The San Francisco Bay Area has to be one of the most vibrant food destinations on the planet…read more Within a short drive, your culinary passport can take you from Mexico to Japan, Italy to India, the Philippines to Vietnam...and today...THAILAND. No TSA. No baggage fees. No middle seat. So here we are in South San Francisco at White Elephant Restaurant, ready for a little culinary tourism. First up...Papaya Salad aka Som Tum. Fresh, crunchy green papaya, beans, and peanuts delivered that wonderful Thai balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Crisp, tangy, refreshing...and then...HELLO CHILI PEPPER!!! A perfect wake-up call for the taste buds. While perusing the menu, however, my eyes suddenly locked onto one magical word...BACON. Wait...BACON?!?!? Enter the Prawn Rolls...bacon-wrapped prawns tucked inside wonton wrappers, golden-fried and served with sweet chili sauce. Whoever decided prawns needed to be wrapped in bacon, wrapped AGAIN in wonton skin, and dropped into hot oil...I salute you. Crispy outside, juicy inside, smoky from the bacon, then sweet and spicy from the chili sauce. Every bite soothed my gushing taste buds!!! Apparently, bacon speaks fluent Thai. Next came the Basil Fish which was a medley of golden-fried snapper fillets sautéed with basil, garlic, onions, bell peppers, and chilies in a spicy red sauce. The fish remained crisp outside and tender inside, while the basil, garlic, peppers, and chilies created this wonderful aromatic combination of savory, spicy goodness. Soooo goooood!!! But you can't dine at a Thai restaurant without ordering curry and I'm pretty sure that's somewhere in the international dining rulebook. Our Red Curry with Beef arrived simmering with beef, bamboo shoots, basil, bell peppers, and coconut milk. One spoonful...and there it was. That wonderful velvety richness of coconut milk balancing the curry's heat and umami depth with subtle sweetness. Rich without becoming heavy, spicy without requiring emergency assistance. You GOTTA order this one. And don't forget the rice! The Crab Fried Rice mingled succulent crab meat with fragrant jasmine rice, delivering sweet crab flavor among beautifully seasoned grains. It wasn't merely a side dish. It was the supporting actor stealing scenes from the movie. Finally...Thai Mango Sticky Rice. Sweet ripe mango, chewy glutinous rice, coconut milk, and coconut cream. After an evening of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, crispy, garlicky, and bacony goodness, this dessert arrived like a massage therapist saying..."You've had a long evening. I'll take it from here." Sweet, creamy, tropical, and refreshing. Overall: 5 stars. The Som Tum woke up the palate. The Prawn Rolls proved bacon improves international diplomacy. The Basil Fish delivered crispy, spicy goodness. The Red Curry with Beef brought coconut-rich comfort. The Crab Fried Rice satisfied, and the Mango Sticky Rice landed the plane. White Elephant has been part of the South San Francisco dining landscape for more than 20 years, and I hope we're eating here for another 20. Culinary passport stamped. Bacon discovered. Curry consumed. Taste buds satisfied. Come hungry...and Go Big!!!

First time stopping by this area despite driving past it so many times, and we've finally tried…read moreWhite Elephant to satisfy the Thai food cravings. It's a decent local Thai spot, but I did find the food to be average. It was good but underwhelming. What we ordered: Pad Thai Papaya Salad Eggrolls Mango Sticky Rice FOOD: 7/10 The food was fine overall, but nothing really stood out this time. It just didn't have that wow factor that makes me want to come back right away. It's good in a pinch if you're nearby and craving Thai food, but not super memorable compared to other spots in the Bay. SERVICE: 8/10 Service was fine and standard. The lady who served us was very nice. AMBIANCE: 7/10 The restaurant itself is casual and comfortable, with a simple, neighborhood Thai spot feel. I did really like the artwork and paintings throughout, as well as the small shrine they have, which added character and authentic culture to the space. The lighting pieces were also a nice touch. Overall, White Elephant is an okay go-to if you're nearby and want something quick and familiar, but it's not a place I'd go out of my way for.

Fast service Food was very good…read more Maybe our 3rd time eating here and we always have a good time.

Right off the BART train station, it's a convenient delight to have this Malaysian restaurant…read moreeasily commutable from where I was staying on the other end of the BART. Roti canai - reliably crispy and comes with a good flavorful furry. Belachan eggplants - the belachan flavor doesn't come across as prominently, and might have been more present if the green beans and eggplants were even softer. I have a preference for really well sautéed vegetables, whereas these still had their crunch--almost as if it were blanched and tossed quickly in the sauce. So if that's the texture you prefer, this would be the dish for you. We ended with a fried banana for dessert, which was a good way to end the meal.

