Eliza's

I wanted to like this restaurant because I liked the modern interior , bad artwork excluded, and my husband had eaten lunch there and liked it. It's within a neighborhood we can walk to and we could build up quite an appetite getting there. We're also lifelong fans of Chinese American food and there are no Chinese restaurants in our immediate neighborhood. Eliza's had all the appearances of a restaurant that might go the distance to bring inventive fare to its patrons. It just fell short, but not on the first plate that arrived on the table.

The dumplings were far from ordinary, because first and foremost they were vegetarian. The fried garlic garnish added not only an enhancement to the taste, but also acted as a textural contrast, pleasing to the palate. The addition of a sizable portion of bok choy was much more than I would have expected. 

These delightful dumplings were then bathed in a flavorful, light broth. For a simple appetizer, these were executed with a light hand, by someone clearly in touch with the cuisine, who wasn't timid about putting their personal stamp on the finished dish. It was impressive and set a positive tone for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately it also raised the bar of our expectations.

Next up was the Lemon Chicken, a dish both of us had eaten on many an occasion. Its appearance was flat, and so was its sauce. There was no eye appeal and the color was off putting, like they may have added food coloring to liven it up. It was cooked well, but the sauce was really too sweet and lacked a fresh lemon flavor. It's thickeners, along with the sweetness made it seem more like a lemon curd ready to be added to a dessert, not a sauce appropriate for poultry.

The Mongolian Lamb was a bit better, but not a memorable version. It was overpowered by the green onions, and for my taste, was stretched too far with vegetables. There just wasn't enough meat. The sauce was alright, but I didn't think it was very complex nor exceptional in any way.

Our last disappointment was the fried rice. Our traditional choice would have been BBQ Pork fried rice, but the pork in this rice dish was shredded, probably braised and not flavorful on it's own. The onions, peas and carrots may be compulsory in fried rice, but they didn't bring much to the table either. We would have been better off with steamed rice. A lower expectation may have been met with steamed rice.

I don't know if we'll return to Eliza's, but should that happen, we will not be ordering any of our last three items. There are too many other Chinese restaurants in San Francisco to settle on one just for its convenient location. Lackluster service added to the picture I've drawn. As I looked around the dining room I noticed that linens were stacked on the bar, also on a stool, and a box was carelessly left in the dining room. That didn't make a good impression either. It reminded me of a hole in the wall, mom and pop place that belonged more fittingly in an edgy location where the chaos would actually have been part of the appeal.

2877 California St. (bet. Broderick & Divisadero Sts.)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-621-4819