Top Southeast 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.
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Society for Asian Art
200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
Lucky to have the largest Asian Art museum in the U.S. in San Francisco. The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has 3 floors devoted to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, South Asia (India) and Himalayan antiquity. The old museum was a part of the old De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, but now in the refurbished SF Main Library Building in the Civic Center. I can easily spend a half day walking through the museum and viewing the current exhibition. My favorite floor is the 3rd floor where all the Asian religious statues are displayed. Its so peaceful and tranquil.Even on the first Sunday of every month (which is free, generously sponsored by Target), this place is spacious enough to handle the crowds. The museum is also part of the Bay Area Library Card program in which your countys library card can get you 2 adults and children under 12 free admission (have to sign up from your librarys site first to get the tickets). Access to BART and MUNI are walking distance so you dont need to drive or park.
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!
Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream, Inc.
1447 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116, United States
I bought a pint of each... soursop (my #3 fav), mangosteen (my #4 fav), durian (my #1 fav), jackfruit (my #2 fav), and pistachio (my #5 fav). Now that I think back, I should have also gotten the guava (my #6 fav). Oh well, Ill get them next time.After tasting the durian and jackfruit, I am so much IN LOVE! They are wonderfully and deliciously fantastic and smooth. Hands down... they beat the soursop and mangosteen (I still love you guys, but not as much as I love durian and jackfruit LOL). I wish I bought more like double or triple pints of each, but I only had a small cooler with me at the time, hence, I didnt have room for any more pints. Ill make sure I have the space for extras next time. I had already tried the soursop and mangosteen so I know they were good. I havent opened the Pistachio yet, but Im sure its good, too. All their pints are pre-packed which makes it easy and saves time. The pints are a little pricey IMHO, but hey, youre getting the real deal so thats okay. Its actually cheaper by the pint versus by the scoop. You do get more bang for your buck. It would be nice if they sold them by the quart though (hint hint LOL).Staff was friendly and pleasant. Service was quick. I will definitely be back for more Marco Polo Italian gelato. Do give them a try when youre in the Bay area. It would be nice if they open new locations in So Cal (another hint hint LOL) so I dont have to wait until the next time Im in SF for amazing gelato LOL. Life is short... we gotta eat ice cream or gelato in this case. Happy Gelatoing!
Rasa Rasa
1379 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
June 2022:Finally got to try this truck. Ive been to Malaysia and Singapore many times and I was always skeptical that I could find authentic food like Ive had in Singapore and Malaysia.Well, I tried the beef rendang and the tumeric fried chicken ?. Both were REALLY delicious! ? Both dishes were very high quality dishes made with lots of ?. Chicken had nice crispy skin and lots of flavor! Beef was seasoned perfectly with lots of flavor.They also gave a Side of shrimp chips that reminded me of childhood banquet dinners where they put those chips on the Peking duck and chicken! ?I kick myself for waiting this long to try their food. Been living in mission bay for three years now and this is my new favorite truck! Ill definitely come back again for more delicious food!
