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    Papa's Kitchen

    3.9 (130 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Papa's Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

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    PAPA'S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Papa's Kitchen

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    Vegetable chow mein
    Ash J.

    A nice spot in Haight Ashbury for noodles, pho and more. I ordered the veggie chow mein with tofu and a few veggie rolls. The chow mein was good - noodles were soft and chewy and the sauce balanaced the savory and sweet flavors well, but just a little bit on the greasy side. The service was great. The lady working there was really nice, attentive and accommodating.

    Chow Mein
    Sarah B.

    We stopped in here on a whim and I'm so glad we did! 1 pm on a Friday and they were steady but no problem getting a table. It was sort of a blustery and the big bowl of matzah ball soup really hit the spot. The woman serving us was no nonsense and efficient- I could see what others found off putting about her- knowing that going in helped!

    Pineapple Prawm Fried Rice
    Manda J.

    Ordered a lunch-time pickup of Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice; was ready in 10 minutes! Overall it was good but strangely the pineapple had no flavor or sweetness whatsoever; hopefully just a bad batch of pineapples. There were other veggies as well (peas, baby corn, green onion, etc) and it was a well-balanced fried rice. 4/5 for now because of the lackluster pineapple,. the service I received was kind and I'll be back!

    Tai Pho
    Maddy B.

    My friend and I were craving pho so we came here and it hit the spot! The music and service were good. Very nice especially because it was raining outside.

    Vegetarian spring rolls.
    Ben M.

    After we started eating we found a harmless bug on our plate. The restaurant looked very clean overall. Earwigs exist in a lot of different places. My issue is simply this, once you discover one bug, there are usually more violations hanging out. Having worked in a kitchen, I know what it takes to keep it clean. One little bug on a plate of spring rolls, we're not shook! However, the food was nothing amazing. This place is super average. Having traveled the world, dining in major cities all over this planet, I know what happens behind that kitchen door isn't always something you want to see. I've seen mice running through deli counters, dead fruit flies in soy sauce, dogs standing on butcher tables in night markets chewing on carcasses. Flies surrounding piles of ground beef.

    Soft Mapo Tofu $13.50
    Jennifer O.

    Rainy day Saturday and looking for a spot close by. We scanned Papa's Kitchen's menu in the window and they had lunch specials until 4pm. The server was sweet and brought menus and water immediately. We settled on Mapo Tofu, Sweet & Sour Pork and fresh Vietnamese Grilled Pork Rolls. Portions were generous though the Mapo Tofu lacked heat as promised by the chili pepper next to its listing. If you order it, ask if they can add Szechuan peppercorns. The other dishes were solid, we split family style and I called dibs on the second to last cold pork roll that had fresh pea sprouts poking out of the roll, delicious. The restaurant was clean with a large dining room including a counter if you want to slurp your pho and look out at Haight Street. I would definitely return or do take out from this spot.

    Seafood Combo Pan Fried Noodles
    Julian C.

    Pretty standard fare Chinese place with reasonable prices and big portions. Seafood combo pan fried noodles were actually pretty good. I don't get this dish often but the sauce was pretty flavorful and it came with lots of seafood (fish, scallops, shrimp, squid) and veg (bok choy, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms) Sweet and sour pork was disappointing. The sauce was pretty good but the pork itself was really overfried and to the point of being dry / stringy. I'd still go back to try different items and it isn't a place that breaks the bank.

    We had a great meal yesterday. I had the Mongolian beef chow mein and my friend had the Hunan fish and we had the cream cheese Rangoon appetizers. Everything was outstanding and the portions were excellent. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to try everything on the menu.

    Lady with poufy bob put in the wrong order. We ordered Vietnamese Style Fried Egg Rolls but she brought out Vegetable Egg Rolls.
    Thien H.

    I really disliked this place. We ordered the "Vietnamese Style Fried Egg Roll," pho tai, and a pork chop dish. The lady with the poufy short bob was crazy rude. I asked her what the difference was between the rice plate vs the a la carte versions of the "Grill Pork Chop." I thought it was a little weird that the a la carte version costs more than the rice plate so I asked if there was more pork chop/more meat in that version and she scoffed at me, acted like I was dumb, and kind of nodded in the affirmative. I have no idea why this question pissed her off. She ended up bringing us the "Vegetable Spring Rolls" which I really don't like. At first, I was annoyed that they were trying to pass these off as Vietnamese Egg Rolls. When I finally flagged her down and asked her about them, she said they were vegetarian egg rolls. She put in the incorrect order! I got the feeling she wasn't really listening when my husband ordered the dish and I guess I was right. The pho tai was okay. Rude service and just meh pan Asian food. The owners need to retrain their staff. It's sad considering I could see the kitchen staff was really hustling when I walked to the restroom. If you want Vietnamese food don't go to this place. They have Americanized Chinese food too, but there are so many alternative restaurants in the area.

