Deals in Castro

San Francisco loves its sweets – from croissants to cupcakes to ice cream to macarons, there’s a shop to satisfy any sweet tooth. However, there’s a whole series of cafes and bakeries out in the Richmond and Sunset districts, on the west end of the city, that serve a variety of Asian desserts unfamiliar to much of the San Francisco population. Many of these desserts are popular in their countries of origin, and have been brought over by immigrants hungry for a taste of home. For your next dessert try something a little different – you might find a new favorite! Bubble tea: This Taiwanese drink goes by several names, including pearl tea, boba tea and tapioca tea; they all refer to the chewy tapioca balls, or “pearls”, that float in a sweet milk tea. Drinking and chewing simultaneously is an interesting experience, one that can quickly become addictive. The classic version of bubble tea is black tea mixed with milk or creamer, served cold and over ice, but it also comes in enough varieties, from fruit flavors to icier “slushies”, to warrant return trips in order to try everything. The customization options are endless: different teas, different tapioca pearl sizes and flavors, even different level of sweetness and ice. It’s Starbucks taken to the next level. Similar to coffeehouses, bubble tea shops can be found all around San Francisco. Try the Boba Guys in the Mission District; they are using local sources and quality ingredients to create the next level of bubble tea. The Boba Guys 3491 19th St. San Francisco, CA 94110 Eggettes: These cute little pastries are called daan jai, or “little eggs” in Hong Kong where they come from, so eggettes is a perfectly literal translation. They are also often called egg puffs or egg waffles. Taste and texture wise, they’re a cross between waffle and pancake, a golden bubbly sheet of sweet, soft puffiness. Eggettes are a classic street food in Hong Kong, and as such they are best eaten very fresh and hot. Each individual eggette is meant to be torn from the whole sheet, making them a perfect snack for sharing. Originally they were made plain, with the sweet flavor coming from the eggs, sugar, and evaporated milk, but today eggettes come in flavors ranging from chocolate to green tea, and are often offered with toppings like ice cream and fresh fruit as well. Still, the best way to experience them is plain and simple. Many Chinese dessert cafes offer eggettes, but the best I’ve found so far are at a shop very appropriately called Eggettes. Their plain and coconut versions are especially good. Eggettes 3136 Noriega St San Francisco, CA 94122 Honey Toast: Toast is the latest food to get the artisan treatment in food-crazy San Francisco, but the Japanese have been doing gourmet toast their way for quite a while. Called “honey toast” or “honey brick toast”, this dish is gloriously over the top, visually impressive, and best enjoyed with a group. It consists of a loaf of bread (soft, thick, and fluffy white is preferred) which is hollowed out and drizzled with melted butter and honey. Often the center piece of bread that was taken out is cut into cubes, toasted, and then put back in the middle. The entire affair is then topped with ice cream, fruit, whipped cream, and almost any other topping you can imagine.  Honeyberry offers several tempting versions of honey toast; give their famous sweet roti buns a try as well. Honeyberry 1915 Irving St San Francisco, CA 94122 Snow Ice: Shaved ice desserts are popular all over Asia, but snow ice is a Taiwanese iteration that’s made its way over to the US. The shaved ice that most people know is like a snow cone – ice crystals mixed with flavored syrups. Taiwanese snow ice is totally different: the water is mixed with milk or cream and sugar, frozen into a solid block, and then shaved into long ribbons, instead of little crystals, using a special machine. The piled-up ribbons of snow ice look like art, but they have an astonishingly light and fluffy texture, almost like eating snow. Snow ice comes in several flavors and numerous topping options, just like ice cream. One of the best places to try this frozen treat in the city is Dessert Papa, a sweet little café in the Outer Sunset with a wide menu of Asian desserts. Dessert Papa 2255 Judah St San Francisco, CA 94122 Sweet Dessert Soup: Most people think of hot soup as a savory appetizer or main course, but sweet hot soups, called tong sui or “sugar water”, are a Chinese dessert staple. They are typically made from nuts and sweet beans like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and red (adzuki) beans. These soups are thick and smooth in consistency, and sometimes mixed with clear pearl tapioca or whole beans.  Warm, rich, not overly sugary, and a comforting end to a chilly night. For first-timers, sweet almond or sweet peanut soup are classic favorites.  Golden Island Café has an extensive selection of sweet dessert soups, along with other traditional Chinese desserts. Golden Island Café 1300 Noriega St San Francisco, CA 94122

