China Live

Rating
10/10

Wait
Reserve

Value
$13 per dish

Where
SF

Sesame Soft Serve, Mango Shaved Ice
I’m not sure why China Live removed it from the menu, but they need to bring it back. It’s a delicious, beautiful, and refreshing dessert. The shaved ice is, “Taiwanese ice,” which is an infused mango ice that’s shaved into thin layers giving it a velvety texture. The ice is layered on top of the delicious sesame soft serve and tapioca balls that burst in your mouth. They really need to bring this dish back.

Siu Yuk
The pork skin has a nice crunch and the meat is juicy and tender. The pork is cut into bite size cubes which makes the dish consumed even quicker.

Sichuan Blistered Green & Yellow Wax Beans
The beans have a nice bite and are cooked well, but overall the sauce is a bit sweet for my taste. Overall, it’s a good dish but not as rememberable as the others.

Sheng Jian Bao
A must order. The skin isn’t thick on the Bao, so it doesn’t feel like you’re biting into a loaf bread. The bottom is pan-fried to create a nice crisp crust to give the Bao a bit of structural rigidity for the soup and meat inside. The meat literally melts in your mouth, which then is washed down by the pork soup inside. It’s an amazing dish of porky goodness.

Taiwan “27 Spice’ Braised Beef Noodle Soup
A solid beef noodle soup. I’m not sure I can taste 27 spices, but the broth is delicious with great depth. The beef is tender with a mixture of tendon and regular cuts. The relish garnish on top is a nice light complement to the meaty and savory broth. If there is a bit more spice or a kick I believe it would take this dish to the next level.

Basket of Fried Scallion Bread
Imagine a scallion pancake and “mantou” had a kid – this is what the dish would be. It’s flaky and crunchy like a scallion pancake but fluffy and dense like the mantou. This is a great reinterpretation of two classic Chinese dishes.

Lu Rou Fan Braised Minced Pork Rice Bowl with Egg
A must order. The dish is served with each of the components separated which needs to be mixed together on the plate. The “Lou Rou” is bursting with flavor and the spices are well balanced. A nice compliment to the savory dish, is moments of sour and crunchiness from the pickled relish. I’m a bit disappointed that you have to order the egg separately, however, the egg adds a richness and creamy texture to the whole dish.

China Live is a pioneering destination for the Asian community – imagine the Asian version of Eataly. It brings a mixture of a restaurant, a cocktail bar, a tea stop, and a retail store that supports Chinese designers. China Live concept is to foster an environment that elevates Chinese culture and food to the same level of perception of that of Western cuisine. Why is it acceptable that French and Italian food can be expensive but not Chinese food? What better place to do that in the heart of China Town.

China Live takes traditional street Chinese/Taiwanese dishes and modernizes them into interesting but familiar flavors. Each dish has the right amount of experimentation with a strong foundation of simply being delicious. The dishes on the menu are readily accessible for everyone with a few that could be considered “acquired taste.”

Much like their food, China Live’s interior is modern and hip but with touches of traditional elements. It’s balanced mixture of concrete ceilings stamped with Mandarin characters, contrasted by porcelain cladded walls, copper counter tops, and designer wooden furniture. It’s definitely a much different restaurant than their surrounding neighbors.

I admire China Live in their mission to not just create a restaurant but a destination. A destination that challenges the antiquated Western perception of Chinese culture – where Chinese food has to be cheap or the Chinese restaurant has to be raggedy. As China Live continues to expand, I hope they are able to also bring their community with them.

Website – https://chinalivesf.com

HotStar Chicken

Rating
10/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$3 per dish

Where
Taipei

Large Fried Chicken
The original gigantic fried chicken snack. Imagine a chicken pounded to about a 1/4″ thick and 1′ in diameter. What’s makes the fried chicken great is the unique breading which is crunchy, light, and fluffy. The seasoning is on point and I opted for the spice powder which adds a nice kick. The only issue I have with the fried chicken is the bones are still intact – and boy are there a lot of bones. I believe without the bones the meal would be a lot cleaner and easier to eat towards the end.

HotStar is the original maker of the Large Fried Chicken. The stalls are easily noticeable with its baby blue signage. The Large Fried Chicken has become one of the most popular snacks in Shilin Night Market, with massive lines to prove it. They have a couple spots scattered around the market so it’s worth a walk around to find the shorter line. However, the line moves quickly and the ordering regiment is efficient. And for only $70NT ($2 USD), it’s definitely worth the wait as one piece is enough for a meal.

