I randomly wandered into a dumpling shop I’ve never heard of next to SFSU and, well I think I’ve found my favorite xiaolongbao in the city. It’s better than all the more famous ones!!
It’s called Mom Dumpling in park Merced. They make their own dumpling dough AND noodles. The crab and pork xlb is especially good, almost as good as the good ones I’ve had in Taiwan and Shanghai
There has been a surge in the no of pretty good Korean places in San Francisco. I don’t love going to the west side and I don’t love most of the Korean restaurants there (other than Muguboka). I tend to just pop into Oakland for Korean food.
But now, three pretty good ones near me: Yasijang, Sikdang Woori and Mashita Galbi Jjim
(I like one where you stand in line for an hour, but I’ve never felt like standing in line for an hour.)
There’s a part of my soul that deeply needs Chinese bakery bread. My fave in the city is Yummy Bakery, my fave in east bay is Napoleon Super in Oakland Chinatown
The Syrian style shawarma (not stated on the menu) at Palmyra in the Haight is indeed the closest thing I’ve had to a Damascus style shawarma. There are fries in it :) it’s better than their standard shawarma on the menu
I also love their hummus, kibbeh and tabbouleh. Much better than much more expensive middle eastern spots around
La Parilla Loca near Elmhurst Park in east Oakland reminds me of some of the best LA taco trucks. They use a charcoal grill, they have a large menu, they have vampiro and mulita, they make their own tortilla, they have a large range of good and not too sweet agua fresca, it’s in a parking lot, there’s a train rumbling overhead..
Vampiro is exceptional. Burritos are the size of a very muscly person’s forearm. Great birria
If you like chai, one of the better cups of milky chai in San Francisco is at Haraz Coffee House on Bush & Franklin. The Adeni / karak shai is similar in spirit (almost exactly identical) to Indian chai.
What is an Indigenous kitchen? Love this series from PBS, and this video features Crystal Wahpepah, a Kickapoo chef who now runs a fantastic restaurant in Fruitvale, Oakland
Palmyra, the tiny family -run restaurant in the Haight, is not only one of the better places to eat in that neighborhood but it’s also one of the cheapest. Everything about it from the warm service to good food reminds me of my time in Syria. Definitely one of the best hummus, kibbi, tabbouleh and wraps in the city.
If you’re someone who said ‘I read Narnia but was disappointed by how Turkish delight tastes’, do yourself a favor and get one made by a local Turkish bakery if you’ve got one where you live.
This one from Simurgh in Emeryville is excellent. Worlds apart from the boxed and exported stuff
If you ever want a good burrito in the Tenderloin, check out Marcela’s Taqueria on Geary & Jones. It’s one of the better ones without going into the Mission, and certainly the last good one before Nob Hill. Chuy’s Fiesta II on Post is also good
For vegan friends, Marcela has a vegan one called Bob’s burrito and Chuy’s has many veg options too
Korean food isn’t the best in San Francisco (it’s better in Oakland and San Jose, and of course LA is the best), but I’m really glad to have the small good family run spots here like Sikdang Woori and Muguboka
Ok the new unnamed unmarked tofu in a random container by the Vietnamese grocery store in the TL is the best tofu I’ve found in San Francisco. The second best is the other unnamed unmarked tofu in a bag of water at the Khmer grocery store in the TL.
The third best is the fresh tofu selection at Wo Chong in Chinatown (in the box by the cashier), though their pre-packaged stuff in Safeway / elsewhere (Wo Chong silken and firm) are also great. These are better
One of the best Mexican spots in the Mission right now: Loltun. A Mayan-owned place with excellent cochinita pibil (pretty sure it’s the best one in the city) and everything is so good
Taiwanese vegetarian breakfast spot in San Jose with great homemade soy milk as well (Chinese style homemade soy milk is different from store bought Western soy milk, it's way better!)
Mandalay’s James Beard award is well-deserved. I think they are the best Burmese restaurant in San Francisco. Also the least gentrified and most like the food I had in, well, Mandalay.