Guidebook for San Francisco
Food Scene
Specialties include hamachi carpaccio and ramen. Ramen is tonkotsu and the broth is delicious enough to drink by itself. Busy all night, so go when they open if you want the shortest wait time.
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Izakaya Sozai
1500 Irving StSpecialties include hamachi carpaccio and ramen. Ramen is tonkotsu and the broth is delicious enough to drink by itself. Busy all night, so go when they open if you want the shortest wait time.
Tasty food that isn't just hot/spicy ( and it's not too hot for most folks).
I like the Dan Dan Noodles, Eggplant, Stir Fried Vegetables.
I highly recommend the Tea Smoked Duck.
They don't serve alcohol, though, and thought me weird to ask if I might bring my own (other places in the city wink at this).
Szechuan cuisine
1920 Irving StTasty food that isn't just hot/spicy ( and it's not too hot for most folks).
I like the Dan Dan Noodles, Eggplant, Stir Fried Vegetables.
I highly recommend the Tea Smoked Duck.
They don't serve alcohol, though, and thought me weird to ask if I might bring my own (other places in the city wink at this).
Good Chinese meat deli. Roast duck, crispy skin pork, and barbecue pork are what we buy when we don't have time to cook a protein dish. Their prepared food isn't bad, either, but we generally don't eat that way.
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Lam Hoa Thuan
2337 Irving StGood Chinese meat deli. Roast duck, crispy skin pork, and barbecue pork are what we buy when we don't have time to cook a protein dish. Their prepared food isn't bad, either, but we generally don't eat that way.
Good, "home-made" Mexican food if your Mom was a good Mexican cook. Not cheap, but very good ingredients and preparation. Small but adequate alcohol offerings including beers on tap.
306 locals raden deze aan
Nopalito
306 Broderick StGood, "home-made" Mexican food if your Mom was a good Mexican cook. Not cheap, but very good ingredients and preparation. Small but adequate alcohol offerings including beers on tap.
Singapore -Malaysian food that combines some of the better things from India, China, and Southeast Asia. Roti, Satay, Steamed Salmon, Basil Tofu, Curry Noodles--we eat these every month.
16 locals raden deze aan
Lime Tree
450 Irving StSingapore -Malaysian food that combines some of the better things from India, China, and Southeast Asia. Roti, Satay, Steamed Salmon, Basil Tofu, Curry Noodles--we eat these every month.
Xian/Shaanxi Chinese cuisine. Interesting take on a chinese "burger", which is a traditional English muffin-shaped "pita" filled with pork or beef. Fresh hand-pulled noodles in a Chinese barbecue sauce is another favorite.
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Terra Cotta Warrior
2555 Judah StXian/Shaanxi Chinese cuisine. Interesting take on a chinese "burger", which is a traditional English muffin-shaped "pita" filled with pork or beef. Fresh hand-pulled noodles in a Chinese barbecue sauce is another favorite.
Outerlands
4001 Judah StHipster Food for the outer sunset district.
Decent Thai food in the neighborhood. We prefer Kin Khao downtown near Union Square, but this is much more convenient (and cheaper)
54 locals raden deze aan
Marnee Thai Restaurant
2225 Irving StDecent Thai food in the neighborhood. We prefer Kin Khao downtown near Union Square, but this is much more convenient (and cheaper)
Tazaki Sushi
3420 Judah StreetGood and reasonably priced sushi
Sunrise Deli
2115 Irving StVery good falafel
One of the better places for Vietnamese food and Dungeness Crab. While not a fancy place, the food quality and prices are a cut above a neighborhood regular. Expect a wait on weekend nights after 6PM They have a $140 set meal that they say is for four people, but we thought it would feed six (except for splitting one crab--we like crab enough to want half a crab per person.)
Golden Crab House
1830 Irving StOne of the better places for Vietnamese food and Dungeness Crab. While not a fancy place, the food quality and prices are a cut above a neighborhood regular. Expect a wait on weekend nights after 6PM They have a $140 set meal that they say is for four people, but we thought it would feed six (except for splitting one crab--we like crab enough to want half a crab per person.)
Very good dumpings, cold toufu salad, beef noodle soup. It's fancier than Beifang Noodles and you may have to wait during peak meal times.
9 locals raden deze aan
Yuanbao Jiaozi 元寶餃子
2110 Irving StVery good dumpings, cold toufu salad, beef noodle soup. It's fancier than Beifang Noodles and you may have to wait during peak meal times.
One of the best places in the country for Roast Squab. They also have a nice 3-course lunch for about $30 (good for 2-3 people). You will see construction workers as well as businessmen eating here at lunch.
New Jumbo Seafood Restaurant
1532 Noriega StOne of the best places in the country for Roast Squab. They also have a nice 3-course lunch for about $30 (good for 2-3 people). You will see construction workers as well as businessmen eating here at lunch.
Parks & Nature
An easy hiking loop between 25th and 30th Avenues takes you over trails, a grassy meadow, past a small lake, and cultivated flowers and palms. Traffic lights at both ends makes access easier and safer.
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Golden Gate Park
An easy hiking loop between 25th and 30th Avenues takes you over trails, a grassy meadow, past a small lake, and cultivated flowers and palms. Traffic lights at both ends makes access easier and safer.
