I recently had the chance to attend a special James Beard-related event at Saluhall, located inside…read morethe IKEA San Francisco building on Market Street, and it turned out to be such a fun and unexpected experience. I had actually never visited Saluhall before, so walking in for the event was my first impression of the space--and it's beautiful. The whole place has a modern Scandinavian feel with lots of warm wood tones, clean lines, and an open layout that makes it feel both stylish and welcoming. For the event, tables were set up throughout the space with different James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants serving small bites, and it felt like walking through a tasting tour of incredible Bay Area talent. The room buzzed with energy, great food, and even a few familiar faces in the crowd. There were so many standout bites, but a few really stuck with me: From Kristina Costa -- Babka Bread pudding with labneh creme anglaise and citrus supremes, which was rich and comforting in the best way. From David and Serena Fisher -- a super creative porcini meringue with cold-pressed venison tartare with a spring onion veil bite....I may have had 4. From Sana Rival -- cashew dacquoise with chamomile white rum buttercream was just a flavor explosion and the best way to end the night. There were also amazing vendors pouring and sampling, but if I'm being completely honest... the caviar was one of my favorite bites of the entire night. Simple, elegant, and one of those moments where you just pause and enjoy the indulgence. Helpful tip: If Saluhall hosts ticketed events like this again, grab tickets early. The space works really well for tasting-style events and it's a great way to experience multiple Bay Area chefs in one place. Between the beautiful Scandinavian design, the incredible food, and the energy of a room full of chefs and food lovers, it was one of those nights where you walk out thinking, wow, that was special. And now I definitely want to come back and experience Saluhall on a normal day too.

This is the saddest food hall I've ever been to…read more We came to eat noodles or swedish meatballs. Noodle shop was gone. Swedish meatballs closed up early! We did not stay for other offerings. Otherwise, it has a very cool vibe and feels hip. If only there were more places available.

I've tried two of the restaurants here. I had a gyro the first time. I had chicken from the…read morePeruvian restaurant. The food is good. The place looks a bit rundown but the food is good and there are options.

Had the garlic pork and broccoli. It wasn't bad, but a bit pricy (like $16) for the amount of food…read moreI got. In such a small takeout container, I'd expect more food honestly. Food came fairly fast. And there were some places to sit. It's like in a basement so it feels very hole-in-the-wall esque.

Oh man! So I use to perform the Fire Alarm Inspection at the Nordstrom for about 7 years straight…read moretill they closed. Went back to do a job walk foe the entire center and boy was i shocked! I cannot believe how empty this place got. Super sad really. I remember the mall to be packed! One of the most iconic and beautiful Nordstroms. Bloomingdales. The most amazing dome. The upside down Christmas tree under the dome. Man, they use to go all out! And now it's all gone. A literal ghost town inside with scary homeless people running around. Well, at least, Panda is still open and we didn't have to wait in line at all, so that's a plus. I sincerely hope they can salvage this mall and that it would eventually come back to life! I really do hope so!!

Everything went downhill drastically after the iconic four-story Nordstrom and two-story…read moreBloomingdale's were gone. Even 90% of the food court is gone. The remaining eateries are Panda Express and Shake Shack. The movie theater is gone. Walgreens is gone. One entrance to BART/MUNI remained locked. It's so sad to see what happened post-pandemic. The memories of walking around the spiral escalators to Nordstrom, having frozen yogurt while waiting for my grandmother to arrive, sitting next to a Mexican family while eating food court sushi, and shopping for cute clothes at American Eagle Outfitters as a teen. Long live the past of shopping in the 2010s. The entrances on Market Street still smell like urine, though. The majority of SF residents blame the city officials for letting criminals and homelessness go free, which made most retail stores shut down due to robberies. Less than 28 stores remained in business. The best part is that the public restrooms are still open, and there's access to BART/MUNI near the GNC Store. The best shopping mall in SF is Stonestown Galleria, next to San Francisco State University, where you can take the MUNI train M.

The Japanese center was actually closed. It is due to construction. But the garage you can still…read morepark inside and visit the Japanese Mall.

Japan Center is still an amazing view into japanese shopping and the long standing Kinokuniya…read moreBookstore with bargains as well as higher end finds from are to kitchenwares and beyond. For well over a century Japantown remains bringing groceries as well as specialty Tea shops and fine Japanese Woodblock Prints Dining, etc.

