Top Pan Asian Restaurant 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.
Top other services in San Francisco:
Cantoo Latin Asian Rotisserie
572 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
I really, really enjoy the food and service at Cantoo Latin Asian Rotisserie!After reading and hearing reviews, I got the chance to go with my mom. We ordered the Combo Valenciano, Singapore noodles, and a cheese empanada. All were delicious! The Combo Valenciano comes with rotisserie chicken, fried rice, two sauces, and coleslaw. Im not a fan of coleslaw, but this one rocks! I usually dont like coleslaw because theres usually too much dressing that makes the slaw soggy. Not this one. Its light on the dressing so the veggies stayed crunchy. The rotisserie chicken was moist and had good seasoning. It paired well with the fried rice.The Singapore noodles had good texture and seasoning. My mom was afraid it would be spicy, but its more peppery. I thought it also paired well with the chicken. Im not familiar with Venezuelan empanadas, but I will say I thought it was good. The dough is fried, so it can be a little greasy. But I liked the texture and honestly you cant go wrong with cheese wrapped in a fried dough. The dessert is not on their menu, so it may be a limited option. We ordered the flan, which had a slightly airier texture than Mexican flan. It had a light caramel sauce that wasnt too sweet. The strawberries and limes balanced the caramel with their acidity.We dined in and its a casual vibe. Its the basement level of the building. No frills with the decor, so all focus is on providing delicious food and excellent service. Seriously, service is top notch! The women who work there were super welcoming and were always available if we had any questions. We had leftovers and each takeout bag comes with a handwritten thank you note in 3 languages. How thoughtful is that!!?!?My family and I ordered recently for take out. We got the Combo Valenciano again so my dad can try it. We also got the croquetas de camarones, stir fry soy sauce noodles, fried calamari, and the pollo agridulce. They hit it out of the ballpark again. Everything was sooo good! The shrimp croquettes were like shrimp lumpia that came with a sweet and sour sauce. The pollo agridulce is their sweet and sour chicken. The chicken was fried lightly and the sauce tasted homemade (like, it didnt taste artificial). It made for good leftovers. The calamari also had a different spice to it, which was yummy. The stir fry soy sauce noodles was packed with savory flavor.This is one of the best restaurants in the Tenderloin. Not only the food is spectacular but it's at a great price! The combo is currently $9. And I cant think of any other place on the city like this. Asian-Latin fusion is common (mostly Filipino-Mexican or Korean-Mexican in my experience). But Cantoo offers something different. Its a je ne sais quoi. You have to experience it for yourself.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
This place is huge. So glad the passes you buy are more 3 days. One thing to note, is that the Japanese-inspired Moon-viewing terrace looks very natural, in that its been left alone. We need to be careful of this though, because there were lakes that were left like this in Japan, and it took major efforts to eventually clean them up, because they had become biological cesspools that smelled and would be quite dangerous for people to be near. They solved that by regularly cleaning up the bodies of water, and most importantly, adding an oxygen system that would pump air into the lakes from the bottom, which helped make the body of water habitable for life like fish and other things. Some may complain that its fake and not natural, but honestly at the end of the day, these gardens are to provide a healthy portion of nature for humans, and I think all it takes is a bit of human ingenuity to make it more hospitable for aqua-life and other forms of flora, not just something pleasing to the eye.Other than that, it was nice to visit, but sort of scary, when we tried to exit from where we entered, because this place is big enough that you can easily get lost. Trying to find an exit we were familiar with to get out of was hard enough, but to find that it was closed was kinda scary, and my friend had a condition that caused walking difficulties, so to make him walk further to another gate was kinda cruel. We did manage to get out of the Hotel California eventually, but it would help to have exit-only turn-styles along the other gates. If youre there past 4pm, make sure to KNOW where the main gate is that you can exit, and it might not be the same gate you entered through!
Papas kitchen
1705 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117, United States
This restaurant has become my favorite Asian restaurant!! The quality of the food is excellent and the flavors are amazing!I am vegan and also allergic to seafood, and they are able to accommodate my dietary needs and still offer quite a variety of dishes. I recently took a friend there for lunch, who is gluten intolerant, and they were able to offer her many gluten-free options.The main Chef is Vietnamese, so some of the dishes have a Vietnamese slant, which adds a nice touch. The vegetable spring rolls, the string beans, and the eggplant dishes are some of my favorite. I eat here regularly, and the food is consistently fresh, well prepared, and delicious!! The service has also been consistently good. I have observed families with children who also appear to really enjoy their food. I definitely recommend this restaurant!!
