Kusakabe - Japanese, San Francisco

584 Washington St, San Francisco CA 94111
(415) 757-0155
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Sat 5pm-11pm (First seating 5pm, Second seating 8pm), Closed Sundays
http://kusakabe-sf.com/

Last Visited: December 9, 2017

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$$

Grand Omakase $165

Ron told me how much he loved his Kusakabe experience and highly recommended it to me.  I remember the articles about Kusakabe from when it first opened.  The fact that Chef Mitsunori Kusakabe (shown at the far end of the sushi bar) came from one of my favorite restaurants, Sushi-Ran in Sausalito, made this particular restaurant opening memorable and it has been on my list of places to go ever since.


I walked into the restaurant during the first seating and to my surprise, there was Chef Ngai whom also used to work at Sushi-Ran.  It was a mini-reunion of sorts as we sat at his station at the sushi bar and compared notes about places to eat.  I didn't expect to bump into him here, but learned about how he came over with Chef Nori and it was fun to see a familiar face.

Kusakabe's decor is modern with a long sushi bar and tables near the front of the restaurant.  A prix fixe menu,  either the regular omakase for $98 or the grand omakase for $165, is provided first followed by an a la carte menu if you wish to add to your meal.  The primary difference is that the grand omakase offers more pieces of special nigiri and a few additional dishes that are not available in the regular omakase menu.  If you want to try these additional dishes, you can still order them through the a la carte menu, but as a whole, the grand omakase is a better value than ordering all of the same items from the a la carte menu.

Ichiban Dashi
Upon being seated, you are presented with a tea cup which actually doesn't contain tea, but has a broth made from dried kombu and katsuo bushi.  It was a good way to warm up and prepare the palate for the delightful meal ahead.

Sushi Prelude
-Zuke chutoro - Seared on one side, this bluefin tuna is cured in soy sauce. This piece was so tender and was an excellent first bite.

- Live halibut - If you want to watch a cool video, the Kusakabe Facebook page has a video of live halibut that is still moving after it has been cut.  This piece of live halibut was still, but was alive earlier in the morning.  The shiso leaf and lemon zest make this piece very refreshing. The quantity of rice is just right and if you want less rice, they're happy to oblige.


Takumi Zushi
- Katsuo bonito - Cherrywood cold smoked tuna that has been aged two weeks is topped with garlic, chives, and radish.  Another melt in your mouth experience.  Each piece is so put together so that the garnishes don't just look pretty, but they balance the flavor of the fish and bring out its best qualities.

- Shima aji - Striped jack is topped with daikon radish.  This fish is what you might expect of a blend of yellowtail and mackerel. Good.

Oshinogi
- Santa Barbara sea urchin and shirako (cod eggs) - The menu refers to this one as the harmonic sushi. This combination topped with Italian black truffle shavings was one of the most memorable pieces because the earthy tones of the truffle balance out the creaminess of the fish so it's not too heavy.  Sometimes uni can be off putting, but when it's fresh, it's wonderful.  While this was a great start with the uni, it's good that it's spaced out in the meal from the Hokkaido uni which was amazing.  Great combination.

- Japanese snow crab - Served on a spoon, the snow crab is seasoned with crab miso and tops a slow cooked quail egg.  Topped with chives, this is another delicious bite.  My dining companion loved this one.  What I found interesting was how the mouth feel and flavor evolves - the initial bite is light at first and as the egg yolk surrounds the crab when you take the whole spoonful, the creamy richness makes it a more savory bite.

Sashimi
- Chef's selection of Sashimi with Umami soy sauce and yuzu onion sauce - Beautifully plated on a stand over shaved ice were two pieces of hon maguro, aged five days and two pieces of Thai snapper.  Accompanying the fish were pieces of radicchio, Japanese mountain potato inside the snapper, mizuna, a slice of radish, a slice of apple, and a dollop of fresh wasabi.  Depending on which server you receive this from, you get a different explanation of what is one the plate.  I heard my neighbor informed that you get two pieces of fish so that you can try one in each dipping sauce.  My server mentioned nothing about this.  Here's an opportunity for consistency, especially since we all sit side by side at the bar.  The fish itself was delicious and the accompanying vegetables were a nice touch. While the Umami soy sauce was good, I could eat the yuzu onion sauce by itself - slightly salty with a hint of citrus from the yuzu, I wish I could get vats of yuzu onion sauce to bring home with me.

