It ain’t broke—so please don’t fix it. Well, that’s what I would tell the fabulous owners of The House in San Francisco.
We’ve been coming to The House for years and they have never failed us. At that time, they had two locations—one in the Inner Sunset and one in North Beach. Since my sister lived in the building on top of the Inner Sunset location, she was the culprit that first introduced us to goodness of The House. And now subsequently, when visitors come up to Northern California, The House is usually on my top 5 list of restaurants that I refer them too. (I even celebrated the BIG 3-0 there awhile ago. I won’t divulge how many years ago…a lady never tells after all. 🙂 ) The Inner Sunset location has long closed so now I haul my cookies to North Beach to get my fix of The House any excuse I can get.
The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, seating no more than 40 patrons at most. However, I think it’s because of this maximum capacity seating that allows for their staff to be extremely attentive and efficient to diners. The décor is modest—but there’s no need for extra frills here. In fact, it’s perfect in my opinion.
As for the staff—absolutely superb. There hasn’t been a time when our wait staff was not courteous or attentive to our needs. And in this economy when folks are trying to pinch pennies where they can, quality service is extremely important when someone does splurge on a meal out.
I have very easily tried a good portion of their menu over the years and have LOVED it all—including their specials. The use of quality, fresh products to produce stunning Pan Asian Fusion Cuisine is a knock out. You also cannot beat the price as your average dinner plate is around $25 and worth every penny!
Below are a few shots of my favorites over the years.
Deep-Fried Salmon Rolls with Chinese Hot Mustard (Appetizer)
Oysters on the Half Shell with Spicy Cilantro Mignonette (Appetizer)
Grilled Ahi with Spicy Mustard Aioli (Entree)
Grilled Ribeye Steak with Porcini Mushrooms (Entree: Special)
Grilled Sea Bass with Garlic Ginger Soy (Entree)
The Sea Bass is a MUST and is clearly the favorite among my family. The broiler cooking method leaves the bass extremely moist, flakey, with a delicious “char” flavor from the heat. The BF likens it to a scallop which I tend to agree. All paired beautifully with their knockout garlic noodles. SO GOOD! I could eat it every day….seriously.
I’m not the only one who loves The House. They are always packed so do due diligence and make reservations in advance. Trust me—you’ll love it. And if you don’t trust me, give it a try yourself and then drop me a line to tell me about your experience.
Now if I can only figure out a way to create that Sea Bass….. 🙂
The House
1230 Grant Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 986-8612
theculinarychronicles.com 
she’s 100% right (and, no, we don’t have a financial stake in this restaurant!). 😛 of all the places that i have ever eaten chilean sea bass, the house is my absolute favorite! i salivate just thinking about it, and have even tried bribing my sisters to bring it down to southern CA for me.
i’d eat it cold. i’d eat it a day old. heck, i’d even eat it cold, unrefrigerated, and two days old. these are the risks i would take, for something i have to have but can’t make!
yes, it’s THAT good.
my challenge to all of you readers: find a good copycat recipe for me! pretty please?
Although definitely not The House’s, here’s a great miso glazed chilean seabass recipe from Michael Mina’s “Aqua”. The challenge with this recipe (or trying to copy The House’s) has got to be the lack of an industrial salamander broiler….. But give it a try! 🙂
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Miso-Glazed-Sea-Bass-102851
thanks! query: how long does miso/mirin/sake lasts? i have bought these ingredients before, but use them sparingly so they remain in my fridge for eons…
to get a similar charred appearance and taste acquired by the salamander, i have used my creme brulee torch before! not the same, but pretty good!
I asked my local Japanese Grocer (Mitsuwa Market) and he told me that miso paste can last any where from 6-12 months in the refrigerator. When I told him that it was quite a long window, he laughed, and said miso paste is fermented and can probably last longer—but 6 to 12 months was safe to say. lol.
As for sake, it goes bad after a week or so (like wine) but I’ve taken to freezing them into icecubes–ready to drop in any recipe. 🙂
Those salmon rolls look awesome! I’d be all over that one! 🙂
They are amazing…..AND the sauce is what kicks it over the top. Spicy Chinese Mustard…mmmmm…..
I normally hate Asian Fusion, but The House is an exception for me!