Let’s start with this is a small place but have accommodation for big parties down stairs. It’s loud in there. Food is nothing impressive Actually the ramen $16 ( very decent price) was disappointing, it was not spicy, it was served with an egg, green onions, tonkotsu and full of garlic :( cucumber salad also lacked in flavor! I won’t be a returning customer. It’s fun to go and enjoy the loud ambiance and eat average food… the service was fast and attentive so that’s a plus!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Roberto Aguilera
Food was nothing special, portion size enough for a child. Prizes too high for the portion size. One of the waitresses was not friendly at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings
Alex B
While visiting SF for the week we decided to stop here as there are many high reviews. If you don’t know real Asian food, this place is fine. If you really know Asian food, save your money.
The Pros: 1. Great atmosphere - candlelit tables, great music, nice interior design
The Cons: 1. The food - particularly the pot stickers and Mongolian beef
After living in Asia for nearly two years and tasting foods while traveling between Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Korea, I can say I’ve tried a few dishes.
- The pot stickers found from the Chubby Noodle look, feel, and taste like they’ve been made by someone trying a Food Network recipe for the first time to impress their new Asian girlfriend. You know, the kind where you say, wow that’s so sweet. But of course it needs a lot of work. Pot stickers are normally fairly delicate, juicy, but light. Don’t expect that here.
- Next was the Mongolian beef. Now, I didn’t try any other entrees from the menu but I’m sure they’ll all have a similar theme or flavor as this dish. As with the pot stickers, the noodles (from a restaurant focusing on noodles) felt like it was someone’s first time cooking the dish.
Overall, the look and feel of the place was really nice but unfortunately the food just doesn’t match the vibe. After tax and tip, pot stickers and one noodle dish ran us (2 people) nearly $50. I would’ve been much happier doing a Panda Express takeout for two at $24. It would’ve been the same quality for twice the quantity and half the price.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
S
I’m sorry but the food is just flat out mediocre to bad. Got the garlic noodles, firecracker chicken, and Hawaiian curry. Everything was shared between two people.
Firstly, the garlic noodles, which my partner and I agreed was the worst of the three dishes, and one of the worst garlic noodles I’ve personally ever had at a restaurant. Extremely disappointing considering the restaurant supposedly specializes in noodle dishes. The noodles themselves were overcooked and mushy, and had a truly nasty and off putting bitter flavor that I associate with an excessive use of stale garlic powder or perhaps pre-grated jarred garlic. Yes, garlic powder is used when making garlic noodles but when overused it imparts a bitter, almost artificial garlic flavor that overpowers everything else. Just truly, TRULY terrible.
The firecracker chicken did not stand out in any way. The flavor profile was flat. It tasted salty and I couldn’t pick up on anything else. Texture wise it reminded me of reheated Panda Express, meaning it was not crispy, but rather hard and crunchy.
The best thing we had was probably the Hawaiian curry, though I fail to see what makes this Hawaiian in any way. It tasted like a regular madras curry. Again, did not stand out in any way whatsoever, but at least it wasn’t bad like the other two dishes.
Atmosphere-wise the space was nice and cozy, good for a date night, though the music is kind of loud. I didn’t mind too much because I actually really liked the music playing. It’s just a shame the food was so bad. The bill came out to be around $45 a person with two drinks, which is not good considering how mediocre the food was. Not sure why this place gets so much hype. Definitely a skip, especially when there are so many other better options in North Beach.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Alik (Dreams come true)
A very charming café with a wonderful atmosphere. The staff seemed a bit tired, likely because they had so many orders, but the food was truly delicious. However, I have to give a low rating because of the metal chairs. They’re extremely uncomfortable and cold, making it easy to imagine getting health issues like prostatitis or other problems. Honestly, you can’t sit for more than 10 minutes on those freezing chairs. It’s terrible. Aside from that, everything else is great—the interior, the food, and the staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Golub
nice food, small menu, nice drinks although some traditional ones were out of stock. portion sizes are huge and 2 people can definitely eat one dish. Open kitchen and fresh delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Wontons, Spicy Garlic Noodles SF
JP NADEAU
Really beautiful place and the food is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elizabeth Rivera
Came here for a birthday brunch, only to realize it’s a 21+ restaurant and the birthday girl’s own brother couldn’t even enter. The atmosphere was no better than I could get at my mother in law’s garage.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Szechuan Green Beans, Spicy Garlic Noodles SF
Derrick
Way too salty. I remember this place being a lot better years ago.
Overly salty faux-Asian food with junks fees on the bill. 20% + 5% junk fee = one star
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ashley Pierce
Almost two years ago, on a cold day after a wet hike, homesick and fighting mild hypothermia, I picked up the birria ramen here and I have been dreaming of it since. I'm still trying and failing to replicate it. I live too many thousands of miles away for takeaway and it may no longer be in the menu, but wanted you guys to know that it is still the best soup I've eaten.
Food: 5
Alexander J
Take a copy of your receipt! They overcharge the tip after you leave (even after leaving 22% tip after tax and their 5% Healthy SF Surcharge) - I would have thought this is a clerical mistake but other people have mentioned this too - luckily I had a copy of the receipt and I could dispute
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Ben Brown
Got the fried chicken, green beans, and garlic noodles. First piece of the chicken was super rubbery but the rest of it seemed ok, and the beans and noodles were tasty. Service seemed pretty slow, but maybe they were busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Zachariah Koppers
Solid food, great flavor, not especially unique. Service was ok, just be prepared to flag down the staff if you need help. Cool little joint; it was easy to fit in and not feel out of place.
