Reviews for Lily in San Francisco, CA
I'll tell you straight up... if you're looking for something straight from the motherland and authentic as can be, this isn't... it... Lily takes it to the next level and brings Vietnamese cuisine to higher levels than grandma's recipe. The chef introducesnew flavor combinations that work with the true definition of Vietnamese food, but you have to be open to it... Bone Marrow Phois pricey, but it is good. Black Truffle Banh Xeo, pushing boundaries but it's good. Garlic Noodles, not traditional but it'sdamn good. Come here with an open mind of new flavor combinations and taste buds, and you'll enjoy it. BTW, the drinks arereally good; not too strong that makes you wince. @phidingthefam Read more
Good Asian fusion food. Delicious and good portion. However, we didn’t feel we were respected as customers because we were... rushed many times by the restaurant staff at about 8pm — different staff came to our table every other minute asking if wefinished and we continuously told them we are still working on it. We decided to go even if we didn’t finish the food becausewe couldn’t enjoy our food without disruption. Read more
My friend and I had such a wonderful experience here! We found it on happenstance and I am so glad we got to check it out. Every... single dish was truly amazing, fresh, and perfectly seasoned. The interior is gorgeous. We came during the busy weekend dinnertime, but the service was top notch. Our server Robert was amazing, and we loved meeting one of the owners! My friend, who isViet, said that the dishes are authentic but with an elevated, modern twist. Great food, great vibes. I will definitely becoming back. Read more
This was our second time here and we’re so glad we came back. Rob the chef is so thoughtful in every culinary decision and it... really shows. We got the fried shrimp and sweet potato appetizer which was perfectly crispy wrapped inside a baby lettuce leaf.Rob mentioned asking his supplier to harvest the shrimp a little younger than usual so the skin would be softer than normal andyou can tell with each bite. Our second course was the chow fun which at first wasn’t my preferred choice (sounded too basic)but the group was hoping for something veggie and noodle-y so I rolled with it. I’m so glad I did. Unlike typical chow fundishes, the noodles were rolled into little bite sized chunks and served with cubes of fried soft tofu that melted in your mouthwith each bite. The dish was topped off with a mustard soy sauce and a sprinkling of tiny mushroom cordyceps and baby bookchoy. Finally, our main was the special: scallops and shaken beef served with pan fried rice topped off with an egg andVietnamese staples cha lua and lop sung (different types of sausage slices). The dish was served with a side of baguette withpate mixed with chili sauce and a laughing cow slice of cheese topped with fried garlic. This dish was absolutely decadent. Wefound ourselves literally scraping every last piece on the plate. For dessert we had the pot de creme with salted whipped creamand the creme brûlée. The creme brûlée had a very thin crunch to custard ratio, making each bite perfectly satisfying. Thedude clearly gave this a lot of thought. The pot de creme was the winner here. Not too sweet and just enough salt in the cremeto make it addicting. In terms of price and portions, we were a group of 4 and split everything 4 ways. We had a couple drinksand the total bill came down to $50/person after tip which honestly is totally reasonable for what we’d consider a fine diningexperience. The portions were pretty huge and we found ourselves needing to either take a walk around the p Read more
Really enjoyed the food here! Though it is on the fusion side, the taste is still very much familiar and pleasant. The stew with... Dungeness crab was truly a delight! Their "pizza" is also a must try for their appetizer. Highly recommend eating family style. Read more
Great service and creative dishes. Some were unfortunately just so-so. I was most excited for the pho French dip sandwich -- a... mix of two childhood comfort foods. But the beef was way too rare for my taste (or really to eat easily because bites would pullthe sandwich apart). I wonder if they were going for a "pho tai" style, but that requires immediate contact with a much hotterbroth. The salted duck egg Vietnamese coffee was amazing, though! Read more
Absolutely loved it!!! Everything was amazing!! I don’t have a lot of experience with Vietnamese cuisine so I wasn’t sure... the what to expect. We ordered several dishes and shared them, at first the fish looked intimidating but once you starts“scratching it” oh wow, what an amazing wonderful experience!! We also loved the fact that the owner approached us severaltimes to ask if we where ok. This restaurant made it to my top restaurants in San Francisco for sure!! And don’t forget to askfor the banana ???? dessert ???????????? trust me, ITS A MUST!!! Read more
Got the Garlic Noodles with beef and the Beeff Carpaccio and it was so delicious! My friend and I sat at the bar and we loved... the vibes. The waiters were very friendly and constantly checked in on us. The food was incredible. The beef in the GarlicNoodles were also perfectly cooked. It was the best beef I’ve had in a while. Read more