Cafe Bunn Mi

Hey readers, it’s been awhile. School has been picking up and free time to explore food in the city has been tough, but I got a good place for all of you. How do you all feel about Vietnamese sandwiches? I personally never had Vietnamese sandwiches until earlier this year, and now I don’t understand what took me so long to try it. I’ve always loved Vietnamese food especially like pho, rice plates, and vermicelli bowls ever since my parents introduced me this cuisine as a child.

In San Francisco, I’ve been to many excellent Vietnamese restaurants, but I have never been anywhere where Vietnamese sandwiches were the main focal point. Finally, a good buddy of mine told me of a nice place called Café Bunn Mi. Café Bunn Mi is located in the Inner Richmond on Clement Street in between 5^th and 6^th Avenue. This restaurant is just one of many on Clement Street, where you can practically find all kinds of ethnic cuisines. Café Bunn Mi looks like a Western-inspired Vietnamese establishment due to Western-style furnishings and the lack of traditional Vietnamese design. The restaurant’s name is even a pun for “banh mi,” which is another name for sandwich in Vietnamese.

I would classify this place as one of the nicer “hole-in-the-walls” on Clement Street. When arriving at the restaurant, it looked more like a coffee shop than a Vietnamese restaurant. The interior had some nice décor and I liked the overall cleanliness of the establishment. When inside, I immediately spotted their chalkboard menu and saw how affordable their food was. The average price was $5, which is a perfectly acceptable price for sandwiches. They also had small starters such as imperial rolls, spring rolls, and three different types French fries: garlic, spicy, and sweet potato. The place also serves pho and rice plates, but you can tell that its people come here mainly for the sandwiches.

MENU

Trying to figure out what to eat was hard. Most of the sandwiches they offered sounded very appealing, and I was able to narrow my choices down to the combination pork, grilled pork, crispy chicken, and lemongrass steak. I guess you can call that narrowed down. Not really because it still took me a few more minutes to finally choose one, but I couldn’t, so I had no choice but to settle for two! I ordered the crispy chicken and grilled pork sandwiches. I also wanted a little variety, so ordered some spring rolls and spicy french fries.

The first items I received were the spicy french fries and the spring rolls. The fries were awesome and were very crispy. I thoroughly enjoyed how they incorporated hot chili sauce into the fries. I constantly had to ask for water because my mouth was on fire, but I couldn’t stop eating them. The spring rolls were delicious. The ingredients like the vermicelli, mint, cilantro, and shrimp were fresh and crisp. The peanut dipping sauce is also above average. It wasn’t too thick or too saucy, it was just right. As I finished my starters, the sandwiches came in soon after. Once I saw the sandwiches, I was juiced! They looked so fresh and tasty. The bread was toasted with a soft inside, while the carrots, cilantro, and pickled vegetables were perfect compliments to the chicken and pork. The chicken sandwich was my favorite. The chicken was crispy and very juicy. The grilled pork was just like grilled pork that you could find at most Vietnamese restaurants. However, even though it was nothing special, it was still a solid sandwich and I’d be willing to order again.

All in all, I enjoyed my time at Café Bunn Mi. The food there was excellent and the employees were friendly as well. My major highlight of this place is the price. The price of their offerings is more than affordable, so I advise you to not be afraid to try multiple sandwiches and sharing them between your family and friends. I really want to return here, so I can try their other sandwiches. I have already thought of what I’d get. I want to try either the lemongrass steak or the five-spice chicken.

You could tell that this establishment used quality ingredients and I believe that is what made their food stand apart from other Vietnamese restaurants. Café Bunn Mi has been another great San Francisco eatery that I recommend going to, and I hope you all have a chance to make it out there. This quick service Vietnamese café further proves how Clement Street offers the widest array of different ethnic cuisines from all around the world. You don’t want miss out on this spot.

Also as a side note, if you’re not full by the time you leave, don’t be afraid to grab some dessert at Genki’s Crepes located literally 50 seconds down a street, one block past 5^th Avenue. They serve crepes that range from savory to sweet. Across the street from Genki’s, I also hear of an extremely delicious Burmese restaurant called Burma Superstar. I have never had Burmese food, but I’ve only heard great things about it. If you ever decide to come back to the Inner Richmond to eat, here are two more places for you to try out. Enjoy!

