Against the Clock: Immigrant welfare recipients face looming time limit (in National News) District 3 Dollars: Supervisor unveils allocations in new S.F. city budget (in Bay Area News) H-1B Workers Face Uncertain Future (in Business) The Vertical Ray of the Sun Reaches for New Heigts (in A&E) Lead Editorial: Do you know where Visitacion Valley is? (in Opinion)

Stretch Your Mind with an Ostrich or Two

Golden Ostrich Restaurant manager Sunny Lai holds a unique food experience in the palm of his hand. Photo by Ji Hyun Lim.

By Ji Hyun Lim

Nevermind the extravagances of a Hermes purse, a pair of cowboy boots or a belt when you think about ostriches. Golden Ostrich Restaurant will stretch your imagination after a moderately priced yet tasty, tender filet or a juicy burger. Ostrich meat, less fattening than beef, is much more daring than chicken — it will cha-cha-cha on your taste buds. Golden Ostrich is the first restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown to serve this delicacy. Manager Sunny Lai who has worked in the restaurant business for almost 30 years, will warmly greet you at the door with a smile as he invites you to explore this new cuisine. The restaurant is spotless, inviting enough to dine, but low-key enough to eat-and-run.

One satisfied ostrich steak customer describes the meat as gamey like goose and texturally-pleasing like a good flank steak. Photo by Ji Hyun Lim.

The world’s largest living bird is not an endangered species, so feel no guilt eating one. An ostrich egg is as weighty as two dozen chicken eggs and can make scrambled eggs for six people. An ostrich hen lays from 10-70 eggs each year. The three-to-four pound egg, nearly six inches in diameter, can hatch and grow into a 250-400 pound bird, standing six-to-eight feet tall.

When you visit Golden Ostrich, keep an open mind. The menu consists of everything from curry, soups, burgers and steaks in all your favorite meats. But definitely try the ostrich. These free-range birds are lower in fat content than most red meats, with no risk of mad cow disease. Golden Ostrich only serves birds that are corn-fed, chemical and hormone free.

Because one ostrich will yield 70-100 pounds of meat, the filet sizes are not small. This delicacy is as visually appealing as a filet mignon. It is a perfectly balanced meal when served with your choice of rice, spaghetti or bread and vegetables cooked al dente. The ostrich filet can easily be part of a good, balanced home-cooked meal. The chef recommends eating it just like a beef steak — with A-1 sauce or a sweet teriyaki sauce. It is tougher than veal but tenderer than beef. The cut is dark meat and you can order it medium, well or rare.

The ostrich egg custard is available on the menu on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The texture is firmer and denser than its chicken counterpart. The custard is made with egg whites and not the yolk. It has a distinct egg-like taste and recommended for egg lovers only. The bubbles will deceive you into thinking there’s tapioca but it’s only air.

Golden Ostrich also encourages an elaborate coffee experience. The menu includes First Lady and Blue Hawaii blends imported from the islands. The specialty coffee is brewed with a coffee siphon right at the table. Lai is convinced that people enjoy a strong, leisurely yet fragrant cup-a-joe to an endless cup of watery brew. He says the trick to good coffee is to put the cream and sugar before you pour the coffee while the coffee siphon allows guests to watch the process. It takes three minutes.

Golden Ostrich is what food memories are made of. One will never forget the experience. The aroma of the coffee, the texture of the ostrich custard and the distinct taste of the filet will forever remind you of a unique dining experience. Be the first to tell your friends you tried this dish. People will be intrigued. You will also have the urge to return to Golden Ostrich to constantly re-define this bargain Epicurean experience.

Golden Ostrich Restaurant
757 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-788-1118

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.