Breadbelly
1408 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, United States
As a working professional my Sunday afternoons consist of finding a nice coffee shop to enjoy a cappuccino (or two or three), open my laptop and start prepping for some activities for the coming week. This has been my usual routine for as long as I can remember. My spot is usually determined by where my activity from earlier in the day was. Often thatll be Saint Frank in Russian Hill, Sightglass on 7th, Stable Cafe in the Mission, or Home Cafe in the Richmond. On my way to Home Cafe in the Richmond I passed by Breadbelly which I had never seen before. It looked super cute and inviting from the outside. Thats where the positives ended.Once my wife and I went in and started looking at the menu we saw Wreckingball was their coffee of choice. The price for my cappuccino ($4) which is typical fare in SF. However, we did notice that Lattes are $5.5 which is nearly a 10-20% premium compared to other similar shops. Their BB drinks though were $6+, a bit steep but hey worth a shot since its signature right so we settled in on a Black Sesame Horchata.Once we took a seat (right by the owner/cashier), my wife and I cracked out our work and laptops. In a short amount of time they delivered our drinks and made no mention of the laptop or books. Then about 10 min midway through our coffee the owner interrupts us with one of the most awkward and most tone deaf customer service experiences Ive had:Owner: Hi, I just wanted to mention that we typically like to have a no working Sunday policy at our store. I apologize, weve been meaning to put a sign to state that but havent gotten to it.Me: Ok, so what exactly are you asking of me at the moment?Owner: You need wrap up and close your laptop.Me: My whole afternoon is based around getting my work done, and this just throws a giant wrench into that.Owner: Were going to have to ask you to wrap it up.This interaction would have been totally acceptable if there were signs saying no working on Sundays. Home Cafe does a pretty good job about that on specific tables that are identified as no laptop tables. The part that irked me the most was that the owner admittedly knew he had no signs and knew it was a problem. Also what made this worse was that the cafe was at most a quarter filled at the time. I could understand if we were occupying a table with a nearly full room or queue forming. All in all this was one of the most ridiculous experiences Ive had in a neighborhood coffee shop.After reading some other 1 star reviews for this place, it seems this is almost a carbon copy of other Sunday laptop experiences. You would think that after a couple times, printing a sign would be that much easier in the spirit of customer experience. It seems they are more than happy to take your money and ask you to leave. With a service mentality like this Im hoping there are mostly one and done visitors like myself to this place.
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.
Chapeau
126 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, United States
Came here for our first anniversary celebration. Well probably have to wait another year to come back because were poor college students.Food: My boyfriend praised the complimentary fish with potato salad on a spoon, he said he didnt want to swallow it because it tasted so damn good. I dont eat shellfish, so I decided to stay away from seafood in general. Im like an opposite pescetarian. The waiter asked me why I didnt eat it and I told him, he was very nice and got me a slice of baguette with tomato sauce on it, which was wonderful. On to appetizers, I had the onion soup. It was alright, I guess since I love my mothers onion soup, its hard to match it. I found it was a bit dull, it had no bang to the initial mouthful. Then my entree was the Cassoulet de Toulouse, it was nice, very filling. The lamb was cooked perfectly. It was still moist and kept its flavor. But I enjoyed my boyfriends filet mignon much more, he had it with the Sauce à la Périgourdine, and it was just indescribably good. Then for dessert I had the Banana Panna Cotta/ Strawberry Salad/ Shortbread. I think that the shortbread could of been either smaller or thinner. This reminded me of strawberry shortcake. It was wonderful none the less. I could taste the strawberry more than the banana panna cotta. Just reviewing it now, reminded me it was banana rather than strawberry panna cotta.Atmosphere: My boyfriend and I came in semiformal. Sadly there was no dress code, yes, I wished there were a loose dress code. It boosts the atmosphere. Since this seems like a very nice place. There were people coming in, in sweats and t shirts. It was very cramped in the restaurant. You would imagine a place would have quiet conversations where everyone seems to be whispering. But not this place, everyone is so close it turns into a loud hum, just below a Chinese restaurant.Service: The waiter was very nice and very personable. He had quite a thick French accent so when he was telling us the specials it was sort of hard to hear. No problems though, he was nice enough to tell us what we miss with out being irked about it. He also offered to take my coat to the coat room and at the end he held it out for me to put it back on. Im not use to this service so I felt very awkward. He was really good with recommendations. The chef also came out and greeted everyone, shook everyones hand and initiated conversations. He reminded me of the chef in a queen latifah movie...Last Holiday. At the end of the meal my boyfriend and I stepped out the door and the chef came out just to say goodbye to us. He shook my hand, kissed each of my cheek then shook my boyfriends hand and said hope to see you soon! For sure its a place I would like to go back to, just when I have a bit more money.
Garden Creamery
3566 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
I dont think Ill ever go to any other ice cream places after trying out Garden Creamery. Its literally all the flavors I would have ever possibly dreamed of in reality!They have so many flavors that I have never saw at any other place. I got the Matcha Gold (Uji Matcha with Toffee), Mango Sticky Rice, and Strawberry Lychee! Im going to say I love every flavor because its the truth!The Matcha was like any other Matcha Ive ever tried it was the REAL DEAL! I love Matcha ice cream and this is the best. It has such a perfect and smooth Matcha taste then the toffee bits adds an extra surprise!The Mango Sticky Rice tasted EXACTLY like Mango Sticky Rice! If you took every dimension of it all from the mangos, the coconut milk, the rice you can literally taste each layer in every lick or bite you take. Thats just how AMAZING IT IS!I tasted the other two flavors before deciding I wanted it. As for the Strawberry Lychee I just got it because its my two favorite fruits put into one! Omg it was so good. You can truly taste the Lychee AND the Strawberry in equal parts.My friend got the Matcha Gold, Ube Buko Pandan, and Caramelized Banana and he enjoyed every flavor as well!They have so many more flavors I wanted to literally get a scoop of each one!Its super cool how for the double scoop you can get 2-3 flavors and for the single you could get 1-2! Perfect way to stack up more flavors! Also on Saturdays only from 2-4 I believe they have their chimney cones! I have to come back and try those out.If youre in the area YOU MUST try it out! Its so delicious!
