Patpong: Worst Thai delivery in San Francisco

Patpong Thai Restaurant...What can I say? You clearly haven't grasped the concept of delivery and it shows. Last year, my office ordered Patpong for our holiday party. Patpong is conveniently located new our office in the outer Richmond, so we thought it was the perfect fit. Placing the order with the restaurant was quite simple, but actually getting our food was another story. We ordered about $300 worth of food for a party of 20 to be delivered at noon. Not a huge order, but substantial enough that I thought it would be given proper attention. I called in the morning to verify the order and the noon delivery time and was told everything would be delivered on time. Noon rolls by and no food. I wait another 15 minutes and no food, so I decide to call. The owner tells me that driver is out for delivery and should arrive any second and sorry for the delay. So we wait.....party begins at 12:30pm, but still no food. So I call the owner again, he explains the driver can't find the building....my response was, "Really? The driver can't find the main entrance to the VA hospital?" In response, I got a bunch of excuses. So I hang up and wait. Another 15 minutes rolls by and still no food. I call the owner again and ask him to call his driver. (At this time, I am beginning to become agitated). He says, “Oh I tried, but the driver dropped his phone in his car and can't find it.” I respond that how could he possibly know this if he hasn't been able to reach him. Silence on the other end. I get a bunch more excuses and finally I say to him, "I am not hanging up until the food arrives." So we sit on the phone for 10 minutes in silence. Finally, I see the driver's car and have a fellow colleague run out and grab him. To my shock the driver steps out of the car in his pajamas with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a half-dressed girl in the front seat. The driver doesn't even offer to help bring the food into the building and just sets it on the trunk of his car and waits until we make multiple trips to bring it in. Sadly, he also delivered our curry in the pot it was cooked in, no plastic serving bowl that we were promised and paid for.

I must say, Patpong is the worst delivery in San Francisco. Their blatant disregard for customers and ability to lie is deplorable. I will never order from Patpong again, nor would I recommend it to anyone who wants their food actually delivered. The food is average anyway, so you aren't really missing anything. Try Another Monkey in the Mission, if you want good quality Thai in San Francisco.

Ah Lin Restaurant: Best Chinese Food Delivery

Ah Lin Restaurant in Pacific Heights is the best Chinese food delivery in town. I've tried numerous Chinese restaurants and this one is clearly the best. The Wok Shop on Sutter and Franklin is a close second but their crab puffs don't even come close to the delicious flavors of Ah Lin.

Ah Lin is run by a husband and wife who seem to never have a break and literally are at the restaurant from open to close everyday. In addition to delivery and take-out, Ah Lin has a very nice dining room if you want to eat at the restaurant. They offer beer and wine and the service is fast and friendly. Ordering take-out and delivery is easy over the phone or online. I prefer online, so that I can type in any modifications I want to the dishes, which is never a problem. Plus if you order online, you can take advantage of the online coupon offers: one free soda or Thai ice tea for orders of $15 or more; free order of egg rolls or green onion cakes for orders of $30 or more and free wonton or hot and sour soup for orders of $40 or more.

My favorite dishes at Ah Lin are the Mongolian Beef and Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce. The appetizers at Ah Lin are also the best in the city. The crab puffs and dumplings are homemade and bursting with flavors. The egg rolls although offered in chicken, vegetarian or shrimp are really only available in vegetarian so keep that in mind if you order online. Also, the owner makes her own spicy mustard which is one of the reasons this restaurant is so highly rated. No more packaged preservative filled sauces!

The quality of the food can't be beat. Next time your looking to order Chinese food delivery give Ah Lin a try.