Namu

04/30/2008 Posted by mika68

Before you head to Namu for a creative dishes of super-fresh seafood, make a reservation. Though hostess is one of the most friendliest creatures in the world, she might not be able to accommodate you b/c this cute little restaurant has limited space. Nevertheless, go to Namu at least once and it will become a regular trip to Richmond.

Pros: Food, service.

Cons: Smallish place, but not really a con

04/15/2008 Posted by Weeatouttoomuch

Server was excellent, but the place was bad and overpriced. We have to go somewhere else afterward. Small plates and lots of fired food, not a heathy place to eat. And, don't seat by the windows, we have lots of thing flying at us and found a big spider by our table. Not real Korean or Japanese food.

Pros: Easy Parking

Cons: Overpriced and too much fried selections

03/28/2008 Posted by wards705

Service, atmosphere, attention to detail... all incredible. But what makes me come back time and time again is the delicious food. Must haves: Miso Caesar, Kona Kampachi (sometimes on the menu), Daikon Medallions, Tempura, Broccolini, Kobe Skirt Steak...

Pros: Food and service

02/13/2008 Posted by debchin

every small plate was exquisite...the four of us are still talking about Namu a week later and wish it was our neighborhood restaurant!!! Our waitress suggested choosing two plates per person but we ordered a couple extra because they sounded so good. Every selection was perfect...not only delicious but with great presentation. The four of us shared and there was plenty of food... think we had 10-11 plates in all, each different . Order whatever sounds good to you and try something new like I did...you won't be disappointed!

02/12/2008 Posted by Ebuda

I was expecting little more from this restaurant after reading the review. I was slightly dissapointed with the selection of the food and how small portions are. They recommand ordering two to three plates for each person with the average price being around ten dollars. That's expensive for a four small slices of a raw fish on a bed of thinly sliced vegitable rounds and a three pieces of ribs... Most of dishes were more like small appetizers with almost non existant fillers such as starches or vegitables. Taste was mediocre with somehwhat good presentation. Well... We had to order bowl of rice for each person yet nothing really matched with a plain rice. We paid over two hundred for three people and still felt incompete when we left the restaurant. This was our first time so I'll give them another try before I abandon the place.

01/08/2008 Posted by ljune

The food is so good here! I don't usually like small plates places cause you still feel hungry and the food usually isn't that good. The food here is worth it, everything has so much flavor! I loved the dumplings and the steak is great too!! The food comes out in a steady stream! Everyone is friendly! I'll be going back for sure!!

10/22/2007 Posted by vand8erveen

I really wanted to like this restaurant and have given it several chances since it's in my neighboorhood, but after last night I wan't go back.. The food is creatively prepared and tasty, but the main problem is in the overall attitude of the establishment . There's a big screen that plays continuous graphic Ninja movies where heads are getting lopped off and hearts ripped out, but my wife and I could just turn away from that. One thing that's hard to turn away from is the lack of generousity and very measured way of portioning the food and drink...in other words, it's a lot of money for a little bit. I don't mind ordering more food since that seems to be the way of Namu, but I take issue when I pay full price for a glass of wine that's poured very skimpily as if the establishment is trying to get 6-7 glasses out of a bottle. Last night, when the same "half empty" scenario occured at my 2nd glass, I brought it up with my waitress and even offered to pay for a slight "top off" on the glass to make it look respectable. She had a pow wow with the manager and reported back that each glass was measured and she couldn't do anything about it. The bill came to $80.00 (and my wife wasn't drinking), and I had to ask myself, what kind of management would risk losing a customer so they could save a few cents? This restaurant might fare better in LA, but it's not a San Francisco neighborhood joint for sure. Places like Clement St. Bar and Grill have thrived for decades because they make a gallant effort to treat the customer with generousity and respect...and their food and service reflect that. The Richmond district deserves nothing less from a restaurant that attracts a fairly affluent clientele.

Pros: Food is creative and tastey

Cons: skimpy portions including wine glasses

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/26/2007 Posted by gardemanger

A guest and I went because of its "best of the bay" rating. First off, cold reception at the door. We were asked if we had reservations in a empty restaurant, late in the evening. When we said we did not, hostess acted like she was doing us a favor by giving us the lone/worst table in the middle of the room right by the door. The waitress was nice, she gave the due warning that the plates were small. Small was an understatement. We picked out 6 plates at about $7-9 each. The first plate comes, its the scallop carpaccio. On the plate was one..., count em one scallop thinly sliced on a thinly sliced cucumber. A little drizzle of an uninteresting yuzu vinaigrette and finely diced tomatoes. The next dish was probably the best of the night, the shitake dumplings. The fish broth as good, nice and rich finished with butter. But the dumplings were undercooked at the tips. Next Mung Bean Cakes, boring, flavorless... We finished with three of the grilled options. The grill flavor was nice, not bad, but very very small plates. I like the idea of tapas/small plates, but I believe that each one should be executed flawlessly and each should explode with character. Not the case with any of the dishes we had. Will not be returning.

Pros: We were warned that the plates were small

Cons: Parking is difficult to impossible, Uninteresting flavors

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

07/05/2007 Posted by johnkim24

I went to Namu expecting great korean food and was very dissappointed The food was bland and unoriginal like another review I read in the San Francisco Chronicle re: Namu. PArkign was a pain and the service wasnt good. They messed up my order 2 times and when they got it right, the food wasnt even good. If you want good Korean food go down geary street and you'll find some great food. If you are looking for great japanese food head voer to sakan on post street. This food isnt worth it.

06/09/2007 Posted by juliajeesoo

Normally I dont take the time to write restaurant reviews but I must give my kudos to this new dig. What can I say, the food was amazing. Grilled asparagus and artichoke hearts were phenomenal. The bbq meat dishes were so tender and flavorful. Their version of the caesar salad had a great kick. And the infused soju with mango is to die for. A must try!!

Pros: food and service

Cons: give yourself plenty of time for parking