Reviews
"…with gorgeous views of the Bay…"
"…fueled by a great bar…"
"…stylish spot ensures a fun time out on the Embarcadero…"
"…the ‘imaginative’ Cal-Asian food keeps packs of pretty people fluttering back!…"
"…‘young, vibrant atmsophere’, excellent ‘weekend dj's’"
— Zagat Review, 2008
"Chef-owner Rob Lam is a serious cook. He proved himself at Butterfly in the Mission before moving into this 140-seat space on the Embarcadero.
His Asian-inspired menu appeals to a celebratory crowd, and Butterfly has become a prime spot for larger gatherings.
I especially appreciated his take on green papaya salad ($12). Lam places the crunchy melange on juicy mango slices and crowns the mound with caramelized shrimp and a delicate sprinkling of micro greens. It's a balanced, aromatic blend that complements one of the exotic tropical cocktails.
The more complicated bread pudding, is a creamy, custardy confection plated with caramelized bananas and an excellent brittle. It was a spectacular way to end, worth the protracted wait to get it. ”
— Micheal Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, May 27, 2005
"Butterfly, perched on the Embarcadero at Bay Street, boasts one of the most intimate and stunning views of the water."
— Patricia Unterman, San Francisco Examiner, June 16, 2004
"His fire-fried calamari ($8) looks like a typical fry, but it's not only expertly done, it also has a spicy spark that's missing in the more common versions. It's heaped into a deep bowl with cucumbers and capers marinated in ponzu and drizzled with a chile remoulade."
"Salmon belly gives the poke tartar ($10) an added richness. It's molded into a patty and placed on sieved eggs and topped with a blini flavored with wasabi."
"Main courses speak as eloquently of his talent, but are a little more familiar than the starters. A cowboy steak for two ($38) resembles a large sizzling fajitas platter. The 22-ounce slab of meat is served atop chorizo, onions, peppers and sliced potatoes. Halibut ($18), glazed with soy and mirin, is served in a roasted ginger consommé, propped on bok choy, a scattering of mushrooms and two shrimp dumplings."
"Desserts are better than are found at most restaurants these days."
—Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle
"Lam and his partners have transformed the old Lapis, which closed in March, into a small, focused restaurant with a million-dollar bay view."
"Flowing white curtains soften a room that features a shiny, black painted cement floor. Colorful, assorted drop lights hang over the bar and open kitchen, while strings of little lights crisscross the ceiling."
"A holder filled with chopsticks on each table and a little starter of sesame-coated, chilled edamame suggest strong Asian influences. So do small plates including creamy hamachi sashimi with grilled white and green asparagus, and kalua pig tucked into butter lettuce cups. But the menu travels well beyond Asia. A grilled piece of swordfish is set on potato rosti and topped with foie gras and a balsamic reduction. A hangar steak is grilled with portobello mushrooms and served with a creamy potato- leek gratin. You can get even beefier, with a big cowboy steak for two, served sizzling from a wood-fired oven and topped with foie gras butter and a hash of chorizo, caramelized onions and fingerling potatoes."
"Desserts include banana bread pudding with macadamia nut brittle and caramelized bananas, and pineapple-stuffed lumpia rolls with passion fruit sorbet."
— Kim Severson, San Francisco Chronicle
"To tourists who wander in from Pier 39, Butterfly is a gorgeous Bay view. To the after-work crowd, it's a huge, club-like spot for music and drinks at the bright-blue bar. To foodies, it's an innovative trip through Asia via California."
"Reserve a view table after 7PM or during lunch, and your meal's likely to be serene and solo -- the better to appreciate the deft menu. Start with appetizers like pristine, Japanese Hamachi sashimi with grilled asparagus and shiso, or messily sweet and tender hoisin-glazed baby back ribs. If you're here for cocktails, small plates like crunchy duck confit spring rolls and bloody mary oyster shooters make for great bar food."
"Inventive entrees are delicious, though rich. Silky kalua pig pizza and a sophisticated take on Cobb salad with Vietnamese shaking beef and blue cheese show up at lunch; for dinner, Liberty duck may be roasted Peking-style with scallion crepes, while filet mignon with bleu cheese, potatoes, mushroom sauce and port-thyme demi glace is only "fusion" because of a macadamia crust."
"Desserts also shine: look for sweet, thick Vietnamese coffee or tart lumpia rolls with pineapple and honey."
— Julie Ross, AOL City Search
"A striking view of the bay provides a beautiful backdrop to a chic, lofty dining room and a bar backed dramatically in lapis-blue. A mixed crowd of older couples and younger hipsters pulse to a live DJ's beats. Gracious service and a convivial vibe are a welcome departure from many wannabe hot spots."
"Alluring views over the bay from this white temple of pleasure might stray your eyes from the menu."
"Butterfly occupies prime waterfront space. As such, it's convenient and easily reached by public transport."
— epinions.com
"The interior is one of those large airy rooms you just know was designed with a magazine spread in mind. White, white and more white are set off with a dark stone floor and hard little chairs with interesting blue polymer backs."
— epinions.com
"Perhaps the best dish of the evening was the plate of Hoisin Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs ($12.00). I am not usually much of a fan of ribs, but these could only be described as thick and succulent. Served with toasted cashews and a surprisingly good pineapple and cucumber relish, the ribs were the star of the evening's repast. "
— epinions.com
"Chef-Owner Robert Lam's cooking is innovative without being trendy. His reasonably-priced, tried and true menu, featuring flavorful dishes from various Asian cuisines prepared with close attention to authenticity."
"Named as 2003's "Rising Star Chef" by The Chronicle, Rob Lam continues to impress by bringing his innovative California-Asian cuisine to a new waterfront location on the Embarcadero. Guests now get to enjoy Butterfly’s eclectic menu in a spacious 150 -seat room with a stunning bay view that is framed by flowing white curtains. The best part about the move is that both the menu and the prices have remained the same. He even offers a prix fixe menu and a late dinner service. Nightly DJ and live entertainment attracts a diverse crowd of beautiful people, artists and musicians, downtown professionals, locals and tourists alike. Butterfly, The Embarcadero is definitely a place to people watch if you can tear yourself away from the floor-to-ceiling views of the Bay."
— OpenTable.com