Although Pomelo may be the smallest restaurant I’ve ever seen, the taste delivered by this Lilliputian is gargantuan in comparison. The tiny space with a maximum capacity of just 18 people, 3 of which work at the restaurant, lets strangers get intimate in a space smaller than a San Francisco living room. Contrasting the physical constraints of the space is the menu, which packs an international assortment of dishes hailing from various continents. Each dish, or destination as they are called on the menu, and “side trip” is named after a city by which the dish is inspired. You’ll be inspired to visit multiple times to try imaginative and interesting entrees from the seasonally changing menu.
As you enter the front door beneath the giant green pomelo, you have the option to sit at either the counter facing the kitchen, the counter against the front window facing the street, or one of two tables against the wall. Be forewarned: the place can fill up at a moment’s notice and is often filled during the lunch time and dinner time rushes. Furthermore, parties of two or maybe three are optimal; anything larger may be close to impossible to accommodate. The atmosphere is quite cozy, thanks in part to close quarters as well as the warm yet vibrant Latin American music (think Bossa Nova) permeating the place. The pieces of art hanging on the wall are relatively invisible since most are entranced by the chef making the fire dance in the open kitchen as he crafts your meal.
While most of the meals are labeled as comfort foods from different countries, they are rather foreign and exotic to the common customer. For instance, the “destination” Manila is a common dish for Filipinos known as pancit bihon, a rice noodle dish spilling with prawns, chicken, Chinese sausage, vegetables, topped with scallions and garnished with a lemon wedge to add to your desired level of sourness ($9). Another dish entitled Solo for the Indonesian city is a tasty dish actually called soto ayam. This chicken soup served with rice noodles, bean sprouts, tomato, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, cilantro, a hard boiled egg and homefried potato chips may catch the attention of most, but would probably be as common to an Indonesian as fried chicken is to us. I’ve been fortunate to have had this dish made by Indonesian friends- while this dish fell a little short and the chicken was a little overdone, it was still a very enjoyable dish bursting with different flavors. It is not merely coincidence that the two dishes mentioned above feature fresh noodles. Nor is it a coincidence that they both came from Pacific Island countries. In fact, six of the eleven are from the Pacific Islands or Asia and six of the eleven have noodles in different forms.
“From where do the other five dishes originate, and what are they like?” you may be wondering. Some are from Europe while the others are from South and Central America. Part of the fun is guessing the destination city’s country of origin and then realizing how it influences the dish. Can you guess where Ayacucho or Muravera are? You might be able to tell from the menu. The Havana is a no-brainer. And as far as if you should order it, it’s a no-brainer, too. Cuban style fried rice with black beans, plantains, chipotles, ginger, and cilantro with a perfectly grilled skirt steak and sautéed onions was perhaps one of my favorite dishes there ($13). I guess I should add that I have yet to try all the dishes and that this dish actually started off as my pal Lucky’s meal before I got to it. As for the name Pomelo, I doubt that it’s the name of a city. But why is it the name of the restaurant considering the fruit pomelo does not appear in any of the meals?
The Pomelo on Judah is perfect for small groups of two, maybe three, who want something different and may not be able to decide on a certain kind of cuisine. You can get Peruvian (try the Callao- a quinoa salad with baby arugula, fennel, golden beets and feta, topped with herb marinated grilled chicken breast for $11) while your pal gets Japanese (the Otsu features cold buckwheat noodle with cucumber, scallions, cilantro, and a spicy soy, ginger and sesame dressing, topped with pan fried tofu for $8). The food may not always be 100% authentic, but it is a great little place with delicious food. If you have a bigger group and/or want to go for weekend brunch, try the Pomelo in Noe Valley.
Pomelo on Judah
92 Judah St.
San Francisco 94122
(415)731-6175
Pomelo on Church
1793 Church St.
San Francisco 94131
(415)285-2257
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