namu - san francisco (richmond)

Future Top Chef contestant and current Namu sous chef/eligible bachelor Jeff Kim pats down Namu's famous burger patty.

ML and I have been eating at Namu, a neighborhood gem tucked away in the Richmond district, for some time. Not long ago, I learned of distant cousins that reside in the area and pleasantly discovered that one of them is a sous chef there. I am a huge fan of the Korean and Japanese influences that inspire their cuisine and became partial to the restaurant prior to learning of the family connection. However, one can argue that I may have an un-biased opinion of the food (I think it's great). 

Being the fair person that I am, I will attempt a GreensandBrowns first. I now turn this post over to guest blogger ML to extricate all (acknowledged) unfair predispositions:

Namu means "wood" or "tree" in Korean.  The only thing I can think of that is consistent with the theme, Namu, are the wooden chopsticks (and the wooden floors... and the bar top).  About the food, there were mushrooms in the dumplings... actually, I suppose the dumplings would fit into the theme as well since mushrooms are known to grow on trees.  

Thanks, ML. Very succinct and to the point. Doesn't that say it all?

In all seriousness, the food here is quite good and its location is easily accessible, allowing for a sophisticated dining experience without having to endure some of the pains that accompany San Francisco dining.

The menu consists primarily of shareable small plates and creative takes on traditional Asian dishes. All of their items from the raw bar are excellent and offer an alternative to your run of the mill Japanese fare. Additionally, they have some nice proteins, again prepared with Asian flavors. They complement the dishes with a robust sake menu and some premium sojus that I rarely indulge in elsewhere.

My goal is to try everything on the menu and will continue to report back on my epicurean adventures at Namu. Next on my "to eat" list are the lamb chops and some of the super-charged Korean entrees.

Editor's note: GreensandBrowns will be re-evaluating the guest blog feature.

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