Excellent Roast Half Duck and Venison House Special at Thee Bungalow
It was 7:30pm on Friday when I got home from working at a client's, a little later than usual. Typically I would eat something quick and wind down for the night. I don't really like running into the crowd and long waits on Friday nights. But I decided to end the work week with a bang. I had the pleasure of dining at Thee Bungalow in Ocean Beach and what a delight it was, not to mention they had a table at 8pm, perfect timing! I have heard about that place but sometimes I don't take other people's review too seriously. After all, food and taste mean different things to different people. (Likewise, I also don't take other people's movie review too seriously either.)
Thee Bungalow is a small and cozy restaurant situated right next to the Ocean Beach dog beach. I'd miss the understated structure if I wasn't looking for it. From the outside, the interior looked dimly lit and I was a bit concern that my casual attire was a little too underdress. But once inside, the Maitre'D's warm reception and the mix of nicely dressed and casually dressed patrons erased my concerns. The atmosphere is cozy and *not* pretentious. I like that. Food just don't taste good when people are uptight!
Once I took a peek at the menu, I knew I had to come back again to try all the dishes. Escargot, pate sampler, jumbo lump crab cake, lobster bisque, smoked salmon, roasted duck, braised Kobe short ribs, pan seared striped bass, filet mignon, Maine lobster two ways, Bouillabaisse Provencal... all of them calling out to me!
The taste:
Their jumbo lump crab cake, I have to say, is up there with Oceanaire's in Gas Lamp, and Oceanaire's crab cake is quite a treat. It's full of crab meat in every bite. Their lobster bisque is also tasty and I have to say it's better than Peohe's on Coronado, although Peohe's is served in a cute mini-cauldron. But taste trumps presentation in this case. At this point, I'm really looking forward to the entree, and hoping Thee Bungalow will become my new favorite.
Their special for the night is the venison with cherry sauce over a bed of red skin potatoes, different types of mushrooms and spinach, which made me abandon the Maine lobster two ways. I'm not a fan of cherry sauce - any cherry sauce - but this one was done just right and perfectly sweetened the perfectly grilled venison - its center is red and outside has a slight crunch as you bite into it. The red skin potatoes, mushrooms (shitaki, oyster, portobello etc) and spinach are delicately made so that they don't soak up too much of the sauce and lose their own taste. After my first bite into the venison, a "wow" and a smile are my first reactions. I am ordering this again.
Their roasted half duck with pepper rum sauce does not disappoint! The skin of the duck is crisp and meat tender, the rum sweetens the duck just right while the peppercorn gives you that kick. Oh, they really care about their food! I'm choosing their duck over La Veche's in Hillcrest.
Next time, I'm going to try the pate sampler and save some room for dessert; the creme broulee and souffle from the next table look really good.
Thee Bungalow actually garners quite a few accolades, good for them. But all I care about is that their food taste great to me, and to the friends that I bring there!
Bottom line:
They care about their cooking and serve food that put a smile on your face. You'll want to make a reservation and bring your friends.
Type of food:
Contemporary cuisine with a country French accent
Price range:
~$10-16 appetizers
~$21-40 entrees
http://www.theebungalow.com
Thee Bungalow is a small and cozy restaurant situated right next to the Ocean Beach dog beach. I'd miss the understated structure if I wasn't looking for it. From the outside, the interior looked dimly lit and I was a bit concern that my casual attire was a little too underdress. But once inside, the Maitre'D's warm reception and the mix of nicely dressed and casually dressed patrons erased my concerns. The atmosphere is cozy and *not* pretentious. I like that. Food just don't taste good when people are uptight!
Once I took a peek at the menu, I knew I had to come back again to try all the dishes. Escargot, pate sampler, jumbo lump crab cake, lobster bisque, smoked salmon, roasted duck, braised Kobe short ribs, pan seared striped bass, filet mignon, Maine lobster two ways, Bouillabaisse Provencal... all of them calling out to me!
The taste:
Their jumbo lump crab cake, I have to say, is up there with Oceanaire's in Gas Lamp, and Oceanaire's crab cake is quite a treat. It's full of crab meat in every bite. Their lobster bisque is also tasty and I have to say it's better than Peohe's on Coronado, although Peohe's is served in a cute mini-cauldron. But taste trumps presentation in this case. At this point, I'm really looking forward to the entree, and hoping Thee Bungalow will become my new favorite.
Their special for the night is the venison with cherry sauce over a bed of red skin potatoes, different types of mushrooms and spinach, which made me abandon the Maine lobster two ways. I'm not a fan of cherry sauce - any cherry sauce - but this one was done just right and perfectly sweetened the perfectly grilled venison - its center is red and outside has a slight crunch as you bite into it. The red skin potatoes, mushrooms (shitaki, oyster, portobello etc) and spinach are delicately made so that they don't soak up too much of the sauce and lose their own taste. After my first bite into the venison, a "wow" and a smile are my first reactions. I am ordering this again.
Their roasted half duck with pepper rum sauce does not disappoint! The skin of the duck is crisp and meat tender, the rum sweetens the duck just right while the peppercorn gives you that kick. Oh, they really care about their food! I'm choosing their duck over La Veche's in Hillcrest.
Next time, I'm going to try the pate sampler and save some room for dessert; the creme broulee and souffle from the next table look really good.
Thee Bungalow actually garners quite a few accolades, good for them. But all I care about is that their food taste great to me, and to the friends that I bring there!
Bottom line:
They care about their cooking and serve food that put a smile on your face. You'll want to make a reservation and bring your friends.
Type of food:
Contemporary cuisine with a country French accent
Price range:
~$10-16 appetizers
~$21-40 entrees
http://www.theebungalow.com
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