AsiaSF
201 Ninth St. (at Howard Street)
(415) 255-2742
Cuisine: Cal-Asian
Pluses: tasty small dishes, fun show
Minuses: may not appeal to more conservative types
Prices: small plates from $8-$12
Overview: Open Nightly for Dinner
Reservations highly recommended
The real draw here besides the yummy little plates are the waitresses who are all gender illusionists. The crowd is lively and welcoming to both gays and straights. Try the signature taste ''asia-dilla," a quesadilla stuffed with tea-smoked duck, jack cheese and peppers and served with a sun-dried cherry crÍme fraiche. There's a juicy ahi tuna burger with a horseradish enlivened cole slaw or a delicious satay with peanut sauce. The potstickers are perfumed with ginger and plump with pork. On most nights, especially Friday and Saturday nights, they jump on the back bar and lip-sync to popular songs. The dÈcor is Asian-inspired with bamboo canes against one wall and magical fibre optic lighting behind shoji screens that change the color of the room from amber to deep purple.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.
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