Lunch With Beth–Joy Hing BBQ Noodle House

Beth was craving soup, and I'm always ready for noodles in any form, so we went over to Joy Hing BBQ Noodle House on Kearny Street, which specializes in both.

Beth had a bowl of Spicy Angus Beef Noodle Soup, which was pho, with the extra vegetables on the side. This soup was listed on a sign on the wall, not on the menu. At Joy Hing, all the wall signs are translated into English.

Close Up of the Soup

 I had the Mixed Seafood Chow Fun.

The food was tasty and reasonably priced. There was also a lot of it. We both had enough left over for another meal, and our waiter cheerfully brought us containers to pack it in.

Lunch With Beth–Sushi Taka

We tried to have lunch at Sam Wo the day after the grand opening, but unfortunately they had run out of food and had to close the lunch service early. On the way to Sam Wo, we had noticed that Sushi Taka, on the corner of Kearny and Sacramento, had an eel and crab bowl special, so we headed back there. Happily, Sushi Taka had not run out of the limited quantity special, although they were out of the green salad that usually accompanies their bowls, and we both ordered it.

Sushi Taka is takeout-only, so we walked over to a nearby park to eat our lunch. The special also comes with a cup of miso soup. That's a mini-cup of seasoned puffed rice to go with the eel and crab bowl, which also included Spicy Fish Roe, Japanese Omelet, Seaweed Salad, Tempura Flakes, Blended Soy Sauce and Teriyaki Sauce.

This was a tasty lunch and we we will be back to taste their other offerings. Plus, if you like a sushirito, you'll find it here at Sushi Taka.

Lunch With Beth–Eatsa the Automat

Beth and I are both old enough to remember the automat, so when we learned that Eatsa is open, we went over there to check it out.  Eatsa is a fully automated automat. Located at 121 Spear Street, it was easy to spot from across the street.

There's a friendly concierge to help first-timers with the process.

Order on their computer, or download their app on your phone. Even though it was their first day, everything worked perfectly! There is no cashier. You have to pay with a credit or debit card.

There are inspiring messages to entertain you during your short wait for your food.

The orders are delivered into "cubbies."

When your order is ready, the display tells you which "cubby" it's in.

Tap twice, and the door opens. Your name is on the wrapper, too.

Utensils are dispensed one at a time.

Glasses of fizzy water were tucked into a corner.

Beth ordered the Smokehouse Salad and a side order of Chips and Guacamole.

J.K. got the Balsamic Beet.

  

This was fun and tasty. We will be back.

Lunch with Beth–Chim

Chim is the latest iteration of the Thai restaurant on the south side of Clay between Montgomery and Kearny. This was our first visit since the change in management.

We started with Tom Kha soup. It was served in this interesting chafing dish. You can't see it in the photo, but there is a flame in the bottom piece.

Lots of chicken in the soup!

We followed the soup with Pad Thai with shrimp.

Our check came with slices of watermelon, which we gobbled before we remembered to take a picture. It was very sweet watermelon, even though the color was a light pink.

Chim is open for lunch and then closes for a brief time before reopening for dinner. As you can see from the picture they are open to guests with dietary restrictions and ready to provide you with healthy homemade eats. Enjoy!

Lunch with Beth–Fenix

We decided to try the Eastern European food at Fenix, on the corner of Commerical and Leidesdorff. The interior is very pleasant, with lots of art on the walls and lighting provided by crystal chandeliers. We ordered at the counter and then chose a table. As usual, we ordered two different dishes and shared both.

Our first dish was a pilaf with lamb, which we forgot to take a picture of until we had loaded our plates. The food here is served in foil-lined baskets, but when we told the waitress we were going to share, she immediately brought us ceramic plates.

The pilaf was followed by an order of beef pelmeni. Both dishes were accompanied by a tomato and cucumber salad. The food at Fenix is tasty and well-balanced and if you're in the mood for an Arabian adventure, check them out.

  

  

Andersen Bread in the Embarcadero Center

Andersen Bakery just opened another FiDi location at Two Embarcadero Center. The walls are glass so the shop is light and airy.

 

 There's a complete selection of bakery items which are very hard to resist.

  Also a selection of chips and drinks to complement your salad, soup and/or sandwich.

Beth chose the BBQ Chicken on toasted Ciabatta. Chicken breast, cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, cabbage slaw, chipotle mayo and BBQ sauce. Chips on the side.

I went for a total bacon experience with the California BLT. Crisp bacon, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, cucumber and sliced avocado. No mayo for me, but it's the default.

We're always interested in new places to have lunch. What's your favorite sandwich shop?

Lunch With Beth \ Ebbet's Good To Go

Beth has been telling me about the Cuban from Ebbet's Good to Go for quite a while now, and they were finally in range, at Truckstop S.F., on a day we were meeting for lunch, plus I had a BOGO from Chinook Book, so The Time Was Right. The coupon was for the "combo," which includes a soft drink or bag of chips, for $11.00.

The sandwiches are neatly wrapped and sealed with a cute sticker that features a picture of their truck. I got my sandwich without aioli and with a root beer. Beth chose aioli and chips. Otherwise our sandwiches were the same. A large pile of Niman Ranch pulled pork, artisan ham, gruyere cheese, jalepeno relish and chipotle aioli, served on on a crusty Acme roll.

Wrapped Sandwich

With aoli and chips

without aoli

There is permanent seating at this location, outside 50 Fremont Street, so you don't have to worry about your food getting cold while you look for a place to plunk yourself down. If you're coming from north of Mission, enter on Fremont Street at the big "50 Fremont" sign. The trucks will be to the left of the tables, and there's a step up to their level. Truck Stop is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and features different trucks every day. There's a complete list here, but the schedule isn't posted on the website. Check Truck Stop's Facebook page or Twitter feed to find out when your favorites will be there.

Lunch With Beth / Doc's of the Bay

Off The Grid has a new "Burger Pod" on Sacramento Street, in a small parking lot just off Montgomery. Beth and I were having lunch on a Tuesday, and I had a BOGO from Chinook Book for Doc's of the Bay, so we decided to give it a try.

A large sign marks the spot, which you would probably walk right past without it.

This view is from inside the narrow lot.
Order on the other side of the truck.

Our Friendly Server

These blank Polaroids displayed on the side of the truck
reminded us of the dented floppy disks
that used to be displayed in every
word processing center we worked in.

The menu is short but really, you don't need anything else.

It was almost 2:00, so there were only a few cookies left.

There's no seating in the lot, so we walked up to Clay Street to eat at Empire Park, a cozy little space with tables, shaded benches and a bird bath. One day we saw a bird in there, but unfortunately he took off before I could get a picture. I guess he didn't like being watched in his bath.

The food was so good that we forgot to take pictures until we were halfway through our lunch. But since we didn't have a knife, this way we can show what the insides of the sandwiches look like. The burgers come with a side of Doc's famous homemade ketchup, a definite plus.

Beth chose the Classic Burger, and I decided on the Black Bean Burger. And of course we had to try the Double Whammy, a combo of fries and fried green beans. I'm not a vegetarian; I just don't like hamburger. Or chicken very often. I would happily eat the Black Bean Burger again, but next time I'll try the pulled pork. And we definitely recommend the Double Whammy.

Beth's Burger

J.K.'s Black Bean Burger, which was packed with
the Double Whammy. We shared–honest!

This was a great lunch. We'll do it again, even without a discount.