SF Visit Inquiry

[mascarpone]

I am going to be in San Francisco to perform a violin recital in July and I was told that there was a great Thai restaurant on Market not far from Safeway. Any leads...details? Does anyone know the name of this place or its location? Any other great Thai or Southeast Asian?

mascarpone

NYC

[zooey]

I am not a Thai expert, but I thought that this place was pretty good.

Marnee Thai

• Location: 2225 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122

• Neighborhood: Sunset District

• Phone: 415.665.9500

There are two locations. Both in the Sunset District which is near Golden Gate park.

If you like sushi, there is the no name sushi place that is not far from the Safeway

off of Market.

It is at 15th and Church. or is it 14th. Sorry. I don't live in the Bay Area so I am not positive

about locations.

[megc]

If you like sushi, there is the no name sushi place that is not far from the Safeway off of Market.

I also find that Sushi Zone on Pearl at Market (not far from that Safeway), is very good.

I asked some friends about the Thai place of which you speak, but no one has piped up.

[Jason Perlow]

Not sure if its close to where you are going, but King of Thai Noodle House was a solid and inexpensive Thai restaurant when I was last out there, and I have several friends that live in the area that eat there several times a month. I recall their Beef Pad Kaprow with Fried Egg over rice was particularly good, as was their Pad Thai. Limited menu, with basically only noodle and rice plate dishes but still excellent.

I think they have 2 locations.

King of Thai Noodles

639 Clement Street at 7th Avenue

415-752-5198

http://kingofthainoodl.citysearch.com/

[merle]

... I was told that there was a great Thai restaurant on Market not far from Safeway.

San Francisco is kind of a big place.. there are probably fifteen Safeways in the city proper. Market does narrow it down slightly, but that is one of the main drags.

Probably, though, they were referring to Thep Phanom, which has a high reputation in many guide books (and wasn't too bad; not my favourite, but I wouldn't mind returning). I would not say it was near Safeway (being about a six block walk away), but I guess that could describe it.

[megc]

San Francisco is kind of a big place.. there are probably fifteen Safeways in the city proper.  Market does narrow it down slightly, but that is one of the main drags.

Yes, but the "Safeway on Market" almost always refers to the one by Church St, where the J comes up out of the ground. It's not as famous as is the one in the Marina, though.

Behind that Safeway (where the J ascends) is a bike mural which is really fabulous and worth checking out.

6 blocks away sounds close to me! Good chance that's the restaurant being referred to.

FWIW, Clement and 7th is out in the Inner Richmond, so not close at all.

[chaud-froid]

There are no good Thai places on Market near a Safeway. I daresay there are no good Thai places on Market. Perhaps the friend said there was a good Thai place near the "Safeway on Market"? That would make more sense.

A few places that are worth going to are:

Thep Phanom - 400 Waller Street (fairly close to the Safeway on Market).

Jitlada - 1826 Buchanan

Thai House - 150 Noe St. (probably closest to the Safeway on Market).

Basil Thai - 1175 Folsom

[mascarpone]

Thanks everyone for the great recs of Thai and Japanese. Although New York has some excellent Thai, I have heard that California can't be beaten for that as well as other Souteast Asian cuisine. I will check out as many as I can. I was in SF a month ago and a place called Suriya Thai Restaurant at 1432 Valencia Street, SF was suggested. I did not check it out as I had Mexican on the brain. Does anyone know of this place? An if so how doees it stand up to Thep Phanom, Jitlada, Thai House, Basil Thai, King of Thai Noodle House, Marnee Thai? Also, how about Vietnamese, Loatian, Indonesian, Malaysian...

Edited July 6, 2004 by mascarpone (log)

[Pan]

Although New York has some excellent Thai, I have heard that California can't be beaten for that as well as other Souteast Asian cuisine.

Please post your recommendations for Thai restaurants in the New York Forum. I'd be especially interested if you have found any excellent Thai restaurants in the Five Boroughs other than Sripraphai.

[megc]

Cha-Am Thai restaurant continues to get rave reviews, especially their location in Berkeley (which is next to Dara Lao Laotian). I never thought too highly of the Berkeley location but did enjoy the food at the SF location, which is near Moscone on Folsom. I hear lunch is a good deal. I've also had tasty and interesting food at Cambodian restaurant Angkor Borei further down on Mission in Bernal Heights. Good Vietnamese restaurants can be found on Clement in the Outer Richmond district (King of Thai Noodle House is out there, as is La Vie on Geary). My friend likes a place on the SW corner of Clement and 24th (can't remember the name, sorry). If you were going to be in Berkeley, I'd recommend Plearn, which has very flavorful Pad Thai among other things.

