The Soup is a Guangdong village-style restaurant that offers long simmering soups, almost tonic like for its healthy proteins (black chicken, Offal), jujubes, goji berries, lotus seeds, ginseng, etc and comforting lotus rice bowls at 2315 Irving St, cross 24th Ave in the outer SF sunset. As a First timer here and an American-born Chinese to add perspective, I had no expectations except the dishes shown in pictures drew me in. These foods are for those who find comfort in offal dishes, herbal soups for what ails you and rice dishes offered when you were under the weather with love by mom or Pau Pau.
The daily house soup alone which they point out is offered for $2.99 (most daily house soups, if offered, in most Cantonese restaurants are complimentary) immediately brought back memories of Mom. The specialty soups and rice dishes will evoke those same warm, lovely memories. Surprised that the The decor is very modern, upscale and sleek. We were greeted warmly by Quennie. She was very good at seating us and taking our orders. After initial ordering I realized the enormity of the soups offered. I re-consulted with Quennie about the health properties of the soups that I was looking for and she immediately honed in on one soup, adding two other options but was emphatic about one in particular so I added that to the order.
Ordered:
* Marinated and braised pork intestines. This was served warm and so good! I snagged some of the rice off the other rice dish to add with each pork intestine bite and Mmm good.
* Lotus rice special w/chicken, mushrooms, lop cheung and Yu choy. Totally good and well seasoned, a comfort dish to order again!
* Hainan chicken w/broth simmered rice, w/slices of cool cucumber, roasted peanuts and the ubiquitous ginger-green onion dipping sauce. Actually took this home as takeout instead of eating there but, honestly, when I order Hainan chicken I want a clean, healthy alternative meal. And this looked good.
* Stewed or simmered soup w/black & yellow chicken, fish maw & morel mushrooms, lotus seeds, ginger. The serving size portion was for one person and was enough for me. The chicken is all bone-in, as in most dishes, not for fussy eaters but NOT a problem for me. Will definitely be back for this soup and to try the others!
For me, The Soup restaurant is a real find for long simmered soups chock full of healthy herbs, seed and seasonings, lotus rice bowls that bring comfort and memories of being taken Care of as a child when under the weather. I am not a regular traveler to Asia and do not have the luxury of this comfort food home cooking so this place brings the flavors and memories of Mom and Asia to me so it's all good. Priceless!
Cannot wait to come back try the braised pigs trotters and spareribs and go through the entire menu. See you there!
P.S. I was so enthralled with the soup I ordered I forgot to take a picture of it and dove right in. The Hainan chicken was already packed for me to take home as per my request so I'll update on that later. read more