Hassan
- Six kinds of chef's assorted les petit plats - Here's where you are likely to have a differing opinion from anyone else's because there are so many items on this plate with varying textures and flavors.  In the cup is a soy cream chowder with a single short neck clam in its shell, mushrooms, and chives.  While this was creamy and tasted like the sea, I'm not a fan of cold creamy savory things.  I prefer chowder to be hot.  In the lower right corner of the picture is rock shrimp with eggplant and bell pepper.  The rock shrimp is first fried and then marinated in dashi.  Topped with microgreens and a fried lotus chip, this was my least favorite bite because the rock shrimp had been battered and I didn't like the soft texture of the batter.  It soaks up the marinade well, but is still soggy.  The yellow cylinder is umaki - an egg omelette with unagi in the center and topped with unagi sauce.  I found the unagi to be too fatty here and sweeter than what I prefer.  In the square dish is ice fish (typically available in winter or spring) over cucumber and seaweed salad.  Grated ginger garnishes the dish.  This was refreshing and I found the cucumber and seaweed mix to be slightly bitter, but perhaps my palate was sensitive since my dining companion didn't notice any bitterness. In the upper left is a napoleon of red crab, braised sea kelp, and ikura.  While my neighbors enjoyed this the most, I found it unexpectedly sweet, but I liked the strong seaweed flavor.  The center bite was, by far, my favorite of the dish - a Shikoku oyster from Washington state topped with white sturgeon caviar.  The combination of the fat, juicy oyster with some yuzu juice was so refreshing - I loved this oyster.  I could have eaten a dozen of them.  Just bring me a plate of these.

Soup

- Ankou-jiru, monkfish tail, and Ankimo soup with shredded burdock and Kome Koji soy - A surprising mid-meal course is this monkfish in three ways.  Monkfish bones are used in the dashi based broth.  Monkfish liver floats to the top and a cube of monkfish sits on the bottom of the cup.  The presence of ginger juice is noticeable and there is fermented soy in the base.  When served, it comes covered and the lifting of the lid makes the contents a surprise.  Flavorful and not fishy, this was a good warm up.

Shizakana
- A5 Wagyu Kasu-Zuke, Daiginjo sake kasu marinated ribcap with buckweat risotto and Matsutake mushroom - When this plate arrives, the server pours the hot broth onto the plate.  The two slices of beef were very tender and the buckwheat risotto was a nice base.  While it's easy to want more and wonder why it's only two pieces, I found this to be very rich.  Good, but it wasn't significantly different from other experiences I've had.

Seasonal Sushi
- Seared arctic char - With a shiso leaf, sea salt, and lemon juice, this was another great bite.

- Young snapper - Cured with a bamboo leaf and topped with egg yolk powder that has been dehydrated with vinegar, I found this garnish to be too sour.  My dining companion was fine, so again, perhaps my palate was too sensitive.  Chef Ngai even tried the egg yolk powder and said it was no more sour than usual.  For me, less powder would have been better.

- Handroll - Chopped bluefin tuna is topped with bonito flakes and onion microgreens.  The seaweed flavor was strong, but such a great complement to the ingredients.  The onion microgreens were so flavorful and just a tad sweet.  I could eat a few more of these with ease. 

- Hokkaido uni - If you haven't tried uni from Hokkaido, it seems creamier and sweeter than any sea urchin from other regions that I've tried before.  As mentioned above, this one is definitely a few levels above the Santa Barbara sea urchin. 

Sushi Finale
- Fresh eel - From the Tsujiki fish market in Japan, they treat this one like royalty.  Braised with peppercorns, the fish is cooked on a leaf and the skin is heated until crispy.  This process lets you enjoy the two textures in a single bite.