Website – http://www.hot-star.tw/

AFURI Ramen

Rating
9.5/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$14 per dish

Where
Portland

Tonkotsu Shio
Creamy and decadent are just some of the words that can describe this dish – imagine Shin Ramen Black but x1,000,000. The pork broth has a richness and depth which makes every sip sinful. The noodles are think and cooked to have the “QQ” texture. The Chasu is thinly sliced so that it will melt in your mouth. The soft boiled tea egg is cooked perfectly with the yolk slightly runny. I can go on and on about each component of the dish, but it’s better if you just order it.

Buta Gyoza
I’m a huge proponent of thin skin dumplings and Afuri has some of the thinnest skins. Not only are the skins thin, Afuri is still able to get that nice crunchy layer. The most interesting thing about the dish is probably the presentation as it’s is served in a pin wheel fashion, bottom side up.

What I’ve learned from my brief stay is Portland is that the city does beer, coffee, and Asian food very well. Being a cold and rainy day, ramen definitely came to our mind. Afuri being close by, we decided to try it out. Straightaway, Afuri is not a esoteric ramen joint where there is only Japanese staff, this is more of the millennial hipster place with full sleeve tattoos, Scandanavaian-esque interior, and Western staff. Albeit Afuri checks all the marks for being trendy, the food is amazing.

Afuri space is minimal and stark. It follows the adaptive reuse design trend which combines exposing the old structure of the building and contrasts it with clean minimal wood furniture. In this case, the wood furniture are the large communal wood tables. It’s notable that the seating arrangements at Afuri are either counter/bar seating or “beer hall” style tables. A great feature of the space are the large windows, absence of walls (open kitchen), and high ceilings which make the space feel much larger than it is.

When it comes to ramen, I’m all about the broth and noodles. Afuri has some of the most interesting and flavorful broths and the most “QQ” noodles. Reading the “About” section of Afuri, they pride there selection to open in Portland due to the “soft water” and the ecosystem being similar to that of the Afuri mountain in Japan. I usually take these self written theses with a grain of salt, but if “soft water” makes Ramen taste this good, I’m on the “soft water” band wagon.

Afuri is some of the best ramen I have ever had. My consensus is the “Portlanders” who rate this place low just tells me that this city must have some of the highest expectations when it comes to food. This tempts me to come back and visit Portland to explore more of the scene.

Website – https://afuri.us

Taiwan Bento

Rating
8.5/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$11 per dish

Where
SF

Beef Noodle Soup
For me the broth is the most important part of the Beef Noodle Soup. Taiwan Bento’s broth has depth and a rich flavor with a note of sweetness from the relish. The noodles are medium thickness and cooked to the perfect “QQ” consistency. To nitpick, it would be awesome if some pieces of beef tendon could be thrown into the mix.

Braised Pork Bento
A must order if you love pork belly. The pork belly consistency is perfect, the flavors are complex with savory mixed with a touch of sweetness, and the portions are quite generous. A nice addition to the braised pork is the cilantro garnish, which makes the overall dish feel a bit light and refreshing. The only random thing about the bento box is the edamame, not to sure why it’s added.

When someone mentions a Taiwanese restaurant, you can count on me being there ASAP. We quickly headed over to the East Bay, and to our excitement Taiwan Bento serves up classic Taiwanese dishes. The menu has a good mixture of street market food like the Taiwanese Sausage, traditional dishes like Beef Noodle Soup, and the all to known Taiwanese soft drink Apple Sidra.

What is quite noticeable about Taiwan Bento is how quick the service is. We probably received our order of Braised Pork Bento and Beef Noodle Soup within 5 minutes of ordering. Although we came on a weekend, I can imagine during a lunch rush hour the fast service can be a godsend. Don’t let the “quick service” deter you because the food is delicious. It hits all the right spots with flavor, generous portions, and affordable prices.

Although the food is amazing, the overall space is a bit lacking. The space is lofted and if you’re sitting on the second floor and look down, you can see gigantic cobwebs between each of the beams. It seems as if they have never cleaned or dusted the space. Also, the area where the trays and dishes are returned seem to pile up and become a unsightly mess. It’s understandable that Taiwan Bento is a fast-casual take out joint, and also that not everyone has the luxury or budget to create an impressive space. However, simple things like keeping the space clean and managing the trash can have a significant impact on the dining experience.

