what’s cookin’
Ooooh, I’m feeling a hooky day coming on this Thursday, the beach will be calling. (It was a clause in my contract with Boss of Me—if it hits 80 degrees in SF, I clock out.) It’s a nice contrast to how hermity I’ve been feeling this past week—I’ve been home working on a bunch of projects and catching up on my long to-do list since that big-ass party I threw a few weeks ago took over my life for the past three months. Fortuna has not been mad at Mom staying home—we’ve been cuddling while I caught up on some shows, something I haven’t had time for in ages: Ripley (did you know the captivating Freddie is Sting and Trudie Styler’s non-binary child, Eliot Sumner?), Baby Reindeer (oof, that was a ride, was kind of glad when it was over), and now I’m watching Palm Royale (mostly just good stoned eye candy at the moment, waiting to see where it goes).
Whatcha doing this weekend? On Friday, Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard will celebrating the launch of their new cookbook, Koreaworld (Ten Speed Press) at The Asian Art Museum, with a conversation, small bites, and beverages (the book is included with the ticket).
And what about Saturday? A few tickets remain for this chic cocktail party at Jay Jeffers–The Studio on Post in support of Rainbow Railroad, an organization that supports at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals seeking safety and freedom. I’m looking forward to seeing pals from West Bev and OLGA Vodka (every bottle sold of this California-made vodka helps support Rainbow Railroad, just so you know) at this fundraising soirée.
Mark your calendar and get your tickets now: San Francisco AAPI Cocktail Week 2024 kicks off Sunday May 19th, with a slew of events, from panels to international guest bartender pop-ups to happy hours. I’ll have more details next week, but wanted to share the ticket link for now since the closing party will sell out.
Enjoy the spring weather! Finally. She better stick around.
~Marcia
the chatterbox
TIYA, an Upscale New Indian Restaurant Opens Wednesday from Chefs and Brothers Sujan and Pujan Sarkar
The former Maybeck’s in the Marina is the new home to the chef powerhouse brothers Sujan and Pujan Sarkar, known for their years at ROOH in SoMa (Pujan has been the head chef there for seven years), and Sujan’s Indienne in Chicago. TIYA is their first solo and collaborative project, offering both a tasting menu and à la carte menu of their New Indian style, highlighting seasonal and local California ingredients (Pujan is a big fan of the Foodwise farmers’ market). Whether you want to come in for a full-on dining experience, or just grab a cocktail and share a few small plates with a friend at the bar, they want TIYA to appeal to many kinds of guests.
The four-course tasting menu ($90) includes passionfruit pani puri, hamachi bhel, lamb or jackfruit keema, and spring appears in the morel malai, as well as in supplemental dishes like artichoke and celeriac galouti ($15). Vegetarian options are available for each course and a wine pairing is an additional $50 per person (the list showcases a selection of eco-conscious wines and California vintners of Indian descent).
The à la carte menu spans small plates ($14–$24) and larger plates (mostly $28), with a majority of the dishes cooked over a charcoal grill; small plates can also be ordered at the bar. The brothers’ freestyle creativity shines in dishes like goat ghee roast taco ($21), with pickled onion, Chettinadu-birria, lime; and tiger shrimp xec xec ($24), a Goan curry made with miso, Bedgi chili, gooseberry chutney, and ramps. Dessert includes mango malai, seasonal Indian mango served on an airy rice mousse with mango cassata and crispy kataifi.
The cocktail menu highlights different SF neighborhoods, and each drink lists the flavor profile inspiration, from a pizza-inspired martini in the North Beach (vodka, sourdough, Parmesan, cherry tomato and basil pickle, EVOO) to the Mission District, a spicy, taco-inspired cooler with tequila, salsa verde, nopales cordial, acids, and salt. There’s also a selection of gin and tonics infused with fresh herbs and Indian spices.
The space got a glam upgrade, with upholstered velvet booths and contemporary chairs in punchy colors of teal, pear, and powder blue, along with floral wallpaper, tiled floor accents, and mirrors. The spacious bar and lounge area has peacock curtains, and a view into the open kitchen. Tiya (in the Bengali language) is an indigenous green parrot found in the eastern part of India, here’s a chatty one. Reservations available now on Tock, Tue–Sat 5pm–10pm. 3213 Scott St. at Lombard.