- Toro - Closing out the grand omakase is a tender piece of toro that has been aged two weeks.  I found some silver skin in mine, so it wasn't quite the perfect bite, but still delicious. 

After the omakase, guests are given the a la carte menu.  By the time we got to this point, we were stuffed, but after hearing about their desserts which included tiramisu and sorbet, and after seeing a number of these being plated, I chose the sorbet.

- Yuzu shiso leaf sorbet - This dessert was indeed refreshing - the balanced flavor of citrus with the presence of shiso was a great complement and it was just the right level of sweetness.  It's also a great palate cleanser.   A lot of my sushi bar neighbors were celebrating special events this evening, so candles kept appearing in the desserts throughout the night.

Overall, I was very pleased with my Kusakabe experience - the fish is high quality and very fresh; the attention to detail of for each piece of nigiri and the other dishes is delicate and full of care.  The service from Chef Ngai was very personal and customized to each individual (he had six people per seating), and while there are still improvements that can be made with the overall service (such as wiping spilled tea after refills more thoroughly), I would highly recommend trying this experience.

As a side note, if you feel the need for a large personal space bubble, then you might not want to sit at the bar - besides being close to your neighbor, some of the staff members are close talkers as they explain the dishes.  Be sure to visit the restroom if you like technology - the Japanese style Toto toilet lid greets you (the lid lifts automatically) as you enter the room and of course, the typical full featured toilet offers bidet and other functions.   

If you know what you like, the regular omakase coupled with the a la carte menu many be just right for you, but if you want to try the chef's special, the grand omakase is certain to leave you feeling full.  Kusakabe makes it to the top of my sushi/kaiseki restaurant recommendations.  You get what you pay for here, but the bill is not for the faint of heart.  Make reservations early because it can be difficult to find a spot with only two seatings.

Marlowe - New American, San Francisco

500 Brannan St, San Francisco CA 94107
(415) 777-1413
Parking: street parking
https://marlowesf.com/

Last Visited: November 29, 2017

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 1 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

Walk in and see wreaths in the window and other items wrapped in a Holstein cowhide pattern.  I came here with a party of ten for a business dinner and when we arrived early, we found a waiting list for the bar and every table was full.  The restaurant was extremely packed, noisy, and dark (so dark that we had to turn on the flashlight app to read the menu).

After a quick aperitif at the bar next door, we returned at our reservation time, and after more than an additional thirty minutes of waiting to be seated and having our bar order lost, someone came to apologize and put the bar drinks on the house for that order.  It was a rough start for the evening and the hostess had told us that our table was being set, but a quick look around the restaurant indicated that every table was occupied - what table was being set?  This blatant excuse was disappointing.  To speed the process along, we started to order appetizers so that everything would be ready when we sat down and warm deviled eggs arrived while we were still standing and waiting.  Finally, after a total of forty minutes of waiting after our reservation, we were seated.

The dinner itself went reasonably well.  We ordered a number of appetizers and the food came in a reasonable amount of time.  Everyone was given lots of utensils (oyster forks, large knives, etc) and plates were changed twice during our appetizer courses. Clean bowls were placed in the center of the tables to help take away shells, bones, and other discards from our dishes, but some dishes sat in the area too long after they had been emptied which left a cluttered table.  Between the appetizers and mains, the entire table was cleared of plates and utensils, the table was cleaned, and they began setting the table with appropriate dinnerware for what we ordered.

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Since it was a business dinner, I didn't take photos with the flash.  As you can see from the photos, the restaurant is very dark.

