I recently had the chance to attend a special James Beard-related event at Saluhall, located inside…read morethe IKEA San Francisco building on Market Street, and it turned out to be such a fun and unexpected experience. I had actually never visited Saluhall before, so walking in for the event was my first impression of the space--and it's beautiful. The whole place has a modern Scandinavian feel with lots of warm wood tones, clean lines, and an open layout that makes it feel both stylish and welcoming. For the event, tables were set up throughout the space with different James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants serving small bites, and it felt like walking through a tasting tour of incredible Bay Area talent. The room buzzed with energy, great food, and even a few familiar faces in the crowd. There were so many standout bites, but a few really stuck with me: From Kristina Costa -- Babka Bread pudding with labneh creme anglaise and citrus supremes, which was rich and comforting in the best way. From David and Serena Fisher -- a super creative porcini meringue with cold-pressed venison tartare with a spring onion veil bite....I may have had 4. From Sana Rival -- cashew dacquoise with chamomile white rum buttercream was just a flavor explosion and the best way to end the night. There were also amazing vendors pouring and sampling, but if I'm being completely honest... the caviar was one of my favorite bites of the entire night. Simple, elegant, and one of those moments where you just pause and enjoy the indulgence. Helpful tip: If Saluhall hosts ticketed events like this again, grab tickets early. The space works really well for tasting-style events and it's a great way to experience multiple Bay Area chefs in one place. Between the beautiful Scandinavian design, the incredible food, and the energy of a room full of chefs and food lovers, it was one of those nights where you walk out thinking, wow, that was special. And now I definitely want to come back and experience Saluhall on a normal day too.

Honestly really nice venue overall, but the unpredictable evening hours and lack of food vendors…read morenowadays (most seem closed?) make it frustrating to visit. Good: - Great atmosphere: There is lots of open seating, making it a good place to sit, read, work, and chat with people. - Work-friendly: Wi-Fi is decent and I saw a few people with a laptop watching movies or working while eating. Frustrating: - Early vendor closures: Most of the food options, including the main IKEA vendor, were completely closed by 6:00 PM. And heck it's not like they have that many food/bars here. - Abrupt hall closure: At 7:00 PM, the entire hall suddenly closed without any announcements, or signage about an early closure. So I got asked to leave while still eating :(. The security folks said they just randomly close early sometimes.

Had the garlic pork and broccoli. It wasn't bad, but a bit pricy (like $16) for the amount of food…read moreI got. In such a small takeout container, I'd expect more food honestly. Food came fairly fast. And there were some places to sit. It's like in a basement so it feels very hole-in-the-wall esque.

I've tried two of the restaurants here. I had a gyro the first time. I had chicken from the…read morePeruvian restaurant. The food is good. The place looks a bit rundown but the food is good and there are options.

Oh man! So I use to perform the Fire Alarm Inspection at the Nordstrom for about 7 years straight…read moretill they closed. Went back to do a job walk foe the entire center and boy was i shocked! I cannot believe how empty this place got. Super sad really. I remember the mall to be packed! One of the most iconic and beautiful Nordstroms. Bloomingdales. The most amazing dome. The upside down Christmas tree under the dome. Man, they use to go all out! And now it's all gone. A literal ghost town inside with scary homeless people running around. Well, at least, Panda is still open and we didn't have to wait in line at all, so that's a plus. I sincerely hope they can salvage this mall and that it would eventually come back to life! I really do hope so!!

Everything went downhill drastically after the iconic four-story Nordstrom and two-story…read moreBloomingdale's were gone. Even 90% of the food court is gone. The remaining eateries are Panda Express and Shake Shack. The movie theater is gone. Walgreens is gone. One entrance to BART/MUNI remained locked. It's so sad to see what happened post-pandemic. The memories of walking around the spiral escalators to Nordstrom, having frozen yogurt while waiting for my grandmother to arrive, sitting next to a Mexican family while eating food court sushi, and shopping for cute clothes at American Eagle Outfitters as a teen. Long live the past of shopping in the 2010s. The entrances on Market Street still smell like urine, though. The majority of SF residents blame the city officials for letting criminals and homelessness go free, which made most retail stores shut down due to robberies. Less than 28 stores remained in business. The best part is that the public restrooms are still open, and there's access to BART/MUNI near the GNC Store. The best shopping mall in SF is Stonestown Galleria, next to San Francisco State University, where you can take the MUNI train M.

