HK Lounge Bistro

Cuisine	Chinese
Price	$$$ (31-50)
Rating	7/10
Last Visit	May 24, 2023
Location	SFBA: San Francisco: Downtown + SoMa

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General Notes

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The food here is delightful! It's definitely a bit on the pricier side, but it's well worth it. Apparently this place recently re-opened, after it was forced to close for a while after a fire. From what I gather, I think they have a second location in the Richmond. They also offer dim sum earlier in the day, I'm excited to try that some day.

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Positives

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> They offer reservations! It can get pretty busy here, particularly during peak hours, so I'd definitely suggest getting a reservation if you can, for a larger group. It's not a particularly large space.

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Negatives

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> Service was a little bit inconsistent, but overall not a big deal.
> Minor complaint -- the restaurant is can get very drafty whenever someone opens the door. It's not a particularly large room, either.
> As mentioned, the restaurant can get pretty busy, and it can be difficult to get a seat without a reservation, especially considering how small the restaurant is.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★★★ sauteed filet of rex sole -- with seasonal greens. Relatively light dish and simply flavored, but tastes incredible. The fish is so tender, the sauce is wonderful, and the vegetables are perfectly cooked.
• ★★★☆ sauteed pea shoots -- with minced garlic. Flavor was incredible, the texture of the leafy parts could have been a bit better, but otherwise incredible!
• ★★★★ crispy salt and pepper pork ribs -- well-fried, tender, perfect amount of fat, and super flavorful.
• ★★★★ classic whole roast duck -- with plum sauce. This was the highlight of the night; it was SO GOOD. Super flavorful, and the skin was really crispy, even more so than the peking duck. A little bit of a plum sauce goes a long way.
• ★☆☆☆ imperial peking duck -- with fresh scallions & hoisin sauce. meh, not the best. It's a little weird that the duck is still bone-on for this.
• ★★★☆ chef's soup of the day -- pork, corn, potato, carrot, beans, and some miscellaneous other things. This was really comforting, I enjoyed it!
• ★☆☆☆ crab XLB -- This actually had real crab, but I don't think I'm a big fan of this. Minor nit -- the wrapper was very sticky and all of them ripped from the parchment paper.
• ★★☆☆ dry fried string beans -- in sweet and spicy XO sauce. A little too sweet for my taste, but generally cooked well.
• ★★☆☆ stir fry sticky rice with Chinese bacon and sausage -- overall pretty solid, the textures were a little unusual for fried rice
• ★★☆☆ 干炒牛河 -- not particularly noteworthy, but overall cooked well!