Asian Food and Cooking

Namu Gaji: Reincarnation Fits Nicely into New Mission Home

Hecho: Sushi and Tequila Make Strange Bedfellows

Sachio Kojima: Pretty Much the Best Thing About Hecho

​You know how you can be beset with a feverish curiosity about a place and still can't bring yourself to go there? Exhibit one: the Audium. Exhibit two: Hecho, Joseph Manzare's year-old sushi and tequila restaurant. I'd been trying to piece together in my head how sushi and tequila would pair ... More >>

Sushi Confidential

​You know how you can be beset with a feverish curiosity about a place and still can't bring yourself to go there? Exhibit one: the Audium. Exhibit two: Hecho, Joseph Manzare's year-old sushi and tequila restaurant. I'd been trying to piece together in my head how sushi and tequila would pair ... More >>

Number 47: ICHI Sushi's Tai Nigiri

​SFoodie's countdown of our favorite 50 things to eat and drink, 2012 edition ​No one -- certainly not in San Francisco, possibly in the country -- is making sushi quite like Tim Archuleta at ICHI Sushi. For the past two decades, the American approach to sushi has been moreish -- rolls with mo ... More >>

Is American Sushi on the Decline? Some Say Yes.

​It's no surprise that when the Washington Post brings a storied, Japan-trained sushi chef to a neighborhood, fusion-happy sushi restaurant, he doesn't like what he's eating. What is interesting, though, are the reasons why. It's not necessarily the fact that most of the sushi rolls are covered in ... More >>

Nombe's New Lunch Special: Beef Ramen

Luis ChongBeef Ramen lunch special at Nombe on Mission Street.​ Last week, Nombe Restaurant added lunch service, featuring a unique beef ramen from their new chef Noriyuki Sugie. This ramen is also the star of Nombe's Dine About Town lunch offer -- beef ramen, mini donburi and choice of drink: J ... More >>

The New Lers Ros: Twice as Stylish, Just as Spicy

Kimberly SandieLers Ros's quail with fried garlic and black pepper: Goes with ganache.​ Despite our proximity to Los Angeles, whose Thai restaurants are the best in the Americas, San Francisco's history with Thai restaurants is a spotty one. Little restaurants spring up, impress the locals, then g ... More >>

Fresh Eats: New Indian: Preeti Mistry Relaunches Juhu Beach Club as Popup

Kimberly SandieLers Ros's quail with fried garlic and black pepper: Goes with ganache.​ Despite our proximity to Los Angeles, whose Thai restaurants are the best in the Americas, San Francisco's history with Thai restaurants is a spotty one. Little restaurants spring up, impress the locals, then g ... More >>

Good Luck is Hard Work

Kimberly SandieLers Ros's quail with fried garlic and black pepper: Goes with ganache.​ Despite our proximity to Los Angeles, whose Thai restaurants are the best in the Americas, San Francisco's history with Thai restaurants is a spotty one. Little restaurants spring up, impress the locals, then g ... More >>

Nick Balla's 2011 Find: Great Skewers and a New (Old) Herb

Chad RobertsonNick Balla of Bar Tartine.​SFoodie is calling up food types around the city to ask them about their favorite discovery of the past year, whether it's new or ancient, an ingredient or a person. We'll be running their responses over the course of the next 10 days. This year, Nick Ball ... More >>

Golden Flower's Southern-Style Pho Is as Good as We Get in San Francisco

Jonathan KauffmanGolden Flower's house special pho.Rice Plate Journal is a yearlong project to canvas Chinatown, block by block, discovering the good, the bad, and the hopelessly mediocre. Maximum entrée price: $10. It is impossible to feel isolated, or adrift, at Golden Flower, Chinatown's best V ... More >>

Jang Soo BBQ: Rethinking Korean Barbecue in Style and Substance

Jonathan KauffmanGolden Flower's house special pho.Rice Plate Journal is a yearlong project to canvas Chinatown, block by block, discovering the good, the bad, and the hopelessly mediocre. Maximum entrée price: $10. It is impossible to feel isolated, or adrift, at Golden Flower, Chinatown's best V ... More >>

Jang Soo BBQ's New Owners Are Swankifying Up Korean

Lara HataBarbecuing kalbi at Jang Soo.​A couple of months ago, Jang Soo BBQ -- the subject of this week's full-length restaurant review in the paper -- closed for a short spell to change owners and make a few radical changes, which are only visible to those who pass through the front door. Now it' ... More >>

