King of Noodle

1639 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA
(415) 566-8318

I first heard about this place from my coworker, and thought I must give it a try since I love noodles. I came to King of Noodle on a rainny Sunday afternoon with my sister, and there was a line to get seats. The wait was dreadful because I was hungry and the aroma of food from the tiny restaurant smelled so good. The service was okay, it looked like family run and low on staffs.

I didn't know what to order at first besides knowing I want their noodle. After sighting a few tables ordering the same dishes, I assumed those must be good or specialty. My sister and I ordered the Homemade Noodle with House Special Sauce, Pork Dumplings with Napa Cabbages and Soup Dumplings.

Homemade Noodle with House Special Sauce - Long uncut noodle with black bean sauce, onions, string beans and tofu

By the time the waiter brought the bowl of noodle to the table, it was lukewarm. I wish it would be a bit hotter. The noodle was delicious! It looked homemade because it was so long and he waiter had to come over and cut it up for us. The sauce was really good. It wasn't super starchy.

Pork Dumplings with Napa Cabbage

These dumplings reminds me of the ones from San Tung. Nothing too special.

Soup Dumplings

I love the soup dumplings here. This was probably the second best soup dumplings I had (the best being Ding Tai Fung in Arcadia, CA). The wrap was thin but enough to hold all the stuffing and soup in. It was not overstuffed with meat, thus each dumplings have plenty of room for plenty of soup. The soup was very tasty and wasn't overly salty.

I would definitely come back here to try the other noodle dish because I like the noodle very much. Also, definitely order a couple plate of soup dumplings with it.

Ahi Poke

Ahi poke is an appetizer consists of marinated tunas. It is very fast and simple to make, which is perfect for any potluck or even elegant occasion like cocktail parties. Just serve them on a spoon or martini glasses! Ahi poke is also great with crackers and chips because they give the tuna that extra crunch.

serving: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh filet
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon siraccha hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3/4 tablespoon crushed dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Instruction:
1. Dice the tuna filet according to sizes. If you want to serve the ahi poke by itself, I suggest bigger cube around 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. If you want to serve it on crackers or chips, smaller will be better.
2. In a bowl, mix the tuna with soy sauce, hot sauce and sesame oil.
3. Lastly, mix in green onions, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.
4. Cover with saran wrap and let it chill in the refridgerator for an hour before serving. You can also serve it as it is.

Alaskan King Crab Legs' Night

My friend Dezirae was hosting a Crab Legs' Night at her house last Friday. She kindly bought a bunch of crab legs and two crabs from Costco the same day, and carried them all home. Also thanks her boyfriend, Ben for  preparing them for us. Love the garlic butter!

 It was also a potluck and the crabs pretty much made it a seafood night! Almost everyone showed up with seafood related dishes.  

Half the batch of yummy Alaskan King Crab Legs. They were so meaty and were so, so fresh and sweet!

Almond Covered Cheese with Crackers

I brought Ahi Poke and Pop Chips. Recipe will be posted up soon. Super light and easy appetizer.

Garlic Shrimps. Thanks Ben for peeling them all!

I never had so much crab before. I usually just eat one small leg and that's it. But this time, I managed to piled up one king crab leg, one regular crab leg and one regular crab claw. Yay!

2010 Big Eat SF List: #18 Swan Oyster Depot, #23 Rosamunde Sausage Grill & #55 Bush Street Out the Door

#18 Oysters on the Half Shell at Swan Oyster Depot

The oysters on half shells were pretty tasty and fresh. I saw the waiter shucked them open when I ordered it. The sauce was amazing. It consisted of vinegar, onions, parsley and other goodness.

#23 Beer Sausage with Sauerkraut and Grilled Onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill

The beer sausage definitely tasted homemade and different. It wasn't soft on the bite. It was harder compared to like a hot dog or link and such. I couldn't really taste the beer, only could taste the onion and sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was so good!

#55 Chicken Porridge for Breakfast at the Bust Street Out the Door

This is by far one of the best porridges I ever had. It was so tasty! I could taste that they cooked it with chicken broth instead of water. The sliced chicken was very tender and fried onion and garlic made it even more delicious. I would definitely go back for more even though it is also probably the most expensive porridge I ever had.

2010 Big Eat SF List: #22 Saigon Sandwich, #29 Bix and #48 Anchor & Hope

#22 Vietnamese Roasted Pork Sandwich at Saigon Sandwich
This sandwich tastes really good even though I had it when it was cold. It was just typical Vietnamese sandwich with French bread, pickled daikon, cilantro and meat. What made Saigon’s distinctively good is the roasted pork! It was so flavorful and not super salty.

#29 Tuna Tartare and a Gin Martini at Bix

The tuna tartare was pretty good. The flavor was different from the typical soy sauce, ginger and green onion tuna tartare. It was served on a crispy wheat chips, which made a good contrast between the mushy tuna and crispy chip. I could also taste some guacamole underneath the bed of tuna. It was a light and refreshing appetizers. I don’t like gin and I don’t like martini, but surprisingly, the gin martini was not as hard as I thought it would be. It was easier to sip compared to say a vodka martini, nevertheless, I don’t think it was that great to make me order it again or any other martini though.

#48 Angels on Horseback at Anchor & Hope

Love the ambiance of this restaurant, dim but casual…very chill and relaxing. I don’t usually eat oysters, but I’ll eat them if I have to, and boy, am I glad I did. Angels on Horseback is bacon wrapped fried oysters. Bacon flavor was strong but not strong enough to cover the oyster taste, so I could taste both the ingredients. The combination was delicious! Genius!