Le Colonial -- It's Easy to Forget

It's easy to forget all about Le Colonial, the French-Vietnamese restaurant with a locations in San Francisco, New York and Chicago.

But when Rubicon rudely gave away our dinner reservation mere minutes after our party of five was delayed, it was Le Colonial who rescued this very important client dinner.

The vibe at Le Colonial is tropically sexy -- you just FEEL warm and fuzzy when you're sitting in the upstairs lounge with one of their incredible Hendricks Gin cocktails. Service is always competent, though sometimes a little bit slow, and the staff are almost uniformly friendly. That's a hard thing to count on in this city.

Our dinner on Monday night included an incredible appetizer of Banh Cuon ($9), tender  rice noodles wrapped around a filling of chicken, mushrooms and scallions. I'm still thinking about this one a few days later, and can only compare it to a lighter, more flavorful version of Chow Fun.

While I typically order Bo Luc Lac when we go out for Vietnamese, I found myself changing my mind at the last minute to Cuu Nuong ($38) after smelling the one that arrived at the next table over. While the meat was exceptional, overall the dish was a little bit on the sweet side for me. That said, the accompanying mint & apple salad was amazing. We also ordered a side for the table, Mien Xao Cua ($13) -- glass noodles, dungeness, egg -- which we polished off quickly, despite all being incredibly full.

I'm not sure why it's so easy to write off and forget about a restaurant that opens additional locations -- perhaps it's a bit of foodie bias. But I can't say that I've ever had a less-than-great meal or poor service at Le Colonial, although I'd absolutely admit to the fact that it's somewhat overpriced. Still, it's a great place for out-of-towners, girls-night dinner, or a naughty cocktail with your beloved in their lounge.

Le Colonial
20 Cosmo Place
San Francisco, CA
415.931.3600

Tags: Food, Food & Drink, Restaurant Review, New York, San Francisco,  Vietnamese, Le Colonial, Restaurant

Comments

[catherine]

Rubicon stinks. I was there a few weeks ago and had some of the WORST service ever. Glad LC pulled it out for you!

[kungfoodie kat]

Mmmmm....the hoisin lamb chops at LC are freaking amazing!

[sam]

You can't write something like that without explaining to a moron like me what Bo Luc Lac and Cuu Nuong ctually are. See, I haven't taken Vietnamese yet.
I have done the drinking thing at LC many times, but not the eating thing. $38 strikes me as about 25% more than my max payout for an entree in this town. So it would have to be very, very good indeed.

[Fatemeh]

Sam - Cuu Nuong is a lamb chop specialty of Le Colonial's; I'd never had it before last week.

Bo Luc Lac is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes -- seared cubes of tender beef, usually served on the rare side, and seasoned simply but well. It comes with an amazing lime juice & pepper dipping sauce. Yum.

The lamb was definitely very overpriced but, aside from the lobster, was the only thing that expensive. Most entrees are in the $25 range. Pricy, but tasty.

[Becky]

I have a love/hate relationship with Le Colonial. The first time I went was one of the best dining experiences I've had. From drinks in the lounge to our multi-course meal, everything was perfection. I don't know if it's because I was with a large group with an even larger wine tab, but the service was some of the best I've seen. Attentive, but not overly so. The second time I went, this time with my husband, I ordered one meal only to have a complete other one delivered to the table. When I told the waiter I hadn't ordered it, he argued with me. I finally had to tell him that since I didn't order in Vietnamese and used regular old english to ask for the duck, I'm pretty sure I didn't order fish. I didn't get my meal for another 30 minutes and then he just left us stranded. The thing was, we weren't the only people receiving bad service that night. People a few tables over were also complaining about the waiter. Strangely, he still works there. Maybe he had an off night.

The thing for me about Le Colonial is it's one of those restaurants I want to love but every time since the first time has been a huge disappointment. I am always left thinking that I could have eaten better Vietnamese food for far less money somewhere else. That said, the ambiance is fantastic.