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SO
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese
1010 Bryant St(between 8th St & Converse St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 552-7676
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
791 reviews for SO
Review Highlights
"the food was delicious especially the chicken wings."
(in 406 reviews)
"Their Chipotle Sausage Fried Rice is delicious too."
(in 24 reviews)
"My boyfriend had the Mao Pao with beef and he loved it."
(in 79 reviews)
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791 reviews in English
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Review from Joe M.
Gawd dayam those wings were hot! But they were hella good!! I finally FINALLY got around to checking this place out and I'm SO happy I did. The Yelp reviews don't lie. These wings are on point with San Tung's. Slightly different, but for the most part the same. The important point is THEY'RE GOOD. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Came here Tuesday around 1145. Parking right in front. Only 1 other table had occupants. But by the time noon rolled around, the place was packed. Got the wings and obviously enjoyed them. Got the chicken fried rice, and I gotta say, I haven't had fried rice this good in a LONG time. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Props. FART recommends. Also got the potstickers. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) This was just SO-SO. I'l try something else next time. And for sure there will be a next time. I'm adding this spot to my lunch rotation.
My advice, come a few minutes before noon and you should be golden. Get the wings. Get some fried rice. Get whatever else your monster craves and smile at how small the bill is. -
Review from Alfonso L.
CA
2/6/2012
So this is just another review of this place. Way too many people reviewing this, which must tell me that the place has been around a long time. But maybe not. I discovered it one chilly night in December when I was on my way to a movie ("Young Adult", which totally sucked in its misanthropy and fake hipster-ness). I was able to get in an out very quickly, and still have the staff pack up my food, including a hot soup!--into containers so I could be on my way.
Speaking of hipsters, this is really what you're gonna see here. It's a small place, with maybe 12 tables, and its often crowded. These are a certain food cognoscenti that have discovered where to find to cheap Korean fried chicken, all the rage nowdays, right?--and load up on other dishes and quaff a round of cold beers while you're at it. This is the loud, raucous, but properly dressed in their hoodies and checking their Android phones, that you'll find here. I don't guess that this is a place to bring your kids. Good god. What could they possibly eat? We re talking steaming bowls of fiery soups, noodles and of course, the specialty : the fried chicken wings that are the main attraction here. I didn't see a single toddler here and I don't know if they carry high chairs.
What about those wings? Well, many have mentioned So's relationship to the venerable SF eatery, Sam Tung's out in the Sunset, and the chicken wings at both places are surprisingly similar. People wait in long lines over at Sam Tungs for the dry or wet wings. And with good reason. The ones at So are pretty damn tasty too: big, plump, blazingly hot in temperature and packing a lot of heat. You simply must order them. I am glad someone here had the temerity to ask that ginger not be used in the preparation---which they gladly obliged. I say this because when you get the plate of wings there is this undeniably funky smell that must be the burned garlic, and it's not entirely pleasant. Tasty yes of course, but if you really have to think about it because your nose tastes food first, then I'd consider it. Come hungry too because they're that good.
The noodles I have had here on two occasions have been uniformly excellent. The recent time it was black bean noodles and they tasted very fresh. These are massive bowls and there are so many ingredients -all of them so well seasoned and sizzling when they hit your tongue.
The hot and sour soup deserves special mention here because, like Eric's in SF and Chef Chu's in Mountain View, this is about the best and richest you're going to get. The bonus is that you also get all these noodles too at the bottom of the bowl. So the "soup" is a misnomer: it isn't a simple broth or soup to keep you satisfied from app to entrée. No -this is a serious dish, an entrée really, full of noodles, mushrooms, sprouts, various pieces of pork, veggies, lots of heat, and it's gonna be hard to tackle a plate of wings and noodles even after this
.
I feel I have made a spectacular find with So. Doesn't hurt that this place is right off the freeway (9th street or 8th street in the opposite direction) and that parking isn't that difficult to find. -
Review from Nancy S.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cheap, fast and tasty! I always love coming here. I'm a huge noodle fan and I love how they make all their noodles.
Brought my dad here recently and we ordered the chicken wings, SO noodles and string bean with beef over rice to share. Chicken wings were so bomb, and the noodles were tasty and a bit spicy, but we both loved it! String beans with beef was also very tasty, had a lot of garlic, but lacked a little saltiness.