One of my favorite Thai restaurants in SF was recommended to me by one of my Uber passengers. That…read morewas 10 years ago and I'm still loving it to this day. So when not one but two of my passengers recommended Thai Nakorn, I had to try it -- plus, good Thai restaurants between San Francisco and San Mateo are few and far between. Unfortunately, I was not as enthusiastic about it as they were. I had chicken satay and Massaman Curry with chicken. The satay was fine. I've had some very special satays (esp at places in Foster City and Larkspur) but this was somewhat average. I would have liked the chicken to have been grilled just a tad more, and the peanut sauce was just a tad salty. The Massaman -- I should have known better. Real, traditional Massaman uses either beef stew chunks or chicken drumsticks -- in other words, you don't choose a protein -- it's cooked overnight so the beef or chicken become infused with the sweet, magical ingredients of the Massaman, and it has perfectly cooked potatoes and slightly burnt peanuts, and sometimes onions. Just the smell of it puts you into ecstasy. Unfortunately, that was not what they had at Nakorn. They gave you a choice of protein. I always tell people if a Thai restaurant offers Massaman with a choice of protein, pass it by. I broke my own rule because of the rave reviews my passengers gave me. But I ended up very disappointed. The curry was ... fine. But it had no defined taste like Yellow or Panang have. It was kind of 'generic curry.' The potatoes were undercooked, and there were no peanuts (I asked for them to leave out the onion, which usually interferes with the natural curry flavor, imho). The pieces of chicken breast were fine. Not the fault of the restaurant, but the people at the next table were pretty loud in conversation, as if they were dining in their home kitchen, and it made the experience less pleasurable than it could have been. But I get that happens from time to time. However, I must add: the server was excellent. Very friendly and professional. She actually was very sweet and we had a lovely chat at the end of my meal. I may give them another chance and try their pad thai, Tom Kha soup (which the next table was racing about) and Panang, which the server suggested. But, unfortunately, I won't be rushing back.

Thai Nakorn has quickly become my go-to spot for ordering takeout when I'm craving Thai…read more I typically order a pad thai for myself, the pad kee mao and green curry for my husband, and a fried chicken over rice for my son. I like that the noodles of the pad Thai are always cooked al dente, and travel well despite being in a takeout container, and the sauce is just sour enough for my liking. My husband who has done pickups from the actual restaurant mentioned that it is very clean and well kept, and the staff there are friendly and helpful. I will definitely continue to order from here to satisfy my cravings for Thai food!

Always a great stop for a quick bite of pho when you're in the area. I always get their bun rieu,…read moredac biet, or five spice chicken. For appetizers I normally get their beef carpaccio or spring rolls. For drinks I always get their thai tea! Food is always consistent, it's pretty much what you would expect for a vietnamese spot. Nothing too special but never disappoints. Usually pretty busy and packed but usually seats you right away. They have lots of tables inside and it's pretty spacious. It's a great place for gatherings or group meals. Service always on point too. Food comes out super quick, and theres always servers walking around if you need anything.

Nice decent side portions! Beef carpaccio was very flavorful and refreshing. Growing up in SJ…read morethough, the hu tieu dry noodle was a little disappointing since you could tell the idea was there, but the execution was a bit lacking. The ingredients are not true to the recipe and were substituted with several things that altered the overall taste. The noodles and sauce were decent but not enough to redeem the dish in my opinion. Like the other locations, the interior remains very similar and the staff like most Vietnamese places were half run by Hispanics. Since it's located along el Camino real, parking can be tricky unless you circle to the back and park along the street.

Came to Laka for dinner and while it seems like they've done a 180 pivot from their original fare,…read moreI was pleasantly surprised to find that they offer breakfast all day. Words to my heart, you know. Despite being sold out on some of the items we wanted to try, we still really enjoyed what we did order. Portions were generous and not too pricy. Also, despite being late, their Chinese deli was still pretty fresh. The order of roast pork we had was well seasoned and featured that airy crispy skin to be completely envious of. That alone is a huge plus because we don't have a lot of places in the peninsula to pick up these items, especially compared to the city. The fish porridge was complete comfort. Texture was good and there was plenty of fish to go around. The pork noodles were deeply savory but the pops of pickled vegetables against the silky rice noodles also really hit the spot. The only dish that was a bit meh to me were the potstickers. The filling was a bit mushy and I'm not the biggest fan if the deep fried style. Pan fried is the king for me. Definitely keeping Laka as an option whenever I really need that comfort Chinese food fix.

This restaurant serves delicious and filling food like the Hainan chicken plate and preserved egg…read morecongee, beautifully presented with crispy peanuts and ginger oil condiments. While the congee felt overpriced and many Tuesday evening items were sold out, the great taste makes it worth a return visit. Roast pork is apparently their signature item.

Food comes out very fast. I thought I wouldn't like the chicken but I was pleasantly surprised. The…read morerice was really good too. I tried the fish udon and it was so unique. We also had the fish ball noodle soup and the broth was flavorful and had a lot of fish balls. The bowls are huge you can definitely share. I think for the price and quick service I would come back!

