Great stuff, keep it coming. I don't think Chinese is a strength of the Bay Area, but *if* Oakland's Hot Pot House still exists, it may be worth a try for Sichuan -- we quite enjoyed it, but that was 4 years ago. Same goes for the various outposts of Spices (all different, and quality of even the same dish varies by location). I think Koi Palace (3 locations now) is the only game in town for dim sum, but prices are creeping up and you need a car. Little Shanghai in San Mateo specializes in the eponymous cuisine and is also worth a drive (probably the best xiao long bao for miles around).

I very much want to try Royal Feast in Millbrae (https://www.chowhound.com/post/royal-fe ... 232?page=4) but am waiting till I can assemble a proper expedition with enough people. Koi Palace is something else I want to try, in fact the Daly City/South SF area has a bunch of interesting stuff, from Indian to various sorts of Chinese to Jamaican to Korean.

Actually, living in the Bay Area without a car is pretty easy (one of the reasons I moved here), so while I absolutely could get to Koi Palace or many other places via BART and bike, so far there have been so many interesting food destinations set squarely in my routes to errands and work that I haven't gotten very far off path. A nice problem to have!

Oh, and one more rec that is very much up this forum's alley. A friend was in town and really wanted Arab/Mediterranean food. I had no idea where to go, so I carefully inspected Yelp and ended up choosing Wally's Cafe in Emeryville (a short Uber ride from Berkeley). It's a no-frills Lebanese joint located in the back room of a divey sports bar called the Bank Club (entrance, which is not well marked, is on the right side down a walkway). The prices look expensive for this kind of food, but with the complimentary soup (great) and pita (not great, the only low point), and the ginormous portions, it's not a bad deal at all, and the shwarma, hummus, and baba ghanouj were all delectable, top-5 ever for me. You sit at a circular counter with the servers on the inside. Looks like it's been there forever, and a lot of the customers were obviously regulars. Friendly and (due to the layout) omnipresent service, I think I had to wait about five seconds to get my iced tea refilled.

So, in the ever-present Burrito Wars which consume the Bay Area, the two major contenders are La Taqueria and El Farolito. Now, I write this with the caveat that both have several locations, and in fact, many natives (which which I am most definitely not) have opined that locations of both others than the two which I have eaten (both relatively adjacent to the 24th St Mission BART station) are not even the best examples of their respective mini-chains.

That said, having eaten at La Taqueria today for the first time (I've eaten at Farolito at least 20 times), how the hell is this even a contest? Let me be clear, there are two upsides to La Taqueria: The green salsa (in bottles on the table) is great, and spicy as hell. And the physical space is nicer (it's open to the street, and on a nice day like today is quite pleasant. El Farolito is literally a filthy hallway with chairs on the sides once you squeeze past the counter. It, too, is technically open to the outside, but it's only about 6 feet wide). And my lengua burrito was by no means bad, if small.

Farolito, however, wins on price (bigger burrito, due to the inclusion of rice, which is what makes some people prefer La Taq. I get that a lot of mediocre burrito rice serves no purpose, but Farolito's rice is delicious and, I believe, pre-soaked in meat juice. It's absolutely a positive presence in the burrito). It wins on the smoky flavor of its' lengua. It wins on having a salsa bar with 3 salsas (2 of them great) and escabeche (La Taq has no salsa bar, chips and weak-ass pico are $1.50 versus $0.65 for chips with all you can eat salsa at Farolito). It wins on having Mexican sodas (La Taq just has a fountain machine). And while the vibe at Farolito is fast and kinda gruff, it's basically friendly. La Taq service felt kinda rude and disorganized.

El Farolito is one of the most efficient and delicious fast food operations I've ever encountered. If you're in SF, eat there. I'm still gonna try La Cumbre and Cancun, though.

El Cancún is the winner for me. Undoubtedly the best burrito I've ever had. I know I should try another spot but if I'm ever in the Bay Area, I'm not chancing it when I know a spot that will continually blow my mind.

Two restaurants I visited made a very good impression.