The food always comes out super fast and their service is great. I usually come before the dinner rush, so I've never had to wait for tables and it's always usually a $20 meal. Even my dad was impressed with the tab!
More so, I heard the owners are related to the ones at San Tung, so that's why their wings taste so good! -
Review from Cris H.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
Been meaning to try this place for a long time unfortunately I just never got around to it. Because of jury duty I was in the neighborhood and used that opportunity to try So.
Soooo...was I impressed? It was just ok. I can't say that it would be a place that I would go out of my way for. I would rather go to San Tung to be perfectly honest. The chicken wings were very similar to San Tung's but something was missing. I can't explain it.
We also ordered some pork noodle dish that had some vinegar in it. I would say that was also just ok. Nothing to write home about. Same goes for the hot and spicy soup noodle we ordered. It is doubtful that I will be going back here unless I get called on jury duty again. It just didn't tickle my fancy. So my rating for So is just that it was so-so. -
Review from Mandy C.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
This is a place for quick and economical meal, but not for taste nor quality.
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Review from Michou N.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Love this place. My favorites off the menu are: the chicken wings, fried shrimp dumplings, fried tofu, and the black bean noodles. Great service, and delicious food!
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Review from Lawrence E.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is awesome. You get what you pay for and then some. The food is pretty cheap for what you get. The neighborhood isn't the most spectacular, but its a nice little hidden gem in the wall.
The type of food they serve is kind of like an Asian fusion/neo-asian food with spice to it. We ordered 4 items (chicken wings, black sauce noodles, chipotle sausage fried rice, and a veggie dish). The food was pretty tasty and pretty unique flavors. The chipotle sausage fried rice was interesting, though I think they added a bit too much pepper for my taste because it was a little overpowering. The chicken wings were pretty good and cheape than what you would get at San Tung.
The waiting staff was polite and attentive to our needs. The place is pretty clean and the environment was nice.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this place if you are in the area. -
Review from Carrine J.
San Francisco, CA
Took a while to find this place, but it was well worth it. They have some pretty interestingly named dishes and they all taste pretty delicious. Their chicken wings are pretty delicious and taste similar to San Tung's "dry chicken wings." I have a strong aversion to ginger and saw that their chicken wings are made with a sauce that included ginger and asked if they could either put it to the side or not include the ginger and they were more than happy to help me with this request. The noodle dish was pretty good, but their chipotle sausage fried rice wasn't as great as anticipated.
Great prices! I'd definitely come back again to try their other dishes. -
Review from Cathy D.
San Jose, CA
1/12/2012
So WAS just So So to ME.....
Based on the yelp reviews and pictures I ordered the Chicken Wings (comes with 7 decent size wings) and the Chiptole Sausage Fried Rice TO GO.
After I came in to pick it up, food was ready....Gold star!
They left the Chicken wing box open because I think it gets soggy as if it's closed. By the time I got there CHICKEN WINGS WERE STILL GOOD AND KINKA CRISPY. I'm thinking one would have a better experience eating at the restaurant and not worrying about fried chicken wings gettting soggy....since restautant looks clean and shic.
As far as the Chiptole Fried Rice....I wanted to love it but it was ohhhhhh tooooo spicy for me. So all you who like spicy would like this....
WOULD HAVE BEEN A 3 or 3.5 STARS UNTIL......
Unfortanutely after about 5 minutes eating my fried rice...I found a small black hair....after that....disgusted and immediately stop eating.....EWWWWW=P -
Review from Bailey Z.
SO spicy, SO good! I love their contemporary take on Chinese and Pan-Asian cuisine. The space is also sleek and nicely decorated.
There's no option for wet wings or dry wings here. There is only wings. Delicious deep fried chicken wings tossed in red pepper, garlic, and ginger soy sauce. The flavors were outstanding and probably the best wings I've ever had. They can top the wings at San Tung any day of the week. The eight wings were perfect for four people (or two people...or all for yourself).
The two plates I liked were the mao pao rice plate with chicken and the So black bean noodles. Both were quite spicy, just the way I like it. I would pass on the three deluxe noodles (unless you're a seafood lover) and the string beans, which were soggy.
If all else fails and you need to order more food after the noodles, you can never go wrong with more wings. -
Review from tee c.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I might be a victim of identity theft now, thanks to the dumb waitress who delievered my card to the wrong table, after she ran the card. Hello?!? Why don't you look at the check to see where you should deliever the card to? Or is it standard practice to just drop off people's credit cards at random and hope they go back to the correct owner? My card also says CHECK I.D on the back, obviously she did not check.
