Good Taste helps you eat better in the Bay Area. This week, I’m sharing my 10 favorite new food experiences in San Francisco that opened this year, and getting really hungry in the process.
Takeout sushi from Aji Kiji
I’m a huge fan of the rise of high-quality takeout sushi places in the region, and my new favorite is Aji Kiji (1552 Fillmore Street), a to-go only counter from the restaurant group that also owns the neighboring Korean restaurant Bansang and the beef galbijjim specialist Daeho around the counter. It opens five days a week at 11am and is often sold out within an hour on Saturdays, so you’ll want to go early pretty much any day.
My friends and I went on my birthday and brought our treasure boxes to the communal tables at Japan Center across the street, where we stopped traffic with their beauty. We weren’t the only ones having Aji Kiji’s omakase, futomaki rolls, and sashimi over rice for breakfast there, either. A new celebratory tradition was born this year, and I’m so appreciative of Aji Kiji’s opening as well as the incredible comeback of Japan Center — my now and forever happy place in San Francisco.
Vegan grazing at Saluhall
Massive respect for IKEA for taking a chance on Market Street by opening a food hall and cooking school there this year. Unsurprisingly Saluhall (945 Market Street) is designed so well, I feel happy and calm when looking around inside or sitting down to eat. I appreciate that there is a balance of in-house concepts (such as Smörgåsland, the coffee and pastry powerhouse on the ground floor) as well as the second floor’s plant-forward locals, including the MOMO Noodle and Curry Up Now food trucks, Oakland’s vegan Mexican restaurant La Venganza and the Bay Area’s only vegan Puerto Rican concept Casa Borinqueňa.
I’ve seen Saluhall engage with the community in earnest ways, such as offering free vendor space at a recent holiday pop-up market. Foot traffic is a challenge in this still not-at-its-peak area, but Saluhall is well worth a visit. I truly hope it sticks around and gets more local support.
Submitting to the rules of Four Kings
As the national accolades for Chinatown’s Four Kings (710 Commercial Street) continue to flow in, it’s not getting any easier to get into the small but mighty Hong Kong and Cantopop-inspired cafe! Since I am not a gatekeeper, I shared five tips for getting into and enjoying Four Kings in this column in August that should still hold true, though. Even if you have to set a late night alarm to score a reservation or hop in a line before they open, it’s worth it for the thrill of eating there and making a meal out of mindblowing snacks.
Irving Street newcomers
Good Taste was first to report on Smokin D’s BBQ (2181 Irving Street) as a pandemic cottage food business in 2021, and it’s been exciting to see Mr. & Mrs. D set up a brick and mortar takeout space on Irving Street in the Sunset—leading off with BBQ pork and brisket bao and recently unveiling a full menu of meat by the pound and the early classic Spuddy Buddy, a brisket-stuffed baked potato. Another awesome Irving takeout newcomer this year is Steam Rice Roll King (2228 Irving Street), which makes the silkiest rice noodle rolls with customizable toppings for under $10. Irving has always been a quiet contender for best food street in town, and it’s only getting stronger with the introduction of the Sunset Night Market events on Irving between 19th and 26th Avenues.
Dining with the Duggans
I have never met the sibling restaurateur legends Elena and John Duggan, but have developed a real appreciation for their talent for consistently stellar and nostalgic design, hospitality, and the knack of finding talent to execute their neighborhood restaurants. The two new restaurants they opened this year, Elena’s Mexican Restaurant (255 West Portal Avenue) in West Portal and a Marina location of Little Original Joe’s (2301 Chestnut Street) feel like they’ve been part of their respective neighborhoods forever. I’m also immensely grateful that they’re keeping the Zanze family’s divine cheesecake legacy going by serving Zanze’s recipes in their restaurants and at markets.
Tamara publishes the California Eating website, newsletter, and zine.
