Best of San Francisco

I was tagged in a meme by fellow food-blogging buddy Passionate Eater to make a post on my five favorite places to eat in San Francisco. It took me a little while to narrow the list down to five, since there are so many great places to eat in the city. But here's my list (not necessarily in order of preference, because that depends on my mood) with accompanying photos and links:

1. Osha Thai: Authentic and flavorful Thai food at very reasonable prices! All their soups, curries, noodles, and rice plates are just delish. The one on Geary is open late and has the cheapest prices, while the ones at 2nd Street and Embarcadero have beautiful decor and Asian-themed cocktails. This is definitely a place I can always go to for consistently great food. Read my Osha Thai review here.

Osha: Pad see you w/ beef

2. Minami Restaurant: Since I'm pretty picky about my Japanese food, you can safely bet a Japanese restaurant is pretty good if I recommend it. While I love trying the creative, fusion-y rolls at some of the more upscale restaurants in the city, at the end of the day, nothing beats fresh and traditional Japanese dishes. That's simply what Minami is all about, and the fact that the restaurant is run by a small family just adds to its charm and intimacy. Very fresh sushi and teriyaki dishes, and great presentation. You can tell they are definitely proud of their food here. Read my Minami review here.

Minami: Sashimi combination

3. Tartine Bakery: Ah, c'est bon! A small but cozy French-style bakery with excellent baked goodies, sandwiches, desserts, and coffee. I'm still dreaming about their banana cream tart...mmm. Read my Tartine Bakery review here.

Tartine: Cakes & pastries

4. Saigon Sandwiches: The best Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) I've ever had in the city, and luckily for me, it's just a couple blocks away from where I live! Everything they use for their sandwiches - crusty baguettes, pate spread, meats, and pickled veggies - taste perfect. And the prices are dirt cheap - just $2-3 for a sandwich that fills you up quite nicely. Read my Saigon Sandwiches review here. I apologize for not having a photo!

5. Cafe Mums: A shabu shabu place in Japantown that I recently tried. $23 for all-you-can eat beef, veggies, and noodles. $35 for all-you-can-eat plus all-you-can-drink beer and hot/cold sake. There's nothing like spending quality time with your friends while drinking and swirling meat and veggies into a pot of boiling water. While there's definitely not much variety in terms of the food, the ingredients are fresh enough, and it's all about the meat anyway!

Cafe Mums: Raw beef

And there's my top five! Of course, I love a lot of other places in the city, and the list would be pretty different if I could work with the entire Bay Area. Anyway, I encourage you all to think about your own "Top 5" list, and feel free to suggest new restaurants to me :)