Best 6 Dishes You Must Order At San Francisco’s Hottest Restaurants

From truffle sliders to roasted bone marrow, these are the most delicious dishes you must order at San Francisco's hottest restaurants.

Bone-in Filet Mignon from Bobo’s

Frequently voted as the best steakhouse in San Francisco, Bobo’s offers high quality beef that has been dry-aged for 4-6 weeks and pan-seared with a hint of rosemary and garlic. This process enhances the flavor and tenderness of the beef, resulting in one of the best steaks ever eaten. The melt-in-your-mouth, juicy bone-in filet mignonis an absolute must. Order a side of twice-baked potatoes stuffed with zucchini, chives, and fontina cheese to compliment the dish.

Mini Royal Dorian from The Dorian

The Oscar Wilde-inspired restaurant in SF’s Marina District pays homage to a bygone era, a place where you can savor classic American fare. The Dorian began its brunch service in November, featuring sweet and savory bites like fluffy buttermilk berry pancakes and fried chicken & waffles. But the highlight here is the Mini Royal Dorian, a slider version of the famous Royal Dorian, which features a generous portion of peekytoe crab and black truffle on top of juicy beef patty.

Smoked Bone Marrow from RN 74

Located in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, RN74 highlights the cuisine and wine of France’s Burgundy region. The Smoked Bone Marrow is the perfect dish for the table. The rich, creamy bone marrow, topped with smokey oxtail marmalade, Vadouvan butter, and lemon confit with thickly sliced, toasted sourdough bread on the side, oozes so much intense flavors as it melts in your mouth.

Pizza Bianca from Americano’s

Dine with a view at this waterfront restaurant with sweeping, panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. Americano’s specializes in handcrafted, soulful Italian dishes created using seasonal ingredients from local purveyors. The Pizza Bianca, topped with house-made chorizo, meyor lemon, leek, and ricotta salata on thin, crispy flat bread, bursts with flavors.

Tap Burger from Tap 415

Tap 415, a modern urban eatery located inside the Westfield Centre Mall, offers a unique menu of American favorites with a twist. The signature Tap Burger is jam-packed with tempura bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickled red onion, and juicy, medium-rare beef patty sandwiched in between soft buns topped with sesame seeds and smeared with togarashi remoulade.

Chickpea Panisse from Gather

Whether you are a vegan or an omnivore, you will find something delicious at Gather, a farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of downtown Berkeley. The vegan-friendlyChickpea Panisse is an absolute delight. The chickpea fries, which flaunt delicate, crispy exterior with soft, creamy interior, are complemented by flavorful black bean puree, crushed garbanzos, cabbage slaw, cashew, sultana, and ancho chili.

The Most Reviewed Business on Yelp: NYC Halal Guys

I use Yelp  all the time to search for restaurants nearby, read real people reviews, and look at photos. Possibly the most reviewed places of all time on this popular website is 53rd & 6th Halal Cart, also known as Halal Guys. To date, the food cart in New York City has a whopping 2,933 reviews!

Halal Guys is a New York City landmark. It is even listed as one of the top spots you must visit when in the city. In a city where the price of Big Mac is more expensive than most places, Halal Guys caters to those who are looking for quick and cheap, yet filling, meal on-the-go.

When I arrived at the corner of 53rd and 6th during lunch time, the line extended for about a block. Nonetheless, the workers adorned in bright yellow shirts were super efficient so the line moved really fast. When you approach the front of the line, the guy asks you, "Chicken, Lamb, or Combo?" ($6) Since it was my first time, I decided to try the combo. You can also get falafel if you oppose meat.

The Halal guys fill the round silver tin with orange Spanish rice (food coloring?), a bed of iceberg lettuce, and chicken & ground lamb. He also put three pieces of warm pita. I decided to get the signature "red sauce" and "white sauce" on the side with a little bit of BBQ sauce.

When I opened the lid, the smell was pungent. MSG overload? I couldn't believe how much food they packed in that tin. I scooped some rice and bit into the minced lamb, which just tasted like mushed meatball. The chicken wasn't much better because it was really overcooked and dry.

The pita had sprinkles of seasoning, and I appreciated that it was warm. I only had about a quarter of the meal because my stomach was filling a bit queasy. I am not used to food with such strong artificial flavors. I guess having the most reviews on Yelp doesn't mean that the place is delicious.

