The House Review

We enjoyed our meal of east-meets-west cuisine at The House. The best dish was definitely the sea bass; also notable was the variety of creative sauces that came with many dishes. Although they were often very strong and could easily dominate, this wasn't a problem because they were always served on the side so one could dip/mix to one's own taste.

The meal opened with a pleasing plate of pickles. Crispy but floppy and tossed with vinegar and toasted sesame seeds, we had to ask for seconds.

Deep-fried salmon, our first appetizer, was raw sushi with crispy batter on most sides -- one could see the sushi itself. Topped with iridescent roe and served on greens, it was a sight together with the vibrant yellow and hot (from wasabi) mustard sauce. We all liked the sauce but had to be careful lest it overwhelm the dish. The dish was neat and we were glad we tried it but we probably wouldn't order it again.

Our second appetizer was a salad special of butter lettuce with blue cheese, Asian pears, golden raisins, and roasted almonds. It pleased us.

Our grilled sea bass entree was excellent! Moist and tasty, the "garlic ginger soy" sauce on the side was unnecessary and we found it could easily overwhelm the fish with saltiness. The side of udon noddles with shredded cabbage complemented the fish well. And the side of greens beans with garlic wasn't bad either. Yum.

The pork with pomegranate currant sauce was, as usual, fairly well presented. The pork had antlers ... well, antlers that turned out to be thin, sweet fried yams. The pork itself was quite good though a bit too fatty; we also had to be careful with dipping the pork as the sauce was so strong. The side of mashed potatoes was fairly good, especially with a little sauce, though the side of asparagus was not.

Our third entree, a ribeye steak with teriyaki sauce, was good with a creamy orange sauce, surprisingly mild especially in comparison to the others. It underwhelmed one person but wasn't bad in the least. The same mashed potato side appeared here, along with some broccoli rabe.

The decor was modern art. The restaurant was warm and cozy. Literally. As we entered from outside, the temperature contrast made me take note and smile.

We tried three drinks. One, upon recommendation from some attendees, a Chimay Trappist Red Ale (Belgian) was a light, almost cider-y or wheat-beer-y ale that I enjoyed (in its own branded glass). Another was a sparkling riesling (Solter Brut Sekt, Rheingau, Germany). More champagne than riesling, it didn't appeal to us. The third was a deep dark ale (1554 Brussels Style Black Ale from Colorado) that one would expect to be hearty and strong like Guinness. Yet, there wasn't much to it -- "all cover and no book."

After dinner we decided to explore North Beach in search of dessert, and eventually found the Steps of Rome Caffe.

Total was $37/person including tax and tip but without drinks.

Original Announcement

This Wednesday at 8:00pm we'll head to The House, an Asian fusion restaurant located in the unlikely neighborhood of North Beach.

http://www.thehse.com/

Tell me if you want to come so we can coordinate how we're getting there.

Comments from Other Attendees

From my research, as many people rave about the black cod, a special they have frequently, as rhapsodize about the sea bass. It wasn't offered the day we visited.

-mark

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