San Fran query (queries) ....

Hi -

I'll be heading off to San Francisco for a quick weekend away with my husband then staying for a conference by myself in july, staying at the Marriot San fran (on mission and fourth) and the conference is at the Hyatt on the Embarcadero. We won't have a car.

We're trying to find out about places to go eat ... when it's two of us it'll be 3-5 meals (the higher number if we include breakfast), and one of those we'd like to be dimsum. So we are looking at finding a place to go for lunch Saturday, a place to go for dinner Sunday, and a place for dimsum on Sunday. We are thinking of trying a really nice restaurant for lunch saturday - we've found that works well when we've travelled in the past, and then for dinner Saturday ... seafood? other regional specialities?

Then I have three dinners solo ... I'm up for any place that I can get to pretty easily, and would like to keep it kinda low $$. I'll be going between the Hyatt on the Embarcadero and the Marriott so anything along Market or nearby would work well ....

Last, the conference is at the Hyatt on the Embarcadero, and while I can always have the yummy boxed lunch, any ideas for quick bites I can get near there would also be appreciated ... I already have down to go to Red's Java hut (although I may have to skip the beer).

Thanks...

We pretty much like any kind of food - korean, indian, chinese, ethiopian, mexican, spanish etc. ... we are not big on sushi (although I am partial to good udon) ... and we're willing to try new things ... which is why I peruse this and other food boards...

Thanks again

What I think is unique in this country in San Francisco is Indonesian food. There seems to be quite a bit when I just did an internet search. I tried both restaurants at the corner of Post and Jones St, I prefered the one on the NE side of the intersection. I like ordering the "rice-taffel", I'm not sure about the spelling; it's Dutch for Rice Table. You get quite a number of small dishes to try and share with your party. Usually comes to $20pp which is a real bargain considering all the food you're getting.

I'd also recommend Zuni Cafe. It's pricy and very popular but worth it IMHO.

Went to a great dim sum place across the Embarcadero from the newly renovated, upscale food mall/ boat terminal at the end of Market St. The mall is worth the visit, but as much as the local SFans hype it. There's a lot of info out there on dim sum places in SF; e-mail me if you'd like the name, and I'll ask my friends in SF who took me there.

Let us know what you try,
Rich4

Yank Sing has several locations in San Francisco and is hands down the best dim sum that i have had in that city. Look up their website to find the locations open on your day of choice-they have several downtown and often only one or two are open on the weekend. There are several dishes that shine at Yank Sing, but the best in my opinion is the Duck Bao, peking duck served with fresh bao, spring onions and plum sauce for you to make yourself. Delicious.

Also consider picking up a jar (or a case) of their homemade chili oils-they have at least two flavors and you can ask for a side dish on your table to taste them.

Enjoy.

Here's a link from the SF Chowhound board: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boa ... 30240.html

~~Susannah

Scuba Steve wrote:Yank Sing has several locations in San Francisco and is hands down the best dim sum that i have had in that city. Look up their website to find the locations open on your day of choice-they have several downtown and often only one or two are open on the weekend. There are several dishes that shine at Yank Sing, but the best in my opinion is the Duck Bao, peking duck served with fresh bao, spring onions and plum sauce for you to make yourself. Delicious.

Also consider picking up a jar (or a case) of their homemade chili oils-they have at least two flavors and you can ask for a side dish on your table to taste them.

Enjoy.

Here's a link from the SF Chowhound board: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boa ... 30240.html

~~Susannah

I second the recomendation for Yank Sing, if that's the place I think it is. They have cart dim sum service including the duck bao, which is carved to order at tableside.

Three words: Swann Oyster Depot.

I think Gary would agree.

I have a great fondness for the Tadich Grill (240 California, easy walking from where you are staying). Anytime I visit San Fran I have Tadich's as a must visit for a great bowl of cioppino. It's billed as the oldest restaurant in SF and (please don't flame) is kind of a timewarp SF seafood-focused version of the Berghoff (though Berghoff waiters have gotten a little less grumpy in recent years).

In addition to the Yank Sing, I would also suggest Ton Kiang for really good cart service dim sum.

If you want Korean, go to Brother's for excellent Kalbi.

Ton Kiang
5821 Geary Blvd
(415) 387-8273


Brother's Korean Restaurant
4128 Geary Blvd
(415) 387-7991

Be sure to visits Kates Kitchen in the Haight for Breakfast. If I could have Kate's Bacon Cheddar Corn Cakes, I'd eat breakfast every morning. They also have great creative breakfast skillets and homemade granola.