 

NYC Restaurant Week 2012: Protein-Rich Mediterranean Feat at Ilili

For NYC Restaurant Week 2012, I made a vow to explore cuisines I have never tried before, including Russian food from Brasserie Pushkin. For my second stop, I decided to try Ilili, "a contemporary Lebanese restaurant offering inspired Mediterranean cuisine," in Flatiron.

When my friend and I arrived at 6, the restaurant was already packed with foodies taking advantage of the Restaurant Week. Shortly after being seated, the waiter brought us amuse-bouche of seasoned pita chips and yogurt & olive oil based dip with olives.

The pita chips were crispy and dusted with savory seasoning that I really enjoyed. The yogurt dip was a bit too thick, and the olive oil made it even richer.

Lebanese cuisine is pretty heavy on carb. The waiter brought three pieces of warm, freshly-baked pita bread. I wonder what made them puff like this...The inside of the bread was soft and chewy.

The restaurant week at Ilili offered two appetizers from the list. For my first appetizer, I chose Kibbe Naye, or steak tartare with onion, burghul, and mint on a shallow pool of olive oil.

The presentation of the dish was satisfactory. I personally love the scent of mint, so I thought the leaves on top was a nice touch to the steak tartare. When people think of steak tartare, most people think it is just raw meat. However, this dish had bites of grounded ginger, garlic, cloves, scallions, and other vegetables mixed into the meat itself. I couldn't really taste the burghul, but the pickled onions on top were quite refreshing.

My second appetizer was Chicken Livers with pomogranate molasses, lemon, and sumac. The dish had a huge portion! And to think that this was only the appetizer...The chicken livers were served in a hot iron skillet.

Livers have a distinct bitter aftertaste. The meat is also much denser and the texture is slightly grainy. The sauce used for the dish was similar to soy sauce except with the same stickiness of teriyaki sauce. It made for a great dipping sauce for the pita bread.

My friend chose Mouhamara, walnut and red pepper dip, for one of herr appetizers. These are balls of walnuts and sundried peppers with pomogranate molasses.

This is a Falafel dish with tahini sauce. Falafels that I have seen in the past are usually round balls of fried garbanzo beans, but these were cube shaped and made with fava beans. They were garnished with shreds of bell peppers and chives.

The waiter was kind enough to pace our meals so that our stomachs are somewhat digested by the time the next course came to the table. After we finished our grand appetizers, the waiter brought our entrees. He poured fermented aleppo nage over char-grilled Black Bass. FYI, a nage is a flavored liquid used for poaching delicate foods. The broth is usually flavored with white wine, vegetables, and herbs, and then reduced and thickened with cream or butter.

My friend said the dish was very light. Because I am lactose-intolerant and the sauce had butter/cream, my stomach probably would not have been happy had I consumed this dish.

Instead, I got the Lamb Chops with salsa verde and roasted tomatoes. Although the Restaurant Week prix fixe menus are $35, this entree required a $7 supplement. The plate was presented with two racks of lamb with fresh greens on top.

I must have been protein-deprived. Now that I look back, I have ordered all dishes super heavy in protein! From steak to chicken to lamb...well, I certainly am glowing in front of my lamb chops.

Unfortunately, right when I placed the knife over my lamb chops, I realized that the meat had been cooked medium! I am a rare/raw meat eater (see steak tartare above), so without even taking a bite, I asked the waiter if I could get it cooked rare instead.



The second plate of lamb chops cooked much faster. Sadly, the lamb chops were also smaller and much fattier. I had to navigate through so much fat that I am pretty sure the actual consumption of lamb meat was less than 4 oz. The lamb chops were also served over a bed of olive oil, which I thought was completely unnecessary. It is already loaded with fat, so there is no need to add more! Overall, the meat was just too heavy for my liking.

Ilili only offered one dessert: Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. It was by far the ugliest dessert I have ever seen at an upscale restaurant. On a round plate was a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream and a round chocolate cake. The server brought out a cauldron of chocolate sauce and poured it over the dessert. It just seemed too messy.

Since I can't have dairy, I got a trio of raspberry sorbet. It was a refreshing way to wrap up my otherwise extremely heavy dinner. The flavors of raspberry were very strong. Overall, my experience at Ilili peaked too high to begin with that it only had a downward path to go.

Carnivore's Heaven at Cook Out NYC

While looking for a fun event to enjoy with my brother this weekend, I came across Cook Out NYC, a second annual outdoor grilling event that features food samples from different restaurants in New York, unlimited beer, live music, and kimchi-eating contest. The 10-minute ferry ride to Governor's Island led us to the event location. Peaking at 103 degrees, it was the hottest day of the summer, but I could care less at the site of all the food under the tents!