Ramen Parlor Adds to San Mateo's Ramen Empire

Luis ChongPork broth ramen with lobster oil.​While the city's ramen culture is just beginning to flourish, San Mateo's ramen scene is leaping ahead with a modern variant of ramen. One-month old Ramen Parlor is the latest ramen venture from chef-owner Kazunori Kobayashi, whose San Mateo ramen ... More >>

Five Best Thai Restaurants in San Francisco

Kimberly SandieChabaa's gaeng som, or sour orange curry. ​Thai restaurants began popping up all over San Francisco in the 1980s, and within a decade, Thai food had become a staple for first dates and Thursday-night takeouts. San Franciscan children eat almost as much pad Thai as they do organic ba ... More >>

Fresh Eats: Lers Ros: Tom Silargorn Talks on Authentic Thai

Kimberly SandieChabaa's gaeng som, or sour orange curry. ​Thai restaurants began popping up all over San Francisco in the 1980s, and within a decade, Thai food had become a staple for first dates and Thursday-night takeouts. San Franciscan children eat almost as much pad Thai as they do organic ba ... More >>

Q&A With Tom Silargorn, Part 3: Recipe for Lers Ros's Tom Yum Koong

As part of SFoodie's interview with Tom Silargorn, chef-owner of Lers Ros -- part 1 and part 2 were published earlier this week -- we asked Silargorn for his recipe for tom yum koong. The soup gets ordered daily at Lers Ros, no matter what the weather or the time of day, he says. It's worth tackling ... More >>

2G Brasserie's Sushi Chef Doesn't Believe in Lazy Nigiri

As part of SFoodie's interview with Tom Silargorn, chef-owner of Lers Ros -- part 1 and part 2 were published earlier this week -- we asked Silargorn for his recipe for tom yum koong. The soup gets ordered daily at Lers Ros, no matter what the weather or the time of day, he says. It's worth tackling ... More >>

Q&A With Lers Ros's Chef, Tom Silargorn, Talking About Real Thai Food

Alanna HaleLers Ros chef-owner Tom Silargorn.​Born in Chon Buri, a coastal province about 45 minutes southeast of Bangkok, chef Tom Silargorn learned to cook by his mother's side. Three years ago, he opened Lers Ros in the Tenderloin and quickly earned a devout following of locals, chefs and food ... More >>

Q&A With Lers Ros's Tom Silargorn, Part 2: About That New Restaurant...

Tom Silargorn, owner of the three-year-old Lers Ros, generally regarded as one of San Francisco's best Thai restaurants, initially came to San Francisco to pursue an education in art. But the lack of what he deems "real Thai food" in the city inspired him to show San Francisco what it was missing. I ... More >>

San Francisco's Top Five Indian or Pakistani Restaurants

Courtesy dosasf.comThe paper dosa from Dosa on Valencia.​Before the Tenderloin became the Tandoorloin a decade ago, Indian food in San Francisco was a restrained, almost elegant affair. Linens and goblets, muted sauces, rather doctrinaire menus of tandoori chicken and mixed vegetable sabzi. A wave ... More >>

Kyo-ya Makes Its Sushi Affordable for Takeout Lunch

Kyo-yaThe 20 for $20 box: can you count 20?​When we have somebody else's credit card, we enjoy dining at Kyo-ya. The sushi and sashimi are generally fresh and delicious, but the price is set for the business-expense crowd, and that's more than we want to spend for lunch. But obviously somebod ... More >>

Shabu Pub and G Cube Cafe: Japanese Hot Pots Go Chinese

Kyo-yaThe 20 for $20 box: can you count 20?​When we have somebody else's credit card, we enjoy dining at Kyo-ya. The sushi and sashimi are generally fresh and delicious, but the price is set for the business-expense crowd, and that's more than we want to spend for lunch. But obviously somebod ... More >>

Tadashi Ono, Japanese Hot Pot Expert, Describes the Real Shabu Shabu

Melissa BarnesShabu shabu at Shabu Pub, which is not traditionally Japanese​While researching this week's review of Chinese-American shabu shabu restaurants in the Richmond and Sunset, I called Tadashi Ono, the chef of Matsuri in New York and co-author of Japanese Hot Pots. I wanted to get a sense ... More >>

Pho Vung Tau: Nice Space, Functional Noodles

Jonathan KauffmanBun with grilled pork and shrimp at Pho Vung Tau, $6.25.​ Last month, SF Weekly moved offices to within a mile of Chinatown, allowing me to embark on a new project: systematically visiting a different Chinatown restaurant each week, starting at Powell and Vallejo and moving sout ... More >>

Cafe Grill Bar: Nice Digs, Good Vietnamese Food, Ignore the Name

Jonathan KauffmanCafe Grill Bar's rice plate with pork, egg cake, and pork skin, $7.50.​You may forgive Cafe Grill Bar for the absence of personality in its name when you walk into the place. The cafe/grill/bar looks like the VIP lounge for Virgin Airlines, or possibly a location shoot for the fal ... More >>

When Donuts Aren't Enough: Will Cops Keep the New Turtle Tower in Business?

