San Francisco Food Diary - Part 2

Happy Shabu Shabu
1401 Fillmore St (between Byington St & Ellis St)  San Francisco, CA 94115
$22.95 All you can eat shabu shabu - mmm OK.....
$34.95 All you can eat AND drink?! Now we talking!
Other than that, this place is your typical shabu joint except its fancied up by the zen-like decor and three dipping sauces - ponzu, sesame, and spicey.

Katana Ya
430 Geary St (at Mason St)  San Francisco, CA 94102
If you are in search of good ramen/udon/soba and you are around Union Square, come to Katana Ya - WARNING: Come here 45 mins before you are hungry!!! But it is worth the wait. This place has over a thousand reviews on Yelp! The diner inside is small and should only be good for groups no more than 4 really, but that night we managed to squeeze 10!

We all got ramen and soba. I think the shoyu ramen here is the best I ever tasted! And if you choose to, you can combo it up. I got the chicken katsu curry, while others got the mixed tempura, beef sukiyaki, and chicken teriyaki.

R&G Lounge

631 Kearny Street (between Clay St & Commercial St) San Francisco, CA 94108

Now when it comes to Chinese food, you should only go to two places: House Of Nanking (in the Financial District) and R&G (in Chinatown). Why? Because they have THE BEST chinese food that SF has to offer. And no matter how hard you try, there is going to be a wait. So don't go super hungry.

At R&G you have to have to have to have to have to have to...have to get the salt n pepper dungeness crab. Market priced but OMG YOU HAVE TO GET IT! Forget about getting crab at the Wharf - come here instead!!! If you don't trust me or my stomach, trust the thousands of reviews on yelp! The crab has a delicious salty and peppery wok fried goodness that is amazing. I almost ate the shell itself. Every crack and crevice was devoid of crab meat!

The crab is BIG and so fulfilling - good for 4 people. But if its just you and one other, honestly you are good with just ordering the crab and maybe another dish, but it can't be filling like rice or chow mien. We made the mistake of ordering the Golden Supreme Fried Rice and the Steamed Fish Filets w/ Ham & vegetables - BOTH by the way are super delicious - but our bellies were too full of crab to enjoy it there - we had to pack it up.

If for some reason you are not lucky enough to enjoy crustaceans, then the Special Beef is another of the restaurant's signature dish.

Limon Rostisserie

1001 S Van Ness Ave (between 21st St & 22nd St) San Francisco, CA 94110

Limon in the Mission is Peruvian cuisine with New Latin fusion and a sophisticated ambiance.  This is a great place to eat with a group or even a date. But there is so much food to be shared here that its so much better to eat with people who have an appetite! 
Limon is a tapas joint and tapas have a reputation of racking up the bill. So I highly suggest ordering the whole chicken - cut up in 6-8 pcs - which comes with any 2 sides. And then ordering another side or 2..and TRUST me you will be good!
Here we ordered the whole chicken and alongside of it came crispy yucca fries and some tuca-tuca (mix of beans & rice then fried together). We also got Lomito saltado and vegetarian empanadas. 

The restaurant has a downstairs dining area that has a bar, dj booth, and more lounge-like seating. Good for private events, birthday parties, or a wedding reception!

San Francisco Food Diary

I love San Francisco. I try to come out here as much as I can. I even tried to move up here. The city is beautiful, the atmosphere and people are laid back, and the food is impeccable! I have a lot of food favorites when I visit the city, but this time I tried to venture to different places.

Pearl's Deluxe Burgers
708 Post St (between Jones St & Leavenworth St)  San Francisco, CA 94109
If you are a street wear head, and The Hundreds - Post is one of your go to places when visiting the Bay then Pearl's is not too far up ahead - or before depending on which direction you are coming from. Place is small and seating is limited plus there is no tables to which you can dine outside. But the message is clear. Get your burger, eat, and get out.

But back to the point. The burgers are GOOD! Deluxe? Yea! The menu on these babies are amazing. I didn't know which burger to get! SO I just opt for the 1st burger on the menu, The Phat Bob - which happens to be their most famous burger...so I was told. Anyways, inside it has your typical beef patty, bacon, melted cheese, onion rings, and topped with BBQ sauce. Sounds like Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger, but Phat Bob makes this chain classic look super wimpy. Its seriously that good. No, good is an understatement. It was so good, that I mistaken my tongue for the burger! I chomped on it so bad that it left a nasty purple bruise.

Other creations include The Bomb Burger - which is your basic chili cheeseburger, but overloaded so that it is served to you open faced. Knife & fork required.

Sides are your typical fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings. Or you can combo it up with clever word likes Spries (Sweet potato fries/fries), Springs (Sweet potato fries/onion rings), and Frings (fries/onion rings). They even have buffalo - but I'll come back for that another day.

If you are hungry and don't know what to get, I advise to go with a friend or eating buddy - so you can order a variety and share (^_^)!

Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco, CA 94133
The iconic Fisherman's Wharf. Yes, it is a tourist trap and may be a bit over priced, but how can you not come to SF and lookout to see the historic Alcatraz from the piers or stand on top of Ghirardelli Square?? When I come to the Pier, I come here for one thing - OK two - the clam chowder bowls and the fresh caught Dungeness crabs! Nothing better to sooth your soul & body from the chili bay air.

Cha Cha Cha

1801 Haight St (between Shrader St & Stanyan St) San Francisco, CA 94117

Along the infamous strip of Haight St., you will find a cluster or vintage shops, smoke shops, TRUE, hipster stores, pan-handelers, small organic cafes, and Ashbury. There is also a blue brick wall that is a Cuban restaurant on the corner of the same block as Amoeba Records called Cha Cha Cha. Place is a bit of a wait but once inside you will be rewarded with cool tapas, sandwiches, and sangria. This place is great on a beautiful day when the clouds have parted. Get the spicy pork sandwich, calamari, spicy cajun shrimp, the mushrooms, and the garlic aioli spread...To die for!

As beautiful as the city is, it can also get a bit overwhelming. If you stroll over to the city's parks you can find sanctuary amongst the trees, fountains, and man-made gardens. At the Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission off of 3rd & Opera Aly - there is a small square that is pretty tranquil.

A great open view of St.Patrick's Church, the tall buildings, a modern waterfall, a grassy square, and a tea shop/cafe called Samovar Tea Lounge. 

If you come here, it should be the place where you can just relax, have a nice conversation with a friend, or just reflect and really appreciate the tea that you are sipping. The tea menu is broken down in different categories and they explain the flavors that you are about to enjoy. The foods are more like tea foods that compliment your beverage other than grabbing something quick to eat. Trust me, you will not get full. Or maybe if you order the entire menu.

As a merienda I ordered the coconut rice pudding to go alongside the 12-year Honey Tie Kuan Yin Tea.