191 Pine Street, San Francisco CA 94111
(415) 982-9828
Parking: street parking
Hours: M-F Lunch 11:30am -3:00pm, Mon - Sat Dinner: 5-10, Closed Sundays
http://unicorndining.com/
Last Visited: September 18, 2003 (at their Berkeley location on Telegraph Ave)
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$
It appears that the Berkeley location has been closed since my review, but here are my thoughts on Unicorn.
Unicorn has a vibrant feeling – trendy, but not overdone. There are deep maroons, bright but subtle yellows and an array of colors throughout the restaurant. I arrived for an early supper and found the place needing a little air circulation, but the music was at just the right level and it never distracted from the evening. The music is a perfect pairing with the décor.
Kristy recommended Unicorn and gave it high praises. She’s tried out the menu thoroughly so it’s definitely worth another visit. She raves about the crab, but we just weren’t that hungry this evening. The pictures of dishes shown on their website are more than enticing, but the Horn of Plenty caught my eye the most and that’s what I came to try.
Dinner began with a refreshing mango sorbet to cleanse the palate - a very nice beginning that leaves a great impression.
- Horn of Plenty - The presentation of the dish is great. It’s certainly deserving of the name. New Zealand Mussels – these were absolutely the best mussels I’ve had in a while. They’re charbroiled and seasoned with scallions and shallots, topped with peanuts. The flavor is intense – sweet and crunchy. By far the best part of the Horn of Plenty for me – if every part of the horn of plenty was like this, I would have bumped up the food rating.Salt and Pepper Calamari and Prawns – Cantonese food creates high standards, so the shrimp and calamari seemed dry compared to other versions I’ve tried. The calamari and prawns are flash-fried with a light batter, but again, just a bit on the dry side. Comes with a pepper dipping sauce.Roasted Quail - Full flavored. These were average compared to the Cantonese food I’ve had (not hot enough and not juicy enough), but prepared in a typical style – marinated and roasted.Unicorn Rolls - Shredded taro and tofu wrapped with glass noodles, lettuce, and mint. The flavor combination is light and the mint flavor is very apparent. I liked these rolls, especially with the light soy vinaigrette.Chao Zhou Shrimp Rolls – A deep fried roll with minced shrimp, jicama, and chicken served with a sweet chili sauce. There’s a lot of flavor in these rolls; they too were very good. $13 per person, minimum two person order
A light salad of lettuce and red cabbage accompany the appetizers listed above in the Horn of plenty. It’s crispy, but didn’t have much flavor, although my taste buds may have been overwhelmed by the time I tried it.
- Jasmine Rice – yep, it’s just rice. $1
- Cocopine Ice Cream – light tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut ice cream was very refreshing. Served with two vanilla wafers and a mint leaf. Simple, but oh so good. $ 3
- Flan of Amaretto – soft, custard-style, served with whip cream in the middle and a rose bud. It’s pumpkin in color and the hint of amaretto wasn’t much of a hint, but I’m not a big fan of flan. $5
The water glasses were filled frequently, but the pitcher didn’t seem to contain ice so it warmed to room temperature quickly. The prices on the website need to be updated. A number of dishes have seen increased prices.
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