Nothing was really bad, but nothing was really good either. The service was good and I had a good time, but it was more about the company the the restaurant or food. Some dishes I remember are..
Beef Salad: Wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Contained fruit and not really any greens.
BBQ Oysters: I thought there would be more to this dish, but its literally oyster with BBQ sauce. The BBQ sauce was okay, but I thought the combination of BBQ sauce and oysters left something to be desired.
Mushroom Rice with Grilled Prawns: This was my favorite dish. The rice was flavorful and creamy. Delish!
We ordered so many more dishes, but these were the best or most disappointing for me. Parking is hard to find. We ended up parking at the garage by the police station on Vallejo. It's not that far and I believe $3 an hour. -
Review from Grace S.
Alameda, CA
1/18/2012
This is my favorite restaurant in San Francisco.
Everything I've eaten here has been good. Every time I've eaten here, the food has been solid.
Last night, we ordered appetizers from a list of their specials and it was AMAZING.
The lobster tail with salad was spot on.
Their scallops were perfectly cooked. Tender, not stringy, not watery and melt in your mouth flavorful.
Also, why is their sea bass SO GOOD?!?!?! Where in the world do they get this magical sea bass? I think their sea bass is on crack or something.
How in the world do they get their pork chop to be so juicy and flavorful?
The only thing I would tell anyone to pass on is the dessert. Their dessert tastes like something I can buy at the supermarket. -
Review from Josh D.
Oakland, CA
1/5/2012
I made a reservation at 7:30 and was promptly seated. I guess I was lucky because many of the reviews complain of long wait times even with a reservation..
We had this sushi eel thing which tasted like...sushi. This was good, but tasted like they used imitation crab. Good, but not top quality.
We had the cod for an entree which was phenomnal. Extremley fresh and not dry like most places serve it.
The ahi entree was also good. It comes rare and tastes great.
The one thing that makes this place good is the sauces they use. They enhance the flavors of everything!
Warning:
I ordered a beer, but they brought me out a 3/4 full beer, it seriously looked like someone took a giant sip out of it. I'm sure it was probably the bottle, but the thing that weird was, A. they didn't pour the beer in front of me and B. tasted like Asahi beer instead of some blonde beer I ordered. The waitress assured me I was drinking the right beer so I let it go. So make sure they pour the beer in front of you!!! -
Review from anthony n.
Phoenix, AZ
1/22/2012 2 photos
Went here twice this past weekend. Once for dinner and again the next day for lunch since they ran out of the Pork Chops that I wanted. The fact that we went back the second day is a testament to how good this restaurant is.
First of all, make sure you have reservations for dinner. The place is TINY and always packed. There is nowhere to comfortably wait either so you'll be awkwardly standing over someone else eating or getting hit by the door. Otherwise you can always stand outside.
Price: On a generic level, it's spendy for your typical Chinese meal, but this isn't typical and it's worth it.
Atmosphere: The place is small and very intimate which can translate to being kind of loud but it's not bad. I love that it's not hoity toity. No flash, just good food.
Dress: Casual. Jeans and a nice t-shirt will suffice. If you're self conscious, go with jeans and a polo and you'll be good.
// GET IT:
AHI TUNA TARTARE WITH ROASTED NORI CHIPS bursting with flavor and perfect combo of tender and crunchy. If you normally like tuna tartare this is a no brainier. Probably my favorite of the night.
MUSHROOM RICE WITH GRILLED PRAWNS The rice is more like a risotto with an awesome truffle accent. Truffle fans will enjoy this. The prawns were good as well but the mushroom rice is the highlight in his dish. Never had anything like it.
// IF THOSE TOP TWO THINGS AREN'T YOUR THING, GET THIS:
GRILLED SEA BASS WITH GARLIC GINGER SOY the sea bass was grilled nicely and left the middle tender and buttery. My wife got this but I liked my mushroom rice more. We got the garlic noodles with it which were great and I wish there was more of it. I think you can get something else other than the garlic noodles. Maybe a salad but I'm not positive about that.
// IF YOU'RE HUNGRY GET THIS TOO (they're good but otherwise, you're not missing out too much):
WHITE SHRIMP AND CHINESE CHIVE DUMPLINGS were good but nothing crazy unique. You've probably had a dumpling like this before but sometimes you just want a dumpling and this will satisfy your craving.