The servings are huge. The prices are cheap. On the weekends, the lines are long.

JeffB wrote:Three words: Swann Oyster Depot.

I think Gary would agree.

Jeff,

Absolutely, Swan Oyster Depot, not only for pristinely fresh oysters, crab, clams, chowder and near perfect Crab Louie salad, but the in-house made/aged red wine vinegar. Swan's mother (vinegar starter) is supposedly 100+ years old and the intensity of flavor rivals all but the very best balsamic I have tasted.

I did a quick internet check on the spelling of Crab Louie (Louis) and the first thing that came up was a link to a Crab Louie Recipe on the Food Network, attributed to Swan.

I also love Tong Kiang, which C1 mentioned, though not only for dim sum but their regular menu as well. Tong Kiang's salt baked chicken with oily, scallion/ginger dipping sauce springs to mind. My brother who lives in Marin, but works in the city, loves Tong Kiang almost as much as I love 'Little' Three Happiness.

I second Scuba Steve's recommendation of Yank Sing, though the Battery Street location, which is the one I frequented, has since closed. I've also had the duck bao that Mr. Z recommends, very delicious.

Though I have not been in years, my brother had dinner at Masa's last week and was very (very) enthusiastic about the meal. His incredibly delicious description of crispy bone marrow appetizer was almost enough to get me on a plane the next day.

As an aside, my brother loves Tong Kiang so dearly that before he let his 15-year-old daughter drive across the Golden Gate Bridge the first time, she just got her learners permit, they ate at Tong Kiang. That way if they went off the bridge, in a big splash, at least their last meal would be memorable.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks for the recommendations so far ... we'll be heading to San Fran in about six weeks, so this list gives us some things to investigate and plan around before we go.

I'll try to get a report up as soon as I can after we return ...

Thanks again

Absolutely, Swann Oyster Depot is a must eat. Also make sure that have some Cioppino on the wharf when you go. Lunch is perfect for that. When I was there about 4 years ago, I just stumbled into some place that looked good and it was, unfortunately I don't remember the name. I'm sure you would find something equally good by doing the same.

The Culinary Institute of California. I saw some of the dishes we ate there published in Gourmet after our visit. And great fun to talk to the students. Nice building too.

Scuba Steve wrote:Yank Sing has several locations in San Francisco and is hands down the best dim sum that i have had in that city. Look up their website to find the locations open on your day of choice-they have several downtown and often only one or two are open on the weekend. There are several dishes that shine at Yank Sing, but the best in my opinion is the Duck Bao, peking duck served with fresh bao, spring onions and plum sauce for you to make yourself. Delicious.

Also consider picking up a jar (or a case) of their homemade chili oils-they have at least two flavors and you can ask for a side dish on your table to taste them.

Enjoy.

Here's a link from the SF Chowhound board: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boa ... 30240.html

~~Susannah

Hi,

Does Yank Sing serve deem sum (spelling from their website) all day? My Dad wants to treat friends to a Peking Duck dinner, though recommended it seems to be part of a dim sum meal.

I saw in this post a recommendation for, "... Koi Palace has a great Peking Duck Dinner: 3 courses of peking duck, xiao long bao, steamed crab, and steamed fish for ~$70. Easily feeds 4 people." Unfortunately it is outside of San Francisco.

My Dad prefers dining in San Francisco's Chinatown, especially since it is near Moscone Convention Center. Any suggestions on where to send him for a Peking Duck dinner?

Thanks!

Regards,

Yank Sing does serve Peking Duck, but not like Sun Wah. It is by piece and you only get the skin wrapped in the flour pancake, so not by the bird...

CrazyC wrote:Yank Sing does serve Peking Duck, but not like Sun Wah. It is by piece and you only get the skin wrapped in the flour pancake, so not by the bird...

That's what I thought from looking at their website.

If you have any ideas on where to send Dad for this Peking Duck adventure, I am all ears.

Thanks!

Regards,

Cathy:

It has been some time since I had it. But, Louie's California Kitchen on Washington did both a Peking Duck and an even better tea smoked duck about three years back.

In my experience, it seems that most places out there do a sliced serving of Peking Duck rather than the whole bird.

Louie's California Kitchen
646 Washington St.

I saw Melanie Wong on SF Chowhound recommended Peking duck at:

Five Happiness
4142 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 387-1234

From what I read, you do need to pre-order and arrive when expected, because they time this carefully.

If you happen to read this thread there is a sidebar discussion on puffy buns (like those used at Sun Wah) and pancakes/doilies more often associated with Peking Duck. It appears puffy is more associated with Tea duck.

Regards,