Also, thank you to the losers who signed my credit card slip and tipped the dumb waitress and left the card there..if someone else's card gets delievered to your table would it kill you to flag the waitress down or bring it to the front counter to inform them that its not your card? I'm happy you got a free lunch out of it, because I didn't. Since you didn't do that, I can't help to think that you probably took pictures of my card with the secret code on the backside then just left it on your table. Well, card has been cancelled in case you did.
Consumers you've been warned...either pay in cash, be that paranoid customer that tracks your creditcard wherever it goes when its not in your wallet, or just avoid this place. I will be performing option the last option from this point forward.
Came here for lunch today with my brother, food was ok (although I'm starting to develop an MSG headache right now...its probably being excaserbated because of the credit card issue)...service was actually pretty decent (probably because the dumb waitress girl wasn't serving us.) When we finished up, we received the bill. I gave them my card, they took it and I waited about 10 minutes. I watched everyone else getting their little black folders with their credit cards back...I waited longer, then I asked my server where my card was. He went back to check, and asked the waitress girl who stared blankly at him, then did rounds to other tables to collect all the little black folders. She came back with one folder containing my card, and a credit card slip where the losers signed and tipped her, then stated "How did that happen?" to our waiter. DUH! You didn't check where the cards were supposed to be delivered back to and gave it to the wrong people!! Thats how! Then she walked away...without apologizing. My waiter apologized however, he voided out the previous sales slip, then recharged my card. I don't mind paying for the food that I ate...but I don't see why other people got to eat for free at my expense (potentially cost and my time waiting around for my credit card back) If they got a free meal I should have too. -
Review from Emily C.
Santa Rosa, CA
Updated - 1/12/2012
When my friend told me we were going to eat here, I wasn't exactly thrilled, but it gave me another opportunity to try this place out.
Service was pretty good.
My opinion on the wings are the same. They're okay, but not great. My mom makes the same exact wings, but no white pepper, and a little bit sweeter. I didn't like that white pepper flavor on the wings.
The green beans were good.
I decided to try the Black bean noodle (ja-jang myun), and it was good. I really like noodles. The fresh noodle flavor and the sauce was yummy. I must have had the So-black bean noodle last time, because I don't remember the black bean noodles tasting this yummy.
The potstickers were yummy, HUGE, and artistically placed on on the plate. I liked how they didn't have a ginger flavor, or if they did have ginger in them, it wasn't that strong.
The peanut sauce noodles are spicy, but yummy.
The rice dish, and this other noddle dish, which I don't remember, was spicy. I don't eat a lot of spicy stuff, so if you're a person who likes Indian or Thai spicy stuff, this stuff wont be spicy to you guys.
The seaweed soup was different than the Korean style, for this soup had a little bit of fish broth flavor.
Overall, I might come back here again, if I am in the area. The noodles are just delicious, and parking is easy breezy.
If you come to this restaurant, order a noodle dish, and if you don't like spicy stuff, let the waiter or waitress know!!
I have a feeling they use msg in their cooking. Usually my nose itches, and I get thirsty when I intake msg. The itch was minimal, so if they do use msg, it's most likely not that much.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/8/2010
I went to try this location with my love's family.
The chicken wings in my opinion were okay, they… Read more »
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Review from Eve L.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 2 Check-ins Here
OMG NEW TO GO PLACE.
I ... Hate.... Chicken wings... but SO's chicken wings are SO FREAKING GOOD. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT
I also love their pork noodle with chinese pickled veggies soup...so asian so good.
its so close to my house. i will be going at least once a week probably. -
Review from Steven F.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice shop. Good service. If the owner is in a good mood you might even a couple drinks or shots!
Get:
Wings! Different but still delicious. They do differ from San Tung's, they aren't covered in that awesome sauce but still have a very similar flavor. You come here to eat theses, then decide to eat other stuff.
Steamed Pork with Chives - Just some good ol' steamed dumplings.
Okay:
Black bean sauce noodles - very thick and rich noodles. not the best, but not bad either.
Mapo Tofu - Just regular.
Avoid:
Cherry Pork - I personally didn't really like it. Just didn't like the flavor... -
Review from mong linh n.
