Isa

3324 Steiner St
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-567-9588
www.isarestaurant.com
Map It
Menu

Review This Restaurant




It was my birthday the other night so we went to Isa in the Marina district. We had planned on going to Masas but after reading some reviews on Yelp (Yes. I Yelp) we decided it sounded a little too stuffy for our taste, not to mention damn expensive. At Isa for 7 courses, 2 desserts and 4 drinks plus tip we got out for $200. They describe the way the food is served as family style, meaning they bring out a plate and everyone shares. The portions were small, a lot like tapas. I started off with the lobster broth ($7.50) which wasn't bad after it finally cooled off (Served DAMN hot) but was pretty bland and wasn't something I would order again. Then came the spicy tuna tartare ($12.50) which was the wifes favorite, and probably my 2nd fav. Served on crushed avacado, crostini and toasted pine nuts with nice sized chunks of ahi it was excellent. Next was the baked laura chenel goat cheese ($9.75) which my wife really liked. I thought it was pretty good but it showed up around the time that the foie gras ($18.50) came out (My favorite dish of the evening) so I was all about eating that. Next out was the potato wrapped halibut which honestly was a bit of a dissapointment. The fish was cooked very well, and the flavors were good, but I saw a picture of it on Check Please Bay Area and the fish was wrapped in potato skin (Thus the name?) but ours wasn't and again probably not something I would get again. Next out was the roasted lamb tenderloin ($19.50) which was a nice sized portion of perfectly cooked lamb medallions with artichokes, red peppers and fava beans. Very good. The last dish to come out was the rocky jr. range chicken which was really tasty. The skin cooked nice and crispy with herbs cooked under the skin. I do have to say though that the side of mashed potatoes that came with it tasted like they were fresh out of the box. For dessert we had the flourless chocolate cake with vanilla bean gelato ($7.00) as well as the creme brulee ($6.00) and two coffees ($2.50 each). Im not too big on cake typically but this was really good with a nice orange flavor. The creme brulee was also very good. I wasn't going to mention it, but when giving a cleanliness rating I have to give it a 7, so I need to explain why. They are very good at rmeoving your old dishware after each dish, but the first time they did they replaced my fork with a dirty one that I ended up scraping the gunk off it. Yuck. But even with that if you are looking for a good deal on relatively inexpensive French food with a twist then definitely go check out Isa.

Quality of food = 9
Service = 9
Value = 8
Cleanliness = 7

Avg cost per person - $75 with tip