The event sponsor tents were along the side of the venue. Normally, these would be crowded as well, but not at Cook Out NYC because people were more interested in getting cooked food rather than packaged KIND bars, Pop Chips, etc.

They opened the venue right at 11:30am. People swarmed in to try out all the food! Here, a grill master from Zio is cooking pork belly! I felt bad for him...he must be sweltering right next to the fire!

The event also included a food competition in which the visitors as well as judges critiqued the food items and chose their favorites.

Pork Belly and Fig. I don't eat pork, but my brother said the meat was really fatty and didn't enjoy it very much.

So many sausages!!! I wish they were bite-size instead.

Cajun Ken & the Penthouse Boys served BBQ Chicken and Sausage with "XXX" & Slap My Cajun Ass Creole Hot Sauces.

The chicken and the sausage was slightly dry without the BBQ sauce.

The burnt part from the grill was so delish!

...well, maybe not that burnt. Oops!

This is John Brown Smokehouse aka "Brisket King of NYC" Grilled Lamb Sausage with Spicy Slaw. The lamb sausage had denser texture than regular sausages.

Skirt Steak with Vinegary Slaw and Jalapeno Relish

Yum! I loved the slaw and the juicy, tender brisket.

Mama O’s Spicy Kimchi and Bar Bruno’s Taco served Spicy Kimchi Tacos.: Marinated hanger steak,grilled and served in a warm corn tortilla topped with kimchi,pico de gallo and grated radish. They really should have put a warning sign because even without the extra habanero or chipotle sauce, the taco was extremely spicy!

My mouth was absolutely burning for a long time...The tacos lost all of their flavors because the kimchi was extremely spicy. Good thing they were selling bottles of water ($2 each) right next to the booth! This taco won “The Food High Award” presented by two food writers.

Sliders from STK OUT, a burger establishment in Midtown West, were exiquisite! It took a while for the burgers to be served, but these treats were well worth the wait.

Medium-rare beef topped with cheese, a pickle, and a tomato are in between black sesame-topped buns. The patty was great quality, and the buns were toasted on a grill as well.

Another great burger! This is Alobar's Ground Wild Boar Burger with Green Salsa, which took home people's choice award for Best Slider. The burgers were full-size so my brother and I decided to share one, but it was so tasty that we both went for seconds.

I have never had a wild boar burger before. It tasted similar to turkey burger, but much more flavor and juicier. The green salsa definitely made the burger 100 times better.

Just really dry hamburger patty on a boring bun...not impressed at all.

Simultaneously happening with Cook Out NYC was a hot dog competition with six stations featuring Sabrett’s Hot &Spicy Hot Dogs with toppings from Sir Kensington Ketchup, My Friend’s Mustard, Sabrett’s Classic Onion Sauce, Chili from Lucky 777 Chili, a kimchi dog, and a special entry by Chef Josetth Gordon. The winners were decided by popular vote at the end of the event. This dog is from My Friend's Mustard: Sabrett’s Hot and Spicy Frankfurter topped with Tomatillo-Radish Slaw & Agave-Sixpoint IPA Mustard. It won 3rd place in the contest.

The Judge's choice award went to Rich Pinto Catering for its Vietnamese-inspired hot dog.

Not sure what this is...doesn't look too appetizing.

Chef Josetth's Piquant Celery Slaw with Currants won Best Sabrett’s Hot Dog topping on Saturday. People must have liked the cool, crisp texture of celery on such a hot day.

BBQ drumstick in some sort of sweet sauce. I try to eat chicken breast because it's healthier, but I have to admit that drumstick and thigh are the best parts of chicken :)

Pulled Pork Tacos with Cilantro, Tomatillo in soft corn tortilla. The meat was a little dry.

Jimmy’s No. 43's Sirloin steak with chimichurri sauce was the WINNER of "Best in Show." Hmm I can't agree with the decision at all because I thought the sirloin was flavorless and dry, while the green chimichurri sauce was plain oily.

Grilled Cheese...such a comfort food! Unlike other grilled cheese I've had, this one was not too greasy. Inside the toasty bread is a mixture of gruyere and other cheese with caramelized onions.

The heat from all the grilling probably raised the nearby temperature by 5 degrees...regardless, I really enjoyed the afternoon in the sun while dining out on lots and lots of grilled food!