The Best Pan-Asian Food in San Francisco
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The best pan-Asian food in San Francisco, according to the experts: Michelin Guide, AAA, and Forbes Travel Guide have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Benu comes out on top.
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Paper Son and Lou's hold the next two places. Eater and San Francisco Chronicle show up on more of this list than any other guide.
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Rank 1. Benu
Pan-Asian
A courtyard full of earthenware crocks, each housing a different fermentation experiment, is how Corey Lee introduces himself before you've touched a menu. Benu is a tasting menu restaurant in SoMa holding three Michelin stars, and the dining room's monastic quiet makes the food's color and technical audacity land harder. Lee's Korean roots fold into California's pantry across a long, ever-changing progression where restraint does more work than flash.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 3 Stars
- AAA AAA: Five Diamonds
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Five Star
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Rank 2. Paper Son
Pan-Asian Coffee Shop
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Coffee Shops In SF
- Eater Eater: The Absolute Best San Francisco Coffee Shops
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In SF
- Eater The Absolute Best San Francisco Coffee Shops
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Rank 3. Lou's
Californian Pan-Asian
A J-shaped yellow bar and a handful of stools are the entire dining room at this takeout-only shack in San Rafael, and most people just grab their box and go. The menu changes constantly, sometimes the morning of, and things sell out. The chef pulls from various Asian cuisines and California seasonality, so one week it's pork in black vinegar caramel over rice, the next it's ceviche salad. Call ahead or arrive early, and arrive with no fixed idea of what you want.
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: #60 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
- San Francisco Chronicle #60 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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Rank 4. Le Soleil
Contemporary Pan-Asian
The awards