Plouf - French/Seafood, San Francisco

40 Belden Place San Francisco CA 94104
(415) 986-6491
Parking: street parking
http://www.ploufsf.com/

Last Visited: February 22, 2012

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

Plouf is the sound a stone makes when it drops into a stream (a French one that is).

Amy brought me to Plouf and immediately, I was quite delighted by how Belden Alley had such a European feel about it despite its location in the city.  For those who have never been to the street, it's a narrow street with storefronts opening up to the alley and filled with tables.  The open air tables, with standing heaters which is much needed for outdoor dining in the city, are very quaint and the lovely hostesses of each restaurant invite you to come peruse their menus.

The name Plouf is what drew Amy to this place during her visit since the restaurant has the same name as her mother's maiden name.  We arrived early this evening and had our choice of seats.  Specializing in seafood, especially mussels, you'll find a variety of mussel dishes (seven in total) available along with plenty of fresh fish.  Coq au vin, duck and hamburgers are available too for main dishes.

The decor reflects the type of items served on the menu - large creatures of the sea along with deep red colors that add contrast to the dining area.  The servers where black and white horizontal striped shirts which seem to add to the French feel.

Upon our arrival, we were seated and served a baguette of french bread at room temperature.  With Amy's recommendation to try a mussel dish, I went ahead and got it as a main course.

- Plouf Mussels - Pastis, cream, shallots, roasted garlic, chili flakes, and herbs go into this mussel dish.  The mussels come in a rather large pot and there are plenty to share amongst your tablemates or to eat as a main dish.  They're not the baby mussels either - they're very good sized.  It comes super hot in temperature and the broth is very well-flavored.  The pastis has an anise flavor that was present without being overbearing.  If you love roasted garlic, you'll find tons of it in the broth.  Super rich and creamy, the broth was a great dipping sauce for the crusty bread. I did find a little bit of sand in a couple of the mussels, but overall, very good.  $15.50

- Pommes Frites - While the pomme frites had a great potato flavor and were certainly very fresh, the pieces were cut a little too small. The ones on top were fine, but those on the bottom were getting too tiny.   The photo on the website shows them a little more light in color and holding up on their own better.  Ours were slightly limp and the smaller size made them hard to handle.  $5

While we hadn't intended to get pommes frites, the server had accidentally ordered them for us.  He realized his error when he saw them at our table and kindly took the item off the bill.  I appreciated that response since you so often find servers whom don't take the time to notice or plain don't care.

With the sand in the shellfish, I think there is room for improvement, but in general, I was impressed by the food and would definitely return.  If you're seeking a bargain, I learned that Plouf has a happy hour menu - on weekdays, the bar serves happy hour all night and the terrameze serves it from 2:30 to 5:30pm.  Items such as the oysters and mussels come in smaller portions and are available at a lower price (personally, I enjoy the smaller portions because then it means I get to try more items).  Plouf is a fun treat for seafood lovers, especially those whom enjoy mussels.

2012 James Beard Award Semifinalists

Check out this article on the 2012 James Beard Award Semifinalists - it's wonderful to see so many Bay Area chefs on the list and know that they're so accessible!

Sushi Hana - Japanese, Sebastopol

6930 Burnett Street, Sebastopol CA 95472
(707) 823-3778
Parking: Street parking or parking lot across the street
Open Daily

Last Visited: August 19, 2006

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Walk into Sushi Hana and find that its layout is slightly awkward. The area directly facing the doorway has some seating, and then to your left is the register and the sushi bar. Making a slight U-turn leads you to the main dining area. During my first visit on a Friday evening when I sat at the sushi bar, I found the restaurant to be fairly empty. During my most recent visit on a Saturday night when I sat at a table, the place was packed. Wednesdays and Saturdays are special because they serve discounted sushi starting at $1 a piece and rolls starting at $3 each.

