We were in the area for a festival and were so excited when we saw this Japanese grocery store. It…read moreis a lot bigger on the inside than it looks and they have so much to look at. We had recently visited Japan and were interested to see if we'd find some of our favorite products here and were happily surprised were there. They have a large selection of prepared foods, including some incredible looking sushi (I wish we had bought some). The cold drinks had a great selection of options with some hard to find flavors and brands. From the produce to meat, seafood, and shelf stable items, it was overwhelming how much this store had. I loved the wide variety of candies and snacks. We picked up some new-to-us and some familiar items while we were here. I also picked up some spices and ingredients that are harder to find. The pricing on everything was very fair, and considering that a lot of these items are imported and not always easy to source, I was so excited! The staff was also friendly and efficient, since there was a festival going on the store was very crowded, but the check out lines moved quickly.

Such a great Japanese convenience store…read more They have everything from fresh sushi, candy, seaweed, noodles, produce, and so much more. Love stopping here when I need a quick snack or meal, and the tuna onigiri is my favorite. There's a ton of imported drinks and desserts as well. Definitely a must stop when you're wanting some asian goodies.

This is such a hidden gem! I was able to stop by this small Korean market near Japantown, and the…read morehot food section immediately caught my eye. I noticed there was a kitchen in the back of the market, which made everything even more appetizing--I loved the thought that the food could have been made fresh that same day. It was so hard to choose between the two proteins, spicy pork and beef, because they both looked incredibly delicious. I ended up going with the beef, and it immediately satisfied my craving for a quick and delicious grab-and-go lunch. The beef tasted fresh, and the flavors were bold and robust. I also added the Korean soy garlic fried chicken, and it paired surprisingly well with the kimbap. The fried chicken wasn't quite as crispy as I hoped, but the flavor definitely made up for it. I'll definitely be stopping by again whenever I'm near Woori!

Amazing little Korean market with premade food! I have a feeling I'll be back many many times.....I…read morelove kimbap but it is honestly a pretty time-consuming dish to make, so I'm really glad I have Woori nearby. The filling to rice ratio is really generous, and I like that they have this bigger assorted version with three flavors- fishcake, tuna, and kimchi so I could try a bit of everything! Loved the kimchi one a lot. Gotta come back to try the other flavors out. Didn't have time to explore the rest of the market, but they seem to carry a bunch of Korean ingredients that are hard to find at a regular grocery store! Lots of nostalgic snacks, seasonings, I even saw fresh Korean rice cake which I'll definitely be trying out next time.

Great little cafe inside the Japan Center Mall that serves all kinds of Japanese comfort food. Came…read morefor the onigiri and surprised that they also serve Gyudon. I absolutely love this dish. It's so delicious and comforting. They also sell other yummy snacks like mochi and sodas. You can eat at the designated area right next to this cafe. Service was nice and efficient. Located on Webster and Post inside Japan Center Mall.

Located at the bottom of the stairs from the main Kinokuniya Japanese Bookstore in Japantown is…read moreKissako Tea in a little kiosk. They have a surprisingly large menu that encompasses Donburi and Udon Bowls, as well as various teas. But we came here for the mochi and the made-to-order Onigiri. I ordered an Enoki Mushroom Onigiri. Most Onigiris at other places are prepared hours in advance daily, but here, you wait a couple of minutes while they make your Onigiri fresh from scratch. There wasn't a huge amount of Enoki filling in mine on my visit, but the taste and texture of the rice with Enoki seemed refreshingly different to me. This is a casual grab and go kind of place, but with at least 6-8 self-serve tables where you can sit down and enjoy your meal.

I've been going to this store for years…read more Recommend going there for a quick and convenient lunch. Best items: 1) fried chicken - about 6 pieces for $10 with additional sauce in the box in case you want to supplement with other chicken you have, such as rotisserie chicken 2) beef kimbap - sometimes a little too dry for my taste but solid, about $9 for two rolls 3) japchae - japchae is relatively easy to make in my opinion, but when you're in a hurry this will definitely do! They have a solid selection of Korean grocery items and snacks.

