I recently met my friend Norm for lunch at Bong Su restaurant in San Francisco. I had heard quite a lot of good things about the food before I went, and I was not disappointed.
From the time I walked in the door, I felt that it was the right choice to dine there. The host was so friendly and welcoming – he made me feel at ease from the start. And our server was just a delight – she talked in detail about every dish and made good recommendations on what to order.
Norm had been there before and he had a few favorites, too. Soon we were dining on Duck Mustard Wraps (five spice duck, mango and cucumber wrapped in mustard leaves) and Tea Leaf Beef. The flavors of both were just extraordinary, and they were just our starters! We moved on to Hoisin Lamb Chops (so moist and tender!) served with bok choy and shredded crispy sweet potatoes and Caramelized Black Cod (cod caramelized in garlic, molasses, black pepper and onion). We enjoyed both with their Hainan Rice (rice cooked in chicken stock with ginger and star anise). Of course, we were too full for dessert; however, in the name of research, we charged on. We placed an order for Banana Beignets with Chocolate Sauce. What a treat – I am a big fan of cooked bananas and these were delectable. We topped it all off with a Vietnamese coffee (for Norm) and some chamomile tea for me.
It was quite a memorable culinary experience. I highly recommend that you give Bong Su a try.
Bong Su
311 Third Street (at Folsom)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 536-5800