Stopped by Maillard's and had a great experience. The burger was really good, and I especially…read moreliked that the fries are cooked in beef tallow, which gives them great flavor and crispiness. The chicken bites were tasty too--almost like crispy tater tots in texture. The wait time was only about 10 minutes, which was very reasonable, and the staff was friendly and welcoming throughout the visit. Overall, a solid spot for burgers and fries, and I'd definitely come back.

Ambiance: Pretty loud spot with chairs that are really…read moreclose together and some tables you have to squeeze through two parties to get to (especially if you're seated near the line rope, which could easily be solved if they made a small space between those tables and the rope, but I digress). There's a bar section, where you can order drinks directly. Service: There is no service here. I'm not sure why they're charging "20+% tips" when you have to pick up your own food, bus your own table, and I didn't see anyone walk around wiping tables down between meals. The line was short (only one person before me), but we still waited 30 minutes before we received our food (based on the time stamps on my pictures). I can't imagine how long the wait would be normally. It's hard to ask for condiments, since they don't have it available for anyone to self serve. It's nice they have a water station so you don't have to wait around for water, but it's hard to get to when everyone's waiting around for their buzzer to go off and hanging out in this area. The one nice thing is if you order a froyo, you can pick it up at the end with your receipt. The problem is if they're doing multiple things, they can't remember what you're standing there and waiting for. Food: Fries - worth the $5 price tag. Since it's fried in beef tallow, it's very crispy, even though they're on the thick side. They don't give you any ketchup or anything, so you have to go to the register to get some packets. I saw people at other tables with containers of sauce, but I have no idea what they were or what they were for. Salad - light, refreshing. Worth the $9. Lots of ingredients and pretty sizeable as well. Definitely flavorful, too. Highly recommend. Maillards Burger - so disappointing. With the whole Internet saying what a great burger it is, it's really nothing special. The burger patty was dry, even the cheese and the pickles couldn't save it. The bun was soft, I'll give it that, but overall really disappointing. All the flavors were mashed together and not distinguishable. Maybe because I'm a texture person, everything just seemed like one conglomerate. Bird's eye burger - my friend and I felt the same about this burger as the maillards - the patty was very dry and i didn't catch a single whiff of the ginger herb salad (you can't even see it in the picture), and it was hardly spicy. Summer cheesecake mix - this was probably the best thing of all the things we got. There was ample pieces of "pie crust" that made it crunchy, the strawberry compote wasn't overly sweet. The soft serve was a little more watery than my personal preference. Overall I feel like this has rave reviews because it's all over the internet and nobody wants to give it a bad rating, but I spoke to several people about it and a few felt the same about its unimpressive nature and one of my friends said we were blasphemous. Anyway, you can judge for yourself if it's worth it. I might go back for the radlers, but that's about it.

Super delicious vegan place only steps from the opera house!…read more We went here for dinner after seeing the Barber of Seville matinee and were super impressed with the options and the ambiance this place provided. We sat at the bar and it was relatively quiet though by the time we left there was a line forming at the door to get in. We got a few drinks, "crab" arancini, "Chk'n" Paella, and the "Choriqueso" Empanadas. Our favorite was the paella - the skewers were really delicious - although everything on the menu looked and tasted good. Could not tell anything was vegan. Would definitely come back and try a few of the other dishes!

A great spot offering plenty of gluten-free and vegan options near Civic Center!…read more My friend and I stopped by this spot on a Friday during Happy Hour to grab some quick bites. Since this is near the Civic Center, spots are limited, so public transit is the best way to get here! Inside was very aesthetically pleasing and inviting, with the windows stretching up the wall to the ceiling, and a modern bar. At that moment, we weren't really looking for drinks, just bites, so I do not have any opinions yet on their drink selection. We ordered the "crab" arancini, which came with jackfruit, lemon garlic, salsa macha aioli, and guajillo, and the barbacoa nachos. The arancini was okay, and did not stand out as much as I would have liked. The panko crust on it was on the thicker side, so it had a bit of a harder exterior, but I will say I did like how well the jackfruit was incorporated and added depth to the dish. I wish that I could taste a bit more of that lemon in the lemon garlic. The barbacoa nachos were delicious, and I liked how they paired the nachos with jalapenos and pickled onions for a nice flavor composition. The jackfruit blended well and added some savory, "meaty" flavoring to the dish that worked. Overall, for a restaurant that specializes in vegan food, this was a great choice! I thought the service was great as well, and they were very accommodating to our party when it came to dietary needs, which is always appreciated.

Just had a great pop-up experience with these chefs via feastly (they have a monthly pop-up). The…read morecuisine is interesting and is a fusion of Asian and Mexican influences with a focus on sourcing materials locally (within 100 miles).