Golden Era
395 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
I am so glad that I got to go here! Everything I ordered was extremely flavourful and satisfying!!! The staff are friendly, kind, and very helpful, and the service is fast.This is what we ordered:Curry WrapsSteamed BunTofu SaladWonton SoupSautéed Basil, Eggplant, [Tofu,] and MushroomsIced Matcha LatteMy sister asked me which dish was my favourite, and I ended up just listing all of them. They were all so good! I really loved the variety of options. I eat tofu, seitan, and soy protein “meat” every day, so I wouldn't have minded if this restaurant chose to only use one of those protein sources, but I really appreciated the variety. The variety also extends to the flavour palette as well. The curry wraps could fit perfectly in a Burmese Restaurant (and they put the Burma Superstar “Platha and Dip” to shame). The steamed bun is giant, decadent, and about 20 times as flavourful as a pork, chicken, or shrimp bun (I used to eat these every single day before I went vegan so I know what I'm talking about). The tofu salad was light and refreshing, and the plum vinaigrette perfectly showcased the vegetables?. Since wontons almost always have meat and I was vegetarian for over half of my life (before I went vegan), I can't even remember the last time I had wontons. When I tried the wonton soup, it took me right back to my childhood. Fellow vegans and vegetarians know that it's hard to go wrong with sautéed eggplant, mushrooms, and tofu at Chinese and Southeast Asian restaurants, but trust me when I say that this dish is extra-special. The texture of the eggplant and mushrooms is perfect, which is one one the only critiques that I tend to have of this kind of dish. I'm a tofu-lover, so I'll eat it at any density/texture, but I can say that this tofu could convince some of the strongest tofu-haters to come to the light side. The Iced Matcha Latte was a drink that I was hesitant about since I generally don't like sweetened drinks, but I was very impressed. I've tried matcha lattes at dozens of coffee shops and boba tea places, but the depth of flavour in this one is unparalleled.Most importantly, when you go to this restaurant, you won't have to sacrifice any taste, texture, or quality of experience in order to have a ethical meal. Please go to this place, it is absolutely worth your time and appetite.
Pagan Restaurant
3199 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States
Pagan Restaurant was absolutely amazing. While down at the beach in northwest San Fransisco we were searching for a place to grub and came across this Burmese/Thai eatery. From the outside its not much more then a hole-in-the-wall, but the experience could not have been better.Pagan offers 2 menus and a blend of Burmese and Thai food. After looking at some reviews we ordered the Palata bread (Burmese menu), that turned out to be a flat bread made of a croissant like consistency that was heavy and amazing. If you ever see it somewhere, order it.For food we went to the Thai menu. The dishes are share size so order accordingly. We started with a soup called Tum Yum with Prawns. This is a spicey lemon grass soup that was absolutely amazing. Again this is share size, and with a couple bowls each, we did not finish it.For main course, we ordered Thai Spicey Pan Fried noodles (flat noodles, a dish similar to drunken noodles), and Cashew Chicken. Everything was super flavorful and extremely satisfying. One unique thing about this place aside from high food quality was food presentation. Each dish is worried over in the back before being served. The sides of the plates are wiped perfectly clean and arranged before being brought out, giving it the feel of a high end, high price restaurant (see pictures). A beautiful and delicious meal that I would recommend to anyone who finds themselves in this area. Portions are huge, prices reasonable and experience perfect. There is a ton of business coming in and out as clearly this is a popular choice despite its small size.For desert we had the Fried Banana and Icecream which was also delicious, but made differently then my wife was used to so she wasnt thrilled. I dont think it was made poorly, just different then expected.I cant say enough about this place nor do it the justice it deserves. You need to experience it.
Lily
225 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118, United States
This was our second time here and we're so glad we came back. Rob the chef is so thoughtful in every culinary decision and it really shows.We got the fried shrimp and sweet potato appetizer which was perfectly crispy wrapped inside a baby lettuce leaf. Rob mentioned asking his supplier to harvest the shrimp a little younger than usual so the skin would be softer than normal and you can tell with each bite.Our second course was the chow fun which at first wasn't my preferred choice (sounded too basic) but the group was hoping for something veggie and noodle-y so I rolled with it. I'm so glad I did. Unlike typical chow fun dishes, the noodles were rolled into little bite sized chunks and served with cubes of fried soft tofu that melted in your mouth with each bite. The dish was topped off with a mustard soy sauce and a sprinkling of tiny mushroom cordyceps and baby book choy.Finally, our main was the special: scallops and shaken beef served with pan fried rice topped off with an egg and Vietnamese staples cha lua and lop sung (different types of sausage slices). The dish was served with a side of baguette with pate mixed with chili sauce and a laughing cow slice of cheese topped with fried garlic. This dish was absolutely decadent. We found ourselves literally scraping every last piece on the plate.For dessert we had the pot de creme with salted whipped cream and the creme brûlée. The creme brûlée had a very thin crunch to custard ratio, making each bite perfectly satisfying. The dude clearly gave this a lot of thought. The pot de creme was the winner here. Not too sweet and just enough salt in the creme to make it addicting.In terms of price and portions, we were a group of 4 and split everything 4 ways. We had a couple drinks and the total bill came down to $50/person after tip which honestly is totally reasonable for what we'd consider a fine dining experience. The portions were pretty huge and we found ourselves needing to either take a walk around the park or immediately go home and take a nap (we did the former).The first time we came we got the 2nd place pho. We almost got that again but opted to try something different and were so glad we did. Tell everyone about this place because this needs to become one of those long term SF staples. It's that good.