Overall, Taiwan Bento is a great restaurant with good tasting traditional Taiwanese food. I can’t wait to find another excuse to head back to the East Bay to try the other items on the menu. Hopefully by then, Taiwan Bento spruces up the interior a bit.

Website – http://www.taiwanbento.us

Marafuku Ramen

Rating
7/10

Wait
45 Minutes

Value
$12 per dish

Where
SF

Hakata Tonkotsu
Not a huge fan. The flavor of the broth is not very strong/deep – it tastes a bit watered down. You’re only given two/three thin slices of pork and the pork is not very tender or flavorful. I feel the addition of the bean sprouts and mushrooms did not compliment the ramen very well. However, the thin noodles were cooked well and probably the best part of the dish.

Mentaiko
The sole reason I would come back to Marafuku Ramen is for the Mentaiko. It’s a deceivingly simple dish with lots of flavors. The cod roe is a bit spicy, salty, crunchy from the sesame seeds, and bursting with cod roe goodness. All together, the bowl is extremely light and refreshing.

Having never tried a Hakata style ramen, I was eager to give Marafuku Ramen a try. Tucked away in the corner of the Japantown mall, it’s easy to spot Marafuku Ramen as there is usually a large crowd of people hovering around the entrance. The wait is about 30-45 minutes, however, it’s not so bad as there is a lot of shops around to kill the time.

Marafuku Ramen is a sleek and stylish ramen joint. The space is definitely hip with a grey scale tone which accents the interesting uses of darks woods. There is an interesting O shaped communal bench seating in the center of the restaurant, with back lit glass as the seats. There’s a lot of elements going on in such a small place but it’s never too distracting.

Hakata style is not my preference when it comes ramen. It’s hard to justify the long wait when the ramen just isn’t that good. However, I would come back to Marafuku Ramen just for the Mentaiko.

Website – https://www.marufukuramen.com

The Belgard Kitchen

Rating
9/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$16 per dish

Where
Vancouver

Postmark Stout Sausage Skillet
The presentation of the dish is beautifully rustic with two perfectly well cooked poached eggs sitting over a sea of crispy potatoes and sausages served in a cast iron skillet. I think food just somehow always tastes better when it’s served in a skillet.
The sausage has a nice flavor but the stout is a bit lost and the crispy potatoes are good but not good like Plow. Overall it’s a solid dish and you’ll definitely leave full and happy.

Having only briefly visited Vancouver, I am glad I had the chance to stop by Belgard Kitchen. A major plus is that it shares the same space with Postmark Brewery – nothing better than killing two birds with one stone. The location is a bit off the beaten path, in an industrial neighborhood, but definitely well worth the trip. There something that can be said about a place that even before entering, you already know there’s something special.

By far the most memorable feature of Belgard Kitchen is the building. Surrounded in a neighborhood of by tired looking warehouses, Belgard Kitchen maintains the integrity of the context but uplifts it’s appearance with nice details. The exterior windows have a concertina treatment which adds nice texture to the facade and this concertina detail carries all the way through to the 30′ tall entrance door. Opening and walking through the entrance feels like you’re walking into a cathedral – but instead of worshipping religion it’s beer and brunch. It’s quite a transition from the cold warehouse exterior to the warm timber cladded interior. The interior is a large beautiful space with high ceilings and clerestory windows that bring in a lot of natural light. There is a balanced mixture of warehouse accents like the featured overhead crane, natural elements such as the timber columns/beams which support the crane, and rustic features such as the wrought iron furniture. As I’m writing this review, I’m realizing this is turning into a critique of the space than a review of the food. In the end, the food is tasty, but the atmosphere is what you’ll remember about Belgard Kitchen.

The Belgard Kitchen is gem in an otherwise worn neighborhood. Given more time, I have feeling that one can spend a whole day in the building moving back and forth from Belgard Kitchen to Postmark Brewing. This place will be a definite must stop the next time I visit Vancouver.

Website – http://belgardkitchen.com

Chocolate Chair

Rating
5/10

Wait
5 Minutes

Value
$7 per dish

Where
SF

Dragon Breath
Essentially it’s cereal mixed with liquid nitrogen to get the “dragon breath” effect. The cereal balls have a crunchy texture with a very faint fruit loop taste.

