(415) 982-7877
Parking: limited street parking, validated pay parking lot - Portsmouth Square - about a block away
http://www.rnglounge.com/
Last Visited: February 23, 2012
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$$$
R&G Lounge has been at this location since 1985. I remember going as a kid and enjoying two of their now signature dishes - deep fried crab and steak cubes with bell peppers and onions. When you mention crab prepared Asian-style and San Francisco, R&G always comes up in conversation.
Known for their crab, they offer nine preparations: salt and pepper (signature), fried with garlic and hot peppers (one of my personal favorites), black bean sauce, steamed, steamed with wine and egg whites, steamed with garlic, spicy garlic sauce, salted egg yolk, and ginger & scallions.
They also four preparations of lobster: supreme broth, salt and pepper, black bean sauce, and ginger & scallions.
When we arrived, we headed downstairs and were seated at a back room. Decor in this section leaves something to be desired, but is considered above average for Chinatown restaurants. Although the prices would make one think you're going to a fancy restaurant, it's not fancy in this section. It's also pretty noisy as a whole.
We ordered a table full of dishes to enjoy R&G's crab and other seafood.
- Live Crab with Salt and Pepper - A rather large crab is battered, deep-fried, and seasoned with salt and pepper seasoning (Chinese style). It's hot and super fresh tasting. We shared it amongst five people. Prices are seasonal. $38
- Crispy Chicken - Described as deep fried chicken with a crispy outside finish. The skin was a beautiful brown and the meat was juicy. This was also enjoyable. The shrimp chips were large and very fresh The photo shows a half of a chicken. Half $15, Whole $28
- Garlic Noodles with Seafood (special) - The description conjures up an image like Vietnamese garlic noodles, but this definitely has more sauce. Fresh tomatoes are cooked with fresh seafood and a lot of garlic. While it tasted fine and the seafood was not overcooked, I thought the presentation left something to be desired. I would also rename it so that there is less confusion with its Vietnamese sibling. I can't remember the exact price, but it was just under $20. 
- Steak Cubes and Scallops with Macadamia Nuts - This has been one of my longtime favorites. Macadamia nuts were asked to be placed on the side for this order because one of our dining companions has a nut allergy. The steak cubes are super tender and the scallops are jumbo-sized and fresh. The bell peppers and celery are still a little crunchy which gives a nice textural contrast. This is a must try dish (or you can get the version without scallops) when you visit R&G. I only wish there was more. $20
- Minced Seafood in Lettuce Cups - Minced scallops, prawns, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots are stir-fried and served with fresh iceberg lettuce leaves. While the photo displays a gorgeous looking lettuce cup, it looked pretty bland when it arrived - it was pretty much brown in color, making it less appetizing. The flavor was okay. While seafood is minced to make the dish, I found that the rusted edges of the lettuce and lack of presentation made the dish less worthy of its price. $18
- Eggplant with Garlic Sauce - Eggplant is sauteed with bamboo shoots, shredded pork, black fungus, and scallions in a spicy garlic sauce. While they warned us that this would be spicy, I found the flavor to be more sweet than spicy. This was a hit at our table, but the quantity was a little on the small side. The flavor was great. $14Our server was friendly and checked in on us during the meal. Plates were changed after we ate the crab, but there could be greater attention to detail. We didn't all get crab crackers and when plates were finished, they didn't remove them as quickly as one would have liked.
While the steak cube dish and crab continue to steal the show, R&G lounge has fancy prices that are a little high for the atmosphere and level of service provided. Reducing prices by 10 to 20% would feel more in line with what they are offering.
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