Some quick bites for you: ~KIN KHAO~ has reopened for lunch downtown, serving favorites like their khao soi and chicken sandwich. Hours are Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm.
I’m so happy to see ~1601 BAR & KITCHEN~ has been opening for their regulars off and on the past few months, offering their Californian/Sri Lankan-influenced tasting menu for weekend service, as well as opening for private dining and events. (They also continue to prepare food for SF New Deal.) Just this past weekend, chef Brian Fernando put together a special Sri Lankan crab curry feast in honor of our local Dungeness crab season, and let me tell you, this crab curry was a wonder. (It was also a delightful mess to eat.) I’ll be sharing more on @tablehopper on Instagram when tickets for the next feast go live.
Meanwhile, EIGHT TABLES BY GEORGE CHEN is now offering a more-approachable, prix-fixe, five-course menu for $150 (launching on January 17th). The new, hyper-seasonal menu by chef de cuisine Floyd Nunn will change monthly—look for this month’s menu to include exciting dishes to honor the Lunar New Year/Year of the Rabbit. There will also be special à la carte supplements, and world-class wine pairings from sommelier Genaro Gallo, formerly of Restaurant Mugaritz. Dinner Tue-Sat.
Some news at SONS & DAUGHTERS (which opened in 2010 on Nob Hill): owner and chef Teague Moriarty has announced Harrison Cheney as the new executive chef to lead the kitchen team and menu development. Moriarty will be stepping away from the kitchen completely. Cheney has worked at Quince, two Michelin-starred Gastrologik in Stockholm, The Square in London, and at The Ledbury at Notting Hill, and will be showcasing modern, progressive dishes with Nordic influences and locally sourced ingredients.
New dishes include Laurentian rutabaga with cured wagyu fat; sprouted and toasted buckwheat with chestnuts and white Alba truffle; and cured Mt. Lassen trout with seasonal barigoule. He is joined by pastry chef Michelle Fried, previously at Eleven Madison Park and Saison. Desserts include koji ice cream with passionfruit and pink peppercorn; and Royal Tioga cherries with chocolate mousse, chocolate shortbread, fig leaf ice cream, and absinthe. The menu at Sons & Daughters is priced at $225 per person, served over the course of two and a half hours, with an optional beverage pairing for $165 per person.
In 2021, Moriarty sought to ensure his staff was compensated with higher salaries to align with the cost of living in the Bay Area, offer benefits to include two weeks of paid vacation, unlimited sick pay, fully paid health insurance, and split 50 percent of the profits. Tipping was replaced with an 18 percent service charge, which contributes to these salaries and benefits. The restaurant was also updated in 2020, with a new interior design with a larger stove, new flooring, painting, tables, banquettes, and increased wine storage. 708 Bush St. at Powell.
The crispy chicken sando returns with Kin Khao’s lunch service. Instagram photo via @kinkhao.
