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4505 Burgers and BBQ, San Francisco

Posted on August 30, 2020

4505 Burgers and BBQ is run by chef and artisan butcher Ryan Farr. Ryan formerly was executive chef at Fifth Floor. He teaches butcher classes and serves up food at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. We saw them at the Eat Real festival in Oakland and on other occasions the Ferry building. They create homemade relishes, multi-national ’Zilla sauce, and even bacon-dressed chocolate desserts. They have since setup on Divisadero in SF’s Nopa neighborhood.

San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant To Go and Reopened List

Posted on June 10, 2020

The San Francisco Bay Area has been on shelter in place since March 16, 2020. Restaurants are only allowed to serve to go take out meals. Many have laid off staff and are in danger of closing. 20-40% of restaurants may close.

Phuket and Chiang Mai, Thailand Restaurant Reviews

Posted on April 3, 2020

Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in Thailand? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences.

Here is a compilation of more casual restaurants, snack places we visited during our 2020 Asia trip. Our goal was to find good eats at reasonable prices, primarily restaurants where locals go. We have no interest sampling cuisine that is done better at home in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is challenging on an expensive ‘island’, full of pricey tourist traps.

Singapore Restaurant Recommendations

Posted on March 24, 2020

Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in the Singapore? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences.

Here is a compilation of more casual restaurants, snack places we visited during our 2019 Asia trip. Our goal was to find good eats at reasonable prices, primarily restaurants where locals go. We have no interest sampling cuisine that is done better at home in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is challenging on an expensive ‘island’, full of pricey tourist traps.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Hong Kong

Posted on January 12, 2020

Better soup dumplings than Din Tai Fung?

McDonalds Next, Hong Kong

Posted on January 1, 2020

McDonalds opened this Next Generation store in Hong Kong in 2016, making it the only one of its kind in the world. Sleek modern black interior, self ordering kiosks, special Create Your Taste customizable burgers, special make to order salads, special items, table service, wireless chargers in the tables and more! They are open 24 hours. We returned to this location in 2020.

Bakesale Betty Review, Oakland

Posted on January 1, 2020

The Line

Foodnut Hong Kong Restaurant Reviews

Posted on January 1, 2020

Last Update: 2020

Foodnut travels, eats, and tells. We’re based in San Francisco but have flown all over the place. We love Chinese food and find some of the best in Hong Kong.

Erin McKennas Bakery NY – LA – Orlando – Best Vegan Bakery

Posted on October 15, 2019

Vegan – Gluten Free Heaven

Santa Ramen Review, San Mateo

Posted on September 1, 2019

Santa Ramen has a new owner in 2020.

Santa Ramen is a very popular Japanese noodle Ramen restaurant in San Mateo. Mr. Kazunori Kobayashi sold this location in 2020 but continues to be the proprietor of nearby Ramen Dojo and Parlor. Located in a small shopping mall with a Diddams Ninja Japanese supermarket, Party Supply and JoAnn’s Fabric, the restaurant has achieved a legendary cult following and has long lines at both dinner and lunch times. We have eaten here many times with our last visit in 2020.

B. Patisserie Review, San Francisco

Posted on June 1, 2019

Why did we dine here? – B. Patisserie is a new bakery from Belinda Leong. She is a veteran of Gary Danko and Manresa. We couldn’t wait to give her place a try.

New York City Restaurant Recommendations

Posted on April 26, 2019

Last Update: 4/19/2019

Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in New York? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences.

Pho Filet, Rosemead

Posted on January 30, 2019

Why did we dine here? – Far better Pho than San Francisco! The SGV (San Gabriel Valley) is home to some fine Asian cuisine. We passed by Pho Filet on our last trip and ate there in 2018. Only 3.5 stars on Yelp, but way up there in our books.

Top 5 Chicken Rice Dishes in Singapore

Posted on January 2, 2019

Last Update: December 2019

Chicken Rice is a legendary dish at Singapore’s food hawker centers. It consists of chicken cooked in pork and chicken stock, rice with chicken stock, and some vegetables. Dipping sauce is usually a hot chili dip or soy sauce with ginger. Occasionally they throw in a bowl of soup. We read several articles that state that this is the number 1 thing many people miss when they leave Singapore. Chicken Rice is a National dish for Singapore.

