Blowfish Sushi, 2170 Bryant Street
"If you want "a scene" with your sushi, then this is the place for you." Kiki Hernandez
Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission Street
"...the people outside weren't even watching the film--definitely a schmooze crowd."
La Traviata, 2854 Mission "La Traviata is a restaurant that generations of San Francisco residents hold close to their vests without telling the rest of the world us is a great traditional find and it is a hush-hush favorite for good reason. " Stu Smith
Mangiafuoco, 1001 Guerrero Street
"I recently rediscovered the ideal neighborhood place, Mangiafuoco, at 22nd and Guerrero. It was like bumping into an old friend and remembering they live close by." Mary Coe
Mom is Cooking, 1166 Geneva
"If your mom cooked lots of meat, overcooked any veggies and used lots of grease, then you'll feel right at home here. " Jennifer R. Accettola
Pakwan, 3180 16th Street
"For Indian food, it doesn't get much better than Pakwan, and dollar for dollar, it doesnąt get much better in the city. " Josh Drimmer
Papalote Mexican Grill, 3409 24th Street
"Papalote is not your average Mexican dive. " Melanie Farley
"Pintxos is as much about Spanish flavor as it is about presentation. " Lisa Cholak
Scenic India, 532 Valencia Street
"Scenic India is a low-price, high value consistently tasty Indian restaurant in the Mission. " Jennifer R. Accettola
The Slanted Door, 584 Valencia
(Address has moved down to Embarcadero)
"But the best entrée was certainly the carmelized shrimp. I actually rolled my eyes to heaven and gasped after tasting one of those beautiful little sea creatures." Leslie Dotson
Ti Couz, 3108 16th Street Updated
"Ti Couz is a perfectly good little restaurant in the middle of San Francisco's most urban decay hip neighborhood centered around 16th Street between Mission and Guerrero." Jennifer R. Accettola See the original review of Ti Couz.
Whiz Burgers Drive-In, 700 South Van Ness Avenue
"They don't make places like Whiz Burgers anymore." Edward Champion
Angkor Borei
There's a calm at the center of Cambodian food and a subtlety that permeates the taste buds. Angkor Borei is a masterful example of combining subtlety with bold combinations that entice such enticing combinations. Its deceptively simple Cambodian creations are deftly woven together with consummate skill. And it's the modestly priced answer to other, often heavy-handed, Asian fare around town. The red and pink decor adorned with traditional paintings of Cambodian female figures and temples is the definition of kitsch by hip urban standards, but is just the right understated atmosphere in which to enjoy a memorable meal. What follows Dining at Angkor Borei is a primer in approaching Cambodian food.
3471 Mission Street (@ Cortland)
550-8417
A first stop at the appetizers is a must for any delightful entry into the world of Cambodian cooking. Often compared to Thai, Cambodian cuisine is lighter, less oily and far more restrained in the use of spice. But the dishes are no less intoxicating in their outcome. Angkor Borei serves up some of the best Cambodian appetizers in the city. The spinach leaves with tiny dried shrimp, chopped garlic, spicy green chili pepper and lime are a highlight among appetizers. Another favorite is the crispy Cambodian crepes, a lightly pan-fried layer of shrimp, pork, coconut and bean sprouts with a dipping sauce of lemon and garlic. The chicken salad is a tangy offering that never fails to satisfy with its mix of lightly spiced sauteed chicken, cabbage, sprouts and mint leaves.
For entrees, you'd do well to visit the pan-fried catfish fillet (or pompano when it's in season) for its paper-light batter and full-flavored succulence. It's easily the best dish on the menu. The sauteed prawns are a spicier choice. Sprinkled upon a bed of spinach in a rakish red curry sauce, they're a must for anyone craving a bit more of the piquant. The seafood combo with chunks of chewy squid, yielding shrimp, and lightly fried catfish in a simple garlic sauce is a tasty array of seafood with sauteed onions that stand up to the heat. If meat is more your style, the chili pork is tenderly prepared and pungently satisfying. A more traditional choice is the spicy green curry for its chili spices that start out at a low hum and slowly rise to a pleasing crescendo.
Angkor Borei has but only two dessert choices, yet both are truly unforgettable. The sticky rice with mango is easily the more exotic of the two. It arrives with dark brown sticky rice blanketed in a light evaporated milk sauce with a ripe, tartly sweet mango at its side. The taste and texture combinations here are infinitely satisfying to the senses. The other offering is coconut ice cream with fried banana fritters. Compared to the lighter fried fare, the fritters are slightly oilier but step up nicely to the sour sweetness of the banana. Combined with the fresh ice cream that is interspersed with morsels of fresh coconut, the effect is tremendous.
For a reasonable tour of Cambodian culinary sensations, Angkor Borei is highly ranked with appetizers ranging between $5-7 and entrees between $8-10. The service is swift and always courteous, and the waiters never forget to ladle out ample portions of sticky rice with every entree. Without a doubt, it's a low-key neighborhood gem in the Outer Mission.
Susan Knecht