 

Beer Anyone?

After trying food like corn dogs and curry, I want to move toward something I little different. How about trying out a brewery? In the typically foggy Inner Sunset, where on any given day the sun may not even come out, Social Kitchen and Brewery provides us with a great selection beer made on-site. However, don’t be fooled by the brewery label, Social Kitchen and Brewery actually boasts some very tasty food.

            A really good friend who works in the 9th and Irving area referred me to Social Kitchen and Brewery, and he described it as the perfect place to go after work to relax and grab a few drinks. He told me not only does the restaurant have excellent beer and food; he told me the place had a great atmosphere and a really friendly staff as well. 

              First off, when you walk into Social, the architecture and the interior’s design is very well thought out. You can tell that the owners put a lot of thought, time, and money in creating the overall ambiance of the space. Dark wood and some black furnishings give off a very robust look, which is exactly what a brewery/restaurant should look like in my opinion. 

            I came in during happy hour, which is what my friend suggested, and the place was fairly busy. I wouldn’t say it was pack but it definitely wasn’t empty. After sitting down at the table and browsing what they had to offer, I was pretty impressed with their selection of beer. There were a lot of really appetizing choices. There was the L’Enfant Terrible, which according to the waiter and the restaurant’s website is a Belgian-style dark ale. There was also the Rapscallion, a rambunctious Belgian-style golden ale, and the Easy IPA, a floral bittersweet beer. There was more beer to choose from; however, these were the beers that caught my attention. I ended up getting a pint of the Rapscallion and the Easy IPA, and I was not disappointed. Not only did these beers have about seven to eight percent alcohol in them, but they were also so delicious! The Rapscallion was kind of spicy in a way, as well as bold and full-bodied. The Easy IPA was different. It was very bitter and floral, but tell me why it had a slightly funny taste to it. It wasn’t bad, it was actually very good, but I couldn’t help but think it had a little taste of cannabis to it? Especially with the menu stating that the Easy IPA has “a bittersweet treat that’s all flower power,” I couldn’t help but wonder. However, the Rapscallion was my favorite hands down. If I were to drink Rapscallion for the rest of my life, I would die a happy man. 

            The waiter even mentioned that they also have a rotation of beers. The owners are continuously trying to create new concoctions in order for customers to experience beer in new innovative ways. I am certainly interested in coming back here and seeing what new brews they have created. 

           So, I know that all I have been talking about is Social’s beer, but I don’t want you to think that this place is only about beer. They offer some delicious food that pair well with their self-brewed beer. During happy hour, their drinks and food are ridiculously cheap! Ranging from $3-5, they offer appetizers like beer batter sweet potato tempura fries, macaroni and cheese with truffle oil, crispy calamari, and fried chicken sliders. The sweet potato tempura fries are my favorite! I love tempura batter and pairing that with sweet potato fries is utter genius! The calamari was excellent as well. It was crispy but didn’t have too much breading, and the sweet chili sauce really put the dish over the top. Food like this tastes so good with well-brewed beer.

            I unfortunately wasn’t able to eat their entrée items like their burgers or their steak and pork chops, but I heard good things. With all the beer and appetizers I drank and ate, I had absolutely no room left in my stomach!

            Overall, I enjoyed my time at Social. The atmosphere is fun and well designed. The beers are delectable and the food is just as good. They have a great selection of beer, with enough variety to satisfy anyone’s taste palette.

Ah, and I almost forgot to mention; if you hate making decisions of what beer to drink, Social offers a beer sampler where you can have double shots’ worth of each beer that’s offered that day. And once again, don’t let the "sampler" label fool you! A friend of mine who went with me ordered the sampler and got rocked! The sampler is a great choice when you want just a little taste of everything.

 

Anyways, if you ever catch yourself in the Irving area or just finished strolling around Golden Gate Park, and you’re looking for a great place to wind down and grab a drink, Social Kitchen and Brewery is the place for you. Here you can find great beer, great food, and great company. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and the staff treated me very well. Social Kitchen and Brewery is a fine San Francisco establishment, and I plan on returning there again soon.