Emporio Rulli

Emporio Rulli is slowly but surely expanding its Bay Area empire, with outposts in SF, Burlingame (at SFO), and Larkspur. I've been to the two SF outposts - the one on Chestnut Street (Emporio Rulli Gran Caffè) and the one on Union Square (Emporio Rulli Il Caffè). The Chestnut Street cafe is full-service, offering sandwiches, full meals, pastries, and drinks. The Union Square cafe is more like a coffeeshop, with a small selection of pastries, cookies, and paninis, and a less large drink selection.

The cafes like to tout themselves as the authentic Italian experience. Not having been to Italy (something I hope MH will remedy soon), I am not in a position to agree or disagree with this assessment. However, for a tea or espresso and a cookie or pastry, you could do a lot worse in SF. If you're looking for ambiance, go to the Chestnut Street cafe. Full marble floors, mirrored walls, heavy marble-topped tables, and an enormous pastry counter comprise the establishment. Many of the waiters are Italian, adding to the feel. The Union Square cafe is small, but people-watching on the Square is at a premium, so sit outside for maximum enjoyment.

At the Union Square cafe this week, for some reason, after 6:30pm, the manager offered a "buy one pastry, get one pastry free" special, at which I leapt. I chose a dense pastry with a rice filling, which was crumbly and buttery. I also selected an apple tart for CHF, who accepted it with undisguised glee. CHF told me later (and I'm quoting him here) that the pastry "was very tasty, and well-textured." The friend I was with had a hot chocolate, fragrant and milky. Of course, it can't compare to the hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick or La Maison du Chocolate, but those are on the East Coast and beggars can't be choosers.

Sanraku Four Seasons

I was up in SF for some meetings a few days ago, and I met up with CHF for dinner at Sanraku Four Seasons (on the corner of Sutter and Taylor Streets). CHF lives on Nob Hill, and is a regular at Sanraku. Immediately upon entering, we were greeted warmly by the staff, and by CHF's neighbor, also a regular. As we dined, we saw more and more regulars come in, all greeted the same way. This gave what was otherwise a bare-bones restaurant a homey feel.

The space is large, but you wouldn't know it from the entryway. Upon entering the establishment, the sushi bar is directly in front of you. There are a few two-top tables to your right. If you look to your left, however, the restaurant stretches out into what appears to be another storefront. This is because it was another storefront - the Four Seasons restaurant, which closed. Thus, the place is actually quite huge!

In total, we ordered sashimi, sushi rolls, and at my insistence, an order of chicken teryaki. The chicken teryaki, even ordered a la carte, was an enormous meal. It comes served with rice, miso soup, salad, and vegetables. (If you order the combination meal, it also comes with your choice of tempura/sushi/sashimi and ice cream). I should also mention that there must have been two full chicken breasts cut up as the entree. It was a lot of food, and our server cheekily mentioned that we'd have to take some home. The teryaki glaze was delicious, and not cloying. The chicken was also not dripping with sauce, which was another plus. This was true Japanese home-style cooking at its best.

As for the sushi/sashimi, CHF ordered hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi, and sake (salmon) sashimi. The fish was fresh and moist, and was quite delicious. There was also a tekka maki (tuna roll), an eel with cucumber roll, and a California roll, made with fresh crab meat. I'm not in love with California rolls, but this one was quite good. I didn't try the eel roll, but from the look on CHF's face, I'd say it rated highly. The tekka maki was good. A bit larger than is traditional, but well-made.

All this food cost us each $20 (with no alcohol). CHF whipped out his special Sanraku Rewards Card (apparently offered to regulars), which tracks your spending at the restaurant. When you accrue enough points, you get gift certificates which you can use at Sanraku Four Seasons or its sister restaurant, the Sanraku Metreon. I really enjoyed this restaurant as a nice change of pace from the overpriced, over-hyped, touristy restaurants that are really prevalent around the Union Square area. It's the neighborhood restaurant you wish you had.


Sanraku Four Seasons
7.5/10