I'm a big fan of XLB (who isn't?) and did my research before dragging some friends all the way to the Sunset from Berkeley. Luckily, we were not at all disappointed. Dumpling Kitchen's pork and crab XLB were among the best I've ever had. The pork only ones were good as well, but the pork and crab were the clear winner, and next time I'll just get two orders of those. We also ordered fish in black bean sauce, which was excellent and came in a good-sized portion, some steamed greens with vinegar, and a green onion pancake (thinner and less oily than usual, which is to say less enjoyable. But that was the only weak spot of the meal). Spartan but not ugly dining room, clearly authentic environment. Right in front of a Muni train stop, so the location shouldn't intimidate those staying in downtown SF or the East Bay (distance-wise, I mean. The neighborhood is very safe).

About a week later, after a visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, I took the rare visit to the Valley as an opportunity to try some regional Indian food. We settled on UlavacharU in Sunnyvale for Andhra food, and despite some slightly disorganized service (we got there just as they opened for dinner, which was possibly responsible), we had a great meal: Chicken dum biryani was one of the most flavorful renditions I've ever had, with plenty of juicy chicken legs and an array of add-ons, baingan bharta was creamier and more blended than I'm used to, but had popping spices, and goat vindaloo was an excellent version as well, with primo goat meat and lots of marrow to suck out of the bones. I was slightly disappointed with the spice level in the latter dish (I asked for it 'very spicy' and got what I would regard as 'spicy', but my companions were probably lucky in that regard). Naan was good although the portion was a bit small. My dining companions got an order of butter chicken which they raved about as well. The waiters were friendly and brought us several different kinds of achar to try upon request. I will definitely be back whenever I'm in the Valley again, to try and amp up the levels on that vindaloo (I am on a fairly maniacal quest to try as many vindaloos as possible), and hopefully to try their lunch buffet which gets a serious number of rave reviews on Yelp. CH and Yelp seem to indicate that as well as being the center of gravity for regional Indian, the Valley is the choice destination for Taiwanese food as well these days, so I may be somewhat liberal in inventing reasons to head south, sooner rather than later.

On a side note: Does anyone have recommendations for hip-ish, mid-priced (say, under $60 per person w/o drinks) restaurants in Downtown Oakland or fairly close to a BART stop in SF with decent food? History or a cool interior is a plus. Looking for date/celebration spots but don't have enough experience or local connections to cut through the thick cloud of hype on these kinds of spots.

Dumpling Kitchen
1935 Taraval St
San Francisco, CA 94116

UlavacharU
685 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

I'm a big fan of Hopscotch (Uptown, but a few short blocks from the 19th St. BART). I think it checks all your boxes, including cool interior (old diner). Get a couple of the Yonsei oysters to start.

Ah yes, a friend of mine mentioned going there the other night (but I assumed it was just a bar, she didn't mention food). Thanks for the tip. I find myself in that area fairly frequently to meet up with people at Telegraph or Starline.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I just had takeout khao soi and Lao style som tum last night from Larb in El Cerrito. Khao soi was easily one of the top 3 I've ever had, som tum was great as always. This place is cheap, too.

Made a return visit to Dumpling Kitchen this week. The XLB were stellar as before, and we also enjoyed the #7 Beijing dumplings and the Wontons in Chili Oil.

Wisco wrote:Not to sound like a broken record, but I just had takeout khao soi and Lao style som tum last night from Larb in El Cerrito. Khao soi was easily one of the top 3 I've ever had, som tum was great as always. This place is cheap, too.

No apologies needed -- keep singing their praises! I want them to do well.

Unrelated, but I finally got to try Tartine Manufactory. The soft serve was remarkable, but overall I think I prefer the original.

Data point number two in flea market lamb tacos: The Taqueria El Chaparro stall at the Richmond flea market served me the best barbacoa tacos I've ever had. Tortillas hecho a mano, delicious dense lamb meat, great tableside salsas and dry spices to add. Tacos are ginormous and 3 + a big Mexican Coke came to $11. They have pozole, menudo, and other stuff I'm curious to try next time. Location is out of the way, industrial wasteland kind of deal. Every Saturday.