I've been to several of their events. Such amazing food and a unique experience! The chef takes the…read moretime to share the inspiration and preparation for each of the dishes. My favorite dishes include the tuna poke on plantain pancakes, braised pork belly, salad, and spring rolls. I highly recommend that you check out one of their events. I leave each dinner looking forward the next.

Some of the best noodles I've had! I can see why there's a waitlist. The noodles are delicious, the…read moresauce is the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and creamy. I like the extra crunchy element for added texture. You can taste every single ingredient in the sauce. It was also very easy to make, the instructions were clear and easy to follow. The only cooking needed is boiling the noodles, then you mix all the other ingredients together for the sauce. Definitely worth it to check out!

I was shocked to read about the long waitlist years ago and I never bother to put my name on it…read more Not only I have to wait for years but I also have to cook the noodles myself - thanks but no thanks - especially I spent way too much money on kickstarter for a series of failed projects/scams in the past. But my sister had enough faith in him that she put her name down in the waitlist a couple years ago. A few days before Valentine's day in 2026, my sister got the email asking her to confirm her order quantities and to pick up on Valentine's day. Apparently, my sister completely forgot her order. lol! This guy have more integrity than kickstarter projects and to keep his promise and to fulfill the orders!!! It's my first time having sweet water noodles. I have never visited Cheng Du in China (it's on my bucket list) so I cannot tell how authentic this really is. As a noodle dish, I really love it. I would buy the sauce itself and toss with any other noodles. (Business opportunity there!) The instruction to cook the noodles is super clear and it's a very simple and easy dish to make. If you can boil water in a pot, you can make the noodles based on the instruction with this noodles kit. The rice crispy gave an excellent crunch. (Now I can see why Paik Jong Won added the uncooked instant noodles crumbs from the package to a bowl of instant noodles). The noodles texture is lovely, it has a chewy (or the Taiwanese/Chinese known as "QQ") bite to it. The portion is quite generous too - it's one of those satisfying portions :) I don't think I want to wait for 2 years for this again. But when he opens the store or start selling the sauce, I will be there for sure!!

prob the best burger in sf other than super duper. awesome vibes in the store as well, loved the…read moredecor.

We visited Smish Smash inside IKEA, and the ambiance was nice, clean, and welcoming. The location…read moreis convenient, especially if you're already shopping there. We ordered the Signature (vegan) burger and the OG, and both were good. The grilled onions were absolutely amazing and added a lot of flavor to the burgers. My only suggestion would be to offer fresh jalapeños instead of pickled ones, as I think they would complement the burgers even better. The burgers were tasty, satisfying, and reasonably priced. We also tried the banana pudding, which was enjoyable and made for a nice sweet ending to the meal. Overall, a solid burger spot with good food, fair prices, and a clean atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try!

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal here and recommend others try it out, especially if you're…read morelooking for a lazy bear-esque experience without the lazy bear price. Pros: -good service and pacing of courses -incredible and interesting flavors -great company at the communal table -helpful descriptions in between each course and you can see them preparing each dish Cons: -location is out of the way in Bayview -the pop up is in a sake distillery and it was cold inside. Might be nice to add some mood lighting or something to improve the ambience as well.

Wonderful omakase experience for a crab lover. This is a 6…read morecourse meal. My fave is the chawanmushi with fish roe, clean yet super smooth Steam crab is sweet, fresh taste with wonderful butter sweet dip ( sambal is a nice side kick to clean the palate) Cold Soba crab with zest tangerine with mustard dressing. Enough portion, not to fill u up, but to awaken your hunger to taste more of the upcoming dishes Attentive services, not rush with informative of each dishes. Truly appreciate this! I wish I can have a warm green tea to pair with the meals Am I goong to come back or bring friend? Yes!

INCREDIBLE! My boyfriend and I went for their "Summer Love Part II" menu in July and everything was…read moreperfect. Chef EJ and his crew gave the best service and the ambiance was very cozy and relaxed. Reservations are really hard to get as there are only about 8 seats; but for a good reason! It's such an intimate experience watching them do their magic all while being very attentive to their guests. Every dish was filling and was packed with so much flavor. Definitely a must try experience!! Will definitely come here again at our next visit to SF!

