Cordon Bleu

One of my friends recommended this place to me, saying it was one of the best meals she's ever had!The seating area is quite small (~7 seats), but the service is great! Definitely more of a hole in the wall spot, and note that they only take cash!I got the Number 5, which was quite a large serving size, but very delicious. My friend got the noodle salad. She doesn't eat pork, but they were accommodating of her dietary restriction and adjusted appropriately. For instance, they switched out the imperial roll for a veggie one and the shish kebab for chicken! They also gave us complimentary tea.Food summary:Number 5 (rice with meat sauce, country salad, five spice chicken, shish kebab, imperial roll) - 10/10I loved this dish! Everything merged together wonderfully to create a delicious meal. The chicken fell off the bone, and was seasoned very well. Nothing was too salty or too bland - just perfect. The rice was also cooked very well, and I enjoyed the meat sauce much more than I had thought. It has pork and onions in it. The imperial roll was fried well, and comes with sauce on the side. I definitely devoured this meal faster than I should've, but I would definitely come back again to eat this dish again and try new items!

This might be my new favorite meal in the, no joke. It's a small little restaurant tucked away in Nob Hill, and there's about 7 bar seats and one small table inside. You sit in front of the grill and watch them cook your meal unceremoniously, and service is not the fastest because they're cooking as they're serving. I came here as a solo diner since I knew seating was difficult for bigger parties. I sat next to a friendly stranger who told me he's been coming here longer than I've been alive and recommended the Number 5 Combo. With a recommendation like that, how could I order anything else? I chose to get chicken breast over the chicken leg.Because the restaurant was at capacity, my food took about 10 minutes to get, which is still super fast. It's served on a paper plate and has no ceremonious plating, but when I tell you I've never had a first bite so good! The meat sauce on the rice was so savory and rich. The chicken was so tender I hardly needed my knife to pull it off the bone, and the skin had the perfect amount of charring. The imperial roll is the biggest I've ever seen, and the outside was so crispy while maintaining the juicy meat inside. The shish kebab was peppery and sweet. It's a huge portion and could easily be two meals. I can't believe it was all under $20! They're cash only, so keep that in mind when you come. I definitely will be back, and even as good as the food is, I wouldn't want to have it except dining in -- the casual, friendly conversation with other patrons and with the cooks make the experience so homey and warm. Can't wait to be back!

Overall: AHeads up: Cash only!Food: AThe go-to is a grilled chicken paired with beans and rice. Be ready to use your hands on the chicken but trust me it's worth it!Vibes: BCramped but speedy turnaround for an amazing meal. Cash only is a bit of a bummer but it keeps the prices a bit lower and there's a BoA atm a couple blocks away. Don't let the casual cramped diner style throw you off - the owner is a friendly woman and you get to watch the grill right in front of you.

Hole in the wall location. We door dashed the order and I got the shish kebab plate ($16 after tax/tip). It came with an imperial roll which was pretty decently sized and stayed crispy (comes with sauce too). The plate was hefty - rice portion was huge!! Meat slices were thin but some of the edges were burnt burnt. Rice is also topped with a gravy which was yummy.I would try the chicken plate next time. My friends got it and there was so much meat of the chicken!!

There are so many restaurants that go all in on curb appeal and in-house ambiance but then the food tastes like it should cost half of what you're paying for it. This place is the exact opposite. All of the effort goes into the consistent high quality of the food. That's it. And that's what you pay for, so it's reasonably priced. Keep in mind, this is a very small restaurant so don't try to come here in a group to dine in; sometimes it's hard to find a seat when you're alone. However, they do take out and there's a bar next door if you want a drink while you wait. It's also cash only.

Agree with everyone else... just what a hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant should be. Close quarters, visible grill, somewhat dirty, and lots of great food for a reasonable price. Cash only, and in a pretty good location on California just off of Polk. See my pics and captions.

Cordon Bleu is a special place. The moment you walk in here and see who is behind the counter and how they are cooking, it's pretty obvious you're going to get epic food. Not a complex menu but reallllyy complex flavor right in your face. This is just no frills, great eats and it's truly legendary. If you live in the neighborhood this is probably a place you frequent. As a San Francisco resident this is a must try establishment.The single grill in there has seen so much meat, it's probably keeping 1000 farms in business to this day. The imperial rolls are epic. The shish kabob is my favorite. But obviously the chicken is great and the meat sauce over rice is something new. The only negative thing I can say about this place is it's cash only. That's deterred me from several meals when I've been walking by. Cordon on Bleu, good on you. This has been my love letter.(4.7 Stars)

Wonderful hole in the wall restaurant that SF could use more of! The whole block smells amazing when their chicken is on the grill. I've only had the noodle salad so far and it'll be hard to try something new when this dish is so good. The chicken has more flavor cooked into it than I thought possible. The portion size is plentiful and food comes out quickly. I had a bite of my friend's meat sauce (what meat is used to make it?) and thought it was alright. I can see why it's reserved for the rice dishes to act like a gravy.I'd love to try the pork chops some time, but it'll have to be with a big group because I can barely finish one dish on my own!

So, I had a hankering for 5 Spice Chicken & happened to walk by this place a week ago, it's a sliver of a restaurant but there was lots of chattering coming from inside the place, it intrigued me. I had already eaten but decided to give it a try next time.So after reading all the positive reviews, I went. As I entered the place I noticed the narrow counter/seating & surrounding area is in bad shape, not the cleanest, by no means. I was pretty surprised. The place needs a good wash down & paint but perhaps that would raise the prices on the fabulous, large portions of food. The opposite side where the chef/owner cooks is where the magic takes place. Flames are grilling the meats, heating up the area, the exhaust sucks out all the smoke. Another woman is bringing out large pots of steamed rice. The meals are being plated, egg rolls, salad, dressing. It's like an assembly line. And some how the chef doesn't forget anything the diners are adding or subtracting from their orders. She tallies up the charges on a yellow pad, taking cash only. This is her domain. You can tell she loves every moment, order & customer.

Cozy little spot tucked away in California street. We walked in with a party of 4 and took half of the bar seats (that's how small it is) it's big enough for the 3 cooks to grill and a few customers to sit at the bar with a small table in the back for 2.We all got #5 which includes their chicken, imperial egg roll, and pork slices on top of a bed of rice with a meaty bean sauce + salad. The charred chicken was my favorite especially paired with the sweet fish sauce. One of the main cooks or owner? said they've been here for 15 years and haven't changed the recipe.Quick and friendly service with huge portions and it comes with an intimate grill experience. Would come again to try their egg rolls!