I eagerly made a reservation at Poleng Lounge after reading the great review in SF Gate. I was really excited to try out the signature dishes mentioned in the article and spend a fun evening with my husband and friends.
When we arrived the host greeted us coolly and with an air of superiority as if he could care less. We were promptly seated at THE worst table in the house situated about 4 feet directly parallel with the entrance. Every 5 to 10 minutes was interrupted with doors swinging open and cold air rushing in as new patrons arrived. I'm not exaggerating when I say we spent our entire evening with our coats on. A heavy curtain hung to separate our table from the entrance would have made a world of difference and also make us feel a part of the restaurant and the dining experience. Our reservation was for 8:30 and although it was Friday night it felt like we were going to an early bird special at some senior citizens hot spot. The lighting was so bright that it prompted us to ask if at some point they were going to be dimmed. The host gave a smirk and said yes, but the lights never dimmed.
We ordered a bottle of wine and were delivered 4 wine glasses, 2 of which had lipstick on them. No big deal, send them back and get new ones. Except the new ones also had lipstick on them. Third time's the charm and with clean wine glasses all around we proceeded to order several of the house specialties. The Beef Tenderloin Salpicao with Marrow was just ok. The meat was a little dry and overcooked. The Stir Fried Snake Beans were far too fishy tasting masking every other aspect of the dish. By far the 2 best dishes were the Salt & Pepper Drunken Shrimp and the Half Moon Ahi Poke.
Unfortunately these 2 great dishes were and are not enough for me to recommend Poleng Lounge. I think the staff and especially the host need to work on customer service and making the experience of dining at Poleng Lounge something their patrons look forward to and will want to do again.
Pros: Fun to share small plates
Cons: Rude host and lighting is too bright. No ambiance
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