We ended up at Chocolate Chair by chance because as we were walking by, there was a large crowd of people laughing and giggling while taking photos of cold air being blown out of their mouths. It looked intriguing enough that we went out of our way to try whatever those people were having. Even though Chocolate Chair sells other items, everyone seems to only order the iconic “Dragon Breath.” Even their small storefront seems to dedicate over 60% of their space to the production of “Dragon Breathe,”

When you think of “Dragon Breath,” you have to categorize it in the same group of carnival food. The great thing about carnival food is that it’s usually fun, quick, and unexpected. You’re essentially purchasing a novelty, similar too fried twinkes or fried kool-aid. Admittedly, the “Dragon Breathe” is fun to eat and watch others and yourself blow out a stream of cold air. The “Dragon Breathe” has a texture and constitency similar to Captain Crunch but doesn’t have any real flavor – it’s like eating crunchy cold air.

Dragon Breath is worth at least trying once. It’s fun and you can snap some cool photos and videos. It’s a great thing to order during a break after walking around the Japantown mall or something interesting to do while killing time while you wait in line for a neighboring restaurant. In the end it’s a gimmick, and you shouldn’t expect anymore than that.

Website – https://www.chocolatechair.com

Son’s Addition

Rating
9/10

Wait
Reserve

Value
$13 per dish

Where
SF

Tuna and Uni Tostada
There’s no better way to describe this dish than it tastes like “California.” It’s amazingly fresh with a touch of sourness from the pickles, served on a light but crunchy tostada.

Bacon and Kim-Chi Deviled Eggs
A solid and decadent deviled egg. My only critique is that there isn’t much of a kim-chi flavor.

Fried Chicken Sandwich
By far one of my favorite fried chicken sandwiches in SF. The chicken is cooked perfectly and the breading is light yet extremely crunchy. I’m not a huge fan of the sourness from the slaw but it does make the overall dish taste fresh and light. I prefer Alta MSP’s sauce/slaw which is a buttermilk flavor.

Son’s Addition is now on my list of “go-to” brunch places. Everything on the menu sounds appetizing and the dishes we ordered tasted amazing. There is an evident core set of flavors throughout the dishes: tanginess, freshness, and lightness; which gives the meal a cohesive feeling.

If you’re a fan of Marlowe than you’ll love Son’s Addition. There are quite of few similarities between Marlowe and Son’s Addition but what sets Son’s Addition apart is the more relaxed atmosphere and the fusion oriented cuisine. Son’s Addition, much like Marlowe, is a small trendy space with seating packed to the brim. The difference with the interior of Son’s Addition is the industrial/NYC look is toned back, in favor of a more minimal and brighter color pallet, making the space feel roomier and brighter.

I am huge fan of Son’s Addition and wouldn’t hesitate to go back. There are definitely many more dishes on the menu that I can’t wait to try. If you’re left with the choice between Marlowe or Son’s Addition, I would say you can’t go wrong with either choice. It’s a win-win.

Website – http://www.sonsaddition.com

Deli Board

Rating
9.5/10

Wait
15 Minutes

Value
$17 per dish

Where
SF

Boca
This is an amazing sandwich. The flavors of all the meat are distinct and flavorful. What I enjoyed most is the way the meat was sliced. It’s sliced paper thin that the meat fold on itself to create a wavy texture which adds another sensation when eating.

Leroy Brown
This sandwich has it all – salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy. As mentioned previously, the meat is sliced in similar manner which adds another dimension. On top of that, the Dutch Crunch roll adds the crunchy texture which is perfect complement to the tender meat.

Pickles
Each of the sandwiches are served with a side of deli style pickles. They are a perfect palate cleanser when all that meat from the sandwich becomes a bit overwhelming.

Deli Board is like the Rolls Royce of sandwiches. Everything from the meat, bread, cheese, and vegetables taste of luxury. You would think with such great tasting ingredients the portions would be small, but, Deli Board packs a mountain of food in-between two slices of bread. I would even say half of the sandwich would be enough for lunch.

If you plan on arriving around lunch time, be aware that Deli Board’s line is consistently out the door. Don’t be surprised waiting in line 10-20 minutes before placing your order. Upon arriving, the most noticeable thing will be, the ever changing menu hanging on the wall. The menu is extensive, however, the wait in line will give you plenty of time to read it over.

The space is small and sparse. There’s not much seating inside and there’s only a couple tables right outside on the sidewalk. If you plan on eating in, be prepared to wait again for seats to open up. I can’t wait for Deli Board to move to a larger space and revamp their interior to be equal to the quality of their sandwiches.

Website – http://www.deliboardsf.com