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Tangerine Finds The Balance
By Alan Teo
Tangerine, a California cuisine restaurant with a generous infusion of Pan-pacific
flavors and ingredients in the Castro, strikes the right balance in tasteful
atmosphere, aesthetically and palate-pleasing dishes and value.
Like Pomelo, another San Francisco fusion restaurant, Tangerine derives its
name from the land of fruits. However, unlike Pomelo, Tangerine actually uses
their namesake in several dishes. Take their Tangerine Yam Cake appetizer, which
includes pine nuts, basil pesto and Parmesan cheese for an Italian flair. Their
arugula salad also includes a tangerine vinaigrette. And the Tangerine Prawn
Pasta contains a bold burst of tangerine zest.
One of the joys of Tangerine is a menu that continues to evolve. Some restaurants
in its class — the trendy fusion restaurant Eos for instance — simply
keep the same menu. For repeat customers, this get tiresome quickly. Tangerine
offers specials and I saw a number of menu items that I did not recall from
a visit earlier in the fall. (Perhaps, though, the latter "observation"
is a merely a sign of my deteriorating memory.)
We began the evening with the Roasted Duck Spring Rolls ($6.95), which were
truly a highlight. Here we see how Tangerine can take something pedestrian (a
spring roll) and add fancy flair (generous amounts of duck and a fresh vegetable
medley) to it. A deliciously light Òmango sauceÓ complemented the
crispy rolls, though it actually tasted nothing likes its purported flavor.
Rather, it seemed like an avocado-wasabi fusion, a spicy sauce with vegetable
creamy texture.
Drinks were slow to arrive at the table, but in retrospect we were probably
better off that way — they might have spoiled the spring roll appetizer.
In fact, the lackluster drinks were the only disappointment of the evening.
I had a watered-down (the cup was chock full of ice) mango sunrise that tasted
conspicuously like some canned tropical fruit blend and nothing like mango.
(I'm inclined to think the executive chef has not had the pleasure of
enjoying a real mango or even has defective mango taste receptors.) My dining
companion had a kamikaze — a personal favorite — that nonetheless
tasted flat for all its carbonation.
Tangerine offers a variety of sake cocktails, but I wouldn't recommend
these either. I saw the bartender mixing these drinks with Geikeikan Sake, a
cheap variety that I would reserve for use as a cooking wine only. Instead,
for drinks, be wise and stick with the wine menu. They offer nearly twenty selections
available by the glass, with a nice amount of geographical diversity.
EntrŽes, fortunately, were a delight. My companion chose the Seafood
Gumbo ($15.95). It came out in a massive bowl and was filled with shrimp, mussels,
scallops, and other ocean treats on a base of rice. The portion was so generous,
I don't think she finished no more than half the dish.
Though Tangerine offers a strong balance of both surf and turf, I passed up
options like the herb-encrusted New Zealand lamb chops for their Tuna Special
($17.95). The sushi-grade tuni was seared and drizzled in a cilantro-based sauce.
Again, the portions were extremely generous — my tuna was wallet-sized
and vegetables and grains with the dish provided mother-pleasing food pyramid
balance.
Service, as often seems the case in the Castro, was ideal: professional but
fun and friendly too. The small size of the restaurant helps keeps noise level
impressively mild, but in a full house, you might need to raise your voice a
bit.
Total bill, after tax and tip, was $33 a person and included an appetizer (shared),
cocktail and entree. Thus, although by no means a bargain restaurant, Tangerine
offers the ambiance and sophisticated presentation of dishes of other classy
restaurants, but distinguishes itself with its generous portions. We've
likely all been to fancy restaurants that leave your wallet empty, yet skimp
on portion size. At Tangerine, you will enjoy the atmosphere of casual elegance
and leave feeling honest-to-goodness full.
Tangerine is located at 3499 16th Street, at the corner of Sanchez Street. Reservations
and inquiries can be made by calling 626-1700.
Alan Teo is Synapse's Executive Editor and a second-year medical student.
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