The second Lers Ros in Hayes Valley (on Hayes near Franklin) is just as good as the original, writes Jonathan Kauffman, with solid dishes like the papaya salad with salted crab, the “phenomenal” seabass with lime and chile, and the garlic quail. He calls the wine list at the new location, with 21 bottles, “daring” and inexpensive.
And unlike Mr. Bauer who sounds like he’ll be focusing part of his upcoming review on the deafening noise in the dining room, Kaufffman says the new location is “a more attractive place to spend the evening than the anonymously modern original location.” There are always “duds” on the table, he admits, and he still finds the 100-plus-item menu to be too much of a good thing. His advice: Stick to the salads, the specials page, and the “Original Thai Style” section of the menu. [SF Weekly]
Meanwhile at the Guardian, Virginia Miller rounds up some good cheap eats, including the Asian fried chicken and red miso ramen at Chubby Noodle (inside Amante in North Beach), which she calls “better than good”; the rotisserie chicken at Roostertail (1963 Sutter Street) which she calls “delightful” and “juicy”; and the buckwheat crepes at Galette 88, which she says don’t have “quite the same depth of buckwheat earthiness” as the departed Ti Couz’s. [SFBG, The Perfect Spot SF]
And over in the East Bay, Jesse Hirsh tours us around two of the newest dining bars in Oakland: Make Westing, and Plum Bar. He says that both bars are offering “fare that’s refined without being rigid, playful but not sloppy.” Though he’s irritated by everything being served in a stupid jar at Make Westing, he notes that the oxtail bone marrow, pork rillettes, and sturgeon confit are all solid snacks. Chef Melinda Vaca, formerly a sous chef at Sea Salt, is also offering hot pepper/Cotija popcorn, and a selection of ciabatta sandwiches. He compliments chef Ron Boyd and the more “fully realized affair” that is Plum Bar. In particular he likes the dressed up poutine, and the other “heavy” fare, which stands in contrast to the delicate lightness going on next door. [EBX]
