Bisou

2367 Market St
(between 16th St & Noe St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415)556-6200
www.bisoubistro.com

My friends and I went to Bisou on a Saturday night for my birthday dinner. It was a small but busy restaurant. The host welcomed us warmingly with a loud "bonjour", and then he led us to a table upstair. The white decor, tables and chairs were packed very closely together like restaurants in France. The seatings were tight but I had enough space that I didn't feel claustrophobic.

For appetizer, we ordered the Tuna Tartare with 4 Eggs, KBA "Kobe" Steak Tartare, and an Onion Soup to share. This was my second time that I ever had onion soup, and disappointedly the onion soup from Bisou was awefully sour. Maybe they caramelize the onion with a little too much of balsamic vinegar or something. But after a spoonful, I couldn't drink anymore...not even with the cheese.

Onion Soup with croutons topped with Swiss cheese

Next we had the KBA “Kobe” Steak Tartare. The steak tartare came with potato gaufrettes which was thin wedge cut fries that were very light and crispy. It tasted good by itself as well as with the steak. The steak was nicely marinated with a stronger hint of pepper taste. Chopped shallots, parsley and cornichons were placed on the side before the waiter mixed them all up with the sauce and quail eggs. I like it. The beef was tender and the seasoning was perfect.

KBA "Kobe" Beef Tartare - Hand cut beef served with shallots, parsley, cornichons, quail egg and potato gaufrettes

For our last appetizer, we had the Tuna Tartare with 4 Eggs. I love tuna tartare, so right away I knew I had to get this especially when it was going to be served with four different kind of eggs. The tuna was just lightly marinated with extra virgin olive oil, pimemto d'espelette, which is a type of fancy pepper grown in France, and three of the fish eggs, and top with a fried poached egg. It was interesting. I couldn't really taste each of the eggs distinctively but they definitely added to the texture, especially the crunchy casing of the salmon roe.

Tuna Tartare & 4 Eggs - Diced Ahi tuna sashimi with EVOO, pimemto d'eselette, salmon egg, tobyko egg, poached egg and caviar

For my entree, I had the monk fish tail. One of my friends ordered the salmon and another the sea bream. The fishes were cooked to perfection with crispy skin and tender buttery meat, but they were just overly salted. Also the sauce that came with the fish looked similar between the salmon and monk fish, and again, really salty. I drank almost the whole pitcher of my water and it still wasn't enough.

Lock Duart Crunchy Salmon served with leeks fondue and a beets reduction sauce

Monk Fish Tails with fried brussel sprouts and potato strings with mushroom reduction

Luckily, the service was great. Our waiter came back to fill our glasses and pitcher of water since I gulped most of it down due to the saltiness of the food. He was also attentive to clear dishes out of our small table once in awhile. All in all, it was a nice restaurant but I would only go back for appetizers, not the entree.