Have you ever experienced something that while it was happening, you already wish it could be for…read morethe first time again? Filipino-Japanese fusion has been a tried and true combination, including my boyfriend and I's relationship (ba dum tss). However, Ox and Tiger have MASTERED the fusion aspect. Ox and Tiger is an intimate dining experience, with 8 seats, and gorgeous plating, menu, and cute chopstick rests! Comes with 3 courses with an additional 4th add-on. They also have a drinking menu, and they noted that the menu changes every 2 months (every even month!) EJ is such a wonderful story teller, and Hitomi (who created the menu for the month of May) had a great twist on everyday classics in Japanese cuisine. As the dishes were prepared and presented, EJ would tell the backstory on the dish(es), a personal note about each, and Hitomi's take on it to sweeten the deal. As soon as the experience starts, EJ tells us that the doors will be locked to prevent any distractions from outside (aka if you're late, you're outta luck), but we were encouraged to go outside for air if necessary. (I tried taking these notes on the food while EJ was talking about each dish so bear with me). ESL lunch The backstory was that Hitomi loved caesar salad while going to school in America, so she created a "perfect bite" with a Japanese twist to it. The word "gomoku" literally translates to "5 ingredients," to which I was only able to remember 2 of 5 of the vegetables, which were snappeas and roasted beets, with quinoa and tinapa (smoked fish). The fish that was used wae a cured Spanish makerel. T.A.M.M.Y I wish I remembered the words for this, but this is actually Hitomi's English name when she moved to the states. The acronym aspect was for the class at the time to think of ways to learn to like their name (each letter was a positive attribute and I can't remember what EJ said). The backstory to this was that Hitomi, being born and raised in Japan, was actually the biggest fan of California roll - did not like traditional sushi (or raw fish for that matter). - T.A.M.M.Y. is Hitomi's take on that. This was monk fish, with the fish scraps dipped into dashi sauce and kyuri (Japanese cucumber). In other words, no part of the fish was wasted in the making of this dish (in true Japanese AND Filipino fashion). This also had pinipig (granola-like topping glazed in shoyu) [Shoyu = soy sauce] Omiotsuke Now this is where I was blown away. First of all, I did not know what the hell this word was in English, but I watched every part of this dish being prepared and was even more confused when it was presented as dessert. When EJ started explaining, it made all the sense in the world. There is a tofu skin roll, vanilla ice cream, a mushroom topping, cherry miso compote concoction (this is where I butchered the exact creation - this is where the flavor was distracting me from what it actually was). Did you notice the ingredients? What is one thing one will eat at any Japanese restaurant, almost as a courtesy/complimentary item? Omiotsuke is, as polite as one could possibly say, is miso soup. This is Hitomi's take on miso soup, the flavor was spot on. I never thought to pair dashi-like flavors with ice cream (there is already shoyu with vanilla ice cream, but this was a flavor sensation). EJ was so kind when my boyfriend and I admitted we came for an anniversary, and we even got to see his reaction when we said we were also Japanese/Filipino (I'm also an Ox, but no Tigers here). They took this lovely photo of us to commemorate the evening, which sits on our fridge to this day. Again, gochiso-salamat :) to EJ and staff! We hope to come back soon.

I saw online that this place is one of the most sought after reservations on Open Table. I tried my…read moreluck at getting a reservation and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to get a reservation! Reservations open 3 weeks in advanced at noon. Walk ins are also welcome. One note is that parking can be a bit challenging so get there a bit early. The inside is lively and filled me with so much nostalgia with the decor. The staff is really attentive and friendly. I also appreciate the free peanuts and cucumber salad that you get when you're seated. My boyfriend and I ordered a lot of food because we wanted to try so many things! The lamb skewer was super moist and had a nice flavor. The XO escargot with milkbread had a nice buttery, garlic taste. The milk bread was fluffy and when dipped in the sauce it tasted very rich. We also got the clay pot rice and it reminded me of when I had it in China. The rice was crispy at the bottom and well seasoned. My favorite dish of the night was the squab. It was cooked excellently and the skin was really crispy. The five spice powder on the side really brought out the flavor of the meat. The eggplant was cooked well and portion was good but it didn't stand out as much as the other dishes. Overall, I would visit this place again. It definitely lives up to the hype. The squab and and clay pot rice were the stand outs to me but all the other food was really tasty as well.

I saw a random 9:15pm reservation for 2 available, so I snagged it, excited for this very hyped…read morerestaurant. Was it worth it? Honestly, I think I have to readjust my expectations for the SF food scene. If there were no wait/reservation, I would think of this as a very solid restaurant (hence the 4 stars). The beef chow fun is on par with ones I'd get in NYC Chinatown, and was actually not very overpriced. Our server was very sweet but only recommended things that my friend did not love (seafood/spicy food). I was excited for the spicy cabbage, hoping it'd be comparable to the addictive spicy cabbage at Uluh (NYC). I was disappointed. The popcorn chicken was a bit dry; I would not get it again. The mapo spaghetti had heat, but not much flavor, and it was okay for me - worth getting because it sounded intriguing, but fell short of my expectations, especially since I've made mapo udon, mapo ramen, and mapo pie at home that were better. The escargots with milk bread was definitely my favorite; sourcing escargot alone is a plus and it was very well-executed. The milk bread was fantastic, pillowy and soft. Our server was very nice and offered to move us to the cute window seats after we were already seated at the counter, which I really appreciated. However, would I spend energy trying to get a reservation here or waiting in line? Absolutely not. It makes me sad to think that this is the pinnacle of Cantonese food in this city full of Cantonese people, but I guess it makes me extra appreciate food in NYC.