Lers Ros — Restaurant in San Francisco

First off, I have to say that I cannot give a rating to the food in this review, because I never actually got to eat anything at this restaurant. However, I have chosen "Poor - Fair" because Google+ tells me I have to rate with something.

I am a New Zealander (or Kiwi), visiting San Francisco last week to attend a conference. I am posting this because of the disappointment I & my friend (also from overseas) experienced last Friday night - 26 October.

By coincidence both of us were in SF, so we decided to meet up for dinner - my friend let me decide on where. Being an aficionado of Thai food, and reading the very positive reviews on Google+, I chose Lers Ros. The fact that it was only a couple of blocks from my hotel was the clincher.

I had read on their website that Friday & weekend nights could be busy, with advice to book in advance, so I phoned up the day before. This was where the first (somewhat amusing) problem arose. The first part of the booking process went smoothly enough, 7:30 pm on Friday, but the difficulty was when it came to the number of diners: LR #1: "How many people?" Me: "Two" LR #1: {pause}"...Three?" Me: "No, two" LR #1: {longer pause}"...Three?" Me: "No, two... the number between one and three" LR #1: {longer more puzzled pause}"...Three?" Me: "No, two" LR #1: "Can you hold please..." Me: ... LR #2: "Hello, how many people?" Me: "Two" LR #2: "Three?" Me: {Arghh!}

Perhaps it was a combination of my Kiwi accent, with the less than perfect understanding of English on the part of the people who answered the phone. Eventually it was sorted out that there were indeed two of us, desiring to eat on Friday night.

I would have guessed that from then on it would have been relatively plain sailing. We arrived at the restaurant at 7:15. The place was heaving - obviously popular. A large party of a dozen or so arrived just before us. It was difficult to enter through the door due to the crowding. The Maitre D' took some time to get to us, but eventually she found our booking, and slightly apologetically told us we would have to wait 15-20 minutes for a table. Fair enough, considering we had arrived early. It was a bit off-putting that the only place to wait was outside, but the night was mild and my friend & I had plenty to talk about.

Come 7:35 we re-entered the restaurant, expecting that we would be seated relatively quickly. However, the Maitre D' after consulting her list, told us it would be another 15 to 20 minute wait outside. When pressed, she was not able to guarantee us at all that we would indeed be seated after that interval.

By this stage I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for one more time, and wait, but my friend, tired & hungry, had had enough. We left post haste, and eventually had a late dinner in the restaurant attached to my hotel.

My main emotion from this entire sequence of events is a sense of regret. I was really hoping for a memorable dining experience, based on what I had read. However, there was also a large portion of annoyance.

I was in two minds about whether or not to write this review, my normal inclination (derived from my Kiwi upbringing) being to grin and bear it whilst fuming on the inside. Then I thought, 'When in Rome...', so here it is.

Food: N/A Decor: Poor - Fair (over-crowded) Service: Poor-Fair ("Three?",...

4.5 stars

Lers Ros Thai may or may not be the best Thai food in the city, but it's definitely the most exciting. It's like homecooked Thai food amped up ten-fold -- there are Thai dishes I've never seen on a menu before, and there are variations to typical Thai staples that will blow your mind. The pungent flavors and fire-hot spiciness here are phenomenal, packing punches harder than with any Thai food I've had outside of Thailand. After my first visit, I was absolutely hooked, and now when I feel like eating Thai food, I'm essentially saying that I feel like eating Lers Ros.

FOOD:

Crispy Pork Belly = It's weird, this dish lacks consistency, even within the same plate. When the piece is done right, it's possibly the best crispy pork belly in the city. The spice, the intense flavor, the ultra-crispy skin, the tender meat -- it all just blends together perfectly. However, within the same plate, there are also pieces that are too tough, too dry, and too overcooked. There are also other pieces where the skin is soggy rather than crispy. It's really strange and somewhat disappointing. But because I know how DELICIOUS the good pieces are, I always keep ordering this dish and will probably continue to order this dish for as long as I eat at Lers Ros.

Yum Koh Moo Yang (Pork Shoulder Salad) = Tender pieces of pork shoulder that go incredibly well with the salad.

Papaya Salad w/ Grilled Prawns = My vote for the best papaya salad in SF. The spice level here is through the roof, making this a dangerous dish for people who can't handle their peppers. The prawns are well-cooked, the papaya is nice and crunchy, and everything just works together excellently.

Fried Quail = Pretty good. This dish rides a dangerously-thin line, since it could easily be tough and overcooked. I had pieces that were, for sure, but when it's done well, it's delicious.

Green Curry = Very good. Green curry is one of those dishes that's tough to get wrong, and Lers Ros definitely doesn't get it wrong. Again, the intense spice is what makes this a winner.

Lers Ros Thai breathes unique and exciting life into your typical Thai fare. With Basil Thai and Marnee Thai, among others, there's tons of great Thai food competition in the city; but Lers Ros is definitely the one that stands out for its ingenuity...

Simply awesome in nearly every way.

I ate here with three friends on New Year's Eve last year. Not only had Lers Ros Thai not jacked up their prices like so many other places did on this night... they even gave everyone in our party a complimentary glass of champagne. Now that's classy!

That was just the start of a very fine evening here. No, wait, that's not quite true. I had called them no fewer than four times to inquire about reservations, make reservations, change reservations, etc. And each time, they were unfailingly helpful and polite.

When I came in to the restaurant way earlier than my friends and waited for them, they brought me my champagne early, plus water, and lots of smiles. These folks are attentive, friendly, and helpful!

All our dishes were tasty, but one of them -- the one I requested to be "medium spicy" was, for me and my friends, just too spicy. When I mentioned this to the waitress, asking if there was any sort of add-on to make it less spicy (like yogurt in an Indian restaurant) she said, no, no, let us make you a brand new dish that'll be better for you... any dish you want, free of charge. I was stunned and couldn't decide so I had her pick a different beef dish, and oh boy, did that beef just melt-in-your-mouth (and yes, it was much less spicy!)

And wow, everything is so affordable! Most entrees are around $8-$9, with just a few dishes (particularly specials) being appreciably more. Much of the wine is a reasonable $5/glass. Take THAT, mostly-overpriced-SF-Thai-restaurants!

Sadly, no one else but me had room for dessert so I passed on it as well... but next time I'm getting the fried-banana-with-mitchell's-ice-cream!

Only nitpicks? Mints with the check would have been a nice touch. Dangit, why isn't this in Mountain View where I live?! :D

I can't wait to go back!

P.S. -- Addendum: I've now been back... with dates, with friends, etc. This restaurant is consistently excellent, and is earning my first "Best ever" Google Star for its...