San Jose, CA
1/21/2012 2 photos
if you've heard of the ever so famous san tung, they have the same concept of fried wings.
its not the super asian-y kind of chinese restaurant.
anyway, i was here for the wings because i heard they were comparable to my favorite san tung.
the wings were good, and if i have never tried san tung....i would have probably thought it was really good, BUT they are just runner up.
the texture of it is more different vs san tung. its more of batter vs san tung its just crispy from the skin and very little batter.
anyway, i tried their sweet and sour soup, as well. it was different...it had noodles in it. i can do without. the soup base was extremely good though. i liked it a lot.
the potato fried sticks was something different. -
Review from Eric V.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hard to decide how many stars for this place. On my first visit I had the chicken wings, black bean noodle dish and chipotle fried rice. The wings were unbelievable, so good in fact that I've decided to throw caution to the wind and give this place 4 stars despite the fact that I didn't enjoy two thirds of my meal. Consequences be damned!
Mmmm hmmm...thats right.
edit:
Ken B. knows whats up -
Review from Diana V.
12/14/2011
I chose this restaurant due to its proximity to a dance club where we would all be going to later on, as well as their ability to seat a group of 12.
When we walked in, I noted that they swiftly and easily grouped tabled to accommodate large groups, of which there were several that night.
That's a good sign, especially since I frequently roll with a large posse ; - )
There were also tables of couples and quadruples, as well as people standing in the doorway waiting, since the place was PACKED! Luckily, we had called ahead to let them know that we were coming.
DEFINITELY ORDER:
Chicken Wings -- finger lickin' good!
Pot stickers -- I usually abhor these unless they're homemade, but these were plump and juicy
Fried Potato Cakes -- out of this world good! why doesn't anyone else mention these in their review?
Chipotle Sausage Fried Rice -- I could have had two orders of this, it was gone in 60 seconds!Listed in: I'm a Cheap Bastard! How About…
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Review from Mike N.
San Francisco, CA
SO (noun): a dining establishment synonymous with ECSTASY IN YOUR MOUTH.
i am NOT kidding. this place is THAT good. my best friend took me here for the first time and i couldn't stop eating. the menu offers an assortment of dishes, including a variety of appetizers, entree items, and soups. the place itself is pretty standard; chairs, tables, artwork that tries to be modern and cool, but just ends up looking tacky, and service that is sub-par with half friendly staff and the other half in menstral pain. the food is the winning asset of the place.
SO has this amazing sauce that i have never had anywhere else in which they drench all of thier appetizers in. i can't put my finger on it, but i thinks it's safe to call it a spicy, honey, garlic-y, teriyaki glaze.
come for the appetizers. the rest of thier food is MEH.
appetizers i would highlight as a MUST:
1. fried chicken wings
2. fried calamari
3. fried mushrooms
4. fried fish
we'll be back SO! -
Review from Anna L.
12/18/2011
Went here after the Renegade Craft fair yesterday. SO good (pun intended). We weren't familiar with what was popular here so we got several random dishes. We got the diced fried chicken in garlic sauce with rice, shredded pork noodles, and shrimp fried dumplings. Everything was delicious. Bf thought the pork noodles were a bit mushroomy but I like them more mushroomy so I thought they were great. Dumplings were steaming hot - good portion (9 of em and 3 of us). Diced fried chicken - although it was the sauced kind unlike the popular appetizer, it still had a similar seasoning and it was still crunchy through the sauce, a quality that I like in any fried food that has some sauce all over it (ex. buffalo wings, etc). The service was quick with succinct responses. I like that when I just want to enjoy the food and get water when I need it... rather than chat it up with the waiter, etc.
DEF going to go here again when I visit the city. -
Review from A L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/3/2012
I am loving that they have diced chicken now. Straight up gulp it down with rice and beer and your all good.
Plus the owner of the place is AWESOME. Screw all other spots for chicken, this place is my go-to for getting good food.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/16/2010
I used to go to the irving restaurant alot and was really sad when i heard they were closing down.… Read more »
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Review from S L.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
So is the sister restaurant to San Tung. I recommend going early and going often. Anything with the words "dry fried" should be ordered. They make the perfect combo of spicy and sweet. I don't know how they do it every time!
Wings and Dried Sauteed String Beans: Order them, no questions asked.
Mapo Noodles: Gooey, spicy, messy. I liked it! Probably would order the rice version next time though.
