Stephen

Shoji

OMG! What a find!! I had plans to meet up with a friend from college on my 2 week SF trip. She’s now a Bay Area local and has had Shoji on her list of places to try. Looking at their menu, I couldn’t wait to go.

I arrived super hungry at my hotel which is just around the corner from Shoji. Prior to visiting I had confirmed that Shoji has a heated dog friendly patio. Because I was progressing to hangry, I didn’t want to do any further research so I “cheated” and decided to go before my date with my friend.

We arrived at around 5:30 and the place is super busy. We didn’t have reservations but luckily there are 2 seater hi tops on the patio for walk-ins. The patio is warm, softly lit, with vibey music. I don’t remember our server’s name, but she was nice. She took our drink orders and after that she went on break without letting us know. At some point Nadia steps in- she’s super friendly and is bursting with great energy (I later find out that she’s the bar manager). Nadia definitely made the night a fun and memorable one.

Let’s talk about the food… OMG… everything was delicious. We started with the
KOMBU CELERY, FRENCH FRIES served with Akazu aged vinegar aioli, tobiko and a half dozen OYSTERS (Marin Miyagi oyster, herbs, beet chili jam, fried shallot). The oysters had a Thai flavor profile- though I loved them, I think the dressing could be dialed down a bit so I can taste more of the oyster. We also had a TORI NANBAN SANDO- the bread was light and fluffy which was contrasted with the super crispy delicious fried chicken - drool 🤤.

We normally don’t have room for sweets but Nadia sold us. Usually if we decide to get a dessert, we get one to share. Reading the menu we had to get both the MATCHA AFFOGATO and HOJICHA AFFOGATO. The matcha is fruit forward which is my preference and the hojicha is more for chocolate lovers. The ceremony that comes along with the desserts made the experience that much more memorable. What a great way to end the evening. Of course I went back next week with my friend.

I was craving pho due to the cold weather. I did a quick search for dog friendly restaurants in the area and found this one.

When I first walked in, a smell hit me in the olfactory. It was the odor potpourri in a bathroom to put it nicely. If it was a candle, I’d want to tell them that restaurants should not use fragrant ones, you want the diner to smell what’s cooking, not a candle which will interfere with the food. We weren’t going to leave because there aren’t too many dog friendly viet restaurants.

Service was typical of an Asian restaurant. The pho itself was saltier than I like.

Steps away from Yerba Buena Gardens with grassy areas for dogs that can only go on grass. Many dog friendly restaurants in the area too! Nice rooms and friendly staff.

Permanently closed

We were looking for a place to eat with our pups. We always go to lazy dog at town square and wanted something else. A quick scan of the town square restaurants led us to Mark Wahlberg’s modern Mexican restaurant - Flecha. We were delighted to find out that not only are pups allowed on the patio, but indoors as well (as long as they are well behaved). All the staff treated them with kindness and love.

Upon entry we were offered a complementary mini house margarita which was delicious. The inside is tastefully decorated - a modern island resort vibe. We were greeted by Naomy who’s was full of energy. Positive vibes were just spilling out from her. Being a dog owner herself she showered our pups with compliments.

We ordered from the lunch menu. We got the carnitas flautas and the carne asada torta along with mimosas. The Mimosas was $22 - a bottle of champagne in ice with 4 fruit juice toopers. I think there were 8 in total to choose from - we chose watermelon, mango, kiwi and blueberry. The kiwi - which tasted like white grape and mango were my favorites, the blueberry was very floral and not what I expected- I’d pass on that one. My tip is to make a little sample before committing to the whole cup lol.

The flautas was served with rice and beans. The rice was good, the beans exceptional as they weren’t just regular refried beans - they were seasoned with something delicious. The flautas were divine - eaten without the topping sauces as intended weren’t the best, so don’t order them if you are eating them plain.

The torta which was served with fries and pickle veggies was larger than we expected. The torta split in half-l each half was the size of a burger. Definitely a shareable plate. The meat was tender. Delicious!

I forgot to mention the complementary chips and salsa - both bountiful and freshly cooked. The salsa was just okay for me.

Kudos to Naomy and all the staff who made our visit exquisite ❤️

This is the first place we brought our rescue pup. It will forever be in our memories. The food is delicious, authentic and comparable to our trip to Greece.