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
Last winter I was in San Francisco, solely for this place. As a diligent historian wannabe, back to my days on my great motherland of Asia, I was already told of the grandeur of this temple of Asian art. While confronting the Neoclassical facade in pungent scent of urine and marijuana, I flinched. Is there any trace of Asia, on this exotic enclave? I was not seeing my rich history, let alone its art, as I posed stilly there. Rushing on the escalator, racing with this condemned machine, all the way straight up to the top floor, I sought to find everything out. Pushing the door however in the lightest strength in the faithful reverence for the Indian Subcontinent, I felt my heart beating inside.There he is. Buddha in an apollonian halo. Bodhisattva in the exquisitely luxurious jewelries. The grey stone of Gandhara stood there solemnly, subduedly yet uncompromisingly, reflecting the head light. My Buddhist pureland. My crossroad of Pan Hellenism and the teaching of Buddha. There it is, in the plain sight. I scrutinized with my neck stretched and my hands sketching on my notebook, to the scenes of Jataka, to the subtle details of Buddha leaving his city with servants lifting his horses, of the revelation under the Bodhi tree, of nirvana. Yet I could never capture the lights the shadows the throbbing heart. Hours flied and my feet was pumped, however I stumbled non-stop.And I marched to the gallery of Chinese art. The Golden Buddha lingered on my heart, symbolizing the exchange of culture along the silk road, I saw. He was there, lowering his eyes and evading my bluntly sight. But I knew too much how he was like, I stroked his picture so many times as I dream walking on the majestic highway bridging the entire Eurasia. Yet I caught details, of the cravings of his floating draperies, that is so extraordinary. On that day I pondered a lot in front of him, on metal sculptures and its interplay with copper coins and economy, on the surge of Buddhism initially under the guise of syncretism, and on my academic dream on this land, which I insecurely believe to be a land of promising future, away from my home for an entire Pacific Ocean.I was still out of my mind at the moment I got kicked out at the last minute. Yet I refuse to step out of this glorious dream. I fall in love with San Francisco and Bay Area (and I fell in love with a guy from Bay Area later, who just broke up with me and reminded me of this place, but I still love here regardlessly) because of this place and the scenes I have seen on my way to it. After getting home, I piously sticked the ticket of Asian Art Museum on my laptop. And trust me, I will be back one day.
Burma Classic
90 Charter Oak Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124, United States
First, diners should be aware this is NOT a restaurant: It is a food pick up point that resembles a cross between a Greyhound Bus terminal and an Amazon pickup locker room. They fail to mention that on the web site so if you go there expecting a restaurant, youll find yourself in a bus station instead.Second, once there, you can order from the kiosk and expect to be overcharged, they automatically added a tip to my charge without my authorization, I saw it only AFTER the receipt came out, and when I asked staff on site about it they literally threw up their hands and said I dont know anything about that kiosk. And, there was no manager, there was no number to call...just too bad dont care get lost attitude.Once I had my food, after waiting forever and getting ripped off, it was pretty meh.If you want to sit down and enjoy good Burmese food, I suggest you look elsewhere.