Curry Fried Rice: It's so good and just has a light curry flavor that doesn't overpower the rest of the ingredients. It makes for a great base to the rest of the dishes... especially the string beans!
Broccoli and Beef: Not normally something i order but one of the better broccoli beef dishes i've had at asian restaurants. The broccoli was cooked just right and it wasn't heavy on the sauce.
Vegetarian dumplings: PASS. Get the pork dumplings :) -
Review from ken b.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS CHICKEN WINGS
really the only reason to come here... ive tried really hard to like all of their other dishes.. unfortunately until the restaurant tones down their spicy flavoring on their stir fry dishes... and gets the noodles less gooey.. im gonna just stick to the fried rice and wings..
but four stars still.. those wings are too good -
Review from nasser d.
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I brought two of my friends here because I knew this place was good.
It seemed that the waiter had a bad day. This was right after 3ish. I tried their fried chicken wings once and wasn't sure which one it was in their menu so I asked the waiter if it was the one at the top of the menu. He said "WELL THATS THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE." In a tone where he is annoyed.
Food was great and we didn't finish the food so I asked for boxes. Once again. He gave us an attitude.
The last time I went here. The service was great but upon seeing this employee...it seems that there could be a "thing" such as that time of the month for men.
To point him out. He was wearing Black Nike or Reebok shoes with neon green colors of the bottom of the shoe. -
Review from kim-van t.
San Pablo, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for some pre-clubbing eating on a Saturday night. The area is a little sketch but there's plenty of parking if you park near the shopping center. For a party of four there was no wait at all and we were able to walk in and sit down immediately.
We tried:
- Boneless chicken wings (their specialty! yeah, we paid extra for no bones)
- Black bean sauce noodles
- Three deluxe noodles
- Chicken fried rice
Everything was really tasty and yummy! The three deluxe noodle sauce was super spicy but yummy! I really liked their chicken fried rice because it wasn't overly greasy or oily. The chicken wing appetizer was super flavorful and spicy! The only dish I probably wouldn't order again was the black bean sauce noodles. They were just ok...
They also had interesting beers on the menu but I didn't try any.
Super inexpensive prices and good portion sizes.
I'd come back. :) -
Review from Theresa C.
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2011
I give this place 3 stars simply because customer service leaves much to be desired.
My friend and I arrived well before any crowd came in on a Friday night. We have our menus, but we wait for ten to fifteen minutes before our order is taken, and there are literally just two other patrons sitting at the front counter eating. When ordering, I ask if I can get half of my dumplings fried and the other half boiled. "No," the waitress responds coldly. No apology, no explanation, no help. And once our food comes out, she doesn't stop by again until it's time for the check.
The food was fine. But the decor was boring, the location is slightly out of the way, and it didn't actually seem like the server cared about us at all. I'll probably not stop by here again anytime soon... -
Review from Kristen C.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant is fairly small, but we went pretty late so there was no wait. THANK GOODNESS because I was starving!!!
Order:
Chicken Wings
Fried Shrimp Dumpling
Black Bean Noodles
Fried Mushrooms
Chipotle Fried Rice
Everyone compares this place to San Tung, but I think they're different. If you go in expecting to get San Tung food, you won't find what you're looking for. Yes, they have the same type of dishes on the menu, but I feel like this restaurant puts their own flare on their items, so it just really depends on what your tastebuds like better. I really enjoyed the fried mushroom and fried rice here!! :)
Staff is super friendly, they even offered us free beer!! Can't beat that!! -
Review from Harriet W.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
You MUST get the chicken wings if you ever pay this place a visit. You won't regret it. I always have to order it whenever I go to So.
I always order different things and they're pretty good. The spicy dishes are a little spicier than I wanted ( I don't like spicy that much), but I can deal with it. The food portions are pretty large for me and I always end up taking home leftovers. -
Review from Troy H.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
Went with my better half, and two friends of ours, and had one hell of a meal. I would have given this place 5 stars, but the potato croquet was not that good. Loved the edamame sticks. Each of us ordered a plate and proceeded to eat family style.
String beans with beef was perfect..., Spicy combination was great, but the dish called "I don't know" or something like that was freaking AWESOME!!!!. We will definitely come back!!!! -
Review from Laurie W.
San Francisco, CA
Chicken wings!! SO CHICKEN WINGS!!
