Lucky Number

A new pan-Asian destination in 
Presidio Heights makes (415) more 
than just an area code.

Everything about the new (415) Restaurant and Lounge is big—from the dining room’s oversize tan leather booths to the gigantic parchment-paper lanterns that hang over them. The team behind it sports three co-owners, two chefs (one executive, one sushi) and two sommeliers (one for wine, one for sake), and the extensive pan-Asian menu is loaded with bold flavors. It’s a far cry from Presidio Heights’ cozier spots that serve homey comfort food, and it might be the neighborhood’s first “destination dining” location to draw people in from outside the area. 
Located in what used to be Sydney’s Home in the Jewish Community Center, (415) is John Hurley and Justin Hafen’s latest venture (the duo also owns Garibaldis). The two closed Sydney’s in December and split the space into two restaurants that couldn’t be more different: the California Street Delicatessen and Café, a casual Jewish deli, and swanky (415). “Sydney’s was too big a space, and the members of the JCC wanted a real deli,” Hurley explains. “So we gave them what they wanted and pursued our dream: an upscale Asian restaurant.”


Co-owner and designer Shirley Robinson went for sexy: deep-red walls and tiger-skin-patterned floors, all set to dim lighting. Low-rise, deep-brown tables and stools make up the lounge area near the bar, where you’ll find well-coiffed blondes and guys in sports jackets sipping on Red Army cocktails, a ruby-colored mix of Hangar One lime vodka, a lemongrass reduction and blood-orange juice. It’s all going according to Hurley’s plan: “We wanted a modern-day version of the Trader Vic’s on Cosmo Place, where there were interesting people—and a great buzz.”


Executive chef John Beardsley (pictured here), whose résumé lists Betelnut and Ponzu, makes sure that aromatics and spices—such as curry, ginger and chile peppers—are not in short supply. Dishes include everything from buttery tuna-and-foie-gras nigiri and plump Korean-style beef pot stickers to a crunchy shredded-smoked-trout-and-banana-blossom salad with cashews to Chinese-style crispy duck with a huckleberry relish that’s 
both sweet and tart. Between the sake list, developed by Beau Timken of Hayes Valley’sTrue Sake, and the wine list, divided into categories such as 
Harmony and Yin and Yang, there’s also no shortage of intriguing pairings. 
So, why name it (415)? Hurley says, “We wanted to pay homage to the melting pot of Asian cultures we have in San Francisco.”

So, why name it (415)? Hurley says, “We wanted to pay homage to the melting pot of Asian cultures we have in San Francisco.”

(415) Restaurant and Lounge 415 Presidio Ave., 415-409-0400

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