Unique Dining Experience
Written: Mar 02 '02 (Updated Mar 02 '02)
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Pros: Everything was great; didn't even need to order from the menu.
Cons: It's a dive, but who cares?
The Bottom Line: This was more like an adventure than a meal. But the food couldn't have been better.
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| larbear's Full Review: House of Nanking |
Maybe it's been a while since I've eaten at the House of Nanking, but I will never forget my meal there. We were immediately seated by the hostess who handed my party of five menus and took our drink orders. Within seconds, a gentleman came out of the back to greet us and asked if anyone had dined at the restaurant before. Well, with four of the five of us from out of town, we all replied in the negative. He snatched the menus from our hands and told us that he would take care of everything. Normally, an anal-retentive jerk like myself would be a bit uneasy with this sudden turn of events, but I was on vacation and determined to take it all in stride. Just a few seconds later, two servers came out of the kitchen with two trays. The smaller one (the tray, not the server) held lettuce bowls and the larger one held some sort of dark concoction that I couldn't quite discern. The servers made each of us a lettuce wrap at the table and after just one bite, I was convinced that this was going to be a memorable meal.
Once we were done with the lettuce wraps, they started to bring out the dishes at a much more rapid pace. Now I hate mushrooms, I really do. But they made me try one of the stuffed mushrooms that was served to us, and it was amazing. I don't even think I've had a mushroom since then. The flounder was outstanding, and since two of the women we were with didn't eat seafood, I had more than my fair share of this great dish. I mean everything was good. They brought out at least 10 different entrees for the five of us, and we had more food than we knew what to do with. And we didn't have to order a thing. Besides refilling our drinks, we didn't even talk much to the servers. The were too busy bringing us new dishes and clearing the old ones.
I was there on a saturday at about 2 o'clock so they might not be able to trot out this impromptu degustation menu for everyone. But if you're lucky enough, you'll get more than enough fantastic food for your party. We were a little apprehensive about the bill, since we hadn't really ordered any food, but when it came it was an even $100. For five people we thought it was a terrific bargain. That came out to $20 a person. I don't know when I've have a better meal for the money. This was the only Chinese I had while in San Francisco, but I can't see how you can go wrong. Others have complained about the service, but they really took care of us well. My lunch at this "dive" restaurant in Chinatown was one of the highlights of my three day stint in San Francisco.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Hopefully the manager will "take care of you" like he did to our party.
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
larbear
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Member: Larry Barry
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 4 members
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