The BTS invasion happened this week at Stanford Stadium with sold out shows and KPOP mania is…read morestill running strong in America. It's good to see different cultures getting recognition in the mainstream of America. There is a place which has products you can enjoy eating and drinking from South Korea . They also have ingredients so you can make your own kimchi at home. This market has been in San Francisco for over a decade before H Mart made its presence in the city. It's on Geary street and it's called First Korean Market. On a Spring through Geary Boulevard in San Francisco I landed at First Korean Market. I use to come here to shop for groceries a decade ago. Today it has lots of products from South Korea and Japan. You can find fruit drinks from South Korea along with adult beverages such as different bottles of Soju. You will also find market made fishcake kimbap. There bags salted eggs salted skin from Singapore also cheesy ramen like some in SF. Overall one of my favorite places in the city to shop without the long lines. Come to the Korean Market which is called "First " when it comes to South Korean food they are well "versed "and come inside to hide from the "sunburst" in SF and grab a cold drink to clinch your" thirst " If you want to stay woke then bottles of Soju will keep you "awake "come to this First Korean Market on Geary Boulevard where they "make"their own kimbap with "fishcake"and flakey like some in SF vegetarian scallion "pancake"

every major metropolitan city must have a mango dedicated dessert shop, I don't make the rules…read more mango mochi hit the exact craving I was having, popcorn chicken was solid. I wish I was in high school again so I could re live the experience of coming to a shop like this after school and getting a sweet before going home. v excited to try some of the sundaes when I come back

In years past, there was a better than good chance that my friends and I would cap off our nights…read moreout at one of the many Asian dessert cafes that were sprinkled all over the Richmond District. Sadly, a bunch of those spots have come and gone, but quite a few are still around. Or, in the case of Sweet Mango, replace one of those original dessert shops, but still offer up almost the exact same menu that their predecessor did! Now, regardless of whether or not they're owned by the same folks as the popular Creations Dessert House that used to call this place home, it doesn't change the fact that Sweet Mango is pretty solid in its own right. Inside, this place is relaxed and can easily accommodate larger groups, unlike other dessert spots out there. Similarly, the menu is pretty extensive as well, featuring a ton of HK desserts (sago, glutinous rice balls, bird's nest, etc.) including many mango centric ones, crepes, HK toast, drinks, snacks, instant noodles, sandwiches, and even rice and spaghetti plates that come with the likes of black pepper chicken steak, curry pork chop, and more. -- (#710) GLUTINOUS RICE BALL WITH CRUSHED PEANUTS One of my favorite things here, as it has been one of my go-to desserts here. The glutinous balls always have a nice chew to them and I really like how well the peanuts complement it, both in terms of taste and texture. -- (#25) GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS, MANGO JUICE, MANGO ICE CREAM, AND MIXED FRUITS Another one of my go-to desserts, especially when I want something cold and fresh. Understandably, the taste of fruits is a bit dependent on the season, but I love how the juice and ice cream reinforce the mango flavor in this. Plus, the glutinous balls have such a nice chew! -- (#52) POPCORN CHICKEN I hate that I gave in to my curiosity because this was not good. While it looked fine on the plate, everything about this missed the mark - the batter was chalky and dry and the chicken itself wasn't very juicy. Hard pass. -- (#101) BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN STEAK with Spaghetti Ehh...not terrible, but not that special either. While the portion size was fairly generous and the chicken itself had a nice crust on it, I didn't love the sauce, which was kind of thin and didn't really stick to the pasta. Although what I've had here, as a whole, has been a little uneven, it should be said there is also a theme to it. Based on what I've had, as well as what my friends have ordered, the desserts here (and HK snacks, to a degree) have generally been pretty good. As for their more savory dishes and fried snacks, they've been closer to just okay than anything special. Nothing wrong with that, though, especially given how this is more of a dessert cafe. Plus, true to their namesake, their mango desserts have always been pretty good! With there being fewer dessert cafes than there used to be, there obviously aren't as many options to choose from. However, even with that being the case, Sweet Mango is a pretty decent spot and it's not like their more savory offerings have been terrible (popcorn chicken aside). If nothing else, with the way this place doesn't get as busy as Kowloon or Naya, they're super convenient! THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down. CASH ONLY.