716 W Gertrude Ave
Richmond, CA 94801

When I'm in the mood for Mexican food, I usually just round up any other reason I have to venture into the City, but this week I decided to try out a couple places on my list in the East Bay. First off was a big dinner with a friend who had just gotten off a cross-country flight (translation: we were both very hungry) at Obelisco Restaurant, just outside the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. This place uses higher-quality ingredients--organic veggies and tortillas, Niman Ranch beef, etc, but is very much an authentic Mexican place a step or two above taqueria level. No fusion or really fancy stuff. Friendly, attentive service. Lengua tacos, pastor burrito, and guacamole were solid A material. Rice in burrito felt like an afterthought compared to Farolito's delicious version, and chips and salsa were average. The standout, however, was the very fresh and generously portioned $6 ceviche tostada. Also, they have Negra Modelo on tap!

The last couple days have been hectic for me, so I have resorted to sating my hunger with burritos from La Mission, a quick bike ride from my house in West Berkeley. Tortilla quality and rice are sub-Farolito (notice a trend), but the salsas are great, the meat is tender and flavorful (so far I've tried the pastor and carnitas in several different combinations), and they're open until midnight, which is pretty rare in the East Bay. A very worthy option. Next on my list to try are their mole burritos and the pozole.

Obelisco Restaurant
3411 E 12th St
Oakland, CA 94601

La Mission
1255 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702

Had some excellent sushi @ Tenroku in the Japan Center. A small, sleeper of a place that greatly rewarded our tastebuds w/pristine o-toro, Santa Barbara uni and kama to name a few- but all was oishi.

Had a good, and very cheap, Laotian meal today at Vientian Cafe in Oakland. Lao sausage was charred on the outside, perfect grind with strong lemongrass flavors. Lao style Som Tum was murky, not the funkiest or most complex, but a very competent version and eye-wateringly spicy at the requested 5-pepper level. Nem Kao (Tod) was a good version with lots of fresh herbs and lettuce wraps on the side, and dotted with tiny pieces of fermented pork sausage. I'd give the edge to Larb Thai's version, but this whole place is a different experience. Also got a fried-whitefish-with basil dish which I forget the name of, which was hearty, competent, not earthshaking but a good counterpoint for the aggressive spicing on the other dishes. This place made me homesick for the divey Lao joints I grew up with in Madison and Milwaukee. $35 for all of the above.

Vientian Cafe
3801 Allendale Ave
Oakland, CA 94619

New and very good: Temple Club makes wonderful Vietnamese food at very reasonable prices. The menu seems to change daily, but certain signature dishes (e.g., Mi Quang) are always available. This is where I act like the foodie douche that I am and grouse that I wish the nem chua were more sour and fermented and that, in general, everything was spicier. The dipping sauce was profound, though. And then you try the pho and marvel at the amazingly deep flavor of the broth — after you concede that using corned beef (!) for the meat is a gimmick that totally works. The Mi Quang was fantastic, as well. Actually, all the soups/stews we tried were hits; I’d gladly order each one again. And hey, there are various hot sauces and condiments on each table for you to spice up your food. Pro-tip: The “street size” is a pretty large portion and only $7. Also, honesty compels me to point out that this place is in a pretty iffy part of Oakland (namely, Oakland).

Larb still firing on all cylinders, too.

Temple Club
2307 International Blvd.
Oakland
Website

I keep meaning to get there. Did you make reservations? Did it seem crazy busy?

Yeah, we made reservations but only a few hours ahead and they were wide open then. When we were there, it was pretty full but still maybe a table or two available at any time. There’s also bar seating (both upstairs and downstairs, if I recall correctly). But reservations couldn’t hurt — they’re on OpenTable.

