Top Noodle Shop South in San Francisco
Dumpling Kitchen
1935 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116, United States
We had a pretty large group here last night for a couple of friends birthdays. For the value, Dumpling Kitchen was pretty good. Its no Michelin star restaurant but a satisfying combination of price, portion, and flavor.XLB - The skins were way better than I expected at this price point. Their texture was smooth with the right amount of firm chewiness. Just from looking at them, the fine folds at the top was a good sign that the skins would be thin and delicate. They also didnt break open when picked up with chopstick. Not much to complain about there. The stuffing was not the best but still decent for a low end restaurant. The texture of the pork was on the grittier side, and I thought it couldve had more ginger and green onions mixed in for more brightness. The broth was similar to the pork stuffing in that it could be brighter and bolder, but it still had good body and was seasoned with enough salt . The broth was also on the fattier side, which doesnt bother me, but I know some people out there prefer cleaner XLB broths.Braised Pork Belly with Pickled Vegetables - You can tell this restaurant probably isnt run by Shanghainese people because of kitchen staff yelling at each other in Cantonese, and this is reflected in some of the menu items. This braised pork belly dish is a traditional Hakka classic from southern China, far from Shanghai. Dumpling Kitchens rendition is actually pretty good. The pork belly was tender, and the sauce was a good balance of sweetness and pickled earthiness. My favorite place to order this is at Hakka Restaurant in the Outer Richmond. If I had to compare the two, Hakkas sauce is thicker and richer with a more complex spice mixture. Theres a slight orange peel flavor in Hakkas that separates it from the rest. Despite not being as good as Hakkas, I would have no qualms with getting the pork belly here.Green Onion Pancakes - Not really my cup of tea. They have the lighter and fluffier version of green onion pancakes, and I didnt think it had much green onion flavor. It kinda just tasted doughy. The crispy and layered green onion pancakes are way better.Vegetarian Potstickers - There was a vegetarian in our group so we had an order of vegetarian potstickers. I was kinda surprised because they turned out to be pretty tasty. I probably liked them more than the pork and chive dumplings. Theres a good amount of shiitake mushrooms to give it a lot of umami and earthy flavors. They also put in dried tofu (doufu gon), and its firmer texture and five spice flavor paired well with the other ingredients in the stuffing.Noodles with Black Bean Sauce - Not good. Sauce was not very savory and didnt taste black bean-y. Noodles were mushy and gross. Skip this.Egg Puffs (Sah Yong) - Freshly fried and really delicious. They were light, airy, and full of eggy goodness. If I had to complain about something, its that instead of surrounding the donuts in sugar, its just poured all on top of the donuts. I just rolled the donut around to get the sugar everywhere.
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Yoma Cafe - Japanese Bento and Drinks
1518 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
CUSTOMER BEWARE:The owner of this cafe/restaurant, Yoyo, may act friendly on the surface, but do not be tricked into becoming friends with her.She will take advantage of you by asking you to help out with things her employees are supposed to be doing (bussing, wiping down tables with a towel, dishwashing, refilling the water tank, washing rice and putting it into the rice cooker, pouring out freshly-brewed milk tea and tea leaves from a pitcher into a sieve and into a new pitcher, sweeping the floor with a broom, taking out the garbage, etc.).Ive known Yoyo for over a month and used to hang out here at least two times a week (and NEVER expected to receive food for free, as I usually brought my own food that I would buy elsewhere), and this past Saturday night, 6/23/24, Yoyo offered to pay me to work at the cafe, and that she would pay me in cash so that I wouldnt have to report any income tax. She told me that I would start at 4pm the next day, Sunday, 6/25/24.I showed up at 4pm the next day, and Yoyo gave me an apron to wear, and instructed me to clear a table of leftover food/restaurantware and to bring it to the back of the cafe, where a bunch of dirty dishes/leftover food were piling up and occupying the dishwashing station area. Yoyo then had me wash 8 bowlfuls of rice and put it into the rice cooker. After this, I asked her if there was anything else she wanted me to do, and she told me to help her with the dishwashing. Between 5:00 - 6:15pm, I stood at the dishwashing station for at least an hour to an hour and ten minutes (I listened to the entire Nevermind album by the rock band Nirvana (length is 42:30), and did the dishwashing for at least 15 more minutes without music after the album ended), scrubbing and rinsing off bento box trays, bowls, sushi