Betelnut Pejiu Wu
San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: (415) 929-8855
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Buchanan Street
- Specialties:
- Chinese Food, Pan Asian Food
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am
Editorial Review for Betelnut Pejiu Wu – by Peggy Knickerbocker
The Scene
The bustling bar area and adjacent curbside tables are jam-packed with singles sipping potent tropical drinks and exotic Asian beers. The more tranquil dining areas, filled with multigenerational groups, glow with Chinese-red lacquer and gold and dark-wood undertones. Raucous diners can make conversation difficult.
The Food
The gleaming open kitchen dishes out its tried-and-true formula of reasonably priced Pan-Asian cuisine. But rather than being a fusion of East and West, each dish reflects regional authenticity. Attentive, well-informed servers help diners navigate the large menu, suggesting small plates such as feisty wok-tossed peanuts with anchovies, chilies and garlic; or lettuce cups brimming with minced chicken and lup cheong sausage. For a cooling pause, try green papaya salad tossed with shrimp and mint. Other highlights include shiny, assertive Szechuan green beans and cloud-like dumplings. Steer clear of mushy, clumped-together Thai rice noodles. For dessert, ginger creme brulee is an interesting twist on the French classic.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
When to GoOn weekends, the place is packed with Cow Hollow's social set sipping spicy martinis.
User Reviews for Betelnut Pejiu Wu
09/19/2008 Posted by TrishaandTodd
We decided to try this popular restaurant, and we were extremely disappointed. Our appetizer, a Mongolian Hoisin dish was innovative and extremely tasty, but the main courses just could not compare. The Indonesian noodle dish was essentially a overly greasy chow mein with unimaginative ingredients. It tasted like it was something from panda express, maybe a bit worse. The Malaysian Curry dish too was pretty awful. There was no seasoning in the curry; it was bland and watery. In fact, the ingredients in both were the exact same, down to the noodles. Lastly the shrimp in both dishes was so overcooked it was almost chewy. As for service, the wait staff was generally friendly but tried to slide one past us by doubling the rice order on our tab. Betelnut matches the area. A trendy restaurant with a hip and cool atmosphere that covers for the food.
Pros: Cool Decor
Cons: Food Quality
08/22/2008 Posted by foodieSS4K
I’ve been here before and each time, I have had a very pleasant dining experience. On top of that, did you know this restaurant is teaming up with StreetSmart4kids? It’s actually really cool what they’re doing. I just heard about how SS4K is a nonprofit organization that helps underprivileged teens stay healthy. They are running their “Dine Out and Donate” campaign here (as well as approx. 70 other restaurants in SF) during October and early November. After having a fabulous dining experience, just fill out the donation form when paying the check (minimum donation $3). This is perfect for people like me, who love to eat out all the time and also like to give back to the community. Check it out for yourself on the StreetSmart4Kids website!
Users Like You Also Viewed
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94118