I was inspired by your post, and needed dinner anyway, so I ended up eating at the Temple Club tonight. The hype is real. I forgot to take a picture of the menu, but my girlfriend and I shared a large Mi Quang, a tamarind beef salad, and a bone-in mackerel and pineapple claypot dish served with rice on the side. All of it was stellar. I checked OpenTable before heading over, and saw so many open reservations that I didn't bother to make one. The place was a little over half full at 6:30 on a Tuesday, so take that as you will. The local press has been all over this restaurant, so I wouldn't worry about their survival, but it's nice to know that the hype has dissipated enough for it to be a snap decision dinner on a weekday.

The mackerel included 2 hefty cross-sections and the tail. The meat was delicious, and some judicious rolling around in one's mouth dealt with most of the (admittedly numerous) bones. I wasn't 100% sold on the pineapple-heavy base, although the peppers (seemed like a close relative of Thai bird's-eye) and onions were fresh, they were overpowered by the sweet pineapple. This, however, is a minor quibble, since the fish itself was highly flavorful and expertly cooked.

The Mi Quang is everything everyone says it is, not a lot of further comment needed. The tamarind beef salad had a funky undertone of fish sauce that soaked further into the meat than I'm used to in these kinds of dishes.

Overall, a surprising and novel meal, but also one that actually fills you up. That mackerel, in particular, is worth seeking out during the drizzly days we've been having lately. It's a different dish, and a different fish, from the budget claypots you find in some of the classic East Bay Viet holes-in-the-walls, which usually consist of catfish or swai with an onion-dominated brown sauce, and are rewardingly hearty in their own way.

This is my favorite new East Bay discovery since...well, maybe since Larb Thai. Unlike any Vietnamese food, authentic or fusion, that I've ever tasted, and this is one of my favorite cuisines. The changing menu is likely to get me back with some frequency, although it's not exactly convenient to my house.

Edit: Regarding the neighborhood, I would advise using Lyft at night (if traffic is an issue, and you're coming from Berkeley/downtown Oakland/SF, try taking BART to Lake Merritt station, which is in a safe area, and then catching a quick Lyft to TC), but wouldn't worry too much about walking from the Fruitvale BART station in the daytime. It's not so much that the residential area is awful, as that some of the surrounding blocks are desolate and dark at night, and it's still East Oakland.

Larb Thai is doing a lot of specials lately, and posting them on their Facebook page (mostly in Thai, but with English dish names and pics). I had dinner there tonight and along with my usual khao soi, raw and fermented sausage skewers, and namesake larb (mushroom this time), I had their special fried chicken skin (the other option is chicken butt). This was a concentrated blast of chewy, flavorful but never gristly chicken essence, with a slightly crunchy but not too doughy coating, and lots of fresh jalapeno slices, on a bed of finely shredded cabbage. It's presented as a beer snack, but I skipped the beer and instead caught myself dipping the nuggets of fried chicken skin into the curry of the khao soi.

I'm planning a trip to SF and was curious if there were any thoughts on the Spark Social and other restos I'm considering on visiting...

http://sparksocialsf.com/schedule/
Mission style burrito @ El Farolito vs Taqueria Cancun
Sushi @ Ryoko’s
Cioppino’s @ Fisherman's Wharf
Chinese fare @ House of Nanking
Liho Liho Yacht Club - http://lycsf.com/
Sea Harvest Fish Market (in Monterey/Cannery Row)
Napa Valley Burger Company (in Sausalito)]

I'm also looking for quintessential SF food items I can pack to take back home - in the same vein as Chicago food items shared in THIS thread:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1507.

Some foodstuff I have listed include the following - any more I should scope out?

Boudin Bakery - sourdough bread & clam chowder
Cookie Love - campfire cookies
Tartine - cookbook, since I plan on visiting the bakery
Blue Bottle coffee
Cowgirl Creamery cheeses
Acme breads
Dandelion chocolates
Wine from Sonoma/Napa


Thanks in advance!

My comments on Mission burritos upthread still hold true. I like Farolito better, but La Taqueria is a nicer space and the burrito itself is perfectly fine, if much smaller.

