While we stayed in Japantown during our latest trip to San Francisco, we explored eats in other parts of the city. We found it easy to get around via Uber.
There are plenty of great places to eat in SF. Here are just a handful outside of Japantown and Fillmore St., where we were based.
Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House
Supposedly the oldest of its kind in San Francisco. Hang Ah is in Chinatown, and it’s a busy spot. We were able to snag a roomy table, and we dined on lamb and shrimp dumplings. I was introduced to a Chinese pancake that’s like a pizza in texture; a perfect vehicle for soy sauce and chili oil. Come for a snack or a full meal.
Bei Fang Style
On Irving St. in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. The Jianbing here was a revelation. I’d never had anything like it before. It’s a street-food Chinese breakfast comprising a rolled up crepe surrounded by a very thin layer of egg. When we walked into Bei Fang, there were only two ladies: one who greeted us and another who was making dumplings by hand behind the counter. You’ll need patience here, as it seems dishes are made to order, but it’s worth the short wait. When our Jianbing came out, it was beautiful, and the taste was both delicate and savory.
Jianbing is a light dish, and we had some real estate left in our bellies, so we finished up lunch at a sports bar/taqueria up Irving St. If you haven’t had a Mission-style burrito, I recommend getting one. They’re a San Francisco invention, loaded with filling. Wash it down with a local beer on tap and catch a game on the tube.
Hubby introduced me to dry hot pot, a modern concept in Chinese cuisine, when we traveled to Singapore. It’s awesome. Because there is no soup, unlike traditional hot pot, the flavors are concentrated, making for an umami bomb in every bite. We ordered mild spice and mostly veg, along with lamb. A note on the lamb: It’s not what we expected–instead of the typical thinly shaved lamb meat in hot pot, it came in a cruder, chopped form on the bone (like oxtail). Still tasty, though. We also ordered tofu skin noodles that arrived before the dry hot pot; a cold dish that stoked the appetite well.
ATB 