Luis ChongA Peek Inside Turtle Tower #3.​This week location #3 of the famous Turtle Tower Restaurant offered a glimpse of their food with a limited menu. A sort of test run before the June 1 official grand opening. SFoodie was lucky enough to take a peek while the employees were enjoying their ... More >>

More Ramen Week: Kasumi's Revisited

Luis ChongHeaven in a Bowl.​It's been a few months since our initial visit to Kasumi ("Mist" in Japanese), a ramen and yakitori shop hidden in the quiet Lakeside area. We're happy to report that you no longer have to choose between a ramen only lunch or a yakitori only dinner -- both dishes ar ... More >>

Ramen Week Continued: Chotto's Rare Miso-Tonkotsu Hybrid

Luis ChongChotto's Miso-Tonkotsu Ramen Hybrid.​There's no place SFoodie won't go to sample a good bowl of ramen -- even if it means mingling with dudes wearing Ralph Lauren cargo shorts and flip-flops in 45 degree weather. Knowing this, we headed to popular Cow Hollow izakaya, Chotto. On our f ... More >>

Ramen Doraku's a Nice Addition to the City's Noodle Shops

Luis ChongNewly opened Ramen Doraku looks nice, has reasonable prices, and food that's good, if not great.​We slipped into brand-new Ramen Doraku in the Outer Sunset the other day, slurping noodles and chowing on curry. Our bowl of tonkotsu ramen ($7.95) included fish cake (naruto), green onio ... More >>

Fresh Eats: Getting Skewered at Halu, Hot Pockets at Anda Piroshki

Luis ChongNewly opened Ramen Doraku looks nice, has reasonable prices, and food that's good, if not great.​We slipped into brand-new Ramen Doraku in the Outer Sunset the other day, slurping noodles and chowing on curry. Our bowl of tonkotsu ramen ($7.95) included fish cake (naruto), green onio ... More >>

Go, Fish!

Luis ChongNewly opened Ramen Doraku looks nice, has reasonable prices, and food that's good, if not great.​We slipped into brand-new Ramen Doraku in the Outer Sunset the other day, slurping noodles and chowing on curry. Our bowl of tonkotsu ramen ($7.95) included fish cake (naruto), green onio ... More >>

Two-Week Cherry Blossom Festival Starts Saturday in Japantown

Luis ChongOkinawa soba, annual feature of Japantown's Cherry Blossom Festival.​Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Where: Japantown, Post and Buchanan Streets When: Sat.-Sun., Apr. 9-10, and 16-17; grand parade and anime costume awards on Sun., Apr. 17 Cost: Free; donations accepted ... More >>

Out with the Kids: Sushi at ICHI

Alex HochmanWho cares if she'll never earn an athletic scholarship? She eats shrimp heads, dammit!​In my twisted little food-obsessed world, my daughters' sushi-eating exploits are just as important, if not more, than their academic achievements or athletic prowess. Your son scored two goals t ... More >>

Sushirrito and Tataki South Remake Japanese Cuisine for American Appetites

Alex HochmanWho cares if she'll never earn an athletic scholarship? She eats shrimp heads, dammit!​In my twisted little food-obsessed world, my daughters' sushi-eating exploits are just as important, if not more, than their academic achievements or athletic prowess. Your son scored two goals t ... More >>

Sushi Evolution: An Interview with Trevor Corson

Matt CarrTrevor Corson.​As I was preparing for this week's review of two American-style sushi restaurants, I called up Trevor Corson, author of The Story of Sushi. In his book, Corson discusses sushi's origins as a method of pickling fish in fermented rice, its evolution into a common street food ... More >>

Kasumi and Chotto: Predictable Japanese Food Gets Playful

Matt CarrTrevor Corson.​As I was preparing for this week's review of two American-style sushi restaurants, I called up Trevor Corson, author of The Story of Sushi. In his book, Corson discusses sushi's origins as a method of pickling fish in fermented rice, its evolution into a common street food ... More >>

