871 Sutter St, San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 444-liho
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm, Closed Sundays
http://liholihoyachtclub.com/
Last Visited: December 8, 2016
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
Liholiho Yacht Club is a hip place with dishes that have Hawaiian and Asian influences. The neon sign in blue out front makes it easy to find. Reservations can be a bit difficult, but I was able to get them on a weeknight slightly in advance without too much effort.
During my visit, it was a rainy evening, and that made the space a bit humid - perhaps that's a bit reminiscent of Hawaii itself without the warmth. The restaurant has an open kitchen and a lot of light colored wood.
The server greeted us and explained that dishes were intended to be tapas sized and shared family style. We found her to be professional, but not particularly friendly in her demeanor - not sure if it's because we didn't order alcohol or if there was another reason. She seemed friendlier to the table next to us which ordered a few more dishes and wine even though their party size was the same. The presentation of dishes is nice with good attention to detail.
- Tuna Poke, sesame oil, radish, nori cracker - I loved the freshness of the poke in this dish. The nori chip is a bit thicker than I would have liked, but it holds up well to the weight of the fish and the nori flavor is a bit stronger because of the thickness. A lighter chip would have been preferred, but then you would need to serve it more as a dipping chip rather than a base. A drizzle of dressing and microgreens top the fish. If tuna is fresh, it's hard to go wrong with this kind of dish. Good. $16.50
- Fried Oyster, beef carpaccio, butter lettuce, 1000 island - The oysters were good lightly crisp and the thinly sliced beef was tender. Chives top the beef. Although each ingredient was good on its own, this combination did not dazzle me. Not bad, but not wow - just okay. - $13.50
- Fried rice, bay shrimp, spam, abalone mushrooms (on menu) - Since my visit, I have heard that there is an off menu version of the same dish with house made spam that is pretty good. Nevertheless, I found this dish to be very greasy. There is an abundance of shrimp on top and spam in the dish. The mushrooms absorb the flavors well, but I ended up taking most of this dish home. I added cooked rice and stir-fried it again. This made it more palatable since it was less salty and the oil was better distributed. A bit heavy on its own. Just okay. $16.25
- Grilled Short Rib, escargot, bone marrow, mushrooms, fresh horseradish - This was the best dish of the evening. The short rib sat atop leeks and red onions; the meat was cooked medium and topped with an herb sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. The bone marrow was amazing - probably the best I've had. Stuffed with escargot and topped with breadcrumbs (or maybe panko), each bite is scrumptious and tender - instead of a butter preparation, these escargot are nestled in the bone marrow and take on all of that flavor. Although presentation looks a bit messy due to the jus, the taste makes up for it. Must try! $40.75- Baked Hawaii, caramelized pineapple ice cream, vanilla chiffon - The presentation of this dish is lovely. How can you not appreciate the beehive shape and lovely browning on the meringue? The caramel swirl and refreshing pineapple ice cream was good, but I found the garnish of canned pineapple and flaked coconut to be less exciting. $10.50
There are a lot of plate changes throughout the evening, so you can appreciate their service. Note also that an employer mandate will be charged.
Overall, I think it's a fun experience to try a different cuisine, but not some place I would go regularly mostly because the price point is a bit high considering the service and size of the dishes. The short ribs and bone marrow could bring me back though.
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