And we’re baaaaaaack after a little extended holiday hiatus with another Sites and Bites! This is a series where I share a favorite spot to check out in San Francisco paired with a nearby place to grab a delicious bite. Find more favorite spots from the series right here.
All images by Eva Kolenko, a fantastic bay area photographer
Today we’re visiting Namu Gaji and Pot and Pantry in the mission district, an area of San Francisco that’s jam packed with hip new foodie spots, trendy shops, and 10 bazillion hipsters riding around on their fixies listening to cool bands they’ll assure you no one else has ever heard of.
Namu Gaji is right next door to the super famous ice cream shop, Bi-Rite Creamery, and across the street from Dolores Park, a major hot spot for sunbathing hipsters and a beautiful new playground. A great place to people watch on a warm Saturday afternoon.
I had actually never heard of Namu before (it’s impossible to keep up with all the new spots all around here), but photographer Eva had recommended it, and the concept of Korean street food sounding amazing as soon as it was suggested- I was looking forward to the outing all week!
Founded by three brothers, Namu Gaji is an casual spot to grab some delicious and innovative Korean cuisine, and a great place to bring families as well especially for lunch. Every dish was amazing and all new to me- it was my first time having anything like it!
We ordered the kimchee fried rice (below), ‘the real’ korean taco (above left), and the bbq belly chicken sandwich. They were all amazing! Admittedly I devoured more than my fair share (Eva had a full disadvantage as she was focusing on snapping pretty pictures and I was focused on stuffing my face).
My favorite had to be the korean tacos (100% tortilla free): seaweed, rice, some amazing Korean crack sauce, galbi short rib chunks. YUM! I’ve been thinking about them ever since. Must go back asap! The kimchee fried rice was a close second. Spicy seasoned rice, delicious hot dogs, bacon, fried runny egg on top. You can’t go wrong. DELICIOUS.
Keep reading for the next stop…Pot and Pantry
Pot and Pantry is this adorable little kitchenware shop which specializes in new and gently used classic, industrial, and vintage kitchenware I want to fill all my shelves with. It was another that Eva has recommended and since I’d only driven by the cute lettering windows I was happy to finally check out the inside.
One of my favorite things was this little skill exchange board, such a great community idea! Reminds me of those virtual skill parties Erin from Design for Mankind runs!
The store was so perfectly curated and displayed. I swooned over every piece. One fine day I will walk in with wads of cash and re-stock my whole kitchen with the pieces from this beautiful store (a girl can dream, right?)
Here’s a map of where to find Namu and Pot and Pantry:
