Robert Lam "Rocks."
As you enter his restaurant filled with local artists renderings, spectacular views of the Bay and heavenly smells from the open kitchen, your senses red line in anticipation of a special "foodie" experience.
The servers are very knowledgeable and proud of their unique food presentations. General Manager John Marrs started our Butterfly experience with a Bloody Mary Oyster shooter with garlic and cilantro gremolata. It is $2.00 and an extra $5.00 will get you a shot of tequila or vodka to wash it down.
He also brought us two of their special appetizers that are favorites for the daily 3-7 happy hour or daily lunch and dinner menu. The duck confit spring rolls with Chinese hot mustard and honey dipping sauce were savory and delightful. The wok seared Shanghai garlic noodles with minced scallions and fried garlic was served steamy hot and also very good.
Happy hour drinks feature $5.00 dollar wines, a featured cocktail of the day and $4.00 beers. This would be a great place to wind down after a long day in the office. On warm evenings there are also tables outside.
For the entree Linda ordered the Kalua Pig with butter lettuce cups, hoisin barbeque sauce, toasted cashews and green onions that was tender and a very generous proportion.
I ordered the shaking beef cobb salad presented picture perfect with a poached egg, prosciutto, maytag blue cheese, bacon and avocado that was fantastic.
Pre warned about their special sweets menu, we saved room to try their classic crème brulee and iron skillet chocolate cookie. Both were very good. The cookie was served in a small cast iron skillet, warm, and with a scoop of Mitchell's mint ice cream in the middle. It was sensational!
Desert wines, ports and sf's cafe roma coffee including Chilled Vietnamese coffee are also available.
For more information and to make reservations
From the web site, "After 3 years of success on Mission Street, Butterfly restaurant moved to its current location on Pier 33 in the Fall of 2003. Butterfly’s 5,000 sq. ft. dining room has floor-to-ceiling windows, offering dramatic views of San Francisco's bay. The open kitchen offers exciting views of Chef and owner Robert Lam, in action.
Butterfly restaurant offers reasonably-priced innovative dishes from various Asian cuisines.
Robert Lam is committed to supporting San Francisco’s diverse and innovative artistic communities. As part of his commitment, works by local artists adorn the walls of Butterfly.
Robert Lam was named 1 of 6 “Rising Star Chefs” by the San Francisco Chronicle. The food staff of the Chronicle is confident that he will become a “national star" chef, shaking up culinary expectations and setting trends across the country.
Robert Lam, Vietnam-born model student-turned-chef, calls what he does "Asian within Asian," pulling from culinary traditions from Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Influenced by his mother, who opened a Vietnamese restaurant, Vien Dong, just outside Los Angeles when the family landed in Southern California after the fall of Saigon. Robert is devoted to bringing out the true flavors of his dishes.
After graduating from the University of San Francisco with a degree in American History, Lam headed straight for New York and the Culinary Institute of America.
Moving back to the West Coast after graduation, he cooked to high praise at Brannan’s Grill in Calistoga. When butterfly came up for sale, Lam decided to "swim in the big pond," and bought it. The dream and skills that were stoked in his mother’s kitchen, the hunger he found at culinary school and the streak of rebellion that infused it all have found their wings at butterfly.
In 2009 Robert Lam dove into an even deeper pond by purchasing a second restaurant, Eastside West, a lounge and restaurant located in the heart of San Francisco’s Marina district. Lam also hopes to someday bring San Francisco his mother’s restaurant.
