Where to eat when...traveling around San Francisco

The best thing about San Francisco, California — more popular known as “The City” by long-time locals — is its acceptance of diversity, whether in terms of race, religion, and even sexual preference.

It’s not uncommon in SF to converse in English when ordering food, hear Spanish or Cantonese when walking down the street, and even get pulled into Filipino chismis you hear on a bus or train ride.

All photos by Stanley Baldwin See

The medley of culture and embrace of other people’s way of life has naturally influenced the food options in this side of the bay. Having districts with names such as Japantown, Chinatown, and Russian Hill, there are a myriad of pop-up shops, casual and fine dining restaurants, and food trucks that serve residents and visitors within San Francisco’s 47.9 square mile.

I've been living in The City for the past four months, and below are a few local dining spots that have tickled by taste buds so far:

Sam Wo (Chinatown)

Cantonese classics such as BBQ Pork Wonton Noodles can be had at San Wo.

Sam Wo, located on Clay Street a few meters away from the Transamerica Pyramid, is not only the oldest establishment in Chinatown; it's the oldest establishment in the entire city. This century-old institution is actually in its second location after its old venue was shutdown due to building safety and health code violations.

But Sam Wo 2.0 is still a hit among patrons who need to satisfy their cravings for Porridge or “Jook” (plain one costs $5.99), BBQ Pork-Wonton Noodle Soup ($7.25), six-piece Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings ($7.50), Tomato Beef or Duck Chow Mein ($8.99), or a plate of Yang Chow Fried Rice ($9.25).

Servings, like most American establishments, are huge and can easily feed two or three people. Other Chinese staples like Broccoli with Oyster Sauce ($7.99), various Chow Fun and Rice Plates, and Hong Kong-style milk tea drinks are also available. Water and hot tea are complimentary.

Sam Wo is located at 713 Clay St. San Francisco, CA 94108

Little Star Pizza (Mission District)

The best part about Little Star? A pizza can be divided into two flavors

I fell in love with the deep dish pizzas of Little Star few days into my US trip, and four months in, I'm still happily chowing down its crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside pizza.

With 14 options to choose from, you can have your deep dish or thin crust pizza ($22/$29) with two flavors split in the middle. Mixing the Meatball (meatball, ricotta cheese, onions, fresh mozzarella) and BBQ Chicken (Mary’s chicken, bbq sauce, red onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, bacon, jalapeños, cilantro, and green onions) was a good choice since none of us could decide on just one type.

Little Star Pizza is located at 846 Divisadero St. San Francisco, CA 94117

Kitchen Story (Castro)

Kitchen Story offers California cuisine with Asian influences. Breakfast and brunch options include Ribeye Omurice, eggs, oatmeal, and bottomless Mimosa.

Half of what makes Kitchen Story interesting is their Millionaire’s Bacon while the other half is their breakfast and brunch menu that includes bottomless Mimosa. Kitchen Story’s cuisine is defined as Californian with Asian Influence as can be seen in some of their dishes: Ribeye Omurice ($18), and Two Eggs with Millionaire’s Bacon ($18, served with butter croissant and rainbow potato).

Hotcakes, French toasts, burgers, paninis, and healthy options like steel-cut oatmeal ($12) and berry parfait ($13) are also available. In case you’re wondering, Kitchen Story’s Millionaire’s Bacon is a thicker-cut section of pork belly that has been smoked, baked, and finally drizzled with maple syrup. Yum!

Kitchen Story is located at 3499 16th St. San Francisco, CA 94114

Boudin (Fisherman’s Wharf)

Aside from clam chowder, Boudin Bakery’s sourdough bread can be eaten with other soups and stews like Chicken Pot Pie, Rustic Tomato, and Butternut Squash.

Fisherman’s Wharf is a must when traveling in San Francisco, and when there, a pipping-hot bowl of clam chowder is almost mandatory. Boudin Bakery, a 150-plus year old San Francisco institution not only makes its signature Clam Chowder inside a sourdough bread bowl ($7.19), but also has other soups and stews like Chicken Pot Pie ($10.29), Beef Stew ($10.49), Beef Chili ($8.44), Rustic Tomato and Butternut Squash (both $7.19)

One need not order a bowl of chowder in a sourdough bread bowl (can be in a paper cup) nor eat it alone; combo items like Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese ($9.39), Soup and Salad ($9.79), or Soup and Half Sandwich ($8.79) make for great options too.

There are multiple locations for Boudin Bakery but two are at Fisherman’s Wharf: Boudin Bakery & Cafe at Pier 39 and Bistro Boudin (and Boudin Museum) at 160 Jefferson St.

Señor Sisig

Jumping around daily from one location to another, Señor Sisig mashes Filipino and Mexican tastes and influences and elevates the humble Pinoy beer chow into mainstream America.

One food truck with a serious following, especially in downtown San Francisco and neighbouring Daly City is Señor Sisig, a Filipino-Mexican fusion that features an acceptable taste of the famous Pampanga dish. The meat, made from pork shoulder instead of parts of the head and presented in taco, burrito, on top of fries or nachos, salad, or simply with steamed rice, is tasty but calling it authentic would be a bit of a stretch.

Visit the Señor Sisig website for daily schedules and locations of Señor Sisig’s food trucks.

Humphry Slocome (Mission District)

Be sure to try several (if not all) flavours at Humphy Slocome before ordering.

It was a bit of a surprise to discover that San Francisco residents take their ice cream seriously. While most go to Mitchell’s to indulge their sweet tooth, I prefer the more modern approach and flavours of Humphry Slocombe on Harrison Street. One can try as many flavours before ordering a scoop or two; and with options such as Secret Breakfast (bourbon + cornflakes), Brown Butter, Pumpkin Hazelnut, Butterbeer, and Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple, it would be unwise not to go through the ice cream line-up. I suggest to have your order be placed in a cup with a cone on the side and have the best of both worlds.

Humphry Slocome is located at 2790a Harrison St. San Francisco, CA 94110

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