MAINE CRAB CAKE WITH PICKLED GINGER REMOULADE was fresh and quality crab meat. Crab cakes can get dense, too rich and heavy but these were fresh with light ingredients. The remoulade sauce was good as well. At the end of the day, nothing crazy.
Needless to say, we'll be back. Look at that, i said it anyway! -
Review from Jessica P.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012
Its New Years Eve.
RSVP at 7:30pm, seated at 8pm. But I will still give them 5 stars for their service and food!
We waited half an hour long, but the hostess was thoughtful and comped us a Salmon roll with this Asian style coleslaw. And yes, it was yummies!
For dinner:
Fried pork belly - It was a bun with a slice of fried pork belly tucked in the middle with a hoison sauce. You can then add veggies to it. "Soft" on the outside and "crunchy" on the inside. Its almost like a Pekin Duck Bun. Very flavorful. - Like
Duck entree - Now this was super duper yummies! I can still remember the flavor that burst in my mouth. I thought the mash, asparagus, blackberry, and the sauce worked really well with the Duck. It was cooked to medium rare; just perfect for me! Ahhh- phenomenal. If you are a "duck" kind-a-person, definitely recommend trying this.
Pork entree - It was flavorful, but not enough for me. It still tasted a bit bland towards the inside and a bit dry. (But that's pork for you.) Not too crazy about this one.
Finished off with a glass of Pinot and I'm good for the night! -
Review from Tiffany C.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Truly DELICIOUS! Excellent Service!
I came here for lunch without a reservation because I didn't want to fight the dinner crowd. It was 1pm and my friend and I got the last table available to the little restraint. This made us super happy because we didn't have to wait. I am sure at most times this would not be the case. We shared a salad with fried to perfection fish salad as an appetizer, and each ordered an entree. I had the steak from an iron plate and my friend had the glazed salmon. Both tasted fantastic. The steak was tender and thinly slices while the salmon to grilled to perfection. We ended lunch with the creme brulee. The sugar was thinly torched and every bit melted in to my mouth. Sadly I didnt not like the sour sauce that was on top on the sugar but overall it was still good. Not too sweet, just the way I like it.
The waiters were super friendly and refilled our water when needed. The decor is romantic therefore I feel that it is very date appropriate. I will definitely come back and try out their dinner menu next time. -
Review from T D.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
Went to the House last night, heard a lot about the restaurant from friends in the past and had very high expectations going in. Our table was ready promptly at the time reserved, no point arriving early here since there is no bar (plenty of bars in the area). The ambiance is upper-middle class modern, nice feel on the inside. The waitstaff was very attentive although somewhat frantic. The Kobe beef special on the night was excellent, although the meat was definitely on the rare side despite ordering medium. Portion sizes here are very generous, not what you'd expect from a high-end restaurant and definitely a positive. The shitake mushroom soup was the best I've ever had. All of the dishes are carefully crafted, a blend between Thai and American cuisine.
I highly recommend this place, make sure and reserve in advance or you won't stand a chance! -
Review from Phillip B.
Santa Monica, CA
2/7/2012
I would not base my decision to dine at this place based on their 2000+ review 4.5 stars. I've been to a lot of yelp places and was expecting amazing when I saw the reviews. The food was OK. Salmon spring roll and octopus salad both lacked flavor. If everything tasted like the black cod special, I would have to agree with the 4.5 starts. That was just not the case. If you go in with a 3-star attitude, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Next time I'm in SF, I'm gonna go back to the Slanted Door.
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Review from Peter T.
Mountain View, CA
12/28/2011
4.5 stars
One of the best restaurants in SF. Flavors are bold and yummy, better than Bobby Flay for sure. Took the family here for my wife's birthday dinner. Here's what we had:
Appetizers:
Pan seared scallops, medium rare. Paired with pinot gris, 5 stars
Himachi crudo, 6 stars
Unagi, 4 stars (just had fresh bbq unagi from Japan, cant beat that)
Crab cake, 3 stars (tasty but not lumps of crab that you expect from a 4-5 star restaurant)
Entrees:
Pork chop with promegranate currant reduction-heavenly! W/ pinot noir, 4.5 stars
Seared tuna, 4 stars
Black cod, perfectly grilled, 5 stars
Sea bass, great sides of noodles and green beans, 4 stars
Dessert: coconut creme brulee with passion fruit sauce: 4 stars
Excellent meal, perfect portions and very tasty! I'm still dreaming about the himachi crudo.... -
Review from Craig R.
If the food in my own house was as good as San Francisco's The House, I'd never leave home! I'd also be 400 pounds but it would be worth it!