- Warm deviled egg - The egg was topped with aged provolone, pickled jalapeno, and bacon - It was a good egg, but rich with the bacon.  There was a combination of sweetness and savory to the bite. Just okay. $3 each

- Crispy brussel sprout chips - Lemon and sea salt season the chips.  The brussel sprout leaves are separated and some were very crispy while others were not crispy at all.  The little buckets used to hold the chips are cute, but you could also make this dish easily at home.  Okay.  $9.50

- Okra, baby artichoke, and shallot fritto misto with Sichuan peppercorn and habanero aioli.  The batter on the fritto misto was excellent - crunchy, golden brown, and not too heavy.  The vegetables were fresh, but the favorite part of the dish was the habanero aioli with its bit of spice.  Good. $10

- Half Dozen Oysters - smoked mignonette and scallion - These oysters were pretty small, but the mignonette with pieces of shallots was nice.  I didn't taste the smokiness, but at least it was fresh. Okay.  Market price.

- Spiced jumbo gulf shrimp with hot and boozy cocktail sauce - Two sticks of celery protrude from the cocktail sauce that is presented in a glass jar and the shrimp (four or five) are lined up with their heads pointed towards the sauce.  Unfortunately, I missed the sauce, but the shrimp was cooked right and the presentation with the heads was good (but maybe not desirable for everyone).  Good.  $18

- Duck liver mousse - Citrus marmalade, micro basil, and chives -  Crostini are served with the mousse in a glass jar.  I missed the marmalade, but the mousse was fine.  Standard.  $14

- Little Gem Salad - Mashed avocado is spread on fresh romaine hearts which serve as a base to lots of shaved red carrots, shaved beets, and other market vegetables dressed in a citrus vinaigrette.  The portion is sizable and it's a colorful dish.  It's fresh looking and tasting. Good. $14

- Charred Octopus salad - Smoked frisee, mizuna, crispy sunchokes, blood orange vinaigrette, and mojo picon (Spanish red pepper sauce).  I really liked this dish because the slices of octopus were tender and the acid from the blood orange gave this dish a lot of brightness.  Again, I couldn't taste the smokiness of the frisee, but the octopus reminded me of some of the great octopus dishes of Portland - it makes you want to go back for another bite.  $16

- Roasted Bone Marrow - Crostini, salsa verde and fines herbes  accompany the two halves.  The bone marrow is nicely done, but it shrank into the bone so that there wasn't a whole lot of it.  I liked the freshness of the salsa verde that contrasted the richness of the bone marrow.  Good, but I wish there was more. $17

- Pan roasted cod, pork belly, littleneck clams, salsify, fennel, and tarragon beurre meuniere - First, this is a very rich dish - while you may think cod is going to be light, the pork belly and the sauce in this dish make the overall dish quite rich. The pork belly was a little overdone, adding a strong flavor, but the meat itself was a bit tough. There was only one littleneck clam which didn't add a whole lot to the dish - I would not have missed it at all if it had not been there.  The two caper berry halves are a bit of a shock in terms of their tartness contrasting the heavy flavors on the plate.  If it held up, I would cut it into quarters instead.  The fish itself was cooked just right, and I liked the salsify and fennel that offset the richness. $29

When the main dishes arrived, there was only one error in providing the right dish to the right person, so there are opportunities to improve.  Throughout the evening, I felt that the service was not steady, but more of a feeling of concentrated attention and then seemingly nobody.  Servers that we interacted with were friendly and fairly accommodating though, paying attention to empty glasses and taking drink orders.

Considering our long wait time and abundance of appetizers, we skipped dessert, but saw items such as fresh baked cookies, an apple crisp, and gingerbread cake as options.

Overall, the food was flavorful and good, and the service at the table was ok, but the experience of waiting at the start of the evening was deflating and a bit disturbing - my take is that if you explain the situation or own up to your mistake, it's much better than telling us that a table is being set when there was none.  Alternatively, make an exception and let the group jump the waiting list for the bar.

Lastly,  the noise level was so high that I wouldn't recommend it for a business dinner unless you want to shout for most of the conversation.

Aqua Club Dessert and Beverage - San Bruno

440 San Mateo Ave, Suite N1, San Bruno CA 94066 
(650) 382-2782
Parking: street parking
http://www.aquaclubus.com

Last Visited: October 5, 2017

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

Alice had recommended Aqua Club which is fairly new in San Bruno downtown. With menu items like a Smoked Salmon Waffle Cup as well as Green Tea Panna Cotta along with a variety of Boba Tea, you could see whom this cafe might appeal to.