We arrive skeptics, but left believers.

Best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Posted on October 10, 2018

We love pizza and finally made the trek to Chicago to find what ‘real’ deep dish pizza tastes like. We find San Francisco’s best cannot compare..

Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia

Posted on August 21, 2018

Since 1892, this has been America’s oldest and largest public market. A perfect place for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Get exposed to Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch. A must visit for anyone into food and history! Some vendors close early, so beware. A lot more history to this food market than our Ferry Building.

Our Favorites stores:

Foodnut Cancun Restaurant Reviews

Posted on July 17, 2018

Last Update: 2018

Foodnut travels, eats, and tells. We’re based in San Francisco but have flown all over the place. We love Mexican food and find some of the best in Cancun.

We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of Cancun in 2018. Other reviews farther down are from previous trips. Cancun is a world class destination full of great food. Most of the Mexican food was superior to that in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service is on another level here.

Hanoi Street Food Tour Review

Posted on April 24, 2018

Hanoi Vietnam is known for its dynamic street food scene. The language and culture are definitely big barriers to going it on your own. A street food tour was definitely a must.

We took our hotel’s Street Food tour to sample the local restaurants in the Hanoi Old Quarter. This was a fun and useful tour. We dined at several places that we would have been scared to approach ourselves. The guide explained the different types of local food and asked us about specific items we wanted. It lasted about 3 hours, cost $30/per person and included all food and drinks. Cheaper than other tours we saw.

Shanghai Flavor Shop, Sunnyvale

Posted on March 9, 2018

Shanghai Flavor Shop is an inexpensive restaurant in a second rate strip mall. This diamond in the rough is located in sleepy Sunnyvale, and specializes in Shanghainese Chinese cuisine. To the right of this restaurant is the popular Indian Buffet: Sankranti

Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers, San Francisco

Posted on February 11, 2018

Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers Post St, San Francisco

Rave Burger Restaurant Review, San Mateo

Posted on January 5, 2018

Better burgers!

Rave Burger is a burger joint that opened October 2008 in downtown San Mateo. We were walking by and decided to give it a try to see how it rated. The provide sit down service in addition to to go food. They serve hamburgers, vegan burgers, hot dogs, and salads and a lots more now. We have been to Rave Burger several times over the years with our last visit in 2019.

McDonalds, Barcelona

Posted on December 4, 2017

We like dining at McDonalds at different countries around the world. What interesting items will we find. Our last trip was to Spain. We checked out the local McDonalds in Barcelona and found some interesting items.

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, Oakland – Berkeley

Posted on November 15, 2017

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza is a popular pizza restaurant in the San Francisco East Bay that serves Chicago style pizza. They have been packing them in for over thirty years. They serve select individual slices (Sausage, Pepperoni, Vegetarian) and whole pizzas, both thin and stuffed (thick) crust. The thick crust has filling between the layers. They also have half-baked pies and gluten free pies for sale. Our last visit was in Fall 2018.

Boston Restaurant Recommendations

Posted on September 4, 2017

Last Update: 7/20/2017

Travelling? Here is a Foodie research into Boston.. A list at the bottom shows other restaurants we would try next.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot Restaurant Review

Posted on June 15, 2017

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is a hot pot restaurant in downtown San Mateo, right across from Walgreen’s. Their soup base options have recently become more acceptable for mainstream Americans. This company has a couple locations in the USA and many more in Asia. Yum Asia (KFC, Taco Bell) actually owns this company.

Mensho Tokyo, San Francisco

Posted on March 20, 2017

Best Ramen in San Francisco. Why did we dine here? – Mensho Tokyo SF is first USA outpost of Mensho, an acclaimed Tokyo ramen chain. They have 7 locations in Tokyo and are usually on the short list for top ramen in Tokyo. We waited for the 2-hour lines to die down, before dining here.