After exploring SF for a few hours, we were craving something sweet, so we stopped by Genki Crepes…read more I ordered the Nutella and strawberry crepe with whipped cream, and it was so yummy! It definitely hit the spot. I loved how crispy the crepe was and it had the perfect amount of Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. The crepe was made fresh and came out in a timely manner. Since it was cold outside, we just sat on the bench inside the grocery store, which made for a nice, chill spot to enjoy our dessert. If you're looking for a quick and delicious sweet treat, I'd definitely recommend stopping by!

We got the beef sukiyaki crepe with monterey jack and it was a 10/10! It was so yummy and filling…read more It was very juicy. We also got the red bean paste crepe and it was good but definitely too much red bean paste. I lovee red bean but it was an overwhelming amount. I love how crispy the crepe was! Service is fast and a few benches to sit on!

I feel like even all these years later, this is still my #1 go to for frozen dumplings and…read morepotstickers. The kiddo also likes the green onion pancakes. I almost always get the Napa cabbage and pork dumplings and the pork potstickers. I STOCK UP! This is a must stop for me every time I'm in the sunset area. I bring a cooler JUsT for this!!

Don't really like to bag on local businesses but Kingdom of Dumpling earned this one big time…read more Door Dash special - 2 for 1 chicken chow mein. nice. And they have pretty good chow mein. Go to pick it up and am greeted with unwarranted attitude. I mean I see my order, but some lady tells me I have to wait 3 arbitrary minutes. If it were busy, then I get it, but it wasn't, so what the fuck is their problem? Maybe customer service isn't high on their priorities. Or they just suck. When I finally get my order, it's feeling particularly light. And for good reason : they took one serving of chow mein and placed it in 2 togo containers and gave no chicken whatsoever. Okay, maybe one small sliver cut into 2 pieces total. 2 for 1, my ass. If they meant 2 containers equalling 1 serving, then they totally nailed it. Why? Why the attitude? Why are you ripping me off? Why when you're not even the best place to eat on that block? Oh yeah, the Ambiance? Also sucked. Food is alright. What I'd suggest, forget about this place and go to the Other Dumpling place down the street. Again, forget the King dump of bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

good value, I was very happy with the portion and the additional topping of minced garlic, green…read moreonions, and chili peppers along with an optional dipping sauce. The happy hour also included a hot drink from a set menu - Ovaltine also was from back in my childhood. Service was super attentive - thank you!! I was even asked a few times if I wanted some more hot water for the drink; I also ordered a taro and sesame hot drink. I wish I had another person with me so I could try some of the other items but I'll have to come back for more. I was interested in the happy hour rice roll but it didn't have any protein in it (dried shrimp or diced ham), and then a pork chop dinner plate special was $20. I'll have to go back for post- instead of pre-dinner options next time. Place is clean, bathroom was decent, nothing sketchy.

Looking for a dessert spot open late on a Sunday evening, my friends and I found our way to Kowloon…read moreTong Dessert Cafe just off Geary. It was my first time there, but my friends swore by the black sesame pudding. We were seated at the last open table around 9:00 PM, served hot cups of tea, and handed gigantic menus with hot desserts on one side and cold desserts on the other. It was a cold evening, so ordering the warm black sesame pudding was a no-brainer. Because there were five of us, we also decided to try the cold mango sago pudding. Both desserts were served around the same time, and I tried a spoonful of each. I liked the refreshing and sweet mango taste, plus the cooling texture of the mango sago pudding. The black sesame pudding, while just barely sweet, was warm and comforting. I preferred the mango sago as a dessert, yet I would order the black sesame pudding as more of an anytime snack. We had just barely scratched the surface of the extensive menu, so I'm sure we'll be back for round 2.