Out the Door

Out the Door

865 Market Street

(Inside the Downtown Shopping Center Food Court)

San Francisco, CA. 94103

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Coming to Out the Door I was a little reserved about this place because of the whole Asian Fusion thing with a stuffy crowd, but was pleasantly surprised on how well the dishes that we tried tasted. Not sure how authentic this is but who cares I suppose as long as it tastes good.

Located in the downtown shopping center's food court out the door is a great alternative to eating fast and well in the mall. Everything in the mall is around the same price 8-20 bucks for dishes so why not go to a sit down restaurant and pay the same prices for better food. I have never had duck porridge quite like this, the duck was all grinded up like bacon bits which tasted to me like beef jerky (which i dont have a problem with) and the base tasted pretty decent as well. The noodle dishes are pretty tasty as well,  although supposed to be a vietnamese noodle dish, tasted to me like pad thai, but maybe that was the chefs intention? Not sure but everything tasted good and would like to go back to try more dishes.

Sapporo-Ya Japanese Restaurant

Sapporo-Ya Japanese Restaurant

1581 Webster Street #201

San Francisco, CA. 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Sapporo-Ya in Japantown is a ramen joint that is a decent place to grab a bowl of noodles on the run. Never that crowded its a quick and easy meal, the noodles are hand made and served piping hot. The soup is a little on the salty, msgeezy side but can be tolerated if you dont mind

it a little salty. Tried the miso ramen and the vegtable ramen tasted pretty good on a cold day. Not the best place i have tried but when around Japantown not a bad  alternative.

Flipper's, A Gourmet Hamburger Place

Flipper's, A Gourmet Hamburger Place

482 Hayes Street

San Francisco, CA. 94102

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Flipper's is a hamburger joint right down the street from my work that offers some pretty delicious options. My favorite is the Taste of Russia- grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, and swiss cheese. The portions are huge and it comes with your choice of curly fries or steak fries along with a vinigertte salad.  You also have your choices of meat to put in your burger- ground chuck, chicken breast, ground turkey, garden patty, or tofu. The environment is relaxing with outdoor seating on a nice day or regular seats inside. When i'm in Hayes Valley Flipper's is a nice choice for some grub.

Peasant Pies

Peasant Pies

1039 Irving Street

(between 11th and 12th Ave)

San Francisco, CA. 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

Peasant Pies is a bargain of a deal and a pretty great idea. With everyone so busy these days a pie or pies to go from Peasant pies is a delicious and healthy option then the usual fare. The owners of Peasant Pies get up at the crack of dawn to open their doors to serve fresh delicious pies. Man I admire their dedication to wake up everyday so early to prepare fresh food, kind of like a doughnut maker. They have a wide selection of pies, I tried the Ham Cheese and Egg, Spicy Eggplant, Zucchini Mushroom and Cheese, Moroccan Lentil, BlueBerry Pear, and Vanilla Flan Pies. All were very delicious but there is still so much more I would like to try, the only problem is they sell out towards the afternoon. Another plus is the pies are really cheap, they are all around under 3 bucks each so this is definitley a tasty bargain.

Kukje Super Market

Kukje Super Market

2350 Junipero Serra Blvd.

Daly City, CA. 94015

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Kukje Super Market is a great place to pick up some korean groceries if you are in the mood.  A couple of blocks away from the krispy kreme and in and out burger Kukje has all your cooking needs met. Most noticeably is the Korean bar full of goodies(sides) that you can pick up charged by weight. I have never seen a place where its a huge bar of korean sides like these. My favorites are the kim-chi, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and fishcake, some typical stuff you see in korean restaurants. There was a lot of stuff I still want to try. Also some kim-bap (korean sushi) is made fresh daily along with some other pasteries and breads. I also picked up a korean pancake mix along with a bag of frozen seafood, my fiancee ended up putting that together and it was quite good. Basically it is like a pizza but with a twist. Definitley recommend this place if you want to take a stab at korean cooking.

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

1031 Irving Street

San Francisco, CA. 94122

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

The big crowd outside any restaurant is a good indicator that its probably good. I have been coming to San Tung as long as I can remember because its a regular favorite of mine, whenever I want dumplings or noodles i come during non-rush hour times when I can like  between 2-5pm. San Tung is known for their chicken wings, but my advice would be to get the diced chicken (dry) basically the same but without the mess. Also their shrimp and leek dumplings, potstickers, and their hand-made noodle dishes (scissors are recommended to cut) are all really good. A tasty meal but as always would recommend going during off peak hours.

A La Turca Restaurant

A La Turca Restaurant

869 Geary Street

San Francisco, CA. 94109

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $ out of $$$$

A La Turca Restaurant located in the Tenderloin area of SF is a gem of a restaurant  that has been around for a many years. I have always wanted to try this place since I used to take the bus home and whenever it rolled by I always wondered what Turkish food was about. Kind of a sketchy area but well worth it and was pleasantly surprised. They are known for there pides, kind of a like a calzone, and platters. Not an expert at Turkish food but this was really good, I ordered the Chicken and Mushroom Pide and the taste of the Pide reminds me of pizza in a way. I like pizza so I like the pide. And another thing that was good is the price, under 10 bucks and you get a pie and a salad. A great find when not expecting it.

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant

Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant

3199 Powell Street

Emeryville, CA. 94608

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$$ out of $$$$

East Ocean is one of my families regular spots on Sunday to get together and catch up on what's happening in life. Located in Emeryville right across SF, East Ocean is one of the better dim sum places in the East Bay. Always busy and fast paced, the quality of the food is great and the view across the bay is awesome. One thing that kinda is a bumme is how much it costs, not too cheap but I guess you pay for that view. Living in SF you can get the same stuff at half the price, but its good to sit down and talk and have some atmosphere. All the regular stuff like ha-gow, sui-mai, dumplings etc.. are all good, the desserts are especially good ( the mango pudding) If you come here get there early or you will be waiting.

Bakesale Betty's

Bakesale Betty's

5098 Telegraph Avenue

(On the corner of 51st Avenue)

Oakland, CA. 94609

Grub-O-Meter: 5 out of 5 Bellies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Bakesale Betty's in the heart of Oakland's Temescal neighborhood is known for its fried chicken and cole slaw sandwiches, strawberry shortcakes, chocolate chip cookies, chicken pot pies, and of course its owner the blue haired owner betty. Right away upon arriving you notice the ironing boards outside used as tables for its customers to eat on. The line was not too bad because it was only 11 o clock but a lot of people were there eating already. We ordered the strawberry shortcake and the chicken sandwiches and sat down on one of the ironing boards. Wow the first bite is truly delicious and the chicken is fried but not oily, crispy, and the cole slaw goes well with the texture of the chicken. Probably one of the best chicken sandwiches I have ever eaten. The strawberry shortcake for dessert was killer as well, it's what you expect a good strawberry shortcake to be, kinda chewy and sweet of course. Overall a great bay area find, another reason why the bay area is the greatest place to live.

Doobu

Doobu

Japantown (Between Post and Sutter)

1723 Buchanan Street

San Francisco, CA. 94115

Grub-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 Belllies-Up

Cha-Ching-O-Meter: $$ out of $$$$

Doobu is one of the regular joints my fiancee and I go to for our Korean food fix. Right in the heart of Japantown, Doobu is a straight forward, tasty, and quality restaurant. Of everything I have tried here I would say the best deal from this restaurant is the lunch box. For $7.95 you get a bento box with your choice of meat, tofu soup, salad, and sides.  What a deal, always leaves me satisfied and full and tastes great.