Acme bread is really good. If you're in the Mission and have time/space, the more crunchy Arizmendi Bakery on Valencia is also worth a stop.

I highly recommend the Porchetta sandwich from Roli Roti. They have a truck that is at the Ferry Terminal Market, but makes appearances elsewhere as well. So delicious!

foodie1 wrote:
I'm also looking for quintessential SF food items I can pack to take back home - in the same vein as Chicago food items shared in THIS thread:
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1507.

Tartine - cookbook, since I plan on visiting the bakery
Blue Bottle coffee
Cowgirl Creamery cheeses
Acme breads
Dandelion chocolates
Wine from Sonoma/Napa


Thanks in advance!

I can pay for a loaf of Tartine Country or Tartine Rye bread. PM me and I can arrange to take loaf off of your hand.

I made my take on their rye bread not long ago and I am baking off a couple of country loaves as well. I would love to taste the original.

foodie1 wrote:I'm also looking for quintessential SF food items I can pack to take back home -

Scharffen Berger chocolates?

Here's a famous chocolate shoppe in the Noe Valley:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/chocolate-covered-san-francisco

It would make a nice walk after your Mission burrito! : )

Geo

Quick trip to SFO and, after consultation with an old friend (a SF native), chose the following. All meals were very good (save Ippudo, which was disappointingly mediocre), some (Piperade; Kin Khao) downright excellent.


MANDALAY SF


Tea Leaf Salad (Lap Pat Dok)
Salad prepared with imported Burmese tea leaves, toasted with Lentil seeds, grounded shrimps, fried garlic, green pepper, sesame seeds, peanuts & dressing.


Chin Mong Jaw
Burmese style sour vegetables sauted with green chili, prawns and bamboo shoots.


Mandalay Special Noodle
Burmese flat noodle with mild coconut chicken, yellow peas powder lime juice, onion and fried thin noodle on the top.


Burmese iced tea

Mandalay SF
(Inner Richmond)
4348, California St
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 386-3895, (415) 386-3896
http://mandalaysf.com/


KIN KHAO


Mushroom Hor Mok
Curry mousse in-a-jar with mushrooms, crisp rice cakes


Yaowaraj Noodle
Bangkok Chinatown stir-fried rice noodles with chicken, XO sauce, egg, green onions, cilantro


Massaman Nuea
Braised beef cheeks in massaman curry, coconut milk, burnt shallots, potatoes


Black Rice Pudding
Warm coconut+black rice pudding, served with burnt coconut sugar caramel, salty coconut cream, puffed rice+peanut+sesame praline


Thai Tea Soft Serve
With tapioca, condensed milk, and toasted coconut

Kin Khao (Michelin-starred)
55 Cyril Magnin St (inside the Parc 55 Hotel)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 362-7456
(corner of Mason & Ellis)
http://kinkhao.com/


PIPERADE


Toy Box Tomato Tartlet, Garlic, Thyme, Basil, Balsamic Vinegar


Octopus with piquillo peppers


Braised Pork Cheeks, Tempranillo + Plums,Cipollini Onions,Carrots


Rack of Lamb, Merguez, Fennel, Roasted Bread, Pecan, Cumin + Date Relish


Whipped Turron Mousse + Roasted Almonds


Traditional Gâteau Basque


Piperade
(Embarcadero)
1015 Battery St
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-2555
http://www.piperade.com/


UMA CASA


Caldo Verde: potatoes, linguiça, collard greens, olive oil


Pasteis de Bacalhau: salt cod fritters, cilantro mayo


Bacalhau Gomes de Sá: baked salt cod casserole, potatoes, caramelized onion, parsley, aioli, crumbled olive, egg


Peixo do dia – pan-roasted halibut, charred corn, summer squash, tomato, red pepper, molho ferrado

[no picture]
Pastel Nata: portuguese egg custard tart

Uma Casa
(Noe Valley)
1550 Church St
San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 829-2264
http://www.umacasarestaurant.com


Karaka Spicy ramen

Ippudo
18 Yerba Buena Ln
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 348 1202
https://ippudo-us.com/store/

I was in SF this summer to visit an old friend and boy am I missing that Bay Area weather right now, not to mention the food. As we all know Chicago can stand with the best of them when it comes to international eating but one thing SF does better than us is ramen. Every time I have a new bowl over there it feels like the best one yet. This time it was a bowl of chicken paitan at Marufuku Ramen on the second floor of Japan Town mall.

