Tips for foreign visitor

[gsquared]

My good friend and ex-boss, Ted (from South Africa), will shortly be visiting SF with his wife and two kids (grownup). He is not into fine dining and would probably want to focus on mid to lower priced establishments. I would appreciate some recommendations for seafood and oriental eateries.

[ludja]

If they like spicy food (Texans, I hope so); Brandy Ho's Hunan on Colombus Ave (a few blocks up from the pyramid) is excellent and reasonably priced.

My favorites there are: Kung-Pao chicken and Smoked Ham w/whole garlic cloves ( I believe they home smoke both meats; their Kung-Pao chicken is the best I've had). Also addictive are their dan-dan mein noodles (garlic & peanut sauce), hot and sour soup, Five-Seafood Delight...

My favorite, reasonably priced, well-lighted place for dim sum is Ton Kiang's on Geary.

Also, Seafood is good at both of these places.

[gsquared]

Thanks, ludja!

[Carolyn Tillie]

Belden Place is a small alley and a goldmine of European eateries (mostly French) that are reasonably priced. I was extremely fond of the Spanish restaurant there called B44 (odd name, huh?)

[ludja]

Oh Belden Place! You're right there are a lot of nice places there w/ambiance and reasonable prices. There is a very good seafood place there:

Plouf

They specialize in a bunch of different mussel dishes (with frites of course) but they also have other seafood.

EDIT: I need to try B44; heard of it but never tried it...

Edited December 3, 2003 by ludja (log)

[nanuq]

Is Ted an ex-pat South African like me? I have not tried it, but there is a place called Jouberts that serves SA fare, vegetarian. Gets good reviews. The web site is not responding for me right now, it's http://www.jouberts.com/

Tracey

[jschyun]

What does he consider mid to lower priced?

For seafood, we just had Joe's Crab Shack on Fisherman's Wharf. It was surprisingly good, since the Newport Beach location that I've gone to previously is crap. Expensive for crab ($23-27), but they have a variety of dishes in the $5-12 range, like a pretty decent if small clam chowder in just okay sourdough. I feel kind of weird recommending it but what the hell. There's also coupons on the internet for free appetizer, and if you're a AAA member, you get 10% of total bill.

I had the Dungeness crab platter ($23) with 1.25 pounds of crab, half of which was done in garlic butter and the other half in some mesquite barbecue thing. Garlic was better because the bbq is very salty. They really push the mesquite bbq though.

Swan Oyster Depot is also another choice, but I haven't been there so can't comment. It's touted as an inexpensive place for good quality seafood.

Ton Kiang is okay, but the portions are tiny and the line is unbelievably long if you don't get there right when they open. Also, parking is horrible in the area.

If you want dim sum, I would rather go to Koi Palace. About the same price, but I think the food is so good, and in reasonable sized portions. Be sure to call ahead for a "number" and then when you arrive at the time specified, you check in and wait 15-20 minutes. If you don't call ahead, you could be waiting for an hour or more. Parking is bad, but better than Ton Kiang. Koi Palace is a little south of SF, so you need a car.

--edit

Boudin Bakery on Fisherman's Wharf used to have good clam chowder in a sourdough bowl. I like their sourdough. Very inexpensive, I think $6 or $7 for a large portion. I haven't been there recently though.

Edited December 4, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[Gary Soup]

If they like spicy food (Texans, I hope so); Brandy Ho's Hunan on Colombus Ave (a few blocks up from the pyramid) is excellent and reasonably priced. 

I avoid Brandy Ho's because they so loudly proclaim NO MSG! on their signboard. To me that's a sign of pandering to a gweilo audience. Better Henry's Hunan, or Sam Lok on Jackson Street around the corner for Sichuanese, if you're craving honest spice.

[KatieLoeb]

Swan Oyster Depot is also another choice, but I haven't been there so can't comment. It's touted as an inexpensive place for good quality seafood.

I had one of my best meals in SF at Swan Oyster Depot. Very casual, sit at the counter of the fish market service, but the value was amazing. Be prepared to wait on line, but it's worth the wait.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Swan Oyster Depot is also another choice, but I haven't been there so can't comment. It's touted as an inexpensive place for good quality seafood.

Swan is amazing but not as inexpensive as one might anticipate. Shawn and I had a fabulous lunch there (I don't think they are open for dinner) - a dozen oysters, a slab of smoked albacore, a bowl of clam chowder, a hunk of sourdough bread, and two glasses of white wine put us back $75.00. Kinda pricey for lunch considering that very same day, we ended up at the aforementioned B44 and had a dinner or two appetizers, two entrees, and two glasses of wine for $125.00.

Don't get me wrong - I love the atmosphere at Swan and will definitely go back, but more financially prepared for the adventure.

[gsquared]

Thanks all!

[Jason Perlow]

If they like spicy food (Texans, I hope so); Brandy Ho's Hunan on Colombus Ave (a few blocks up from the pyramid) is excellent and reasonably priced.

YES! Brandy Ho's is my favorite. Their spicy hunan dumplings are amazing.

[CheNiPenso]

Joubert's is quite good, but a tad pricey and really out of the way. I'm not sure how authentic it is as goes S. African food, as I have never had it before. Still, as I say, it's an enjoyable experience.

Belden Alley is definitely a great spot, with Plouf, B44 and Cafe Bastille all worthwhile stops.

The Mission district is chockablock with great mid-range restos. My faves:

Il Cantuccio (16th btwn Dolores/Guerrero) -- great Italian food, friendly service. Always go with the wine special!

Charanga (Mission btwn 19th/20th) -- Cuban food, served tapas-style. Been eating here for years, and have yet to be disappointed or even less than thrilled with anything here. Salmon chalupas, champignones al jerez and patatas bravas are highlights. Great sangria. Get the berry crumble for dessert.

Platanos (18th at Guerrero) -- Salvadorean/Nicaraguan food, slightly upscale but not over priced. Again, I've yet to be anything less than thrilled with the food here. The chile relleno is remarkable -- an unusual preparation, to be sure, but truly delicious. Chicken mole is also delish.

Osha (Valencia btwn 19th/20th) -- new place, Thai noodle joint. Really adorable, chic interior, good food and incredibly cheap. Think noodle soups, plus the usual Thai standbys. Hard to spend more than $15/person here.

Ti Couz (16th near Valencia) -- Breton crepes, as close to the real deal as you'll get around here (none of those horsey crepes they peddle around town). Delicious salads too.

[gsquared]

Thanks for all that. Ted leaves tonight and is astounded at the quality of info he carries with him.

[Jaymes]

If you want dim sum, I would rather go to Koi Palace.

Let me repeat this: KOI PALACE

I have quite a few Chinese friends, and this is their unequivocal favorite. Nothing else in the Bay Area seems to come close. One young woman's mother even comes from China to eat there.

PS - In Chinatown, R&G Lounge is another favorite.

Edited December 4, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

If you want dim sum, I would rather go to Koi Palace.

Let me repeat this: KOI PALACE

I have quite a few Chinese friends, and this is their unequivocal favorite. Nothing else in the Bay Area seems to come close. One young woman's mother even comes from China to eat there.

PS - In Chinatown, R&G Lounge is another favorite.

Thank you, Jaymes! I'm heading into the city on Saturday to hunt for a Chinese Sand Pot in Chinatown and was craving some good Chinese...

(Although Aziza is another choice!)