Happy Hour Loco Moco @ Namu in San Francisco
Namu has been on my must-try list forever, well, at least as long as when the first positive reports started rolling in. This became even more of a priority after I tried the kimchi-laden hot dog at its Happy Belly stand in Golden Gate Park.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/553656
Last month Namu was the answer when we needed a spot to grab an early dinner in the Richmond. Happy hour runs from 5pm to 7pm. Some drinks are discounted and the happy hour food items are about a buck less than on the regular menu. There was only one other party when we arrived was a family with two adolescents and the relative quiet was good for Mom.
Our server quickly brought out a plate with three types of the day’s panchan. The first serving is complimentary. We ordered a mix of things, most from the happy hour menu, http://namubar.com/html/menu_happy.html , including:
Premium dragon well tea, $4/pot – My mother commented that the hot tea was special. When I explained that there would be a $4 charge for the pot, she nodded and said it was worth it and fine with her. Our waitress checked back twice without our having to ask for more hot water.
Miso soup, $2 – Very pleasant, light and nuanced in flavor.
2 Kumamoto oysters, $3 – Shucked cleanly preserving the natural briny juices. I learned that I love plump and sweet oysters served with spicy Korean chojang and a wasabi-spiked ponzu dipping sauce.
Vegetable tempura, $8 – Fine but not as light and frilly as it could be. Maybe our need for veggies guilted us into ordering this, but we probably wouldn’t again.
Ika fry (calamari), $9 – Really, really good, even according to William who’s not much of a squid eater. Light, almost flaky coating on sweet and thick slabs of squid, and presented beautifully with an exclamation of tonkatsu sauce and confetti of fresh yellow and red pepper along with daikon sprouts as garnish. And the spicy remoulade-like kimchee tartar sauce was fantastic. We wouldn’t let our server take away the rest of the cup when our server cleared the empty plate (Mom put it on her burger).
Miso marinated black cod, $18 – One of the night’s specials and my order. Local and fresh black cod, the decent size piece was just a tad overcooked. Lovely presentation with its frilly topping of fried leeks.
Burger, $11 – This Niman Ranch burger with melted onions, sliced pickled daikon and a very nice bun deserves to be recognized as one of the City’s best. Mom ordered it “medium” and it came out juicy with charry grill notes and exactly on point. Interesting to see it side-by-side with William’s “medium-rare” loco moco patty that was also perfectly cooked and just a shade more pink.
Loco moco, $11 – My favorite in a meal of many highlights was the loco moco, also made with Niman Ranch beef. The incredible housemade gravy was luscious, a far cry from the salty starchy stuff at the Hawaiian fast food joints, and played so well with the pearly gohan base.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/2965515091
And then cut to show the loco moco’s perfect medium-rare hamburger patty and soft fried eggs. If you can’t stand the sight of pink beef and runny egg yolks, don’t open this photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/2965515085/
We ordered too much, taking nearly a whole beef patty home, for a total including tax and tip of $83. Not cheap, but excellent value for the money and we left full and happy. The Asian wait staff were quite solicitous of our mother. As an added bonus, if you’re a member of the dining program for Mileage Plus, you’ll earn points here with your credit card.
Namu slideshow -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniew...
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Namu
439 Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA 94118
By Melanie Wong
on Nov 19, 2008 01:58 PM
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Great tip. Does anyone have an update on the deli they were supposed to open on Third and Balboa? It was supposed to open in September.
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Namu has stopped serving lunch to spend more time working on getting the new place open, according to a sign posted in the window.
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Happy Belly
John F Kennedy Dr and Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA
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Is this Hawaiian local food or Asian fusion? I've been looking for a good place to eat Hawaiian food
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Sorry, not Hawaiian local, I'd describe it as a contemporary take on Korean and Japanese flavors. Other than the loco moco, I don't recall any other local standards. You can check out the menu on the website link in my original post.
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Loco moco has a high end? I had no idea. That photo looks delicious.
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You and me both! We hadn't planned to be there, so I didn't study the menu in advance. My brother loves loco moco. When i spotted it on the menu, I was happy that I could try this dish with him since he's had so many different versions. Grilling the patty, and the high quality of the ground beef made a big difference. We were mightily impressed by the grill station's skills. The rice was so beautiful, and delicious with that light-colored gravy. I think this might be a happy hour-only item.
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It is also on the brunch menu
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Thanks, wonder if anyone can share brunch experiences here?
P.S. Just dropped off my MacBook at the genius bar for diagnosis and repair. Don't know how often I'll be online until it's back (hopefully).
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Any brunch reports? According to Namu's twitter page, it features all u can drink mimosas.
http://twitter.com/namusf
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