ABC Cafe Restaurant, San Mateo

Posted on January 1, 2017

ABC Cafe is a casual Chinese eatery with two locations in San Francisco and a new one in downtown San Mateo. The parent company also owns ABC Seafood restaurants. We went to the new location about a week after it opened. They serve Hong Kong style Chinese American food. ABC Cafe is open into the wee hours of the morning. We have been here multiple times with our last visit in 2018. They have fallen to a lousy 2.5 stars on Yelp.

Pancho Villa Taqueria, San Mateo

Posted on November 29, 2016

Restaurant.com sells discounted Certificates for this restaurant.

Best Croissants in San Francisco

Posted on October 10, 2016

We sought to find the Best Croissants in San Francisco. Time to line up bright and early. Ah somebody has to do this right? Here are the top candidates for your consideration..

Xian Famous Foods, New York City

Posted on August 15, 2016

Why did we dine here? – Shockingly Good! Xian Famous Foods was made famous when Anthony Bourdain featured it on this TV show, No Reservations. The restaurant was recommended to us, so we had to add it to our NYC hit list. They have several locations in New York and Flushing, so we decided to eat at the Chinatown location as we were touring the city. In 2019 we ate at the West Village location.

Taqueria La Cumbre, San Mateo

Posted on February 16, 2016

Taqueria La Cumbre Mexican Restaurant has a location in San Francisco and San Mateo. We tried the one in San Mateo, located near Caltrain. They have everything from burritos to tacos to caldos to plates. The San Francisco location has lines often times. Our last visit was in 2017. The great thing about his place is the parking lot!

Tartine Bakery, San Francisco

Posted on February 13, 2016

There always seems to be a line here! Tartine Bakery, San Francisco serves up legendary freshly baked bread every Tuesday through Sunday at 430 PM. After the Tartine Manufactory opened in 2016, bread is available all day. They are also know for their great pastries and sandwiches.

The Chairman Restaurant and Food Truck, San Francisco

Posted on August 10, 2015

The Chairman (Formerly Chairman Bao) is a San Francisco food truck that serves Chinese steamed and baked buns with a variety of fillings. These are offshots of Taiwanese Gua bao or bun sandwich. When we were in Taiwan, it was difficult to find this old school dish. Our only Gua bao was ironically at the ritz Shin Yeh, Taipei 101.

Kingdom of Dumpling, San Francisco

Posted on July 18, 2015

Why did we dine here? – Kingdom of Dumpling is a small Chinese restaurant specializing in dumplings. Being large dumpling fans, we decided to finally give this place a try. There are few restaurants with this variety of dumplings on the menu. The place has been featured on Check Please, so it has become busier over the years. Lots of to go orders. Our last visit was in July 2016.

Pizzeria Mozza Review, Los Angeles

Posted on May 4, 2015

Why did we dine here? – Pizzeria Mozza is a popular Southern California Italian restaurant with Chef Nancy Silverton in partnership with star chef Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. We had it on our short list for our recent trip after a great meal previously at Osteria Mozza.

Jia Jia Tang Bao Review, Shanghai

Posted on March 9, 2015

Best xiao long bao in Shanghai?

Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) is a small but popular Shanghai steamed dumpling or Xiaolongbao shop in Shanghai. Our first visit was in 2010, our last in late 2014. In 4 years, the facade outside has improved, but we swear the interior is exactly the same.

Fu Chun, Shanghai

Posted on March 2, 2015

Why did we dine here? – Fu Chun is well known as one of the most authentic Xiao long Bao restaurants in Shanghai. They have been in existence for many decades. They have many locations around the city, (10 stores, mostly in shopping centers) we chose the one that was the closest to our hotel near People’s Square. Note: this location is slated to close as a new high end shopping center is displacing it. More progress.

Da Chun, Shanghai

Posted on February 23, 2015

Why did we dine here? – Da Chun is an old school Sheng jian bao restaurant. We love Yang’s Dumplings (Xiao Yang) and try to eat there everytime we visit Shanghai, but made sure we visit the harbinger of this genre. This restaurant has several locations, yet we chose the Da Shi Jie outpost as it is supposed to be the best.