Rich Table
199 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
As I was researching restaurants to visit while in San Francisco Rich Table kept popping up on different lists, food blogs, and articles, one even naming it one of the best restaurants in the city. So I knew I had to try this place.I had a reservation for 10PM but I got a text a hour before saying I could arrive early if I wanted. When I arrived I was warmly greeted and seated immediately at my spot at the bar by someone who I later learned was the GM/Partner Jonny Gilbert.The bar seat I had turned out to be perfect for me as I had a good view of the kitchen and expo station as well as being able to look out the windows and see some of the things that occur at night on the streets of SF. The bartender and every employee that I came in contact with were very knowledgeable and tuned in to good customer service.I opted for the Chef Picks service so I could try a few different items including the caviar supplement and it turned out to be a great choice.I have to say I loved everything, there might have been 1 or 2 things that didnt leave me wowed or blew my socks off. I cant remember the name of everything that I ate but here are some of the highlights:Dried Porcini Doughnuts w/ Raclette 5/5&Sardine Chip w/ Horseradish Crème Fraîche 5/52 things Rich Table is know for and they definitely lived up to the hype. Did not disappoint. Everything that you heard about it and more!Oyster w/ Aji Amarillo & Gooseberry Mignonette 5/5 I dont know how Ill go back to eating oysters without this.Dungeness Crab, Pomelo, Crab Curry, Spaghetti Squash, Trout Crumble 5/5 but I would rate it higher if I could. Probably the best thing I ate at Rich Table. The presentation is perfect but all those tastes and textures really come together in a way I could never had imagined.Tonnarelli, Sea Urchin, Cacio e Pepe, Idiazabal 4.5/5 Perfect al dente and creaminess. Yes Italians say dont eat cheese w/ seafood, but this is California dining.21 Day Dry Aged Ribeye, A199 Steak Sauce, Twice Baked Potato 5/5 I love steak and if Im at a steakhouse I order it medium rare, which is a warm RED center and that is exactly how this steak came out of the kitchen. Im not a steak sauce fan but the A199 sauce is homemade and I really enjoyed it. Also nowadays I very rarely see twice baked potatoes on a menu but this was good.Then came dessert. I was celebrating my birthday so I was given a Mint Chocolate Sable with Mint Chocolate Cream and Ice Cream. 4.5/5 That was perfect and I would think it couldn't get any better but then I was given an Orange Granita as the end of the Chef Picks and it was amazing. 5/5 I love chocolate and all things chocolate but this was even better than I could have ever expected. I mean the shaved ice with the orange segments and the vanilla ice cream (gelato?). I guess it brings back nostalgia for the creamsicles I used to have as a kid but so much better.Overall a great experience with all of the exceptional food and enhanced by the employees and their friendliness and service along with meeting one of the Chef/Owners Evan Rich and conversing with him and Mr Gilbert about the industry.
Mr. East Kitchen
276 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States
An absolute gem of a restaurant! I was visiting a friend in San Francisco, and the only time that worked out for us to meet was around brunch...which I have to admit is not my favorite meal of the day nor my expertise. Thank goodness we stumbled upon Mr. East Kitchen! This delightful Asian fusion restaurant has a beautiful array of breakfast, brunch, and lunch dishes, as well as a delightful selection of drinks (and more traditional dishes if you come here during non-brunch hours). I tried out their Mr. East Salad, which is a delicious fillet of grilled salmon, diced avocado, sliced shallots, blueberries, and strawberries on top of a bed of kale and spinach. The salmon was perfectly crispy and delightful, and the natural fattiness of the salmon was a great contrast against the fresh greens, subtly sweet fruit, peppery cut of the raw shallots, and slightly sweet and sour blueberry vinaigrette. It admittedly felt a bit strange to be eating a whole fillet of salmon at 9 AM but it was delicious and, hey, thats what brunch is for. My friend tried out one of their other exciting fusion menu items -- their thai tea french toast. The thai tea sauce was the iconic vibrant orange color, and her plate looked absolutely gorgeous with the beautiful slices of texas toast and fresh fruit. She also tried out their Vietnamese dalgona coffee, which was AMAZING. Whether youre looking for a sweet or savory brunch option, Mr. East Kitchen will definitely have you covered!Beyond their food, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant is absolutely delightful. The staff is incredibly kind, helpful, and attentive, and the entire restaurant is clean and modern. The storefront is entirely glass, so theres an abundance of natural lighting, accented by their cute blue walls and lovely decor. Im honestly so sad that I was only in San Francisco long enough to try this place once -- I cant wait for the day when I can visit again and try out the other incredible items on their menu.