Plouf in Downtown SF
UN was in town last night, so I made a reservation at Plouf. The restaurant is located on Belden Place, which is really a little alleyway on which several restaurants are located. It was raining terribly, but the touts (read: hostesses) from each restaurant were out under the awnings, trying to drum up business by accosting passersby who might not have already made reservations. Plouf touts itself as a Gallic seafooder, and at least half of the menu is devoted to fish and shellfish.
Plouf itself is set in an unassuming storefront. The typical bistro tables and umbrellas were set up outside (although because of the rain, there were few takers). The inside of the restaurant had a plethora of small tables set up right next to each other, and a few coveted booths. Since I had made a reservation, we got a booth. There was an open kitchen with bustling black-and-white-striped-shirted waiters running around. The music was booming, and it was very difficult to hear/be heard due to the cavernous ceiling (off which things really echoed). I was surprised at the rocking ambiance the restaurant tried to effect, due to the fact that it was a sleepy Tuesday night and most of the clientele was over 40.
UN ordered snapper, with broccoli rabe and calamari. He asked to have the snapper broiled instead of fried, and to substitute another vegetable for the calamari. When UN's dish came, the snapper was clearly fried. When he questioned the waiter, the waiter told him it was surely broiled. I didn't think it looked broiled, but I kept my mouth shut. UN began to eat, and no sooner had he taken a few mouthfulls then the manager came over to apologize; the chef had, indeed, prepared the fried snapper instead of the broiled snapper. He offered to bring a fresh dish, but UN politely declined (but not before teasing the manager).
I had the herbed roulade of salmon with roasted cepes (an earthy mushroom), and mustard greens with a pomegranate glaze. I was expecting a small medallion, but the salmon was quite a lot of fish, prepared a delicate medium. The greens were pleasantly sharp, and the pomegranate glaze was actually excellent. The one letdown was the cepes. They tasted as if they had come from a can.
MH, in a huge change of pace, started with the tuna ceviche, but then got a vegetarian dish - the crispy risotto cakes, and marinated portobello steaks with wild mushroom and port jus. The ceviche was served with Japanese seaweed salad, which had a good consistency. MH's portobello steaks were juicy with a pleasant sponginess. I thought their flavor was quite tasty. MH also convinced me to order some frites. They were crispy, matchstick fries, but not seasoned well enough.
In a bid to appease us, the waiter came back after we had finished eating, and personally apologized for mixing up UN's order. He also offered us some complimentary port or sauternes, which we declined. By this point, we had gotten used to the loud music, and so we stayed for another 20 minutes, talking and relaxing. It was still raining when we left, and as we walked out of the alleyway with our umbrellas held above our heads, we saw our waiter, crouched under an overhang, smoking a cigarette. It was very French.
Plouf
6/10
Plouf itself is set in an unassuming storefront. The typical bistro tables and umbrellas were set up outside (although because of the rain, there were few takers). The inside of the restaurant had a plethora of small tables set up right next to each other, and a few coveted booths. Since I had made a reservation, we got a booth. There was an open kitchen with bustling black-and-white-striped-shirted waiters running around. The music was booming, and it was very difficult to hear/be heard due to the cavernous ceiling (off which things really echoed). I was surprised at the rocking ambiance the restaurant tried to effect, due to the fact that it was a sleepy Tuesday night and most of the clientele was over 40.
UN ordered snapper, with broccoli rabe and calamari. He asked to have the snapper broiled instead of fried, and to substitute another vegetable for the calamari. When UN's dish came, the snapper was clearly fried. When he questioned the waiter, the waiter told him it was surely broiled. I didn't think it looked broiled, but I kept my mouth shut. UN began to eat, and no sooner had he taken a few mouthfulls then the manager came over to apologize; the chef had, indeed, prepared the fried snapper instead of the broiled snapper. He offered to bring a fresh dish, but UN politely declined (but not before teasing the manager).
I had the herbed roulade of salmon with roasted cepes (an earthy mushroom), and mustard greens with a pomegranate glaze. I was expecting a small medallion, but the salmon was quite a lot of fish, prepared a delicate medium. The greens were pleasantly sharp, and the pomegranate glaze was actually excellent. The one letdown was the cepes. They tasted as if they had come from a can.
MH, in a huge change of pace, started with the tuna ceviche, but then got a vegetarian dish - the crispy risotto cakes, and marinated portobello steaks with wild mushroom and port jus. The ceviche was served with Japanese seaweed salad, which had a good consistency. MH's portobello steaks were juicy with a pleasant sponginess. I thought their flavor was quite tasty. MH also convinced me to order some frites. They were crispy, matchstick fries, but not seasoned well enough.
In a bid to appease us, the waiter came back after we had finished eating, and personally apologized for mixing up UN's order. He also offered us some complimentary port or sauternes, which we declined. By this point, we had gotten used to the loud music, and so we stayed for another 20 minutes, talking and relaxing. It was still raining when we left, and as we walked out of the alleyway with our umbrellas held above our heads, we saw our waiter, crouched under an overhang, smoking a cigarette. It was very French.
Plouf
6/10
posted by epicure | 9:37 AM
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