BEST RICE PORRIDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO

That was a truly beautiful bowl of rice porridge!
I have rarely encountered such perfection.
Absolutely stellar and soul-satisfying.

Yesterday I went over to my bank, then stopped in Chinatown for a bit of lunch.  There's a new place on Pacific, which does simple Cantonese urban eats. The kind of stuff that when you want it, nothing else even comes close.  But it isn't what you would expect in your neighborhood, unless you live here.


銀都雲吞麵
YIN DU WONTON NOODLE
648 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
415-834-9388

Between Grant and Kearny, opposite Ping Yuen Estates.
Closer to Grant Avenue than Kearny Street.
Open from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Normally I will not take the trouble to transcribe the entire menu. But this place is sufficiently excellent that it would be quite unfair to the readers not to leave their mouths watering.
Think in terms of breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a light meal anytime of day.

湯麵類 NOODLE SOUP

鮮蝦雲吞 Wonton (shrimp & pork) soup: $4.30
鮮蝦雲吞麵 Wonton (shrimp & pork) noodle soup: $4.30
牛腩雲吞 Stewed beef brisket & wonton soup: $4.95
牛腩雲吞麵 Stewed beef brisket & wonton noodle soup: $4.95
水餃麵 Dumpling noodle soup: $4.30
淨水餃 Dumpling soup: $4.30
柱侯牛腩麵 Stewed beef brisket & noodle soup: $4.95
柱侯牛腩粉 Stewed beef brisket & rice noodle soup: $4.95
火鴨雲吞麵 Roast duck wonton noodle soup: $4.95

撈麵類 DISHED NOODLES

蠔油撈麵 Oyster sauce with noodles: $4.15
牛腩撈麵 Beef brisket noodles with vegetable: $5.95
牛筋撈麵 Beef tendon noodles: $5.95
南乳豬手撈麵 Pig's feet noodles: $5.25
京都炸醬麵(辣) Szechuan sauce noodles: $4.30
魚丸撈麵 Fish ball noodles: $4.30

粥類 CONGEE

蠔豉瘦肉粥 Dried oyster & pork congee: $4.25
豬肚肉片粥 Pork liver & pork congee: $4.25
滑雞粥 Boneless chicken congee: $4.25
魚片粥 Fish congee: $4.50
豬潤粥 Pork liver congee: $3.95
豬紅粥 Chao huyet congee: $3.95
豬什粥 Pork miscellany congee: $4.50
皮蛋瘦肉粥 Preserved egg & pork congee: $3.95
及第粥 Mixed meats congee: $4.50
生滾牛肉粥 Sliced beef congee: $4.50
白粥 Plain congee: $2.25

飯類 RICE

蜜汁叉燒飯 Barbecued pork over rice: $5.95
柱侯牛腩飯 Stewed beef brisket with rice: $5.95
咖喱牛腩飯 Curry beef with rice: $5.95
咖喱雞飯 Curry chicken rice: $5.95
南乳豬手飯 Pig's feet with rice: $5.30
蒸排骨飯 Steamed pork ribs with rice: $4.50

小菜 SIDE ORDER

蠔油芥蘭 Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce: $4.25
白灼牛百葉 Steamed beef tripe: $5.95
白灼豬腰,豬潤 Steamed pork kidney & pork liver: $5.95
咖喱魚蛋 Curry fish ball: $4.50
南乳豬手 Pig's feet: $4.50
蠔油菜芯,白菜 Oyster sauce choisum or bok choy: $4.25

飲品 DRINK

咖啡 CoFfee: $1.50 (hot) $1.80 (cold)
奶茶 Milk tea: $1.80 (hot) $2.30 (cold)
檸檬茶 Lemon tea: $1.60 (hot) $1.90 (cold)
檸檬 Lemon honey drink: $1.80 (hot) $2.20 (cold)
汽水 Soft drinks: $1.25


There now. Isn't all that ever so appetizing? Even with the occasional gap in comprehension, you should have a very good idea of the food.
The place is clean, bright, and friendly.
An entire family works there.

That bowl of rice porridge may very well have been the best I've ever had.

一碗都成開心!

They don't have yautiu (油條), but I didn't even miss them. The pork was super high quality, and cut just right. Small chopped preserved egg added, along with slivered ginger and minced scallion. Cilantro on top.
It was gorgeous.

Their Hongkong style milk-tea is also wonderful.


Judging by this first experience, I need to go there again and again, just to sample everything they do and decide on favourites. There may, consequently, be a rash of further joyous reviews of Yin Du Wonton Noodle here over the next several months.



NOTES:
Stewed beef brisket is a very Hongkong dish.
Namyu pork knuckle (南乳豬手) is typically Hakka. Fish balls are firm and bouncy, and do not resemble gefilte fish at all. Dried oyster is a wonderfull rich flavouring ingredient with which you must become familiar. The best types come from Japan.
What they've "translated" as 'chao huyet' is actually gelled cubed pig's blood: chu huet (豬血). Good for women who need extra iron, as well as delicious and traditional.
What I have rendered as pork miscellany are various organ meats.
And milk tea is milk tea.


It's like somebody plonked down a slice of Hongkong in San Francisco's Chinatown. In every way a very welcome addition. I wish them success and prosperity.
A better place for a rainy afternoon I cannot imagine.
I was happy as a clam when I left.
Oh lordy yes.



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