plates, chopsticks. I even had to clear out the food trap because of how much food scraps was at the bottom of the sink compartment that was available for use. Before I had finished the dishwashing, Yoyo asked me if I wanted to eat some popcorn chicken she had just fried, and I said I would like French fries instead, but I changed my mind and said both would be fine. After I felt my legs starting to get sore, I sat down at a table to take a 15-minute break and ate the French fries and popcorn chicken Yoyo gave me (see photo #2 for evidence). She also offered me something to drink, so I told her I would like a Peach-flavored black milk tea (see photo #2 for evidence).After my break, at around 6:40pm, I proceeded to continue bussing and went back to do another round of dishwashing. This time, I mostly washed re-purposed containers and lids that used to store seasoned seaweed salad. I was again at the dishwashing station, scrubbing and rinsing off bowls, chopsticks, the aforementioned containers and lids, and clearing out the food trap again at the bottom of the sink compartment for at least another hour.At 9:00pm, I wiped down the tables with a towel, and sat down at a table, and asked Yoyo if there was anything else she wanted me to do, but she said there was nothing. Between 9:30-10:30pm after the cafe closed for the night, Yoyo asked me to sweep the dining area floor, including underneath the tables and chairs with a broom, asked me to sweep the kitchen area floor and take out the garbage that was in the bins in the kitchen. Before Yoyo, an employee named Diego, and I left the cafe, I told Yoyo that I would like to be paid, and she claimed that the work I did was just pre-hire screening, and that she did not have to pay me for the first two hours. Instead, she offered to treat me to sushi. I claimed she just didnt want to pay me for the work I did, and told her I stayed at the cafe the entire time because I was expecting to be paid after I had finished the work she assigned me. Yoyo then drove me and Diego back to my apartment, and re-affirmed her decision to compensate my work by treating me out to eat sushi. Yoyo and Diego then left after they saw me enter the apartment building through the front gate.(review continued in photo #1)
Banh Mi Viet
518 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117, United States
The shops decorations are cute, but the space is very small with no seating area.I ordered a chicken banh mi, and the guy seemed surprised when I asked for a receipt. Apparently, he didnt even know how to print a receipt, so a woman came out from the back to help him. After handing me the receipt, she asked me to wait outside in a rude tone of voice. There were no other customers except me, but they made me wait outside in the cold for no apparent reason.I wish the banh mi was worth it, but it wasnt. The chicken was way too sweet, and the pickled carrots were thick, tasteless sticks.It was a terrible experience overall. I truly have no idea why the rating is so high. One of the most disappointing experiences of my trip to San Francisco this time.
Sidewalk Food Tours of San Francisco
186 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
GREAT JOB by Dean from Sidewalk Food Tours of San Francisco! I took the Chinatown tour and had a fabulous time. Our tour guide Dean was knowledgeable, engaging and funny. It was clear to see he enjoys his job and takes pride in knowing and learning about Chinatown. Group sizes are limited to 12, perfect for navigating busy Chinatown and keeping the experience intimate.The food selections were all delicious. Dean gave us a 30 minute introduction presentation to Chinatown, and then we made our first stop for a delicious pork bun. It was freshly baked and still warm. We walked and talked to the next stop for Tan Tan Noodles. Homemade noodles with a spicy (but not too spicy) peanut sauce. The sauce is served on the side so you choose your level of heat. No visit to Chinatown is complete without Dim Sum, which we had at our third stop. We enjoyed Shrimp Dim Sum and a Mincemeat Turnover. It was so delicious I actually forgot to take a picture to share on Facebook before devouring it. The restaurant owner really likes Dean and showed her appreciation by giving us some freebies that included a Chinese doughnut. Made-to-order Chicken Pot stickers were enjoyed at the fourth stop. Then we moved into the dessert part of the tour. First we stopped by a longstanding fortune cookie shop to see how they are made and try a few samples. My favorite part of the tour was the next to last stop for Egg Custard Tart. The crust was flakey and delicious. The last stop was a tea tasting. The owner shared her knowledge of the different kinds of teas and herbal drinks and their benefits. Dean stopped and discussed points of interests in between the food stops, but I really enjoyed the food and choose to share that aspect of the tour. By the way, there were two vegetarians on our tour and Dean made sure they had unique Chinatown food to enjoy as well.Book your tour today!