This food truck is our favorite at Spark Social! The food is authentic, clean and well-priced. The…read moreowner is also very friendly! Rasa Rasa gets 4/4 stars for SAFV: Service Ambiance Food Value for Money

I came to Spark Social over the weekend for a baby shower. Before going, I looked through all of…read morethe food trucks online and decided on Rasa Rasa since I love Indonesian food and have had it many times, including while traveling abroad. I ordered the beef rendang, which came with rice, jackfruit, greens, a boiled egg, and a shrimp chip. Overall, it was a good, flavorful meal and definitely hit the spot compared to the other options at Spark Social. My only feedback is that the rendang could have had a little more depth and umami. The flavor was on the lighter side, which I assume is to make it more approachable for people who may not be familiar with Indonesian food. I also ordered the wings, and they were good. They were crispy and came with a sweet chili sauce that paired well with them. Nothing especially unique, but still tasty. I'd definitely come back if I was at Spark Social again and wanted Indonesian food.

I've been coming to Union square for years, and it never seems to get old. Right in the middle of…read moredowntown surrounded by big stores and busy streets, Union square just feels like a peaceful little spot where you can put a pause on the chaos of the city. The lawn is always green and beautiful, perfect for letting my fur baby run around and play (potty too) and you will always see people enjoying the space, stretched out reading or talking with friends or just soaking up the peaceful space. One of my favorite things about Union square is the art. The giant hearts are iconic in San Francisco and they're always being repainted and reimagined by different artists. So no matter how many times you come here, you will always see something new. I've seen so many versions over the years but I still stop to look at them every time I'm here because there is always something new to. The hearts the statues, the occasional pop-up installations or performances, the square always feels peaceful but alive. There is also always something going on. On my last visit here there were ping pong tables set up everywhere with people playing. I saw juggling classes being offered and arts programs for kids with people gathered around having a good time. There was a reading area and books brought in on carts. They even still had up there holiday backdrop that looks like it was put there just for people to use for the perfect insta shot. There are plenty of tables and benches scattered around so it's easy to grab a seat and stay a while. Even if you're just passing through and you need to rest your dogs for a few minutes, this is the perfect spot. I spent more than a few afternoons here people watching or enjoying a snack from the little stand nearby. It's really a great place to spend some time and a must do if you are in San Francisco. On the weekends you will find people trying to usher you onto bus tours or maybe sell you souvenirs, but you might also witness an event or see straight performers so you never really know what you're going to get. This is a place for visitors and locals with nice surroundings where you can really get a feel for and just to take in the city.

This is one of my favorite parts of San Francisco; the shopping is high-end. There is so much here…read moreto do and lots of restaurants to choose from. We always stay at St. Francis, a beautiful, perfect location. In winter, they have an ice skating rink and the big Christmas tree, a great holiday spot to get your Christmas celebrations started. As I said, the shopping is fierce! Cheers, my friends SYOY 04/01/26

Absolutely terrific!…read more Tasty little bowls that are customizable with fresh ingredients, well crafted and thoughtfully made. I got the spicy Bulgogi with half purple rice/half Japchae and all the fixings. Great service, with a cute little outdoor eating area on Valencia. One of those times where the food matches the ambience of the street life perfectly. If you're the mission and interested in something that isn't a burrito, I highly recommend this comfort food (can it be "comfort food", if I didn't grow up eating it? I don't care. It feels like love).

Not put food in plastic containers but use compostable paper priducts. Prepare the vegetarian and…read morequasi vegan food not on a cross contaminated surface where deal flesh is prepped.

This place has been on my list to try for awhile. It's sometimes hard to believe when a business…read morehas this many great reviews, but I picked this place for our anniversary dinner. I ordered the Double Fried Chicken Wings, Spicy Raw Crab and the Spicy Seafood JJamPPong. The JJamPPong was so unbelievably good, so savory, spicy and packed with flavor. Everything was great, nice healthy level of spicy. Service was so friendly and nice, and accommodating. The food and service were prompt and it was just overall a good experience. I would definitely be back for more.

Came here to avoid the HMart parking fight and to support a more local Korean/Chinese place…read more Parking is tough in the Excelsior as expected. We ordered a seafood jjamppong and and a jajang mein. Both came out quite quickly, and the portion sizes seemed pretty good for the price. However, it felt like they skimped a little on the proteins, and the flavors were not as good as other Korean places I've had. The jjamppong had a good amount of spice, but it felt like we were just eating noodles with minimal seafood. The soup was a little bland and the overall flavor profile was not to my expectations. The Jajang Mein was also weird in a way that it wasn't Chinese or Korean, but a worse of both worlds. There were only a few slices of cucumber which made the entire dish heavy. There was seafood which was a little weird, and the pork they gave was surprisingly little compared to the amount of sauce. Safe to say that no dishes were finished due to the carb to protein ratio. Aside from the location and the perk of being locally owned, I believe HMart just down the street has a better flavor profile and experience, I cannot comment on their other dishes, but would recommend people ordering 1 noodle dish per 2 people, as they use the same noodles for everything, and to prevent the carb overload. Maybe their other dishes are more redeeming in quality and flavor, but I do not see myself coming back.