Paitan is a style of Ramen where instead of trying to make a delicate broth at a gentle simmer, they basically boil the crap out of the chicken bones until the whole thing is creamy with emulsified fat and gelatin. Marufuku’s paitan is super flavorful and rich, clinging just to the thin noodles just right, and the add ins are all top-notch. The noodles especially are springy and perfectly cooked, and best yet, you can get another order of noodles to drop into the broth for round #2 if you have any soup left over. Please excuse my photography which is not on par with my noodle eating skills:

Note: Marufuku is super popular right now, so call ahead and reserve your bowls the day before. Just showing up the day of might not get you a seat.

Another thing I love about SF is even though the city is very expensive and kind of a bougie nightmare these days, little pieces of the old, gritty SF are still around if you know where to look. Tommy’s Joynt is a super old school cafeteria and tavern, in the heart of downtown within spitting distance of city hall. The way it’s tucked in the middle of all these shiny new buildings and the most expensive real estate in the country reminds of Chicago classics like the late CND Gyros in Streeterville (RIP).

Tommy’s Joynt is like if you took Old Town Ale House and Moon’s Sandwich shop and smashed them together. On your left you’ve got the classic tavern, and on the right there’s a steam table with no-bullshit old guys slicing portions off huge rounds of corned beef and roast turkey and piling them onto rye bread. And of course you got sides like mashed potatoes, gravy, and coleslaw.



This is the best kind of fixture that’s been around forever and serves tasty, inexpensive food to all. The crowd is a real cross section of society and the day we went there were a ton of punk rock looking people in there – I think a concert had just let out or something. Any way, for lovers of old school eateries and dives, Tommy’s is not to be missed.

Marufuku Ramen
1581 Webster St #235, San Francisco, CA 94115

Tommy's Joynt
1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

eating while walking wrote:This is the best kind of fixture that’s been around forever and serves tasty, inexpensive food to all. The crowd is a real cross section of society and the day we went there were a ton of punk rock looking people in there – I think a concert had just let out or something. Any way, for lovers of old school eateries and dives, Tommy’s is not to be missed.

Tommy's Joynt
1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

Spent a long afternoon in Tommy's joynt about 10 years ago drinking and eating. I loved this place and am glad to see it getting love!

Looks like I'll be headed out that way in a few weeks for an illini bowl game, so thanks for bringing this thread back near the top!

eating while walking wrote:Tommy’s Joynt is like if you took Old Town Ale House and Moon’s Sandwich shop and smashed them together.

I get to SF fairly often, family in the area plus I like the city. Bunch of years ago we used to stay at a hotel right down the street from Tommy's Joynt. Not my first or 16th choice but due to a shoestring affiliation we got a deal way too good to pass, less than $50 per night for Jr. Suites. We'd always hit Tommy's Joynt for frosty mugs of beer, hot turkey sandwiches and to interact with the real locals, what few there were remaining in the area.

The hotel is long gone, now a hospital, and we typically stay at the Kabuki.

WhyBeeSea wrote:Spent a long afternoon in Tommy's joynt about 10 years ago drinking and eating. I loved this place and am glad to see it getting love! Looks like I'll be headed out that way in a few weeks for an illini bowl game, so thanks for bringing this thread back near the top!

G Wiv wrote:We'd always hit Tommy's Joynt for frosty mugs of beer, hot turkey sandwiches and to interact with the real locals, what few there were remaining in the area.

Yeah Tommy's is one of the few places I've been in SF where you can just pull up a bar stool and have an entertaining chat with a complete stranger. Hopefully they stick around for another 70 years.