The Outer (and Inner, actually) Richmond is a fascinating culinary place, with great Vietnamese, Sushi, and Russian bakeries, just to name a few. My fave reliable sushi place, Minami, is there. The sushi is super reasonable price-wise and quite tasty. Ton Kiang is also a very popular place for dim sum. If you do make it to the Richmond district, and if you have time, be sure to go to Green Apple Books, a wonderful independent bookstore on Clement at 6th.

And FWIW, the Outer Sunset (just south of the Richmond below Golden Gate Park) is known as the "other Chinatown" and is really wonderful.

Where are you playing your recital and what are you playing?

[mascarpone]

Since you asked...

The recital is Friday, July 16 at 8:00 PM at Old First Church (1751 Sacramento Street; San Francisco 415-474-1608) <www.oldfirstconcerts.org>.

The program is a World Premeiere of a Sonata for violin and piano and solo piano piece by Bay Area Composer Kathleen Mackie, the Sonata in f minor for violin and piano by Serge Prokofiev, Three Pieces for Violin and Piano--Song of Taiwan, Bang Chun Hong and Love Song-- by Taiwanese composer Hsiao Tyzen, and the Sonata in A Major by Cesar Franck. A bay area pianist and fellow Juilliard Alum Daniel Glover will play as well. Dan and I have been working together for nearly a decade and we recorded a CD of the complete chamber works of Brahms for violin and piano...

Whoops...sorry folks. My promo nature got the best of me. This is a food forum after all (he he). (What does Serge Prokofiev or Brahms have to do with Thai food is beyond me...)

Thanks very much for your recs!

mascarpone

[jschyun]

I am going to be in San Francisco to perform a violin recital in July and I was told that there was a great Thai restaurant on Market not far from Safeway. Any leads...details? Does anyone know the name of this place or its location? Any other great Thai or Southeast Asian?

mascarpone

NYC

I think I know the Thai place you're talking about. It was right in front of Safeway, on Market off Church, as megc said, but that place has been gone for a while now. I think some burger place or something like that replaced it. Squeat Mungry would know since he's right around there.

As for other Thai, I haven't eaten it extensively enough in SF to make suggestions.

--the name is The Thai House. It was on Market, off I think Sanchez, about a block or so from Safeway. The one on Noe might still be open, but i haven't checked. They were owned by the same people.

Edited July 6, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Squeat Mungry]

jschyun, oddly I don't remember where you're talking about. Do you mean where the burger place is now on Church? The only restaurants actually on Market near the Church/Market intersection (beside the chains actually in the Safeway complex) are Mecca, a sausage place that until very recently was Cafe Cuvee, and Cafe du Nord. On the other side of Safeway at Dolores/Market (where I live), there's that sushi place that used to be Hot'n'Chunky (can people please never again use the word 'chunky' in a restaurant name?!), Destino (delicious food!) and the Orbit Room, which is really just a bar.

The only Thai place I can even think of on Upper Market is the Market branch of Thai House. I ate there once and was underwhelmed (though I know people who swear by the original on 15th). Thep Phenom is usually pretty good, although I haven't been there for a while. My favorite Thai used to be Swatdee on 24th, but I just realized I haven't been there for years. The best Thai I've had recently was lunch at Thai Me Up on Mission (which turns into Big Heart City nightclub at night and thus does not serve dinner).

Cheers,

Squeat

[uberleet]

Cha-Am Thai restaurant continues to get rave reviews

I was just there and I loved it. And just around the corner is Chaat, a little indian place that was really good.

[jschyun]

jschyun, oddly I don't remember where you're talking about. Do you mean where the burger place is now on Church?

Yes, that's what I was talking about. It's on that sliver of land, next to Safeway. I never went there, but that's the only Thai restaurant on Market, near Safeway that I know of.

Oh my God, Hot and Chunky is gone!

Big Heart City nightclub is next to the mission street parking garage?

[Squeat Mungry]

Yes, that's what I was talking about.  It's on that sliver of land, next to Safeway.  I never went there, but that's the only Thai restaurant on Market, near Safeway that I know of.

