The House
Written: Jul 16 '04 (Updated Jul 25 '04)
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Pros: Wonderful food, friendly service, substantial portions, consistent
Cons: Can get extremely crowded, very noisy, no valet parking
The Bottom Line: This is high quality food without exorbitant prices.
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| ladygumby's Full Review: The House |
The House
1230 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
Telephone: (415) 986-8612
(M-Th 11:30-3, 5:30-10; F-Sa 11:30-D, 5:30-11)
DECOR
The House, opened in 1993, was the creation of Larry and Angela Tse. Situated on a small side street off of Columbus Avenue in North Beach, most people fail to notice this smallish restaurant which seats about 40 customers. The furnishings are minimalist and off-beat at the same time, indicated by slate floors, wood-paneled walls with both black and white photos and Japanese prints, and blonde wood tables clad in simple white tablecloths. There are hanging IKEA-mode lights (i.e. white cones), some funky orange wall sconces, and a lone chartreuse wall in the back.
SERVICE
Service is a bit informal, but always friendly. For instance, there is generally no "host/hostess" standing at the front to greet you. Instead, diners walk into a crowded restaurant, wait patiently near the door, and one of the waiters will come to seat you within about five minutes. I've frequented The House for both lunch and dinner, so eventually some of the waiters and waitresses came to recognize me. They often ask "Where have you been?!" if time has not allowed me the pleasure of dining there for a few months. Once seated, water will be brought to the table and diners are served cucumbers in light vinegar tossed with sesame seeds and garlic. Service is good, though can drag in the evenings when the restaurant is packed to capacity.
MENU
Asian Fusion aptly describes their cuisine. Appetizers/salads such as Blue Lake bean tempura with pickled ginger soy, PEI mussels in a garlic-infused shrimp broth, baby greens with a passionfruit vinaigrette, or steamed chicken and shiitake dumplings with a spicy sesame soy average $6-$8. My hands-down favorite are the salmon rolls ($7.50). The salmon is first wrapped in nori, then eggroll wrappers, and deep fried. The wrappers are crunchy on the outside, but preserve the moistness of the fish inside. These are served on a bed of crunchy Asian slaw with a healthy dose of sinus-clearing Chinese mustard. A strong second is the Caesar salad with lightly fried bay scallops and Parmesan shavings. As to be expected, there are several sandwiches offered at lunch. These include a tuna BLT with wasabi mayo, an unagi avocado sandwich, and a chipotle BBQ pork loin sandwich. On the soup side, there are udon noodles with grilled chicken and toasted nori. Other noodle dishes which I've ordered are the curry noodles with chicken & greens, as well as the hot and sour noodles with stir fried bay scallops. All of their noodles tend to be the thicker udon-style ones.
Many of the dinner entrees, priced around $8 to $25, are also served at lunch. The menu changes from time to time, but doesn't stray far from their basics. Ninety-five percent of the time I go for the grilled sea bass with garlic ginger soy ($21.50). This generally arrives with steamed green beans and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, though I've sometimes been given the option of having curry noodles sprinkled with sesame rather than the mashed potatoes. Apparently, this is their signature dish. I'm not a huge fish fan, but The House has never disappointed me in that respect. Besides the sea bass, I've also had their butterfish and their salmon, and been equally impressed. They have a firm texture, are not too "fishy" and are anything but dry. The garlic ginger soy sauce really brings out the subtle flavor of the sea bass. Another dish frequently ordered by me is the grilled chicken breast with black bean mushroom sauce, also accompanied by roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Friends who've had the marinated beef short ribs and the pan-fried pork loin with cranberry-apple sauce have basically gushed over them. Flavors are straightforward and fresh, presentations are aesthetically pleasing, and portions are substantial.
Desserts, I'm sad to say, I have no memory of. I honestly believe that I've never ordered dessert during any of my culinary visits there. That's because I prefer to walk down the street to Stella Pastry and partake in the sacripantina for a bit less price-wise than desserts at The House.
Though this restaurant has no full bar, the wine list won't strain your pocketbook. For those who prefer something non-alcoholic, peruse the excellent Chinese tea list with tasting notes. I recommend the Dragon Pearl, a fragrant green tea redolent with jasmine.
IN CLOSING
On my very first visit to The House, I was dining with a businessman from Dallas. He'd taken one bite of his entrée (some type of fish, I believe) and pronounced it "wonderful." He was in a food-induced stupor the rest of the evening! I talked one of my closest friends from L.A. out of going to Hawthorne Lane and trying The House with me instead; her husband said that she still raves about its food, though it's been over a year now. My co-workers and I like to sneak over there for long lunches on Friday afternoons, then walk back to the office sated. My ex-husband and I have long declared this our favorite restaurant, and recommend it to everyone within earshot.
One cannot go wrong by taking a chance on The House; I've yet to have a bad meal there. In fact, it's lunchtime right now and my feet are starting to lead me in that direction!
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Salmon Rolls, Grilled Chicken Breast with Black Bean Mushroom Sauce, Crab Cakes (when they have them)
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
ladygumby
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Member: Tina
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Reviews written: 49
Trusted by: 13 members
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