The Best New(ish) San Francisco Restaurants 2017
I want to start off by saying sorry for the long gaps between my posts the past couple months! Life has been crazy hectic (as I'm sure it has been for everyone). During my break from blogging, I was applying for jobs, then I started a new job (which is why you no longer see me spending all day eating with HungryHungryHeeJin anymore), I moved to a new apartment, and I've been having constant issues with technology (yay!). So time has been flying by and before I knew it, over a month had passed since I last posted.
Where does time go?? Because I'm sure we could all use more of it.
Anyways, I've decided to roundup a list of new(ish) restaurants in the city that are definitely worth trying! By newish I mean they're less than a year old. Let me know if you have any favorite newish restaurants that didn't make my list in the comments! I would love to try them.
Listed in order of most recently opened:
Salt & Straw (April 2017) - The long-awaited Portland-based ice cream shop has finally opened in the Bay! I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with co-founders, Kim and Tyler Malek, during which I tasted all 17 flavors. They've created 5 flavors exclusive to SF that include partnerships with local, artisanal food purveyors. The flavors are as creative as it gets with Green Apple and Mayo being one of the SF specific flavors. It may sound weird, but it was surprisingly good, like all of the other flavors. I've learned to trust Tyler with his flavor combinations. I once wanted just a scoop of the Olive Oil & Lemon Custard but he insisted that I try it with the Strawberry Coriander Leaf Sorbet and that was probably the best advice I've ever listened to. I'm also obsessed with the Roasted Strawberry Tres Leches and Peach Vinegar Cobbler with Toasted Nutmeg flavors. Basically, I just like all of their flavors.
ROOH (February 2017) - Modern Indian cuisine is becoming the next big thing in SF and I'm liking this trend. Within this past year, there's been quite a few modern Indian restaurants that opened in the city but ROOH is at the top of my list. If you watch my Insta stories, you'll notice that I've been there a lot recently so I've tried quite a few dishes. I'm a big fan of their Vegetarian Tasting Platter since it gives a good sampling of different dishes. Everything here is creative, beautifully plated, and bursting with flavor. I have yet to try their 7-course tasting menu but have only heard good things about it. ROOH is not your average Indian restaurant so be ready to pay a little more than what you would normally spend on Indian food.
P.S. Word on the street is that they're launching a new Sunday brunch menu starting April 30th and you better bet that I'll be there. I've never considered Indian food for brunch and can't really imagine what it would consist of so I can't wait to see what they have planned.
Garden Creamery (January 2017) - Chimney cones have finally made it to SF! Never heard of a chimney cone? It's baked dough coated in cinnamon sugar and they're heavenly. Because what could be better than dough and sugar?? However, the chimney cones are only offered on Saturdays from 2-4pm so make sure to note that when making plans to visit. Garden Creamery actually started off as a truck and then they recently expanded to open a store. Owners Erin and Donny are the sweetest (just like their ice cream. Hah). Erin grew up in Hawaii so they have really unique flavors that are Asian and Hawaiian inspired including Butter Mochi Toasted Sesame, Genmaicha, Kona Coffee, Coconut Pandan, and soo many more. They even have vegan sorbet that's made with coconut milk so it's super creamy and just as good as their ice cream.
Surisan (December 2016) - Nothing can slow down the owners of Sweet Maple, Blackwood, Kitchen Story and Berkeley Social Club as they continue to expand! Surisan is probably the best kept secret in SF right now. Surisan has a similar brunch menu to its sister restaurants but without the long wait. As for dinner, they have amazing Korean fusion options that won't disappoint. The Black Cod with Mushroom Medley basically melted in my mouth, it's that good. I also enjoyed the Hamachi Flower, which combined yellowtail with apple and mango. Surisan is a little more upscale but their dinner menu is my favorite out of all their restaurants...not that I'm playing favorites or anything. Can't wait to go back for brunch!
Flores (November 2016) - From the Back of the House restaurant group that owns El Techo...and a bunch of other popular SF restaurants. I listed El Techo in my Best Brunch in SF post and I was so excited to hear that Flores recently started serving brunch too. The menu at Flores has a few similar dishes to El Techo but still offers different items as well. I started off the brunch with a Watermelon Agua Fresca and the Vida Fuerza, which is a cold brew mixed with coconut milk and cinnamon. Both were so addicting that I considered a liquid brunch for a hot second. But then the Pancake de Elote and Guac came out and I got over that liquid brunch idea real quick. After, I moved on to the Huarache, Flores Ranchero, the Revuelto, and the Ensalada Verde (it's all about a healthy balance right?). Out of those 4 dishes, my favorite was definitely the Ranchero. I was thoroughly stuffed after basically eating 5 entrees but then they brought out the churros and it was game over. I told myself I would only have 1 churro just to try it, but then they were so good that I couldn't stop eating them and practically finished the plate. #noregrets
Tawla (June 2016) - There aren't many Eastern Mediterranean restaurants in SF (that aren't fast-casual), so thank goodness for Tawla for filling that void. The food at Tawla, as described by owner Azhar, is the kind of food you'll only find in the locals' homes if you were to visit the Eastern Mediterranean region compared to the street food tourists usually end up eating when they visit. Tawla's menu includes a California influence in the sense that they use seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients. All the dishes I tried were delicious but if there's one thing you order, it should be the House Bread with the different dips. Azhar joked that the bread is really the center of the meal and everything else just accompanies it. So...bread for dinner? Fine by me! Other highlights included the Fattoush Salad, Mujadara, Fried Baby Favas (!!), and the Spring Peas. I basically licked all the plates clean... It can get a bit pricey if you want to try multiple dishes (because everything on the menu sounds so good), but if you bring some friends and split everything, it will be worth it.
Aina (April 2016) - I made an exception for the "less than a year old" rule just for Aina because they're right on the 1 year cut off and plus they're too good not to include. Aina started off as a pop-up in 2015 but it was so popular that they opened a brick and mortar space a little over a year later. Aina is known for their Hawaiian brunch but they recently launched their dinner menu which is just as good, if not better, than their brunch. For brunch, I tried the Guava Malasadas and Smoked Honshimeji & King Oyster Mushrooms but I kind of wish I had gone with the Taro French Toast or Banana Bread for my entree instead. As for dinner, I had the Okinawan Sweet Potato Gnocchi (I love all things made with purple sweet potato) and the McFarland Spring Trout and both were mouthwatering. Make sure to save space for dessert because you don't want to miss the Baked Matcha Mochi Cake! Everything here is presented so beautifully so definitely the perfect spot to get those pretty IG pics.