This shop has a cute decor with it's baby blue wall and white chairs. A glass refrigerator case has options like panna cotta ready made.  There is a good amount of seating, but similar to other shops of this style, it gets loud with all of the blending going on in the background.

- Mango Sago - Fresh mango slush, sago, and coconut milk - This tall drink certainly had all of the ingredients listed, but the mango slush was only at the top and had not been thoroughly incorporated throughout the drink.  It's not put in a cup that allows you to turn it upside down, but even stirring didn't help that much.  The flavor is concentrated in the mango slush only.  In general, the coconut flavor was also present, but not intense enough.  $5.75

Overall, there is a good variety, but the flavor profile of this one drink wasn't particularly impressive.  Just ok.  I wouldn't say it's a destination, but if you're there and wanting boba, it's alright.

Menkee Wonton - Chinese, San Francisco

1701 Noriega St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 566-2203
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: October 14, 2017

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 1 to 2 stars
Service: 1 to 2 stars
Price: $

My uncle said that Menkee was worth going back to, but oh, where to begin?  Enter the restaurant and it's not particularly impressive.  The tables are sticky.  You won't get greeted.  The paper postings of specialty menu items taped to the walls are all a bit ragged. What seems out of place is the colorful golden yellow set menus that are on stands with USB outlets.  I didn't bother to see if they were working. 

When the menu did arrive, it was almost shocking how inexpensive dishes are, but note that the place is cash only.  Given that the prices are so low, the descriptions of dishes should be taken with a grain of salt - more on that later.

- Ong choy with Bean Curd - At first, this seemed like the best deal ever.  The vegetables are fresh, but then it was noticeable how much ong choy stalks were present - these were too tough to chew, but the overall flavor of the dish was good.  Then I found the hair in my food.  Ugh.  There was no way it was my hair - it was too intertwined into the veggies to be mine.  $7

- Stuffed Fried Tofu - It turned out that this was the best dish of the evening.  Six blocks of tofu were stuffed with fish paste, deep fried, and topped with a bean sauce.  However, the quantity of fish paste is so minuscule that in some cases, I've had more peanut butter spread on a PB&J sandwich than the thickness of the fish paste here.  It would have been better to charge the same amount and not stuff the tofu.  Good crunch on the outside. No foreign objects found.  $3.25


- Pan-Fried Oyster Pancake - Classic chiu chow style restaurants always has this dish on the menu.  This was like a patty of dough with some minuscule pieces of oysters and some cilantro sprinkled in it.  The outer edge is crispy and golden.  The inside is a little too moist and doughy - not what I was expecting and not particularly tasty once you eat all of the edges.  $7

- Chiu Chow Style Beef over Rice - As this was one of the items on the set menu special, I thought it would be worth trying.  It's essentially strips of beef, green bell peppers, and onions that are stir fried with some chili pepper flakes.  Although the beef was okay, the rice was lukewarm - likely left over from lunch.  The rice was barely even warm when it arrived at our table and was likely microwaved.  $5

It looks like it's a family owned restaurant and the family members are working in all roles from the kitchen to the server, but unfortunately, the server was never cracked a smile and was far from attentive.  Don't even get me started on the restroom - while it was likely clean, it needed a huge face lift.  The stains were quite disturbing - avoid it if you can. 

If you must go, I suggest take out.

Benkyodo - Japanese mochi, San Francisco

1747 Buchanan St, San Francisco CA 94115
(415) 922-1244
Parking: street parking and pay parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am - 4pm, Closed Sundays and 1st & 3rd Mondays
http://www.benkyodocompany.com/

Last Visited: December 8, 2016

Food: 5 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $

If you love mochi and manju, this is the best place to go in San Francisco and probably northern California. Open since 1906, the shop has stayed within the family and is now operated by the third generation family members.