What Exactly Is an Izakaya? An Interview with Umamimart's Yoko Kumano

jetalone/FlickrAn izakaya in Tokyo.​The more restaurants calling themselves "izakaya" that I eat at in the Bay Area, the more I'm convinced that the title simply indicates a new style of American Japanese neighborhood restaurant. That's no diss, mind you, and I'm delighted with the creativity that ... More >>

Sushi Somewhere Finds a Place at The Corner

Luis ChongSomewhere Sushi's caterpillar roll, $9.95, and tamago nigiri, $2.75.​Wednesday night SFoodie stopped by The Corner to check out the new lineup of rotating pop-ups. In the kitchen was Sushi Somewhere, a new roaming sushi maker. This might seem like déjà vu for Mission locals famili ... More >>

Get Your Ass to San Mateo for: Chuka Ryori Cuisine at Yu-Raku

Luis ChongYu-Raku is the Bay Area's second eatery specializing in Chuka Ryori, Japanese-style Chinese food.​A new series that urges SFoodie readers to get their butts out of the Mission. For a couple hours anyway. It may sound strange, but Japanese-style Chinese food (known as "Chuka Ryori") ... More >>

Delica's Master Sushi Classes

foodlibrarian.blogspot.comDelica's roast beef nigiri.​Mikiko Ando, executive sushi chef of Delica Sushi Bar, has devised three hands-on courses to unleash the culinary warrior you didn't know is lurking inside. Sushi 101 (Jan. 29) explores various forms of maki and hand rolls; Sushi 102 (Feb. ... More >>

Critic's Notes: Four Restaurants I Decided Not to Review

Vivian H./YelpSalt and pepper prawns at Brother Seafood Restaurant.​The past year has seen so many high-profile, creative restaurants open that it's been a great time to be a restaurant critic in San Francisco. But there's as much sifting to do as writing. Over the past few months, I've eaten my w ... More >>

Tandoori Oven, Daly City's First Indian Restaurant

Luis ChongChicken tikka masala dinner at Tandoori Oven.​South Bay chain Tandoori Oven decided to go north for its fifth location, the first Indian tandoori restaurant in Daly City. Less than 2 weeks old, Tandoori Oven took over the space from late-night burger joint Slider USA after 3 months ... More >>

The cult of tonkotsu ramen is taking over San Francisco

Luis ChongChicken tikka masala dinner at Tandoori Oven.​South Bay chain Tandoori Oven decided to go north for its fifth location, the first Indian tandoori restaurant in Daly City. Less than 2 weeks old, Tandoori Oven took over the space from late-night burger joint Slider USA after 3 months ... More >>

Ippuku uses every part of the chicken to its best effect

Luis ChongChicken tikka masala dinner at Tandoori Oven.​South Bay chain Tandoori Oven decided to go north for its fifth location, the first Indian tandoori restaurant in Daly City. Less than 2 weeks old, Tandoori Oven took over the space from late-night burger joint Slider USA after 3 months ... More >>

Rice Ball Trio from Onigilly

John BirdsallLunch Set: chicken, eggplant, and hijiki onigiri, with daikon pickle and edamame, $7.​Thursday, September 30, 2010 Young dudes Kan Hasegawa and Koji Kanematsu noted Americans' bottomless appetite for the rainbow roll, but wondered why onigiri ― seaweed-wrapped rice balls fused ... More >>

Let's Roll Ditches Roll-Your-Own Sushi Concept ― for Tonkatsu

Tamara Palmer​Let's Roll, a newcomer to Irving Street's bustling snack strip that billed itself as a a roll-your-own sushi bar back in August, has now opened. Only now, it's a tonkatsu (breaded and fried cutlet) house. The sign out front reflects the change. Tamara PalmerThe storefront back i ... More >>

At Viva Goa, authenticity sometimes trumps taste

Tamara Palmer​Let's Roll, a newcomer to Irving Street's bustling snack strip that billed itself as a a roll-your-own sushi bar back in August, has now opened. Only now, it's a tonkatsu (breaded and fried cutlet) house. The sign out front reflects the change. Tamara PalmerThe storefront back i ... More >>

Mission Chinese Food offers a Matrix mind-twister of a meal

Tamara Palmer​Let's Roll, a newcomer to Irving Street's bustling snack strip that billed itself as a a roll-your-own sushi bar back in August, has now opened. Only now, it's a tonkatsu (breaded and fried cutlet) house. The sign out front reflects the change. Tamara PalmerThe storefront back i ... More >>