Worst customer service I've experienced--ignored and dismissed…read more We walked in for a takeout order and stood by the corner waiting to be greeted. There were only three tables dining at the time, but no staff in sight. After a few minutes, a staff member came out of the kitchen, walked right past us without acknowledging us, and seated customers who had just walked in behind us. She then went back into the kitchen, came out again to print a check for another table, and continued to completely ignore us. When she finally came back out a third time, I politely asked if we could place a takeout order. She ignored my first attempt entirely. I asked a second time, and her response was genuinely shocking: she said, "Maybe later I will help you." I couldn't believe the utter lack of basic courtesy or service. That was the final straw--we immediately walked out without ordering. To be blatantly ignored and then dismissed like that is completely unacceptable. I will definitely not be giving this place a second chance.

This was literally the most delicious of this kind of food I've ever had, and at rather reasonable…read moreprices! They have a lot of the same dishes you see at American 'Chinese' restaurants but it was cooked and spiced so well as to put it in a completely different category. I visited on a Friday night with my older parents. We were seated after just a few minutes, and the hostess was very courteous with updates. The coconut chicken soup was amazing, very creamy! Rainbow chicken was also very savory. I'd highly recommend the House Special Noodle. Noodles seemed to melt in your mouth, for lack of a better phrase. Just delicious. The staff and even the customers really went above and beyond in terms of courtesy and politeness, too. My mom had recently had a major surgery that required her to use a walker. Everyone was very helpful and kind.

Check your bill carefully before adding a tip…read more We were a party of three having a regular lunch, and gratuity was automatically added to our bill. No one mentioned it to us. I have absolutely no issue with tipping. What I have an issue with is quietly adding gratuity to a three-person lunch bill without clearly telling the customer. Had I not carefully reviewed the bill, it would have been very easy to add another tip on top of the gratuity already charged. What makes this even stranger is that I have dined here with my husband before and this never happened. This time, without him, gratuity was added automatically. I don't know why we were treated differently, and I won't speculate about the reason--but the inconsistency made me extremely uncomfortable. If automatic gratuity for a party of three is Mingalaba's standard policy, it should be clearly disclosed and consistently applied. If it isn't, then I think customers deserve an explanation for why it was added to our bill. Ladies, especially--check your bill before you tip.

Good food and courteous service and Place is clean. Service is fast and decent. Love this place!…read moreThe staff is really friendly and helpful and makes you feel comfortable right away. Butter Garlic Noodle: OMG! This was so good. The perfect amount of butter and garlic. Something about this made it the best garlic noodles I've had. Very good portion and the noodles were thick. Came here for a weekend lunch and had a delicious meal. Highly recommend it!

Just passing through town and wanted Chinese food so we ended up here on a late Sunday night. The…read moreservice was great and the food was delicious. Definitely recommend. Missing a pic of the basil chicken...so yummy!

Came here on a Saturday night. Place had a lot of customers but were seated promptly and service…read morewas fast. Flavoring of oxtail pho was good. You can choose what type of noodles you get in the pho (ie flat noodle, thin noodle, egg noodle). Wish there was more oxtail in the pho. Ordered pork spring rolls as well. My partner thought seasoning on the pork was too sweet, but I thought it was perfect.

Mom and Pop shop with okay Vietnamese/Chinese fusion food. The reviews on here were so confusing…read morebecause some said it was the most authentic thing and some said it was the worst broth they have ever had. We got the Pho Ga and honestly the broth wasn't bad. It was clean but a little bland. And the chicken breast in the Pho was giving very fusion but I didn't expect anything like Houston. I got the Imperial rolls which is like Vietnamese style egg rolls and they were super crunchy and fresh. It was delicious especially for the Bay. So the verdict is it is not the most authentic flavors but come on yall it was not the worst thing ever for Northern California. And coming from Houston's foodie scene, this place was not terrible for me right after landing from a flight. But we did only get 2 items so that's that. Service was fine, the owner and their daughter were working and cleaning the tables. So I respect the hustle of a small mom and pop shop.

Great Korean food in a great area. Tried the spicy noodle soup and the broth was delicious and full…read moreof flavor, not too spicy. The chicken also had a good crunch and juiciness to it, highly recommended. The staff was also nice and polite for my first time coming here. The inside was small and cozy but was still had a very comfortable atmosphere.

A small and cozy Korean spot located inside a shopping plaza that serves a few staples such as…read moresoondubu jjigae, oxtail soup, bibimbap etc. Their menu is on the leaner side but they have enough variety to have a good spread. We ordered the tofu soup and oxtail soup. I honestly didn't enjoy the tofu soup much, it was heavily flavored with msg and it overpowered the gochugaru and lacking traditional flavor. It wasn't for me. On the opposite, the oxtail soup was pretty solid and we would order it again. The other letdown was the banchan, it was unfortunately very bland, especially the kimchi which was very under seasoned. Overall, not a bad spot to have a comforting meal but note the flavors might not be consistent with traditional flavors.