While it's easy to pass by this shop and not even notice it, once inside, the glass case holds many delights including fresh fruit mochi (during my visit, they offered blueberry mochi) along with their staples of red bean paste stuffed mochi with different mochi dough wrappers, lima bean stuffed mochi, and several manju too.  Pictured here are red bean paste stuffed mochi sprinkled with soybean powder and traditional white mochi with red bean paste.  These handmade treats are super fresh and the dough is soft and tender.  Most of the mochi is $1.20 each, but special items like season fruit vary in pricing.  Note that payment is cash only.

In case you're looking for Japanese treats, Benkyodo also offers rice crackers, both savory and sweet and the Japanese version of rice krispies treats - ever so delicious.

On the other side of the shop is a lunch counter.

Don't miss this piece of Japantown history!  Go early since once they run out for the day, they don't make more.

Dumpling Time - Chinese, San Francisco

11 Division Street, San Francisco CA 94103
(415) 525-4797
Parking: small parking lot and street parking
Hours: Lunch daily 11am-3pm, Dinner Mon-Thurs 5:30pm-10pm, Fri-Sat - 5pm-11pm or sold out
https://www.dumplingtimesf.com

Last Visited: June 22, 2017

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Dumpling Time calls itself "a dumpling-and-beer house from the acclaimed restaurant team behind SF's Okane, Live sushi bar and Michelin-starred Omakase." They focus on locally sourced ingredients, unique fillings and shareable plates. Fellow foodie friend Winnie suggested we give it a try.

Large glass windows and a patio are the first thing you notice about Dumpling Time.  Even though it was a week night and we arrived before 6pm, the place was already packed and a line had formed outside despite there being over 70 seats.  An open kitchen allows those waiting to be seated a view of dumplings being made and colorful dough (green, purple, turquoise, orange, and yellow) was out on display. The back wall is used as a projection screen and the game was showing.  A couple bright neon signs have words in both English (dumpling time) and Chinese characters which say dumpling.

The menu is small compared to that of most Chinese or Japanese restaurants, but includes dumplings, baos (buns) available both steamed or pan seared, salads such as garlic seaweed salad, gyoza (pan crisped dumplings), noodles, and dessert (sweet buns).

We sat at a communal table and put in our order.

- Shrimp Toast - This is not served on toast as what you would traditionally see.  Instead, it's shrimp stuffed in fried dough (Chinese style fried dough like those served with congee).  I found the presentation to be nice - each piece had a parsley leaf on top of it.  However, the overall mouth feel was a bit greasy.  The shrimp was nicely browned and the center pieces were a little crispier than those on the ends which seemed more laden with oil.  It seemed novel, but I wouldn't get it again.    $8

- Xian Dumpling - The presentation of the dumplings was definitely modern and different than what you find at most places.   Pork, cabbage, and green onion fill the dumplings.  A small square shaped dish holds dipping sauce, but it was so small that it made dipping quite awkward.  Fennel slices, microgreens, tomato halves, and slices of spicy red peppers top the dumplings.  Since the peppers had seeds in them, and there was no warning that these might be spicy, I made the error of putting one in my mouth and preventing my tastebuds from fully enjoying the dumplings.  Okay. $9

- Beijing Noodles - A large bowl is filled just under halfway with noodles, ground pork, green onion, ginger, and soybean paste.  I also think there was lemongrass in the dish.  The sauce leans more on the dry side.  While the flavors are strong and the noodles have good texture, there isn't much in the bowl and this serving may not be sufficient to fill one person.  It's more like an appetizer size.  Okay.  $9


- Trio of Buns - Green tea and milk bun, beet and taro bun, egg yolk bun.  The novelty of this dish is the colorful dough and the variety.  The green tea flavor was mild and the milk custard filling was equally light.  The beet bun is very pretty and the taro filling inside was the most prominent in flavor compared to the others.  The egg yolk bun was just ok - nothing special.  $5.50

Noise levels are very high no matter where you sit in the restaurant. We were almost yelling or asking one another to repeat much of our conversation because of the noise levels.

