As a brunch enthusiast, I was excited to experience the brunch scene in San Francisco before I moved from Philly. In the year and a half that I’ve lived in SF, I accumulated some must-go brunch spots to share with the community. Check them out!

KITCHEN STORY

Location: 3499 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

One of the most popular brunch spots in SF, Kitchen Story wins by offering unique and colorful brunch selections. Most of the dishes come with the choice of potatoes medley or fruit on the side. Kitchen Story is known for its Millionaire’s Bacon–a thick cut of bacon covered with sugar, cayenne and other spices before it is slow baked at low temperature for many hours. It’s the best kind of bacon.

Tip: They do not take weekend brunch reservations so go early to stay in line!

SWEET MAPLE

Location: 2101 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115

Sweet Maple is a sister restaurant of Kitchen Story. They are operated by the same owner, hence they both serve the Millionaire’s Bacon. “The taste is succulent, sweet and spicy with many different spices going in. It’s very complex,” said Hoyul Steven Choi, co-owner of Sweet Maple and several other restaurants that serve the dish across the Bay Area. (Source: SFGATE)

Tip: This place does not take reservation so go early to stay in line! Opt for outdoor seating for shorter lines.

surisan

Location: 505 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Surisan is a modern Korean-American fusion restaurant also owned by Steven Choi, hence the Millionaire’s Bacon is also offered in some of the dishes. Their menu is extensive–typical American brunch with some Korean brunch options. Brunch/Breakfast food is served till 3pm on weekends. As for drinks, they offer bottomless mimosas, which are capped at 90 minutes. They also serve coffee and matcha.

Tip: Skip the long wait, reserve your table on Yelp!

Cracked & Battered

Location: 1434 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Cracked & Battered is a "neighborhood restaurant" located in Potrero Hill specializing in fried chicken & waffles. I often opt for the Breakfast Waffle Plate; it consists of waffle, fried chicken, eggs and potatoes… everything that you look for in a breakfast dish. They also offer mimosas for $6 per glass, a rare find in SF.

What I like most about this place is the service. Servers and the owner are extremely friendly and make sure you are enjoying your meal.

Tip: Join their wait list through Yelp before you head to the restaurant.

PLOW

Location: 1299 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Known for their delicious Honey Biscuit, Plow is a farm-to-table American comfort food restaurant that attracts long lines on the weekends. I usually get “The Plow” whenever I visit. The dish has 2 mini lemon ricotta pancakes, eggs and meat of your choice along with crispy potatoes. If you are with a group, the Honey Biscuit is great for splitting.

Tip: 10am-11am is a good time to put your name down as the restaurant gets extra crowded around noon.

LAPISARA EATERY

Location: 698 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Another brunch place that serves delicious chicken & waffles! Lapisara Eatery is a chic restaurant that serves American classics plus a few Thai dinner dishes. Highly recommend any dish with fried chicken–they have the chicken right! The drink menu is also plentiful, serving alcoholic drinks and coffee such as Thai tea lattes and bottomless mimosas for $20.

Tip: They do not take reservations but lines go fast.

MYMY

Location: 1500 California St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Last but not least, Mymy is one of the first brunch spots I tried when I first moved to SF. Mymy serves classic American brunch. Their potatoes are on the crispier side which I love! One of the most popular drinks there is the fresh squeeze orange juice. It’s naturally sweet and you can most definitely taste the freshness of the juice. You’ve gotta get a glass when you go!

Tip: If the weather is nice, ask to be seated outside so your wait time is shorter.

15 hours, 3 movies, and a sore back later, I arrived in Hong Kong.

Before I devote the rest of my life requesting paid time-offs, I decided to visit my motherland for one more time. During our vacation in Hong Kong, my mom and I also travelled to Shenzhen, China and Taipei, Taiwan.

Let's talk about Hong Kong, aka the Pearl of East. One of the best things about Hong Kong is that it is the Asian version of "The City that Never Sleeps"; you are bound to be in a sea of crowds even when the clock hits midnight. Within the 20 days that I stayed, I ate out almost everyday. It's hard not to; this city has the best places to get endless cuisine options—Japanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, etc. Let's not talk about how much weight I've gained. Aside from food, this city is a shopping heaven. I bought new clothes and skincare products that I hope to share in another post. Hong Kong is also the perfect place for photography. The architecture there is absurd, as you already saw from my Instagram posts. Within 10 steps you can see old architecture blending with the new ones. I was excited to see Zaha Hadid's building at Polytech University.

My relatives and I took a little trip to Shenzhen for 2 days. It’s rather easy to get to China from Hong Kong but the security process has become more serious. Subway stations in Shenzhen is a mini airport where people have to put their belongings down for security checks. I vaguely remember how this city was when I last visited but this time it was eyeopening. It has transformed so much with new shopping centers wherever you go. I tried several amazing and affordable Chinese cuisines and drank the best kind of bubble tea from this place called HEYTEA (110% recommend). Bubble tea places are EVERYWHERE. Shenzhen has transformed into one of the best cities for shopping and leisure. Highly recommend anyone to visit while in China.

Now onto Taiwan. My mom and I travelled to Taipei for 4 days. This city is also a food heaven itself. Taiwanese, I noticed, love to offer food samples wherever you go. Their hospitality is impeccable. Taiwanese are super friendly! We stayed at a hot springs hotel in Yilan for the first night; the hotel provides private hot springs in the bathrooms. Yilan is a rural area, but it still has night markets for locals and tourists to try authentic Taiwan street food. For other days we stayed in Taipei. We went to places such as Shifen Waterfall and Ximenting. While at Shifen, my mom and I got to release a lantern, sending it off with our blessings. Ximenting is a popular youth outdoor shopping district. Needless to say I bought a few pairs of shoes, clothes and beauty products. Overall I had a great time in Taiwan learning about its culture while trying different traditional food.

Though 20 days aren’t that long, I feel like I traveled for a month in Asia. If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat you probably remember I had my last dinner at an All-You-Can-Eat Japanese restaurant back in Hong Kong. My favorite fish to get at a Japanese place is raw salmon. Having unlimited salmon that night was the best way to end my Asia trip. Stay tuned for more photos from this trip on my Instagram. Till next time, Asia!

A SAN FRANCISCO BRUNCH GUIDE