Gotta order the chicken wings...it's sorta like the korean chicken (and i had it in korea, yes) its saucy but still crispy but you definitely wanna eat it there while its hot and fresh! It has a very sweet taste but you can for sure taste the white pepper...and these wings just oozes with the sauce....yum...and its moist on the inside too.
I ordered the so black bean noodle and i read somewhere that they should make it spicier so i asked for spicier and the waitress told me that its already spicy and if i wanted to make it spicier...i said sure...i can handle the heat....boyfriend ordered the seafood combo noodle soup
The So Black bean noodles is again also very saucy and you get a whole lot of stuff in there. Meat, jalapenos, zucchini?, just stuff cause i forgot =P but it was spicy! its the kind of spice that built as you eat and it has a lingering spice. However, i did realize that after i took it home to eat for leftover, i noticed that it wasnt that flavorful like the food wasnt soaked in with the sauce, it was really the spice that overwhelmed it and made it taste pretty good, the meat for sure wasnt good unless you ate it with the noodles, so i was a little disappointed in that.
The seafood combo was aite, the soup kinda tasted like a water down shi ramen (the korean instant noodles) but it does also have a creep but it wasnt much out of the norm but you get your seafood stuff.
Def. order the wings tho! -
Review from Hannah N.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2011
SO is pretty fantastic. Excellent flavors, great prices, and it's only two blocks from where I live!
I discovered SO walking home from work one night. Their intoxicating food carried over across the street and my roommate and I vowed to have dinner there soon. Just as a safety net, I went home and Yelped the restaurant. Everything looked pleasing and I was grateful for the suggestions. =)
Chicken wings are a must (if you're not a vegetarian)
SO noodles are nice and tasty
Beef and broccoli - I would pass
Potstickers - big and delicious
Veggie dumplings - according to vegetarian roommate "They were good."
Veggie Fried rice - "Tasty, standard. Not blown away but good."
I definitely need to make a trip back for more food! -
Review from Steven K.
Burlingame, CA
1/9/2012
My office is very close by and I've been here 7 times in the past two weeks. Great, great food. The chicken wings..sublime...the beef noodle soup...unbelievably flavorful....got the Whatever today...wow....we haven't had a single bad dish and we've gone through about half the menu.
And the prices....how can them be so inexpensive? -
Review from Em J.
San Francisco, CA
If u love San tung's wings, this is better.
Why? A) u get more wings for the price B)u can get boneless too. C) the waitresses speak english, and ...whoever hires, wow, u must be hiring on looks too because they are all beautiful. -
Review from Jenny K.
9/12/2011 4 photos
The last time I went to SO was about 3 or 4 years ago and they were located on Irving street. I didn't like it very much and never bothered to give them a second chance after they moved to soma until last week.
I've been hearing mixed reviews, some saying it used to be better on Irving but majority claims the food is better since they moved to soma. I was going to take my mom and brother out to lunch in the TL for wonton noodles but they were closed and with the help of yelp, it lead me to SO for noodles.
The orders:
- Chicken wings
- String beans
- Three deluxe noodles
- Black bean sauce noodles
I've heard that the owners of SO is related to the owners of San Tung. With that knowledge, I wasn't surprised to find the menu to be similar. The noodles and the string beans tastes the same as San Tung's but the chicken wings here are far much better than San Tung's. The meat is plump and juicy, unlike San Tung's where you would sometimes get the super dried out chicken wings.
Really happy to have tried SO for the second time. The second experience was a lot more enjoyable than the first one and the food has definitely improved. Looks like I'll be coming back more often. -
Review from Michelle C.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
Simple and delicious!
I enjoy starting my reviews with taste bud translations. Well, I've only gotten their 'usuals' so I can't say that I've tried everything. The black noodles, which is very similar to the Jha-Jhang Myun dish. Their dish was a slight sweeter, maybe peanut butter sauce? Still yummy.
My first visit, my cousin and I literally ordered 4 noodle dishes and the chicken wings. THE CHICKEN WINGS! Excuse my a.d.d. but those wings are mouth watering. Rumor has it, they're somehow connected to San Tung? RUMORS! I'm not confirming anything, just putting that out there. That's how good those wings are... I love San Tung too, but these are so much closer and quieter.
Mao Pao, with pork! Both noodles and rice dishes have been tried. I love their sauce and the pork is fabulous! It's like strips of pork belly, personally the noodles is yummier. But if you're craving rice, then the little square rice will be perfect and bring you some joy due to cuteness. Spicy yet tangy... good combo.