Terrible food. Terrible service
Let’s start with this is a small place but have accommodation for big parties down stairs.
It’s loud in there. Food is nothing impressive
Actually the ramen $16 ( very decent price) was disappointing, it was not spicy, it was served with an egg, green onions, tonkotsu and full of garlic :( cucumber salad also lacked in flavor! I won’t be a returning customer. It’s fun to go and enjoy the loud ambiance and eat average food… the service was fast and attentive so that’s a plus!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Food was nothing special, portion size enough for a child. Prizes too high for the portion size. One of the waitresses was not friendly at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings
While visiting SF for the week we decided to stop here as there are many high reviews. If you don’t know real Asian food, this place is fine. If you really know Asian food, save your money.
The Pros:
1. Great atmosphere - candlelit tables, great music, nice interior design
The Cons:
1. The food - particularly the pot stickers and Mongolian beef
After living in Asia for nearly two years and tasting foods while traveling between Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Korea, I can say I’ve tried a few dishes.
- The pot stickers found from the Chubby Noodle look, feel, and taste like they’ve been made by someone trying a Food Network recipe for the first time to impress their new Asian girlfriend. You know, the kind where you say, wow that’s so sweet. But of course it needs a lot of work. Pot stickers are normally fairly delicate, juicy, but light. Don’t expect that here.
- Next was the Mongolian beef. Now, I didn’t try any other entrees from the menu but I’m sure they’ll all have a similar theme or flavor as this dish. As with the pot stickers, the noodles (from a restaurant focusing on noodles) felt like it was someone’s first time cooking the dish.
Overall, the look and feel of the place was really nice but unfortunately the food just doesn’t match the vibe. After tax and tip, pot stickers and one noodle dish ran us (2 people) nearly $50. I would’ve been much happier doing a Panda Express takeout for two at $24. It would’ve been the same quality for twice the quantity and half the price.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
I’m sorry but the food is just flat out mediocre to bad. Got the garlic noodles, firecracker chicken, and Hawaiian curry. Everything was shared between two people.
Firstly, the garlic noodles, which my partner and I agreed was the worst of the three dishes, and one of the worst garlic noodles I’ve personally ever had at a restaurant. Extremely disappointing considering the restaurant supposedly specializes in noodle dishes. The noodles themselves were overcooked and mushy, and had a truly nasty and off putting bitter flavor that I associate with an excessive use of stale garlic powder or perhaps pre-grated jarred garlic. Yes, garlic powder is used when making garlic noodles but when overused it imparts a bitter, almost artificial garlic flavor that overpowers everything else. Just truly, TRULY terrible.
The firecracker chicken did not stand out in any way. The flavor profile was flat. It tasted salty and I couldn’t pick up on anything else. Texture wise it reminded me of reheated Panda Express, meaning it was not crispy, but rather hard and crunchy.
The best thing we had was probably the Hawaiian curry, though I fail to see what makes this Hawaiian in any way. It tasted like a regular madras curry. Again, did not stand out in any way whatsoever, but at least it wasn’t bad like the other two dishes.
Atmosphere-wise the space was nice and cozy, good for a date night, though the music is kind of loud. I didn’t mind too much because I actually really liked the music playing. It’s just a shame the food was so bad. The bill came out to be around $45 a person with two drinks, which is not good considering how mediocre the food was. Not sure why this place gets so much hype. Definitely a skip, especially when there are so many other better options in North Beach.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
A very charming café with a wonderful atmosphere. The staff seemed a bit tired, likely because they had so many orders, but the food was truly delicious. However, I have to give a low rating because of the metal chairs. They’re extremely uncomfortable and cold, making it easy to imagine getting health issues like prostatitis or other problems. Honestly, you can’t sit for more than 10 minutes on those freezing chairs. It’s terrible. Aside from that, everything else is great—the interior, the food, and the staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
nice food, small menu, nice drinks although some traditional ones were out of stock.
portion sizes are huge and 2 people can definitely eat one dish. Open kitchen and fresh delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Wontons, Spicy Garlic Noodles SF
Really beautiful place and the food is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here for a birthday brunch, only to realize it’s a 21+ restaurant and the birthday girl’s own brother couldn’t even enter. The atmosphere was no better than I could get at my mother in law’s garage.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Szechuan Green Beans, Spicy Garlic Noodles SF
Way too salty. I remember this place being a lot better years ago.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Overly salty faux-Asian food with junks fees on the bill. 20% + 5% junk fee = one star
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Almost two years ago, on a cold day after a wet hike, homesick and fighting mild hypothermia, I picked up the birria ramen here and I have been dreaming of it since. I'm still trying and failing to replicate it. I live too many thousands of miles away for takeaway and it may no longer be in the menu, but wanted you guys to know that it is still the best soup I've eaten.
Food: 5
Take a copy of your receipt! They overcharge the tip after you leave (even after leaving 22% tip after tax and their 5% Healthy SF Surcharge) - I would have thought this is a clerical mistake but other people have mentioned this too - luckily I had a copy of the receipt and I could dispute
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Got the fried chicken, green beans, and garlic noodles. First piece of the chicken was super rubbery but the rest of it seemed ok, and the beans and noodles were tasty. Service seemed pretty slow, but maybe they were busy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Solid food, great flavor, not especially unique. Service was ok, just be prepared to flag down the staff if you need help. Cool little joint; it was easy to fit in and not feel out of place.
Kid-friendliness: Very patient with my daughter!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Korean Pork Tacos
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