There’s yet another spot for ramen, this time in the Outer Sunset/Parkside neighborhood. RAIJIN KITCHEN is open as of April 26th, serving ramen in housemade broth. They’ve got four kinds of ramen: the Raijin ramen, tan tan men, curry ramen, and shoyu ramen. Also look for a large selection of Japanese-style curries, like cheese curry (hmmm) and chashu curry. Their Facebook page mentions sister restaurants Waraku and Men Oh Ramen, which have garnered quite a following. 1353 Taraval St. at 24th Ave., 415-661-8680.
And now, let’s talk pizza, the other ceaseless topic in this town. We received word on Friday that TRATTORIA DA VITTORIO is now open in West Portal. As previously mentioned on tablehopper, the new restaurant is moving into the space previously occupied for A Café for All Seasons, and will feature Southern Italian food from owner Vittorio D’Urzo and chef Filippo Cannone. They’ve got a beautiful pizza oven and a menu of classic dishes like eggplant Parmigiana, pastas, and pizzas. For now, they’re only serving dinner, but look out for brunch and lunch coming soon. Hours are Tue-Sat 5pm-10pm. 150 West Portal Ave. at Vicente, 415-742-0300.
Scoop reports that FORBES ISLAND reopened last Friday after a fire damaged one of the private dining rooms. Because the kitchen and restaurant were unscathed in the blaze, they’ve been able to get back up and running rather quickly. Ahoy! Sea Lion Harbor, H Deck, at Pier 41, 415-951-4900.
The Financial District has a new place to get lunch: try AMAWELE’S SOUTH AFRICAN KITCHEN in the Rincon Center. Eater reports that the restaurant is mostly a takeout spot, with South African specialties like chicken curry rolls, “bunny chow” (a South African-style bread bowl), and frikadella slap chips rolls (that would be meatballs with french fries in a bun—yesss); check out the full menu here. The project comes from twin sisters Pamela and Wendy Michaelson (Amawele means “twins” in Zulu/Ubuntu), and they’ll be changing the menu with some frequency to keep things interesting. Hours are Mon-Fri 10am-3pm. 101 Spear St. at Mission, 415-536-5900.
Chow chatter reveals a new Indian/Nepalese restaurant in the Tenderloin called RED CHILLI. Yelpers report great Nepalese food (hello, momos) and it’s open daily for lunch and dinner. 522 Jones St. at O’Farrell, 415-658-7558.
Tipster Jason B. lets us know that on Polk Street, the former Royal Grounds Café has transformed into MOKA COFFEE. There has reportedly been an extensive remodel, and Yelpers mention coffee, tea, and sandwiches, with some complaints about prices. 1605 Polk St. at Sacramento.
A prosciutto, burrata, and artichoke pizza from Trattoria da Vittorio. Photo by Narbe Vagharshakian.