    Yih R.

    It's a family owned restaurant, and I had high expectations. We ordered a lot of things, and I have mixed feelings. My favorite is absolutely the fried rice. There is a scent to it that cannot be replicated at home. The big wok in a restaurant can only achieve it. The fried chicken wings are good as well. The second tier is orange chicken and the spring rolls. My least favorite is the lemongrass garlic noddles and the hunan fish filet. There is no garlic nor Hunan flavors. They all kinda taste the same at the end. Would I come back? Probably not. There are plenty of places in the haughty.

    Beef chow fun
    Vince L.

    Beef chow fun was well made and delicious. Service was great considering there is one woman doing the waiting, serving, cashiering and busing of tables! Not sure if they have AC but it is very hot in here!

    Soft Mapo Tofu
    YooJin Y.

    A little cute mom and pop serving Vietnamese and Chinese food. I got the Mapo tofu and it was all right. It has a spicy sign right next to it on the menu however it was not spicy at all, like at all. Should not really be called mapo tofu if it's not spicy. The inside is clean and spacious, and the service is friendly and very nice. However, I will not be back.

    Pho Dac Biet to go

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    3 months ago

    Great food and service from mama. Got to do some people watching as well - turtles all the way down

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    7 months ago

    Cook was in a rush to take out the food, it didn't settle well. Wouldn't recommend this place it was a bummer !

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    8 months ago

    Was super good some of the best pho I've ever had! Tasted really fresh. The service was quick and efficient and overall a great experience.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Papa's Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

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    Sobakatsu - Cold soba

    Sobakatsu

    4.4(310 reviews)
    1.7 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
    •$$

    Felt like I got transported back to Japan when I was dining here! The space is very small and only…read morefits 11 people total across a couple tables and bar seats. You self order at a kiosk and seat yourself. There are two people cooking everything from scratch in the open kitchen and they'll call your number when your food is ready. I advise coming before they open as my friend and I came 15 minutes before they opened on a random Wednesday and there were already 5 others ahead of us. If you miss the first seating, you'll have to wait 45 min until someone finishes and leaves. We decided to share one cold soba with shrimp tempura and veggies in addition to the spicy dipping broth. It was delicious!! If you aren't a big eater, one order is definitely enough to share. The soba portion is quite generous. The tempura is made-to-order and really crunchy. I'm excited to come back and try their scallop kakiage. The spicy broth was really good with a hint of yuzu so if you like spicy food, I'd recommend adding that as a side item. It's a "cozy" restaurant so you might be sharing a table with another party. I'd come solo or even at most with one other person to have the best opportunity to sit each other.

    Visited this lovely restaurant during a layover in SF. Even though I do not have to eat gluten free…read moreitems, it's nice for those who are gluten free. We ordered the Hot Yuzu Scented Niku Soba ($25) & the Tenzaru Kakigage ($28) which were both delicious. The hot soba came with onsen tamago which was rich in flavor. The Tenzaru Kakigage came with cold soba, crispy deep fried veggies, and dipping sauce. The restaurant is small & you have to order before picking a seat. I would not recommend bringing a big group. Ordering food is through a self serve tablet and you pick up your food at the counter when your number is called. They offer soba-yu for after you're done with your meal that is meant to be added to your dipping sauce and consumed as a broth.

    Photos
    Sobakatsu - Inside

    Inside

    Sobakatsu - Tenzaru Soba: Shrimp + Veggie Tempura w/ chilled soba noodles | $19.25

    Tenzaru Soba: Shrimp + Veggie Tempura w/ chilled soba noodles | $19.25

    Sobakatsu - Cold soba + tempura

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    Cold soba + tempura

    Mensho Tokyo - Vegan Miso

    Mensho Tokyo

    4.1(3.4k reviews)
    2.3 mi•Lower Nob Hill
    •$$

    Waited about 30min at 730pm on a Monday night. The line moves relatively quickly, but there are…read moreonly about 30 seats inside. The line was twice as long at 830pm, so would recommend coming earlier. Service was very quick, food came in less than 10 minutes. I really enjoyed the TKO Ramen as compared to the Classic Toripaitan it was more unique and flavorful. If you want something you can only get here, I'd go for the more unique options like TKO. For the TKO, they really packed it with garlic and the fried carrots paired very well. The Classic Toripaitan was delicious, but more similar to Ramen you get elsewhere. Love the chewy noodle. Portions are on the smaller side. Given the small restaurant, would recommend coming here as a smaller group. Parking is pretty easy since there's usually street parking around the block.

