Oodles

Bush/Taylor

415-928-1888

I dined with a friend at Oodles last Saturday night. It sits nondescriptly
on the corner of Bush and Taylor. The sort of place you just might walk right by.

Inside the atmosphere is pleasantly refined yet unpretentious. It's subtle. A hint of elegance, the décor suggests the fare of the place---Euroasian, the fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine.

We were promptly seated at a table looking out onto Bush Street; none of that annoying waiting around for a table at this restaurant! The menu is broken into a two-part tasting menu and the dinner menu which consists of three courses, each with about five to eight items to choose from. Enough choice to satisfy even the pickiest of diners yet not so many choices that you're overwhelmed.

Items on the dinner menu ranged from $8 to $18 and included spicy coconut soup; roast duck confit on spicy sweet and sour pickled mangoes; mixed greens with Asian pear, pistachio and goat cheese strips; roast breast of duck with balsamic roasted figs and black rice, as well as other tempting dishes of fish and rabbit. I ordered the ginger glazed roast chicken with polenta cake and pea tendrils, and my friend opted for the miso marinated skate with crispy squid and sweet corn nage. As we enjoyed the wine and the delicious bread, the waiter brought over a complimentary appetizer of asparagus with miso marinated vinaigrette. They were excellent, as were our entrees, which were very tasty, handsomely presented and modestly proportioned.

The drinks are creative: cocktail fusions and a well-chosen assortment of imported beers, including beers from India and Thailand. My friend and I settled on a modest Italian red wine priced at a very reasonable $17 a bottle. The wine proved slightly sweet, slightly fruity, and fully satisfying.

The desert menu looked appealing and adventurous, but we settled for
above average coffee and espresso and sat back sipping after what had been a very pleasant dining experience.

Parking: Not even double parking
Reservations: Recommended

Brad

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