COQUETA
Spanish. Average Plate of Tapas: $10-$15.
Pier 5, The Embarcadero, San Francisco.
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A ruby in the link of restaurants that dot the coastline of the Embarcadero, Coqueta features a hip array of Spanish tapas beautifully presented in colorful plates. The high ceilings, well-appointed wooden tables, and comfortable seating whip up a rather interesting ambiance that acts like honey for local business executives.
The service here is noteworthy; it’s comfortably attentive and helpful. If you have any questions about the tapas on the menu, how many you should order, or what the house favorites are — definitely don’t shy away from asking any waiter who happens to cross your line of sight. They will be more than willing to point out a couple tapas and explain the dish.
Coqueta is notorious for being a place that gets booked up easily, and it can be frustrating to even book a table for two. Opt to call ahead of time and make reservations a week ahead.
The first thing to note about the food is that you should probably avoid the miniscule “bite-sized skewers.” Go for the tapas — they come in rather hefty portions that won’t break your bank.
Coqueta offers both hot and cold tapas. The hot tapas feature savory plates that center around flavor and aroma. Push a fork through the crispy, golden brown “Patatas Bravas,” or dive into a dizzyingly delicious dish of “Coles de Bruselas,” full of crispy brussel sprouts, complete with sauces to share.
The cold tapas heavily emphasize the junction between flavors. Case in point: the “Ensalada de Kale” is braised with some sort of wonderful mystery sauce that completely syncs with each the bite of pomegranate seeds and the hearty chew of fresh squash.
Coqueta is definitely a treat — the place works well as a lunch or dinner spot. Expect to spend at least an hour and a half here — especially if you’re with friends and five or six tapas end up on the bill.
VESTA
Italian. Average Pizza: $20.
2022 Broadway St., Redwood City
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Expect to pass this restaurant a couple of times before you find it — the entrance is very subtle, and the inside rather understated. Dine in the back, where heated lamps, a tarp tent, and a bustling army of waiters turn Vesta into a fast-paced and casual, yet refined Italian establishment. Brick tiles overlay the outside floor, and woven chairs provide comfortable seating; Vesta exudes a rustic feel in the middle of a hurried Redwood City downtown.
The restaurant offers an ample view of the open kitchen — a selling point for this restaurant. Watch from the side as pizza masters spread thick, red marinara sauce over the pies, lay over mozzarella balls around the edge, and press basil leaves into the center. Enjoy the smell of pizza cooking in the open, brick oven — a rather rare find in the rushed culture of the Bay Area.
Vesta offers two types of pizza. Red pies feature a myriad of ingredients strewn around a decadent red sauce; white pies have an added layer of cheese to pad these ingredients.
Vesta serves personal pizzas on huge plates, divided into rather large quarter slices. Some people may take issue with the pies being so large, but simply share a pie if you’re not feeling particularly hungry.
Definitely don’t skip out on the gelato, made locally by the Lush Berkeley Gelato whippery. The creamy, salted dulce de leche comes at a generous scoop, and leaves a perfect finishing touch to an indulgent pizza night.
While Vesta isn’t your traditional pizza-on-a-platter restaurant, it offers rather large portions at a personal level. Treat your friends at this downtown Redwood City location — it’s totally casual, and one hundred percent satisfying.
RASA
Indian. Average Entree + Appetizer: $35.
209 Park Road, Burlingame
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Throw out all preconceived notions of what Indian fare should look like; Rasa transforms traditional Indian street food into beautifully plated wonders. This Burlingame hotspot received its first coveted Michelin star this year — a crazy, exclusive award that only a select few restaurants receive once a year, which Rasa won amid a booming restaurant industry that charges a premium for food served at such high standards. The restaurant features a beautiful chandelier as the centerpiece of the restaurant. Divided into two floors, Rasa offers a different sort of ambiance for the particular guest.
Don’t worry too much about dressing up for this award-winning restaurant, though. Wooden tables accent the brightly colored walls, and the lively, loud patrons of Rasa add to the casual, laid-back, and bubbly atmosphere.
The portions served at this restaurant seem to be shareable. If you’re particularly hungry, start off with an appetizer to share — it could end up being an entree if eaten alone.
Every entree seems to come with a side or a sauce- the restaurant definitely doesn’t hold back on offering a full set of flavors for the diner’s particular palate. Rasa’s dishes seem to walk a fine line between what’s expected of a fancier restaurant versus what is traditionally known as a type of street food. Dig into their menu; discover how Rasa spins off-the-street deep fried food into delicious morsels draped over elegant plates.
But Rasa doesn’t limit itself to making Indian street food more sophisticated. Dishes like the “Cardamom Brûlée” give non-Indian foods a distinctly Indian flare. The fried, flaky crust on top of the “Cardamom Brûlée” and the traditionally Indian cardamom combine to create telltale Indian flavors.
Rasa’s take on Indian food isn’t just modern and creative — it brings a variety of appetizing flavors that make it deserving of its Michelin star.
KIN KHAO
Thai. Average Entree + Appetizer: $25.
55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco
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This restaurant is hot.
I mean that in several ways: The service is a hot and wonderful mess of waiters bustling around, tending to every single diners’ questions, calls, and demands for a refill on water. The spicy hot flavors in the food explode like firecrackers in your mouth. The entire ambiance of Kin Khao is rather hot, with noise level that goes through the roof. This restaurant is definitely a hotspot for San Francisco customers.
It’s rare for a restaurant to hit the jackpot and nab the coveted Michelin star — a testament to its wonderful cooking.
While the Michelin guide traditionally favors expensive establishments with world-renowned chefs, Kin Khao definitely doesn’t adhere to this tradition. Kin Khao focuses solely on the food- which is what pushed them into the San Franciscan limelight.
Kin Khao serves traditional, authentic Thai fare — the restaurant won’t compromise on flavor. While this may seem good, Kin Khao serves a couple dishes that may light a fire in your mouth. Definitely ask whether or not a dish has peppers or hot sauce spread on it; if so, ask for the peppers to be put on the side. In fact, some dishes will come with traditional Thai chillies, which are 23 times hotter than jalapeños.
Kin Khao’s menu isn’t really a consistent one. Because the restaurant is so innovative and the ingredients they receive are so fresh, this restaurant always cooks up a new recipe from time to time. What you may see on Yelp tonight may not be actually reflect what Kin Khao is currently serving.
Kin Khao uses spice generously — but they never let spice overtake the other flavors in their dishes. The food is laced with appealing flavors from cilantro, scallions, and other traditional Thai spices, coming together to make a cohesive, delicious taste.
Each dish melds a variety of contrasting textures. For example, the “Laab Tod” is a dish where the diner is called to grab a rather large, crunchy lettuce leaf, spread a bed of sticky rice on it, and wrap it over a meatball, creating a scrumptious combination of flavors and textures.
Whenever you dip into the city, hit up Kin Khao — it’s popular among foodies, but also crowded by people who simply enjoy some authentic Thai fare.