Located in North Beach, The House is one of the few non Italian joints in the area. This tiny place has very limited seating; I would say it can hold a max of 40 people. I think reservations are a must. The décor inside The House is simple and elegant.
The menu here isn't too large but everything they serve is beautifully presented and tastes amazing. My wife and I were so torn on what we wanted to order as our main entrees we decided to order three and split them, along with an appetizer and a dessert. This is all we ordered from The House;
Kobe beef papaya salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled radish, fried crispy rice and a light vinaigrette http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy sauce w/ garlic noodles and grilled green beans http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Kurobuta pork chop with pomegranate currant sauce w/ mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Warm wasabi house noodles w/ angus flatiron steak and Kimchee http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Chocolate truffle cake w/ vanilla ice cream http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Every dish we had was exploding with bold flavors. Out of all the dishes I had, my favorite was the Grilled sea bass. It was perfectly cooked and melted like butter in my mouth. Actually, every meat here is perfectly cooked, super tender and extremely flavorful. The pork chop dish was great, especially the pomegranate currant sauce it was sitting in. The wasabi noodles with steak, which was recommended to me by my buddy Kent D, was great too. The noodles had such a great flavor. I could have eaten bowls and bowls of those noodles alone. The chocolate cake was so rich and decedent. It was a great way to end a phenomenal meal.
The prices here aren't bad considering how fantastic the food is and how large the portions are. The service was top notch as well.
Honestly, I have dined at many restaurants in SF and The House could be my favorite thus far. My entire experience at The House was flawless. I can't wait to go back again.Listed in: Sitting on the dock of the…, Reservations for two
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Review from Master B.
Costa Mesa, CA
12/28/2011
Again...not sure how I've never reviewed this place?? I've been going here since they first opened their doors last 90s, and amazingly they are still producing the same great quality food as they did from day 1. The only reason why they don't get 5 stars is because of the size of their location...you definitely can't be afraid to be cozy in this place...especially with strangers. Our table for 2 was mashed between a table of 2 and a table of 4....definitely cozy. It sometimes feels as though you're eating off of your neighbors plate :) but that's what brings people back here perhaps...very cozy...hence the name i guess..."the house"
Things to never miss:
- Oysters
- Grilled Sea Bass (the noodles are always perfect)
- Seasoned Rib Eye
- House Salad (the dressing is light while the citrus isn't overwhelming) - every bite of the salad is very refreshing.
- Wines by the glass can use some help...and overall selection....but for SF, the selection is well priced. -
Review from Emmy L.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012
The House is a refreshing reprieve from all of the Italian places in North Beach. From the outside you could easily pass it off as nothing special, but don't be fooled - it is a fusion gem.
The menu is great offering both small bites and meal-sized portions. My boyfriend and I always order one of their main dishes and then split a few tapas sized plates. My favorite is the rock-lobster tempura. It is not super cheap but also not totally overpriced. We can get out of there for under $40 with a drink each if we plan right.
If you like Japanese or seafood you will love The House! -
Review from J. W.
Indianapolis, IN
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Thanks Yelpers! Awesome dinner at this unassuming restaurant. Try the sea bass - it's succulent, tender and flavorful. Upon the recommendation of my server I substituted the wasabi noodles with it - simply outstanding.
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Review from Irina L.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
This was my second visit to this restaurant and it was even better the second time around. I had the special which was a pork shoulder...amazing! I also really loved the grilled baby octopus salad...I usually don't like octopus but it wasn't at all chewy and the flavors were awesome. I wish i could eat here daily.
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Review from Cliff C.
Los Gatos, CA
1/29/2012
Excellent. Great food. We had the sea bass and the salmon - perfect! Also great service. We'll be back !
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Review from Sue M.
San Jose, CA
1/8/2012
My brother ate here and wouldn't stop raving about it. My boyfriend and I finally tried it and I literally almost started crying (tears of joy) by the time dessert came out. Everything was SO good, I was overwhelmed by all the deliciousness. I haven't been to a place in a long time where EVERYTHING is bomb dot com!!!
What I recommend ordering:
-Ahi tuna tartare with roasted nori chips
-Deep-fried salmon roll with chinese hot mustard
-Warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak
-Grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy
Dessert OMG must get the coconut passion fruit creme brule... that's when I almost shed a tear of joy! -
Review from Enza P.
I officially dub 'The House' as my new favorite Asian Fusion place.