The carpets are dark green and the tables are wood with glass on top. The chairs have a wood back and dark green cushions. Fresh flowers sit in a vase on top of each table along with white paper placemats, chopsticks, and a napkin. Seating is also available at the sushi bar. Upon our arrival, we received a glass of water with a half of a slice of fresh lemon in it. The walls are a combination of brick and mirrors. There is a fish shaped blackboard displaying the specials and another board behind the sushi bar displaying the same information. Photos are hung around the room. The lighting from the windows give the room a slightly brighter feel.

P told us what a great place this was, especially for its Wednesday and Saturday specials which are available all day.

- Miso Soup – During both visits, I tried the miso soup. Flavor was very similar both times, but there were two differences. The temperature of the soup the first time was much hotter – the second time it was steaming, but only lukewarm. The first time, the tofu blocks were not cut as neatly, and the second time, they were cut much cleaner. Finally, the second time, there was an overload of green onions sprinkled into the soup which overwhelmed the miso flavor. I guess it depends on timing and who is putting your soup in the bowl. $1.50

- Maguro – The maguro was good. It was fresh and tender with clean flavors. $4

- Albacore – The albacore wasn’t as good as the maguro. Fair. $4

- Tako (Octopus) – The tako was rubbery. It was like chewing gum – not as fresh as it should have been since a fresh octopus would be crisp in comparison. $3.50

- Inari (Deep Fried Tofu) – This was fairly standard stuff. A sweet and soft tofu shell filled with rice. Good. $3

- Hamaichi (Yellow Tail)/ Hirame (Halibut) – Since both of these came on the same plate, I had a hard time telling one from the other. One was very tender, and the other was more chewy. I ordered another one of the tender ones by indicating where it was on the plate (since I had asked the server to identify which was which for me), but I’m not sure the second plate came back with what I wanted since the texture was right in the middle compared to the first pieces. $4

- Unagi - When I had the unagi during my first visit, it was fine. When I returned for some on the Saturday evening, I found it wasn’t quite as good. Perhaps it was because it was warm when I sat at the bar, and cooled when I sat at the table. Just okay. $4

- Rock and Roll (Eel and Avocado) – The unagi is rolled with avocado and drizzled with sauce. The flavors aren’t clean, so it’s hard to tell if the flavor is better in a roll or better as sushi when both are of good quality. However, it was better in a roll compared to the pieces of unagi I ordered as nigiri sushi this evening. $4

- Sake (Salmon) – The salmon is available smoked or fresh. We selected fresh and it was good. $4

- Toro – The toro had a nice flavor – tender. Not the best toro I’ve had, but good. $9

- Blue Fin Tuna – Same thoughts as the toro – fresh and good. $9

- Pink Lady – The pink lady was described as salmon skin with tobiko, cucumber, gobo, and dried saved bonito. I wouldn’t get this again. Of the dishes I tried during my first visit at the bar, this was my least favorite – lacking texture, lacking flavor. I prefer my salmon skin to have a little meat on it and for the skin to be toasted extra crispy – that’s not the case here. $6

- Lobster Roll #1 – I liked this roll, but you don’t get much lobster. The flavor is nice and does taste of lobster. Fresh, but could be a larger quantity with chunkier pieces of lobster. That would make it better $8

My server during the second visit took time to warm up. When he arrived with the water, he just stood there as though we were going to order. He didn’t greet us or make any statements about taking the order, which I found to be odd. After asking him some questions when our plate arrived, he responded, but it seems odd to have a server so quiet. He also checked back frequently enough when he saw the puzzled look on our faces, but there is much room for improvement.

Overall, the food experience is so-so. My first visit at the bar was better than my second at a table, and the service leaves something to be desired, though as always, it depends on who your server is. Going on Wednesdays and Saturdays is a bit risky. The way I see it – they clear out inventory on these two days which is great, because inventory is being cleared out, but it’s also bad because that means it’s not at the peak of freshness. If you want inexpensive sushi and your palate is not picky, then you might find it fine on Wednesdays and Saturday, but if you’ve had really good sushi, I would say pass. Perhaps Thursdays and Sundays are the best days to go.