So
(415) 731-3143
2240 Irving St
(at 23rd Avenue)
San Francisco,
CA
94122
37.7634
-122.4819
Neighborhoods: Central West, Central Sunset
Hours:
Sun-Thu 12pm-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm
Price:
$
What People Are Saying About So
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
On a strip of unassuming mom-and-pop Asian eateries, the glimmering neon sign and thoughtful modern decor attract a boisterous, noodle-slurping crowd of neighborhood 20-somethings. A clanking, assembly line kitchen slaps out plate upon plate, delivered with a single server's sprint across the tiny dining room, lightning fast and sizzling hot.
The Food
Composed of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese influences, the menu offers a promising selection of sauced and brothed noodles. Highlights include a tomato-y, spicy Mao Pao, and vats of light, peppery soup studded with shredded pork with pickled cabbage and mustard greens, or outstanding, house-made pork or shrimp-stuffed dumplings. Starters must be shared and could easily comprise a small-plates meal on their own, the most dreamy among them being the fried chicken wings tossed in roasted red pepper, garlic and ginger, and the flash-fried string beans in a sweet and hot garlic syrup offset by the tang of Chinese pickle.
User Reviews
pcloadletter
June 06, 2007
a bold statement, i realize. the menu has some overlap with san tung. (they are owned by the same family.) The chicken wings are the same as are the potstickers and dumplings (though they have recently discontinued this at so's, at least for the time being). These are the best potstickers, dumplings, chicken wings, dry braised string beans I have ever had. Absolutely out of this world. Aside from the potstickers the best thing on the menu is the So Black Bean sauce noodles (not to confuse with the "black bean sauce noodle" - if you like the noodle dishes at san tung you absolutely must come here because there is just no comparrison this place is SO much better. as far as the review of the waitress, 1. half the wait staff is the same as san tung and 2. if you've ever been on a busy night (most nights) when the one girl is hostess, bus girl, waitress and answers the phone you can easily see how much she has to deal with. besides, it's pretty typical chinese restaurant service. not overly friendly, but not rude, and definitely very efficient. same as san tung but w/ constraint of only one person working. i just moved across town and this is the only place i will genuinely miss
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hungry_now
May 23, 2007
i really like this place!!! good noodles for a good price and we always leave stuffed with left overs to take home. also try the coroque, which are curry potato cakes, the fish, and string beans! YUMMY we normally go on saturday lunch time or later lunch and the service is awesome! the waitress knows who we are and she is always more than accomodating to us. she gets our drinks as soon as we sit down and always asks if we want to start with the regular appetizers. this is kind of like san tung, which is also really good, but the menu at so is a bit smaller. we go back only on saturdays just because we love the waitress and we have only seen her there on saturdays. even when she is really busy during lunch time, she is quick and efficient. she works the restaurant by herself, as far as we have seen. I am in the restaurant business and know what it is like to be a server, but we all think that she does her job wonderfully, sonsidering that she has very little help and at times it just gets very busy. but we are all patient. we LOVE So, but please bring back the dumplings and potstickers!!!!
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linglingling
May 20, 2007
My in-laws were in town and we decided to try out this restaurant because the owner of Sung Tung had told me about it and told me to give it a try. We eat at Sung Tung at least once a month for the past couple years now. The minute we walked in the door, we were greeted by the waitress with a real BAD attitude. This was at 3pm on a Saturday and there was one other 3-top table almost finishing up. We asked for a table for 8 people and she simply was not friendly, like it was too much trouble for her to slide over the two tables together so that we could all sit together. A few minutes later we placed our order and I saw her bring the order to the kitchen. When she came back out to clear the table next to us, I told the waitress that it would be ok for the appetizers to come out the same time as the rest of the food. WOW - She just went beserk and just went off on us! I have NEVER experienced anything like it. I was almost speechless as it totally caught me by surprise. Needless to say, we never did get to try the food. We got up and walked out. I own a very well known restaurant in SF for the past 12 years and my in-laws are also restaurant owners in another city. We know how hard it is to be in the restaurant business and we know what servers/staff have to put up with. When we enter any restaurant, we are probably among the most polite people you can imagine. I was embarrassed to have brought my in-laws to this place. This was the first time I have ever walked out of a restaurant and it is also the first time I have written a review about any restaurant. One of the owners of SO was in the kitchen. I do not know if the waitress is an employee or also an owner but either way, she should not be allowed to deal with customers. Anyway, that's just our experience.
read full reviewThe Details on So
Know Before You Go:
If you want dessert, you'll have to go elsewhere.
What to Drink:
Try soju mixed with mango or, if you're feeling brave, Calpis--a yogurt-flavored soft drink. A well-priced selection of bottled Asian beers and microbrews is also available.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Family Style Dining, Date Spot