My amazing boyfriend catered to my obsession with Asian Fusion by taking us here for our monthiversary!
Our reservation was for 7:30 and we were seated right away when we walked in. For drinks, I had two glasses of their Sauvignon Blanc and he had two glasses of the Chimay beer. Don't know what Chimay beer is? Don't worry, I googled it for you. It's a Trappist beer. Trappist beer is beer that is brewed in a Trappist Monastery under the control and responsibility of monks. Revenue goes to social service. It's a Belgian beer. I tasted it and thought it was pretty damn delicious! Very easy to drink and got Vincent buzzed after just one hehehe. Our drinks were all $8 each and totally worth it.
We ordred two appetizers to start. First, we ordered the selected oysters on the half shell with spicy cilantro mignonette. Yes, they were raw. Then, we ordered the deep-fried salmon roll with chinese hot mustard. Your mouth should be watering right about...now!
The oysters were SO GOOD. I've never had such amazing oysters. They were very fresh and the sauce had a nice kick to it. The deep-fried salmon roll sounded so simple, which it was, but it was also jam packed with flavor! The chinese hot mustard sauce was amazing. I had to drench my salmon roll in it. Both appetizers blew my mind. I think that it is absolutely imperative to use great quantities of both sauces when eating these appetizers because they really take the dishes to another level.
As for the entrees, we ordered the warm wasabi house noodles with angus flatiron steak and the grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy. We had the steak cooked medium and it came out perfectly. The steak was tender and delicious. I really liked the wasabi house noodles as well. You could definitely taste that wasabi flavor, but it didn't overpower the dish by any means. There were also some cabbage on the side that were really well seasoned. I don't even really like veggies, but I loved whatever they put on that plate. The sea bass was AMAZING! It was cooked so well. I like sea bass because it's got this buttery flavor to it. That dish also came with some noodles as well as snap peas. The dish also came with a sauce similar to soy sauce, except a little bit thicker. Salty and delicious!
I was so impressed by this place. The food was out of this world and service was great. Even though it was crowded, we were checked on consistently throughout the night. It couldn't have been better. It's definitely on the pricey side, but it's so amazing. I really really really really hope my boyfriend takes me back here soon! I really hope he's reading this because I AM ALREADY FIENDING!Listed in: Top Rated
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Review from Clay N.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2012
The food is very good, BUT I WAS TREATED MORE POORLY HERE THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN TREATED IN A RESTAURANT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'll be fair with my review -- the food was 4 stars, but the attitude was a zero star; so I've averaged it to two.
Parking is difficult. We had difficulty finding a spot and showed up 14 minutes late. I was told that our reservation expired after 15 minutes, even though there was an empty table. Even though I showed the host that my iPhone said we were only 14 minutes late, he copped an attitude and refused to seat us. Then he refused to acknowledge our presence. What a jerk! Despite an open table that was never filled, we were made to wait. When I asked if we could be seated at the empty table, the host said we would have to wait because we had forfeited our reservation by being late. A subsequent reservation came in for a different party size, and they had to wait for an appropriate sized table. No party of our size came in, and our original table was left empty. Not until another table finished were we seated. Our original table was left empty until AFTER we had been seated and subsequent guests arrived. -
Review from Justine W.
San Francisco, CA
12/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for Christmas Eve dinner without a reservation and waited about 30 minutes if not less. I am guessing we didn't have reservation because my date said so but he was tricking me that night so don't count on it.
The owner was walking around checking in with everyone. I think this is the first time I ever seen this happen at a restaurant. Its a nice touch to a quaint place.
This place is tiny.
It gets packed fast.
Lights are dimmed for dinner.
I'd suggest dressing up a little bit for dinner.
White cloth napkins.
I wonder if there was something alive on mine because later that night I noticed a little bump on my lip where I distinctly remember wiping. But no worries it was gone the next day.
I had the salmon dish. It's a slice of salmon on a green veggie island in a bowl of broth with rice on the side. The salmon was delicious. It is nicely seasoned and cooked to perfection (not under or over cooked).
I'd love to come again to try the salmon wrap and the pork chops. They were out of pork chops by 8pm. -
Review from Khalid N.
Fullerton, CA
1/28/2012
Given the ridiculously good reviews, these guys have the right to be very stuffy and pricey. Fortunately, they are not - the hostess was very sweet and welcoming, and the prices reasonable. The sea bass is as awesome as they say. Simple, great place.