Over one mile long and pretty clean for an urban beach. Be careful near the water of rogue waves. The Beach Chalet across the Great Highway from the beach has good beer and decent food
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Ocean Beach
La Playa StOver one mile long and pretty clean for an urban beach. Be careful near the water of rogue waves. The Beach Chalet across the Great Highway from the beach has good beer and decent food
San Francisco Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, showcasing nearly 9,000 different kinds of plants from around the world.
The plants are from many different parts of the world and offer different flowers and blooms over the seasons.
Hours and Fees
Always free entry from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Otherwise:
Entrance fees: adults $8, 12-17 years and 65 and over $6, 5-11 years $2. Families (including 2 adults and their kids $17)
San Francisco residents (with ID): free.
Free days for everyone: second Tuesday of each month, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
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San Francisco Botanical Garden
1199 9th AveSan Francisco Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, showcasing nearly 9,000 different kinds of plants from around the world.
The plants are from many different parts of the world and offer different flowers and blooms over the seasons.
Hours and Fees
Always free entry from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Otherwise:
Entrance fees: adults $8, 12-17 years and 65 and over $6, 5-11 years $2. Families (including 2 adults and their kids $17)
San Francisco residents (with ID): free.
Free days for everyone: second Tuesday of each month, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Sightseeing
Nice for sightseeing in a traditional Japanese formal garden. Go before 10AM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for free admission (otherwise it's $9/person)
348 locals raden deze aan
Japanse theetuin
75 Hagiwara Tea Garden DrNice for sightseeing in a traditional Japanese formal garden. Go before 10AM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for free admission (otherwise it's $9/person)
Essentials
This was a local supermarket chain but got bought out by Safeway a few years ago. It maintains a little of its special qualities, but mostly it's convenient for conventional supermarket items.
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Andronico's
1200 Irving StThis was a local supermarket chain but got bought out by Safeway a few years ago. It maintains a little of its special qualities, but mostly it's convenient for conventional supermarket items.
Chain pharmacy open most waking hours. Nothing special, just convenient for picking up prescriptions or sundry goods.
293 locals raden deze aan
Walgreens
1333 Castro StChain pharmacy open most waking hours. Nothing special, just convenient for picking up prescriptions or sundry goods.
Note: This place has recently changed its name to 25th & Irving (but Air BnB doesn't recognize that name yet).
If you haven't been to Asia, it can be fun to look at all of the different kinds of snack food--particularly the different flavors.
My recent favorite (fried fish skins with salted duck egg powder) is not sold her (or anywhere in the USA, I think), but there are other interesting choices.
It's one of the bigger Asian markets in the city and has a wide variety of fresh meat/fish/produce as well as a wide variety of food items from Asia.
You will not get the ambience of small Chinatown shopping, but you will get a wider variety of goods.
It will not carry all of the things you would find in a regular American supermarket chain store, but it's likely cheaper for many things.
And it's a lot closer to the house (2 blocks)
12 locals raden deze aan
Sunset Super
2425 Irving StNote: This place has recently changed its name to 25th & Irving (but Air BnB doesn't recognize that name yet).
If you haven't been to Asia, it can be fun to look at all of the different kinds of snack food--particularly the different flavors.
My recent favorite (fried fish skins with salted duck egg powder) is not sold her (or anywhere in the USA, I think), but there are other interesting choices.
It's one of the bigger Asian markets in the city and has a wide variety of fresh meat/fish/produce as well as a wide variety of food items from Asia.
You will not get the ambience of small Chinatown shopping, but you will get a wider variety of goods.
It will not carry all of the things you would find in a regular American supermarket chain store, but it's likely cheaper for many things.
And it's a lot closer to the house (2 blocks)
Good Food in Walking Distance
Good Banh Mi sandwiches.
Other people are coming for the coffee (but I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so I can't comment on this).
It's a family-run operation, so the hours are more reasonable for them.
Wednesday-Friday 7AM-6PM
Saturday-Sunday 8AM-6PM
Le Trio
2575 Judah StGood Banh Mi sandwiches.
Other people are coming for the coffee (but I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so I can't comment on this).
It's a family-run operation, so the hours are more reasonable for them.
Wednesday-Friday 7AM-6PM
Saturday-Sunday 8AM-6PM
Good Chinese Deli meats like roast duck and crisp-skin pork.
You can eat in or take it back home.
8 locals raden deze aan
Lam Hoa Thuan
2337 Irving StGood Chinese Deli meats like roast duck and crisp-skin pork.
You can eat in or take it back home.
While not as well known or cheap as Good Luck Bakery on Clement Street, TC Pastry is a convenient choice for your standard dim sum items.
Shrimp dumplings, BBQ Pork Buns, Won Ton Noodles, Rice Porridge, Custard Tarts--all of the usual stuff plus some more unusual things like bitter melon and chicken rice crepe (cheung fun).
T C Pastry
2222 Irving StWhile not as well known or cheap as Good Luck Bakery on Clement Street, TC Pastry is a convenient choice for your standard dim sum items.
Shrimp dumplings, BBQ Pork Buns, Won Ton Noodles, Rice Porridge, Custard Tarts--all of the usual stuff plus some more unusual things like bitter melon and chicken rice crepe (cheung fun).