Okay. I couldn't even remember what was there before!

Oh my God, Hot and Chunky is gone!

Yes, but the sushi place that replaced it seems to have the same relationship with the karaoke drag bar next door (i.e. you can wait in the bar while your food is being prepared).

Big Heart City nightclub is next to the mission street parking garage?

Yes, between 4th and 5th.

[mascarpone]

Thanks everyone for all the info.

[jschyun]

Thanks everyone for the great recs of Thai and Japanese. Although New York has some excellent Thai, I have heard that California can't be beaten for that as well as other Souteast Asian cuisine.

Are you sure you're not thinking of L.A.? It seems to me that there is much more of a variety of Thai food there, than in the SF Bay Area, but I could be wrong. Not to mention that one fabulous Thai sweets shop open till about 2 am and is one of my very favorite places. L.A. boasts a "Thai Town" where lots of the Thai joints are located. SF has no Thai Town that I know of.

Vietnamese food seems to have the most variety in Orange County (Southern Cal, 1 hour south of L.A.). Probably because we have a lot of Republicans here. Someone mentioned the Vietnamese food in Oakland somewhere, and I do remember some really good food there. I've never had good Vietnamese food in SF, not for lack of trying, but I heard about this one crab place in Richmond area, I think, that was supposed to be good. Oh wait, I think I once had a good, cheap sandwich near the Civic Center.

Filipino food, you'll find a lot of in Daly City, but that's kind of south of SF. And if you're going that way, you might as well have dim sum at Koi Palace, which is my personal fave in SF area.

Does it have to be just Thai or Southeast Asian? I think you'll have better luck with California cuisine in SF, or maybe Chinese. Just my $.02.

--grammar edit

Edited July 7, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[megc]

Filipino food, you'll find a lot of in Daly City, but that's kind of south of SF. 

On the subject of Filipino food, has anyone been to the Jolly Bee in Union City (I think that's the name of the city)? Apparently it's the biggest fast food chain in the Phillippines, and has some menu items unique to it. It's right next to the Krispy Kreme. It has a big metal bee character outside the front door! I never ate there, but sure was curious.

[jschyun]

On the subject of Filipino food, has anyone been to the Jolly Bee in Union City

Oh, you mean Jollibee. Haven't been to the one in Union City, but I frequently pass by the Cerritos location. I haven't yet gone, because I'm trying to seek out the non-fast food Filipino restaurants, but it remains a tempting option.

California is the only state in the U.S. with Jollibee locations. Same with the Goldilocks bakery chain.

[Squeat Mungry]

[That is a neat trick quoting jschyun from the future!]

Anyway I think she is probably correct in the matter of more/better Thai food being available in southern California.

Squeat

[Edited for time.]

Edited July 7, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[Gary Soup]

Oh my God, Hot and Chunky is gone!

That was Hot 'n' Hunky, to be precise. Did you go for the "Italian Stallion?"

[Squeat Mungry]

Oh my God, Hot and Chunky is gone!

That was Hot 'n' Hunky, to be precise. Did you go for the "Italian Stallion?"

To be even more precise, the place on Market I was referring to was originally an offshoot of the original 'Hot'n'Hunky' on 18th near Castro. Yet it is an entirely different location, which somehow (I wasn't paying close attention) wound up actually being named 'Hot'n'Chunky' (replete with awning). Other than being able to assert that the menu and execution were exactly the same when the two were eponymous -- and that they no longer are -- I have no information whatsoever.

Squeat

PS I've always liked "Italian".

[Gary Soup]

Oh my God, Hot and Chunky is gone!

That was Hot 'n' Hunky, to be precise. Did you go for the "Italian Stallion?"

To be even more precise, the place on Market I was referring to was originally an offshoot of the original 'Hot'n'Hunky' on 18th near Castro. Yet it is an entirely different location, which somehow (I wasn't paying close attention) wound up actually being named 'Hot'n'Chunky' (replete with awning). Other than being able to assert that the menu and execution were exactly the same when the two were eponymous -- and that they no longer are -- I have no information whatsoever.

Pardon my advanced age. "Formerly Hot 'n' Hunky"

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, as Herb Caen liked to say.

[Squeat Mungry]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, as Herb Caen liked to say.

Hey thanks, Gary! That fourth photograph is really a beaut, and eloquently captures the atmosphere they were going for.