Whether it’s a fresh lunch option or a place you've seen getting ready to open in your neighborhood, great new restaurants have been popping up all over the city. We took a closer look at five of the up-and-coming places.
Sue's Kitchen
SoMa
This small new restaurant specializes in light and healthy sushi lunches. Its "deco sushi" creations include rice balls and flavorful combinations like salmon sashimi with avocado-wasabi-mayo or shrimp with tempura flakes and Sriracha spicy sauce. The counter-style seating is limited, but catering is an option. Prices for the surprisingly filling lunch starts at $17 for six pieces, including a side salad and drinks.
Chef Li's Hot Pot
Portola/Excelsior
Piles of fresh vegetables and plates of thinly-sliced meats, seafoods and dumplings come to your table at this new rendition of the classic East Asian dish, along with a brothy, simmering bowl of soup for you to cook your favorite ingredients in. You get to go pick your favorite dipping sauces from a large bar-style collection (beef juice, peanut butter, etc.) as well as condiments like garlic, jalapeños and raw eggs. The all-you-can-eat dinners are $23 per person while à la carte dishes are also available for lunch.
Mac'D
Marina
In case you've ever had macaroni and cheese and felt like something was missing, the answer has arrived. Mac'd lets you build your own bowls with shell or elbow pastas—or cauliflower heads—plus a variety of cheeses (including vegan), your favorite meats, seafood, and vegetables to mix in, and finally toppings to sprinkle on like panko, truffle oil or hot Cheetos. The bowls start at $10, with meats like bacon and hot dogs but additions like tri-tip or crab will cost a little more.
Khamsa
Mission
The city's biggest neighborhood just added to its diverse cuisine options with this California-influenced Moroccan restaurant. The highlights are the tagine entrees, where proteins, fruits, vegetables, and spices are cooked together in an earthenware pot. The fish tagine, for example, combines a local catch with California favorites like tomatoes, fingerling potatoes and asparagus. Prices mostly stay under $20, unless you want to add any of the specialty appetizers, like the Zaalouk, which features pureed eggplant, onions and tomatoes.
Hardwood Bar & Smokery
Design District/SoMa
It's only been open for a couple weeks, but the on-site smoker and the Bay Area-focused menu is making this barbecue spot stand out. Smokey specialties include pork spare ribs, cheddar hot links, chicken wings, and beef brisket that gets turned into sliders or tacos. All are about $10. There's also "the Woody," which the restaurant describes as a "not-so-Slim Jim." An extensive bar bites menu includes items like grilled Spam musubi and a grilled mushroom quesadilla; the full liquor license means you can get drinks like a mule with your choice of booze, or even shots to go along with the craft beer menu.
