"Foreign Cinema is often touted just for its scene – a lively bar, the outdoor seating under the light of a foreign film, and a giant dining hall bustling with tables small and large. Tonight (and for several more weeks), the film is Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet. On this Monday night, perhaps the scene takes a backseat to the food. As packed as the restaurant was, it felt more like a typical popular restaurant that happened to be playing a movie outside. Overall I’d say Foreign Cinema is worth the trip. The food was solid if unspectacular, but the place is gorgeous, and the service is efficient and superior to several restaurants at this price level. One note: the restaurant seems to skimp on some of the cheapest ingredients, e.g. crostini w/ appetizers and potatoes w/ entrees. Appetizers – I started with a baked cheese, described as a milder version of Brie. As baked cheeses go, this was a simpler preparation, i.e. no tart or cooked vegetables really, just some fresh veggies on the side and some crostini. The cheese was tasty and a generous size. I also tried a friend’s brandade, basically a salted cod paste. This was very good, and it that had more chunks of fish than usual, which I actually prefer. The portion was really small even by SF standards – I’ve had similar appetizers at similar class restaurants that had 2-3 times the fish. Entrees – my salmon was delicately cooked and a nice medium. The plate overall was pretty spare, though – a few green beans and slivers of potato. A satisfying preparation, but I’ve had better and more generous dishes at other places. My friend’s halibut had much tastier and much more accompaniments – braised artichokes and risotto. The halibut itself was pretty bland. Desserts – tried fig tart, chocolate cake and ginger cake. All were pretty good and decent finishes to the meal. The chocolate cake in particular was rich and generous for $7."
