Lee D.
Yelp
It took forever to make reservations and finally introduce our friends to one of my favorite restaurants from the past. Actually, this was the first RENO high end restaurant we visited.
Quality/Quantity - It was great that we all chose different dishes!! Better for my Yelp pictures, lol. A simple menu done well. Everyone enjoyed their meals.
Today we got the following:
Complimentary Bread - Cheddar jalapeno bread, ONE per person. We almost had to fight each other for this, lol.
Pork Bun Appetizer - Wow, these were HUGE! For us light eaters, this could have been a meal?!?!
Octopus - 4 couples shared two orders. Actually, we all shared our appetizers. The octopus was so tender. I would have preferred more of an outer layer crisp...? Lightly higher fire to char the outer skin...?
Short Ribs - What?!?! My wife craved this...? Normally she would get the fish. The flavors were good, but there were a few pieces that she could not eat...
Ribeye, Shoestring Fries & my Pinot and Cabernet - My usual order. Cooked well, except in my opinion, it had excess butter. Most people would probably enjoy that, lol. The shoestring fries were PERFECT, I shared with the table.
Salmon - Normally my wife's dish. This was also cooked perfectly and plated perfectly. See pictures.
Halibut - Good. My buddy usually gets a steak, this was our second dinner that he ordered more healthy?!?! What is happening? He is actually the biggest eater in the group, I hope he did not leave hungry. He did not even order dessert and he used to always have room for dessert?!?!
Duck - Wow, I was jealous when I saw this come out! I actually thought my friend ordered a pork loin as this duck breast was so huge! If you are following, I have been having some amazing ducks on my last SF, CA trips!! I will/may get this next time.
Scallop - This looked good. I am sure it was, but this guest just sat too far away from me to question, lol.
Dessert - Chocolate Yummy, I was told it was yummy, lol. My wife and I did not have room for more food. Plus, I was still enjoying my wine.
And to wash it all down, a glass of Pinot and a glass of Cabernet.
Ambiance - 25+ years, and the place still looks the same, great job. Even the orange exterior paint job holds up!
Open kitchen. Our favorite concepts!
Nice bar area, small dining area, semi private dining for a few tables in the rear of the building, and lastly outdoor dining. See pictures.
Small parking lot in the rear (as per my wife), but plenty of free 2 hour street parking.
Only open 3 days a week for dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Call to confirm days and hours, good luck. Interesting enough for a Saturday evening, the restaurant was only half full?!?!
Service - Not sure when the last time we have been here, we have been working on the last year trying to get reservations. No website, not on Open Table, Tock, Yelp reservations, etc... My wife finally left a message and 4 days later you called her back to confirm, thank you.
The front of the house was welcoming. Got here a few minutes early and she and he sat us down immediately. The "bus boy" was good, got us water, ice, etc.
The waiter was okay, not good or bad.
Good to see that the restaurant was fully staffed, I was worried about the major reduction in days and hours.
We stayed 3 hours, and never felt rushed to leave. As the last guests were leaving, we got our que, lol. So good to enjoy a great meal with good friends.
Price - $530 + tip. Expensive, but worth it. Nice treat, especially for our friends.
Wow, it's been a long time since I have seen a hand written check.
And for a party of 6, no automatic tip?!?! Thank you.
Owner Comment - Congrats on your success for the last 25+ years. And the success of your other restaurant Kauboi Izakaya (2016) a few blocks north of here. I really hope Lulou makes it, now only being open 3 days a week.