    After trying Mensho, I understand why there's always a line! Once we were seated and ordered, the…read morefood came out quickly. The place itself is small so expect to be sitting next to someone. They do have plastic dividers on the table to separate parties though. I had the vegan GKO and was surprised by how creamy the broth was, especially for a vegan ramen. The vegan fried chicken was a creative twist, too. It looks like regular chicken karaage on the outside, but it's actually made with mushrooms! Tip: arrive about 20 minutes before opening for a better chance of getting seated when the doors open and avoiding a longer wait.

    Photos
    Mensho Tokyo - Counter seating

    Counter seating

    Mensho Tokyo - Enoki chips

    Enoki chips

    Mensho Tokyo - A5 wagyu sushi

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    A5 wagyu sushi

    Taniku Izakaya - Spicy beef ramen

    Taniku Izakaya

    4.6(355 reviews)
    2.0 mi•Tenderloin
    •$$

    I've been there twice and everything I've tried is delicious!…read more They have vegetarian ramen and different, unique appetizers. Their sake is also great! There is a line to enter, but it usually goes fast. The ambiance is cozy and nice.

    We were exploring town late at night and found this place on Yelp. Unfortunately, it shocked us in…read moreall the wrong ways. I'm still a little speechless 48 hours later. Granted, we came in around 9 PM, about an hour before closing, so we understood that the kitchen was getting toward the end of the night. We ordered a few dishes to share and there were actually some highlights. The scallops: These were great! Easily one of the better dishes we ordered. The karaage chicken: The chicken itself had great flavor, but the creamy sauce on top was extremely rich and ended up overpowering the chicken. I think with less sauce, this could have been a really good dish. Now, the ramen: This is where I was genuinely left speechless. I don't think I've ever had ramen with absolutely no umami. Like, none. It was one of the strangest things I've ever tasted. I was biting into something, there were textures in my mouth, it smelled great... but that was it. No depth. No richness. No umami. The broth, meat, and even the noodles somehow had almost no flavor. The only thing that really came through was the greasy chili oil that lingered on your tongue afterward. After a couple of bites, we looked at each other and decided to leave. At that point, most of the food was still sitting on the table practically untouched. Maybe we caught the kitchen on an off night, especially coming in later in the evening. The scallops showed us that there's definitely potential here, but unfortunately, the ramen was such a miss that it overshadowed the rest of the meal for us.

    Photos
    Taniku Izakaya - Interior

    Interior

    Taniku Izakaya - Scallop corn chowder - FIRE !

    Scallop corn chowder - FIRE !

    Taniku Izakaya - Calamari

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    Calamari

    Mashita Galbi Jjim - Tender Galbi Jjim!

    Mashita Galbi Jjim

    4.6(165 reviews)
    2.4 mi•Polk Gulch, Russian Hill

    Awesome place with a huge portion size of food!…read more Good: - Only waited about 5min for a seat on a Sunday night for dinner - They are generous with the banchan and we had a couple refills - The galbi jjim for 2 people was way too much and well worth since it powered 2 more meals after - super fresh and so many toppings - the meat is super soft - The watermelon strawberry drink was huge and great value Bad: - Takes a while for the food to come - The place is pretty small Overall would come again, super comfort food. Great value and just enjoyed the vibes.

    super cute small-ish restaurant serving korean dishes and known for galbijjim! we came by to try it…read moreout and i really enjoyed it. it didn't seem too busy on a weekday night and our party of five was able to sit right away. the food also came out quickly once ordered! the only thing is that service could be spotty, as it seemed they didn't have enough staff for the floor when we were there. i didn't mind too much but keep that in mind if you are on a timeline! we tried the galbijjim, which comes with glass noodles, rice cakes, and cheese by default. they also gave us banchan and rice. the galbijjim was saucy and savory with tender meat & lots of cheese. i do think it's less sweet than daeho's version, which can be a plus if you find theirs to be overly sweet! additionally, they include the rice cakes and cheese, which are paid add-ons if you go to daeho. the banchan were better than daeho's in my opinion. their fish cakes were nicely grilled and kimchi tasted great. i only wish they had purple rice as an option! the portion was perfect for five of us so it's a really great value in my opinion. overall a good vibe, great food and banchan, nice portion for galbijjim. service can be slow but they're very kind and helpful.

    Photos
    Mashita Galbi Jjim
    Mashita Galbi Jjim - Complimentary Banchan (clockwise): Salad w/ sesame dressing, kimchi, japchae, fish cakes

    Complimentary Banchan (clockwise): Salad w/ sesame dressing, kimchi, japchae, fish cakes

    Mashita Galbi Jjim - Soy KFC, sauce on the side ($22.75)

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    Soy KFC, sauce on the side ($22.75)

    Papa's Kitchen - chinese - Updated October 2026

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