The San Francisco Peninsula and South Bay, with their strong Japanese populations, have long had a multitude of sushi and izakaya (small plates) restaurants; but the last two years have brought even more Japanese eateries to San Francisco.  Many serve traditional Japanese plates such as edamame, kushiyaki (skewered grilled items), karaage (marinated fried chicken) and udon or ramen soups along with sushi and sashimi. The Mission already has its share: Minako, Blowfish, Cha-Ya (vegetarian), Nihon Whiskey Lounge, Ken Ken Ramen and Nombe, to name a few. But the three newcomers below have made this neighborhood a destination for an authentic Japanese dining experience.  Is the Mission turning Japanese?  We really think so. Maruya (2931 16th Street) Opened last October, Maruya is the newest fine dining Japanese establishment in the Mission.  Chef/Owner Masa-san (Masaki Sasaki) and Executive Chef Hide-san (Hidebumi Sueyoshi) hold court behind the case-less cypress bar that centers the tranquil, wood-paneled restaurant.  Both chefs have extensive experience with stints in Tokyo, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, garnering four-star reviews along the way. Top quality pristine ingredients are featured in the raw fish and cooked items, many with minimalist Japanese sensibilities of showcasing the primary component in a beautiful presentation. Do yourself a favor and let the chefs guide you through the experience. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Omakase (chef’s choice) menu by Masa-san, which includes a mixture of cooked and sushi items (including an amazing dashi-poached tomato).  Or, go with Hide-san’s sushi-centric menu where each piece is properly seasoned and served one piece at a time on top of a ti leaf (no soy sauce necessary here). With seating for only 25, it would be wise to make reservations in advance. Izakaya Yuzuki (598 Guerrero Street) Upon being seated you will notice that there are no soy sauce bottles to be found anywhere on the tables. That is because Chef Takashi Saito makes sure that each dish has enough umami flavor by preparing most of the food using “koji,” made from fermented cultured grain or soybean generally used to make sake, miso and soy sauce.  Open since 2011, Saito-san may have started the koji trend since it is now a common ingredient at many restaurants across the US, including nearby Bar Tartine.  There are many plates to choose from, including otsumami (snack), grilled and crispy items. Each one of the dishes is carefully prepared, flavorful and beautifully presented. Ramen Izakaya Goku (3232 16th Street) San Mateo’s Shabuway team is on a tear moving northward and invading the City. They have exclusive rights to operate US outposts of Men-Oh Ramen from Tokushima, Japan which is expanding outwards from the first one opened in the Inner Richmond, right next door to Shabuway.  They also opened Waraku Ramen in Japantown. They could have brought Men-Oh or Waraku to the Mission, but they opened Goku instead.  The ramen offering between the three are all distinctly different, and Goku’s is a selection of five types, including an interesting clam and garlic version. Several izakaya tapas-style small plates such as wasabi fries, grilled squid or fried shrimp with chili sauce are also available.  With no reservations taken, there can be a wait on busy evenings for their reasonably priced Japanese fare, but take note that they are open for lunch on weekends.

Chinatown is a San Francisco institution. The interesting thing about Chinatown is that there are actually two different Chinatowns -- one belongs to the locals, and the other is more for the tourists. The Main Street for tourists is Grant Avenue, which is more about kitschy trinkets than authentic cuisine. It's definitely a spot to stop by, but moving onto the next block, Stockton St, can be much more rewarding. The best time to visit Chinatown is on a Saturday afternoon. Start with the many produce and live markets that line Stockton Street (between Columbus and Broadway), where the locals do their shopping. The markets offer everything from fresh bok choy and other vegetables to live turtles and chickens (no joke!). For restaurants, it's best to stay away from the more touristy spots if you're looking for authentic cuisine. Chinatown restaurants offer Chinese food (Mandarin and Cantonese style cooking), Dim Sum, Tea Shops, Bakeries, and Fortune Cookies. Here are some picks for the best in each category: Chinese Food Bund Shanghai (640 Jackson St) - offers a break from the Cantonese style of cooking that's more prevalent in Chinatown restaurants, and serves up dishes using more soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and rice vinegar, like their Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce, than other restaurants in the area. Z&Y Restaurant (655 Jackson St) - A Szechuan style eatery, with super spicy food and "explosive" chili pepper dishes. The wait can be long on a weekend evening, so get there early! Try the tan tan noodles - they are packed with intense flavor and heat, so you won't be disappointed if you like spicy food! New Lun Ting (670 Jackson St) - Definitely a hole in the wall, but they serve big portions at great prices. The service is always friendly and the food is authentic Chinese comfort food. Regular customers will often help the restaurant out in whatever they need, sometimes even voluntarily rearranging tables so the restaurant can accommodate more people! Dim Sum Great Eastern Restaurant (649 Jackson) - A must-try for dim sum; President Obama even ate there in 2012! It's one of the few dim sum places in Chinatown where you can sit down and eat. Try the shrimp dumplings if you get a chance. Wait times can be long so be prepared! Tea Shops The best rated tea shops that sell a good variety of teas and offer free tastings are: Vital Tea Leaf (509 Grant) and Red Blossom (831 Grant). At both Vital Tea and Red Blossom, the staff will teach you how to serve and prepare tea properly. At Vital Tea, service is very friendly, and the teas are all displayed in glass jars which makes for a fun experience in picking your perfect tea. At Red Blossom, the staff will literally spend over an hour answering any and all questions you might have about tea! Baked Goods A must-visit bakery in Chinatown is Eastern Bakery (720 Grant). Opened in 1924, Eastern is the United States' oldest Chinese bakery. Bill Clinton actually visited Eastern Bakery a few years ago so they have a presidential connection! Moon cakes are their speciality, filled with red bean or lotus-seed or a light melon paste.