Himalayan Cuisine SF
1412 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States
We loved this place. LOTS of vegetarian options. Affordable. Perhaps best of all, owner is very nice.Here are the things we got:Dahi puri- decent, a little sweet, but definitely better than at a lot of placesChana masala- authentic taste, not too much oil, loved itMalai kofta- i am an expert in this haha because I order it everywhere. It was actually delicious. Well made. We got it spicy and it was PERFECTTandoori paneer kebab- My favorite dish. Very good. My friends got the chicken version and said that was dry- i dont know and i cant comment on it. But the paneer version was ON POINT.Veggie steamed momo- oK. Not my favorite. Definitely have had better momos before. Here i could recommend they work on some improvement. The chutney was also very similar in flavor to the momo, which might be why the combo wasnt good. A fresh flavorful spicy chutney might work better with these momos.Veggie chow mein- we got SPICY. my husband loved this, he said it was his fave. i couldnt eat it because it was too spicy for me, but what little i did eat was deliciousRice, naan, papadam were standard and good.Overall very good restaurant, friendly people, and deserving of the 4.9 stars it has currently
Local Tastes of the City Tours - San Francisco ...
2179 12th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94116, United States
I booked the Chinatown & North Beach Food Walking Tour for a recent girls trip to San Francisco. On the website, under the FAQs, it says that this tour accommodates vegan and vegetarian diets, and to indicate at the time of booking, which I did. When we arrived for the tour, our guide had no idea that 2 members of our tour required vegan options, and 1 member required vegetarian options. This meant that the delicious bakery treats at the beginning of the tour could not be enjoyed by 2 members off the group, as our tour guide had no idea if they were vegan (and our vegetarian could not enjoy the pork bun); no substitutions were provided.The beginning of the tour was super stressful, as the tour guide seemed flustered with the 3 members dietary needs. I felt horrible having booked the tour since it did not meet everyones needs, and our 2 vegan friends debated if it was worth it to stay on a 4 hour walking/food tour when there may not be any food options for them.Our tour guide did her best to find last minute substitutions for my 3 friends; the Peking duck restaurant did a great job with the fried tofu dish, and our tour went out of her way to find vegan dumpling options too. However, some stops were not able (or willing?) to make substitutions. For example, the pizza place would not do a cheese-less pizza or flat bread. I wonder if they would have been more accommodating if they had been given more notice.As someone who has no food restrictions, I loved the tour! The food was amazing, and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. I left full, and with left overs. I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone who likes trying new food, and exploring new neighbourhoods.However, if you have any dietary restrictions, I would urge caution when booking; they do not seem able to accommodate different dietary needs, in spite of what the website says.
