Le Colonial is a French-Vietnamese restaurant in downtown San Francisco that I’ve been going to for years. When you enter its doors you’re removed from the hustle and bustle of the city and feel as if you’ve escaped to a tropical French oasis in Vietnam during the 1920s.
After walking up the stairs, one then comes across an exotic courtyard with patchwork tile floors, shuttered windows and rattan furniture set among exotic trees. There are star lights hanging from above and in the evening when they are lit it creates a romantic ambiance.
My boyfriend, Matthew and I were seated at an elegant white tablecloth table and started out with tropical cocktails – they were sure easy to drink! I had the Ah Nhi’s Ghost featuring Partida Blanco Tequila, passion fruit, cilantro, agave syrup, and a salt rim. Matthew had the Le Colonial featuring Hangar One Vodka, Passion Fruit Puree, and Cointreau.
To start, we shared the following appetizers:
Chả Giò Tôm Cua | Crispy Imperial Rolls filled with fresh crab meat, shrimp, chicken, vermicelli, taro, carrots, and cat ear mushrooms. They were accompanied by butter lettuce, Vietnamese Herbs, garlic nước chấm, and rice noodles.
Tôm Chiên Cốm Xanh | Fried Tiger Prawns coated in young green rice flakes. They were served with honey and chili dipping sauce, in addition to a burnt lime.
Bánh Xèo Tôm Hùm | Crepe featuring fresh Maine lobster meat, sliced pork belly, sliced onions, garlic chives and bean sprouts. They were served with Vietnamese herbs & garlic nước chấm.
As for mains, I typically always order the Ca Hap (fish steamed in banana leaves), but I decided to venture out a bit and try something new. I had the following instead and was very happy with my choice:
Cà Ri Thịt Cừu | Rack of Lamb Curry | Three bone rack of lamb braised with heirloom carrots, pearl onions, and taro root.
Cơm Rang Đen | Wok fried forbidden black rice with shrimp, Chinese sausage, mixed bell peppers, carrots, fresh corn, eggs, and oyster sauce.
To settle our sweet tooth, we shared the following desserts:
Durian Cheesecake
Young Coconut filled with Coconut Ice Cream
Each time I dine at Le Colonial the food and service is consistently good. The ambiance is very special and is perfect for an intimate dinner or special occasion. For a night out in the city, you can’t beat Le Colonial!