Service was okay, but the servers were not particularly knowledgeable.  When we asked what was inside the buns, we were told by the server that it was her first day, so we had to ask someone else. This indicated the lack of training since if you're bringing the dish, you should know what's in it.  If you're looking for tapas style dumplings and noodles and a different spin on presentation, you'll enjoy Dumpling time.  If you're looking for a lot of food for good prices, you may want to stick to more traditional dumpling shops.

Note also that they charge the SF Mandate tax of 4%.

Night Market - Chinese, South San Francisco

2308 South Spruce Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 634-8388
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am - 2:30pm
Parking: parking lot and street parking

Last Visited: June 25, 2017

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Night Market opened a few months ago and is located next to Spruce café across the street from Hung To Restaurant.  The signage is discreet and if you didn't know what was there, it would be easy to pass it by without a second glance.  Winnie told me about it as she had heard good things.

Enter Night Market and it's a bit dark.  You'll see a small screen along with a menu holder.  On the right is an 'Order here' sign along with a tv screen above it showing today's specials.  Available today were items like cola chicken and pineapple buns (which come out of the oven every 30 minutes).  The menu is comprised of favorites, a choose your base and protein option, snacks, and drinks (tea, Asian soda, and fresh juice).

Folding tables are scattered throughout the space and surrounded by bright red and blue plastic stools.  The intent behind the design of the menu and environment is to mimic the night markets and hawker stands that are popular in many Asian countries where the food is the primary draw and the seating is purely functional, not beautiful.   The side brick wall has been painted with black chalkboard paint and individual bricks have been decorated with various drawings.  The rear wall serves as a projection screen for an Asian movie.  Along the walls are the stainless steel food carts with a space for you to peer at the various snacks and dishes in their pots.  There is also a drink station, which based on the mini wooden barrels present (typically used for sweet tofu), I would guess will also be a dessert station soon.

After you order, your number is called, sometimes several times depending on which station your order came from.  They have a tray at the main station so you can take your food back to your table easily and if you need help, they can also assist.  Condiments and silverware are found in the center of the room for you to serve yourself. 

- Curry Fish Balls (6 pieces) - These tender fish balls are cooked in a curry sauce and served three to a skewer.  Typical street food, these were very reminiscent of what you would find on the streets in Hong Kong.  Good. $2

- Night Market Hainan Chicken with rice - Generally, Hainan Chicken is almost as well known as its accompanying rice which is typically cooked with the broth used to cook the chicken, making the rice extremely flavorful.  Night Market does a great job with their Hainan chicken with rice.  The chicken is boneless and both are served with boiled cabbage (not bland because it too is cooked in the chicken broth).  A small serving of pickled vegetables (daikon radish and carrots), ginger and scallion sauce, and hot sauce are also served with the dish.  It's filling for a single serving, but could easily be shared. Great. $8

- Choose a base, choose a protein $8
Base: White rice, noodle salad, soup noodle, steamed buns (2 pieces)
Protein: Spicy tofu, fried tofu, Hainan chicken, satay beef brisket (+0.95), curry beef brisket (+0.95), roast pork belly, BBQ pork, pork chop

In Hong Kong, this has become a popular model for restaurants and often also includes choosing a sauce.  You can also add an additional protein for $3. 


- Satay Beef Brisket with Soup Noodles - From this menu of choices, I chose this combination.  The brisket was tender and well flavored.  The turnip was tender and cooked through, but the flavor from the sauce has not made it to the center of the turnip - it's almost as though the two were cooked separately.  Along with the brisket are tendons which were also tender.  The noodles and broth are served separately - the noodles were al dente and the broth was flavorful.  Two pieces of yau choy were served with it.  I would definitely get this again. $8.95

Desserts like pineapple buns and pudding cakes (more Hong Kong street food) are available.  The more you purchase, the better the price. 

Although the name is a bit of a misnomer right now since they're only open for lunch, the place is already quite popular and by the time I finished my lunch, the order line was almost back to the door.  It looks like there is some flexibility with seating as there are more tables not yet unfolded and there is also seating outside.  The food quality is on point and service, albeit minimal, is friendly.  I'll be back for sure and would recommend it to others.