33301 Thu Dec 23 09:45:01 -0800 2004 9 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 148434 Will be in SFO in January, and have reservations at LuLu's, Piperade, and Zuni. Am trying to decide between Crustacean or Quince for the fourth night. Obviously they are not the same style of food. Any feedback on quality or service? Thu Dec 23 09:45:01 -0800 2004 0 Pam 1 148445 Easy. Quince. I found the food almost perfect and the service was great. Crustacean is past its prime. The one in Beverly Hills is worth it for the scene alone but the SF one is not worth the money, IMO. Thu Dec 23 12:21:49 -0800 2004 148434 0 spicetart 2 148446 But just to give you a contrasting view: I thought the food at Quince was so-so. Pasta is very eggy (which is fine if that's how you like it), and the meat courses were bad. The sauce on the beef and pork were unusually alike, and the pork was dry. My friend wasn't very satisfied with his lamb dish. The service is very good, and the atmosphere is very elegant. So it's certainly not a drop by after work with your jeans on, or even a very casual place. Crustacean, however, you could take any of your most embarrassing family members and not be worried. It's not the place for an elegant, romantic dinner. But sometimes that's what I want - a place where one doesn't have to put on airs and eat comfortably. YOu are, afterall, eating crab with your hands. The food is pretty good - get the garlic noodles, and plenty of it. And ask for the front room. This place gets packed, and remember, it isn't elegant formal dining at all. Alternatives: Chez Papa in Potrero Hill is a GREAT place to eat - some of the best service in the city, and you get a great view of the skyline if you walk out to the corner. Ozumo, if you like sushi. It's on the Embarcadero (waterfront), and the japanese food is almost as good as it gets in this city. WOODWARD'S GARDEN is one of the more under-rated restaurants in this city. Great food in a small homey atmosphere. Thu Dec 23 12:32:16 -0800 2004 148445 0 James 3 148447 I would disagree strongly about Crustacean -- it is (or tries to be) elegant, formal dining (why else would they have a prominently posted dress code?). Maybe *you* don't have to put on airs, but it sure does. Even though it's the "original" location, it feels like it should be in LA: it's all about the way things look and about "branding." Plus the food is expensive and not very good. If you want upscale Vietnamese fusion, try Slanted Door or Ana Mandara. If you want crab, you can get the same crab with less pretense at Thanh Long or PPQ. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/29199#123242 Thu Dec 23 12:51:30 -0800 2004 148446 0 Ruth Lafler 4 148450 I guess I am a bit jaded about Crustacean, I used to work for the family so I guess I am biased against the restaurants after eating there so much. And I agree that there is much better upscale Vietnamese. Thu Dec 23 13:07:02 -0800 2004 148447 0 spicetart 5 148464 I've never gone away from Crustacean without feeling I'd paid way too much. Thu Dec 23 13:51:27 -0800 2004 148450 0 PegS 1 148489 Crustacean is really not great, way overpriced, and personally I am depressed by the super-slick strip mall location and interior. Quince is supposed to be amazing but a bit noisy and tiny portions. Thu Dec 23 16:21:19 -0800 2004 148434 0 Maya 1 148508 Crustacean is over hyped and definitely over priced. Thu Dec 23 19:44:05 -0800 2004 148434 0 originaljoe 1 148535 I have to agree the Crustacean is over-priced, although I went to the one in Beverly Hills (which some have told me is actually better than SF, in terms of $$ and quality). The crabs were good, but any Chinese seafood restaurant would have done the same at a fraction of the price. And who on Earth charges an extra $10 (or $15?) to crack a crab?! The famous garlic noodles were a bit soggy and very greasy. The best thing we had was the appetizer sampler. But for something close to $20 a head for 6 pieces of wontons/beef skewers/egg rolls/etc., it was very hard on the wallet (we had a party of 10, so you can imagine my distress that half our bill went to appetizers). My parents, whom I had intended to dazzle with fusion cuisine, left unimpressed and mildly horrified that I had dropped so much money for this type of food. I think they'll forever think of steakhouses as the only American food worth eating, thanks to Crustacean. Their only compliment was that the place was "very pretty," which indeed it was. Fri Dec 24 01:05:32 -0800 2004 148434 0 JS 1 148537 I've been to both places several times. I haven't had any problems with the food at Quince. It remains one of my favorite places. I like the food and atmosphere very much at Crustacean, but I was always shocked at my bill at the end. I don't go there anymore, because I can find similar food at a fraction of the price. Fri Dec 24 01:14:33 -0800 2004 148434 0 jaweino