Spicy Combo noodle soup dish, is spicy! Well I can always have them kick it up a notch, but that's just me. Be warned, it's a huge portion!!! All their dishes are huge portions, really...
Curry Croquette was delicious... mmm fried deliciousness. The curry can be a tad bold in flavor, so if you don't like curry flavor then stay away! I will update if anything else amazes me.
kksanksbai! -
Review from bonniebelle b.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011
I like this place. My manager ordered it one day we were working really late. I fell in love with the fried rice! It as spicy, and I can't remember what type of sausage they used, but ask for the "spicy" fried rice.
I went there again for take out, I actually missed the restaurant when I was driving by, so I had to circle back. Parking...there is none, I think I illegally parked in a sketchy alley way...eh whatevs. They were nice and were quick to give me my take out.
Thumbs up! -
Review from Leslie W.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
The seating process is so inefficient and so slow that the people in front of us waited for 15 minutes and then left out of frustration. Another guy literally held the waitresses' hand to help her cross off names on the self-service list in the front. Needless to say, people were annoyed at the empty tables that were available yet somehow there was always a long line to be seated. For example, there was a 2 person table and a 4 person table available. Two people were seated at the 4 person table. 15 seconds later, a group of 4 showed up and had to wait 15 minutes for a table to open up while the 2 person table was empty. I could go on but I think I've made my point.
That being said, I still think the food at So's is SO good.. keke. The food is worth waiting for (at least once). I LOVE LOVE LOVE the chicken wings. I think that's saying a lot because.. 1. I don't care for chicken wings. 2. I don't like fried food. Buuuut, I love So's fried chicken wings! They are perfectly fried that the outside is crispy but not oily with a very tasty, tangy sauce and the inside is juicy and meaty and wonderfully flavored.
The noodles themselves were very good and came in huge portions. But the sauce was a little too thick for my taste. Maybe take out a cup of cornstarch and then you've got the perfect consistency. But they're good enough (did I mention cheap???) and the wings are just out-of-this-world amazing that I would eat dirt for another plate of those.
We didn't have problems finding street parking but it wasn't a great neighborhood so my dad was happy to park his new car right in front where he could keep an eye on it. Dishes were around $8 and wings were around $6. -
Review from Alice C.
10/16/2011
Maybe is the hype, maybe I am just not easy to impress. I wasn't blow away by SO.
Wanted to try this place for a while, but always ended up coming here on Sunday and D'oh! It is closed.
Finally I got to try the place because I been hearing their chicken wings are the bomb. Turns out, they are good, and served piping hot, but the flavor is a bit too sweet, that goes with all the dishes we order.
The black bean sauce noodle is okay, too much sauce, but flavor is kindna blah. The fried green beans, too much oil, and again, too much sugar in the sauce, that made it blah as well.
There are good selection of beer and sake on the menu, but that doesn't make this a Japanese fusion place............
This is your neighborhood family restaurant, so don't expect nice decor, or presentation.
Service is okay, the waiter was a bit more attentive, the waitress was giving us the standard slight bitch asian restaurant service.
I have to say, the price is pretty cheap. -
Review from Charlie H.
Alameda, CA
12/12/2011
This restaurant was introduce by my sister. My first impression the restaurant is small but pack with people = good. After my initial visit I was in love with their so back bean noodle and their chicken wings "MUST TRY" you will not be be disappoint.
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Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011
If you like San Tung in the Sunset District, come to SO's for Shangdong/Korean style food.
SO's is owned by the son and San Tung is owned by the father.
Tasty Items we ordered avg about $8/dish
*Fried Chicken Wings
*Cherry Chicken
*So Noodles
*Steamed and Fried Dumplings.
STREET PARKING ONLY. It's right across the street from Nordstroms Rack/Pier One and SMART car dealership. -
Review from James L.
Irvine, CA
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally had a chance to try this place out for lunch. It is related to San Tung, without the long wait - YAY!!
We got the chicken wings (duh!) and I ordered the chicken with string beans over rice. The chicken wings was crunchy and sweet as I remembered from San Tung, but the only issue was the chicken was alittle bland inside. I guess all the flavors are on the outside, but alittle seasoning or salt would help just a tad.
The chicken and string beans were good, not great. I do like the crunchiness of the string beans.
A great value here and without the wait. SCORE!