Yang’s Dumpling, Shanghai

Posted on February 23, 2015

Dumplings worth flying across the Pacific Ocean for…

Yang’s Dumpling – Chinese name: 小杨生煎馆 or xiao yang sheng jian guan – is a small but popular fried dumpling shop serving pan fried pork bun or Sheng jian bao, a Shanghainese Chinese dish. It was formed in Shanghai in 1994 by Mrs. Yang, who still keeps her recipe secret. They have over 20 locations in Shanghai and are opening another more all the time. We dined at the closest location to our hotel near People’s Square.

Shihlin Night Market, Taipei Taiwan

Posted on February 9, 2015

The Shihlin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan is a must visit for food loving travelers. It is obviously located in the Shilin District of Taipei, just a couple blocks from the Jiantan MRT subway station. (Not Shihlin Station) This is the largest and most famous night market in the city and typically starts up around 4pm in the afternoon.

Hong Kong Lounge 2 Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on November 10, 2014

Hong Kong Lounge 2 is a small Chinese Restaurant located in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond district. The owner Annie Ho no longer owns the original Hong Kong Lounge. They opened in 2012 and serve dim sum at lunch time and are quite busy. We were nearby, had never tried them, and were looking for decent Chinese food at lunch time.

Jeffreys San Mateo Review

Posted on June 16, 2014

Jeffrey’s Hamburgers is a popular burger joint in downtown San Mateo open since 1997. They also have a location in Menlo Park. They serve American fast food including burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, salads, fries, and shakes. Seems like every town has a place like this, San Francisco has its Mel’s Drive in..

Fentons Creamery, Oakland and Vacaville

Posted on January 13, 2014

Fenton’s Creamery has been around since 1922 in Oakland. They produce their own ice cream and toppings batch by batch on site. They serve breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, salads, but the main draw is of course, ice cream. Their creations are simply huge. Even the kid’s ice creams are huge. Our last visit was to the Nut Tree Vacaville location in the spring of 2015.

Lai Hong Lounge Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on December 23, 2013

By Arnold Chan

Lai Hong Lounge Restaurant is a Cantonese Chinese restaurant on the outskirts of Chinatown. They have been around since the Lichee Garden closing, 2012. They are pretty popular for lunch, but it was much more quiet at dinner. We were in the neighborhood so we decided to try it out, being big Chinese food fans. This restaurant appears to be related to Hong Kong Lounge.

Lot 10 Hutong Restaurant Review, Kuala Lumpur

Posted on November 18, 2013

Why did we dine here? – Lot 10 Hutong has more than 30 of the country’s best eateries in the ground floor of a Kuala Lumpur shopping center, right in the heart of the city. Each needs to have been around for at least 40 years. This is the only heritage hawker center of its kind in Malaysia.
After having dined at a fancy restaurant, Bijan, which was very good but full of tourists and business folks, we felt it would be fun to a place like this to try lots of different foods. No need to taxi and walk all over town to sample all sorts of food.

Chabaa Thai Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on October 28, 2013

Why did we dine here? – Chabaa Thai is a Thai Restaurant in San Francisco’s Sunset District. We happened to be in the area, shopping at the great produce store next door. Looking on Yelp, nearby Marnee Thai and Chabaa are both rated four star for Thai. This restaurant does a lot of to-go business. Be sure to try Kin Khao.

Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe Restaurant Review, Emeryville

Posted on September 4, 2013

Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe is a diner in Emeryville, near the Home Depot shopping center, serving American food till 1am. Big breakfasts, salads, burgers, and sandwiches. Breakfast is served all day. It is owned by Billie Joe from rock band Green Day.

Turtle Tower Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted on August 24, 2013

Why did we dine here? – Turtle Tower is a popular Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco with several locations. Hà Nội Style Vietnamese Cuisine is their focus. We dined at the original, located in the heart of the gritty Tenderloin District of San Francisco. It moved down the block and reopened in June 2013 and added banh mi sandwiches. Our last visit was in February 2014.

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