Saigon BBQ Noodle House
1936 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
Definitely my new go to viet restaurant. I saw this place was new and had really good reviews. I noticed that they had recently opened for indoor dining and decided to try it out. Their entrance is on the side of the restaurant and not the door on the actual sidewalk. The restaurant is really big with a lot of tables. We were seated immediately. We ordered the imperial rolls, pho with meat balls, and bun rieu. The imperial rolls were only okay and only came with three in an order. However, their bun rieu was one of the best Ive had, comparable with those Ive had in San Jose. I think the flavor is really good and the quality of the ingredients is very high. The pho is also really tasty, with amazing broth and good quality beef. Ive visited this restaurant multiple times now and they are very appreciative of the business as they opened during the pandemic. It seems a lot of people order take out here, but not too many have eaten inside. They have a lot of traditional Vietnamese dishes that I hope to try in the future.
JJamPPong
5249 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112, United States
Updated review: Weve been to JJamPPong a few times since my initial review. The food is now more refined. I noticed they no longer have the lunch time specials. Since the restaurants name is JJamPPong, I wanted to try their jjamppoong (spicy seafood noodles) $18. We usually get their fried chicken dishes and the black bean sauce noodles. Those are hella good. For the jjamppong, the chef put the right amount of spices where it wasnt too hot. I was able to appreciate the seafood, noodles and vegetables in the soup. After eating this, my mouth didnt have a spicy aftertaste. That was a surprise. For the appetizer, I got their pot stickers $10. These didnt look like the ones I saw on other Yelpers photos. They served it with soy sauce on the side. I would have preferred pot sticker sauce (vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil.) Soy sauce is too salty for this dish. Otherwise, this was a good lunch.Original review: Todays lunch included shrimp crispy pan-fried Hong Kong style noodles $17 and double fried garlic sauce chicken wings $15. The crispy noodles were delicious and I can recommend this. It tasted like the ones I used to get at the big banquet restaurants in Hong Kongs Kowloon district. Each bite was more captivating than the last. The weird thing was, theres no fancy ingredients other than bok choy, bits of carrots, minced garlic, gravy and shrimp. The secret was the right amount of gravy. Not too much making this dish crispy to the last bite. The garlic sauce chicken wings were only so-so. When the menu states double fried, I was expecting Bonchon crispiness. It lacked that crunch that Im used to for Korean fried chicken. They need to add more garlic or spices to give this some punch. Their kitchen was fast. I was able to get back to work within an hour for lunch. Service was excellent. By the way, they dont serve a lot of complementary banchan here. You know, the little Korean kimchi dishes that come with an entree. I only got a tiny yellow daikon dish. I would have preferred the spread. O! Bean sprouts with sesame oil or spinach with garlic and soy sauce would have been nice.
Wooly Pig
2295 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
Our entire family went here today, and we had the absolute greatest experience! The breakfast sandwich was incredible and the morning bun was wonderful! Thats not what made the experience great though! While we were waiting for our food, a homeless mad came in and sat at our table, he started asking for money and food. The owner immediately came over and offered him coffee and something to eat so that he would stop asking for things from us. The man than three a bunch of trash on the ground and started spitting on the ground, but the owner was so kind and compassionate towards the man, offered to reseat us and never treated the man like he wasnt a human. I really loved how this was handled. The owner of this restaurant is a good person and the food is amazing. This place deserves your business.
Pho 2000
637 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States
Absolutely fantastic experience at Pho 2000! I recently visited their San Francisco location and had the Veggie Pho along with their delicious Thai tea. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance was inviting, and the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive.The Veggie Pho was beyond my expectations; the broth was rich and flavorful, and the fresh vegetables added a delightful crunch to every bite. The portion size was generous, and the combination of ingredients created a perfect balance of taste and texture.To complement my meal, I decided to try their Thai tea, and it was the perfect choice! The creamy sweetness paired wonderfully with the savory pho, making it a delightful and refreshing combination.Overall, my dining experience at Pho 2000 was outstanding. The restaurant's cleanliness and comfortable seating added to the enjoyment of the meal. I truly appreciate their dedication to catering to vegetarians and providing such delicious options.I highly recommend Pho 2000 to anyone looking for an authentic and mouthwatering Vietnamese dining experience in San Francisco. Five stars all the way! I can't wait to visit again and try more of their delectable offerings.