Ethnic and Regional Cuisines

Grill House Mediterranean: New Shawarma-and-Pie Shop Sometimes Worth a Visit

Grill House Mediterranean: Turkish Chef, Halal Meat

Lara HataSavory pies, adana kebabs, and semolina cake from Grill House Mediterranean. ​For a shawarma place, Grill House Mediterranean has garnered a fair amount of foodista gossip. The Tenderloin restaurant, recently opened by Salama Halal Meat (around the corner), brought on board the well-loved ... 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

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

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 >>

Red Tavern: Inconsistent Quality but Never Boring Meals at Russian Restaurant

Boxing Room: Fresh Take Saves Cajun and Creole Cooking from Cliche

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 >>

Txoko: Brainy Finger Food Could Stand to Be Less Brainy

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

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 >>

Bistro Central Parc: The Magic of the Simple French Bistro

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 >>

Bistro Central Parc's Food Is Good on Its Own Terms

Lara HataBistro Central Parc's bouillabaisse.​ I grew up in a family of inadvertent francophiles. How my father, a Mennonite kid from a tiny Michigan town, learned to speak French and travel around Europe before going to college is a very long story; somehow I've ended up with a thick Belgian acce ... 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

Free Workshop Teaches You How to Vegan-ify Your Pierogi

Vegan Soul PowerVeganize your pierogi!​Tomorrow: Free Vegan Pierogi Workshop Where: Noisebridge, 2169 Mission (at 17th St.) When: Tues., April 26, 7-9 p.m. Cost: Free The rundown: Fresh on the heels of Polish Easter, where many a plate runneth over with kielbasa, the deconstructionists at Veg ... More >>

Go, Fish!

Leopold's: Austrian Food Served with a Bootful of Beer

Tequila and Tamales by the Bay: Too Good to Pound

Maria Antonieta SolorzanoThe Whole Tortilla picked up the People's Choice Award.​Around 300 people breezed about the sunny atrium at San Francisco Design Center Sunday, munching tamales and sipping from baby shot glasses of tequila. It was the fifth year of Benchmark Institute's fundraiser Tequila ... More >>

Sunday: Tequila and Tamales, More or Less by the Bay

Tamales by the Bay​A Taste of Tamales by the Bay Where: San Francisco Design Center, 101 Henry Adams (at Alameda) When: Sat., April 17, noon-4:30 p.m. Cost: $45 ($50 after today) The rundown: This Sunday is a big day for single-food celebrations, as the Chocolate Salon and A Taste of Tama ... 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 >>

Taco Libre: Nombe Chef Vincent Schofield Opens a Taqueria

Luis ChongThe mango salsa an Taco Libre's fish taco (lower left) is delicious.​Vincent Schofield has to be the busiest chef in San Francisco. He's executive chef at Nombe, still keeps an eye on the food at Darwin, and last Friday, Schofield and his partners opened Taco Libre, a casual, brightl ... More >>

Sushirrito and Tataki South Remake Japanese Cuisine for American Appetites

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

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 >>

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 >>

Antojitos Smothered in Toppings at Los Yaquis

Jonathan KauffmanQuesadillas with ham and cheese (and pork and avocado and...), $7.​ The Aguirre family, who run the colorful, congenial Los Yaquis on S. Van Ness and 15th St., are doing something no other San Francisco restaurant is: serving Jalisco-style botanas (snacks) and smothered antojitos ... More >>

Cafe des Amis reinvents some French culinary classics

The cult of tonkotsu ramen is taking over San Francisco

Ippuku uses every part of the chicken to its best effect

The Season's Last Greek Fest Is Going Down in Castro Valley

If you read Alex Hochman's review of last week's annual Greek food festival in San Francisco, and realize that you missed all the other Bay Area Greek festivals (Oakland, San Jose, Concord, Belmont, Vallejo), don't despair: There's still one more. Launching today is the 39th Annual Greek Festival ... 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 >>

L'Osteria del Forno Still Does Things on the Right Scale

Jonathan KauffmanThe Lunatico: Not sure why it's crazy, but it's good...​Part of a series about restaurants that have been around so long they've slipped into a media black hole.When Wally Tettamanti and Susanna Borgatti opened L'Osteria del Forno in the early 1990s, it was a curiosity. A restaura ... 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

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