A quick note about ROOH since Pujan is no longer helming the SF kitchen. The restaurant has exciting plans ahead: a new chef from India will be arriving soon and a new menu will be debuted later this spring.
Love Bites: Seven Tasty Dishes from Tablehopping Around Town
I am sooooo behind on my @tablehopper Instagram posts (there’s more that I want to say than just a quick caption), so I thought I’d share some tasty bites and discoveries and new places I’ve visited over the past few weeks with you fabulous supporting subscribers here first. Most of these items are pretty affordable as well, or at least over-deliver for their price.
New Openings, from the Return of Hummus Bodega to Porky Peruvian Sandwiches
I’m thrilled that Hummus Bodega on Geary has new owners who took over the business (it closed in February), and now their silky, creamy hummus is back in our lives, along with their fluffy pita sandwiches (I love the sabich), plus well-made falafel, chicken schnitzel, and shawarma. Prices seem quite a bit higher, however—my sabich jumped to $2 more. Whoa. Dude. 5549 Geary Blvd. at 20th Ave.
Malatang opened in the Inner Richmond, offering the Sichuan style of DIY soup: you decide how spicy (or not) you want your broth to be (the name is from málà: numbing and spicy), then you add a variety of toppings from the soup ingredient bar (from celtuce to mushrooms to beef to tofu to seafood), and then they weigh it ($14.99/lb.) and you sit down and enjoy your custom creation. 832 Clement St. at 9th Ave.
There’s a new Peruvian sandwich shop in the Inner Richmond called Gery’s Deli Cafe that’s a block off the Clement Street path, with braised or roasted pork sandwiches (I also see fries in them, sign me up), Peruvian baked goods, custom cakes, and more. Open Tue–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat 9am–3pm, Sun 8am–3pm. 200 6th Ave. at Cornwall.
A Beloved SF Old Timer for Delicious Chinese Food Has Closed
I was very sorry to see that Five Happiness on Geary has closed after almost 50 years of business; according to a Yelp post, the kind owner Bill Yang has retired. I have Cecilia Chiang and Patty Unterman to thank for turning me on to this Chinese restaurant years ago (which also had some Taiwanese specialties, especially on the weekend)—here’s my most writeup for my former Table Talk column for KQED in 2018. Sadly, they took a long time to reopen their dining room after the pandemic—it was takeout-only for so long that I couldn’t get a group together for one of their fabulous banquet dinners. Thank you for all the wonderful meals. 4142 Geary Blvd. at 6th Ave.
the socialite
Even More for the Moms
by Savannah Leone Bundy
Last week, we shared some Mother’s Day brunch specials to treat the moms in your life—and this week, we’ve got even more! If you haven’t made your plans yet for this Sunday May 12th, you’ll find some more delectable destinations below…
Perbacco is hosting a special Sunday brunch service just for la mamma. Their regular lunch menu will be available, along with a selection of festive brunch dishes, like burrata with marinated strawberries and crispy baby artichoke (hazelnuts, saba condimento, levain crisp), halibut vignarola (baby artichoke, fava beans, spring onion, snap peas, vignarola brodetto, charred ramp salsa verde), and strawberry rhubarb crostata. Reservations can be made here or by phone (415-955-0663). 11am–4pm. 230 California St. at Battery.
Lord Stanley has a luxurious, $90 prix-fixe brunch menu, featuring quiche Lorraine and smoked trout roe crumpets, smoked salmon confit (English peas, fava beans, beurre blanc), classic duck leg confit (frisée, lardons, lentils), and pain perdu (fresh berries, crème Chantilly), with caviar and wagyu côte de boeuf (red wine jus, chicories) supplements for an additional cost. You can reserve a table here. 11am–3:30pm. 2065 Polk St. at Broadway.
China Live is opening early on Mother’s Day so that guests can enjoy a celebratory brunch with Mom—bring on the dim sum feast! Reservations can be made here. 12pm–7pm. 644 Broadway at Grant.
Pizzeria Delfina will be offering the Mama Pie all weekend (Friday May 10th–Sunday May 12th) at all Pizzeria Delfina locations and we are all over it. The Mother’s Day pizza has pancetta, spring onion, burrata, and vodka-tomato sauce on top of their 48-hour dough for $24. It’ll be available for takeout, delivery, and dining in. Check out locations and/or make a reservation here.