The Japanese center was actually closed. It is due to construction. But the garage you can still…read morepark inside and visit the Japanese Mall.

Japan Center is still an amazing view into japanese shopping and the long standing Kinokuniya…read moreBookstore with bargains as well as higher end finds from are to kitchenwares and beyond. For well over a century Japantown remains bringing groceries as well as specialty Tea shops and fine Japanese Woodblock Prints Dining, etc.

This food truck is our favorite at Spark Social! The food is authentic, clean and well-priced. The…read moreowner is also very friendly! Rasa Rasa gets 4/4 stars for SAFV: Service Ambiance Food Value for Money

Was thrilled to see an Indonesian food truck when I was at Spark Social! I ordered the gado gado…read morewhich was delicious, I thought the peanut sauce was one of the most authentic I've had in the Bay Area and the portions of veggies were quite generous. Only thing I would change is to have a bit more tofu and tempeh and to drain the veggies a bit more since the bottom of the salad got a bit watery. Quick service and I loved the vibe of the seating areas around the food trucks, even got to watch the 49ers game that was going on! Definitely would return and order from here again, and hoping to try their recently opened restaurant sometime soon.

I've been coming to Union square for years, and it never seems to get old. Right in the middle of…read moredowntown surrounded by big stores and busy streets, Union square just feels like a peaceful little spot where you can put a pause on the chaos of the city. The lawn is always green and beautiful, perfect for letting my fur baby run around and play (potty too) and you will always see people enjoying the space, stretched out reading or talking with friends or just soaking up the peaceful space. One of my favorite things about Union square is the art. The giant hearts are iconic in San Francisco and they're always being repainted and reimagined by different artists. So no matter how many times you come here, you will always see something new. I've seen so many versions over the years but I still stop to look at them every time I'm here because there is always something new to. The hearts the statues, the occasional pop-up installations or performances, the square always feels peaceful but alive. There is also always something going on. On my last visit here there were ping pong tables set up everywhere with people playing. I saw juggling classes being offered and arts programs for kids with people gathered around having a good time. There was a reading area and books brought in on carts. They even still had up there holiday backdrop that looks like it was put there just for people to use for the perfect insta shot. There are plenty of tables and benches scattered around so it's easy to grab a seat and stay a while. Even if you're just passing through and you need to rest your dogs for a few minutes, this is the perfect spot. I spent more than a few afternoons here people watching or enjoying a snack from the little stand nearby. It's really a great place to spend some time and a must do if you are in San Francisco. On the weekends you will find people trying to usher you onto bus tours or maybe sell you souvenirs, but you might also witness an event or see straight performers so you never really know what you're going to get. This is a place for visitors and locals with nice surroundings where you can really get a feel for and just to take in the city.

This is one of my favorite parts of San Francisco; the shopping is high-end. There is so much here…read moreto do and lots of restaurants to choose from. We always stay at St. Francis, a beautiful, perfect location. In winter, they have an ice skating rink and the big Christmas tree, a great holiday spot to get your Christmas celebrations started. As I said, the shopping is fierce! Cheers, my friends SYOY 04/01/26

This was one of the quickest options available to me in Soma area on doordash. Food was ready quick…read moreand end to end I was eating within 20 somethings mins of ordering. They have hangover soup so I wanna try it one time. The side dishes were all kind of the same and I'm really glad I got the kimchi add on. I appreciate they had purple (white + black) rice and japchae as well

Absolutely terrific!…read more Tasty little bowls that are customizable with fresh ingredients, well crafted and thoughtfully made. I got the spicy Bulgogi with half purple rice/half Japchae and all the fixings. Great service, with a cute little outdoor eating area on Valencia. One of those times where the food matches the ambience of the street life perfectly. If you're the mission and interested in something that isn't a burrito, I highly recommend this comfort food (can it be "comfort food", if I didn't grow up eating it? I don't care. It feels like love).

thai chicken satay with peanut sauce was fire, grilled perfectly and the sticky rice came in a…read morelittle banana leaf bundle.

korean fried chicken from the stall in the back was so good, crispy and coated in that sweet spicy…read moreglaze. grabbed a spot on the steps and watched the crowd, perfect lunch break vibe. rotating trucks so it's different every time but the energy is always fun.