Bernal Heights and Mission corridor
ICHI SUSHI Japanese hot dogs
What: Kimchi Dog ($8) or Mapo Dog ($9) When: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Dinner also offered nightly.
Now that Ichi Sushi is back to its original corner spot on Mission Street — after spending a few years in a larger location a few blocks away — it’s harder to get into at night. But during the day, you can quietly sit down to tekka don ($16), a bowl of sushi rice with big-eye tuna, pickles and tobiko, although the cheapest lunch option is one of the Japanese hot dogs. Swaddled in buttery toasted lobster rolls, the all-beef dogs are brightened by chunks of house-made radish kimchi or ladled over with silky mapo tofu with pork and Sichuan peppercorn, Ichi’s answer to a chili dog. 3369 Mission St. (near 30th); (415) 525-4750.
CUISINE OF NEPAL Curry
What: Eggplant curry with rice and buttered naan ($12.99)
When: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-10:30 p.m. Tue.-Sun.
No one could make this strange, skinny space at the foot of Bernal Heights work until chefowner Prem Tamang opened here, bringing along loyal clientele from a previous stint cooking at Little Nepal up the hill, along with a trunk full of Nepalese prayer flags and instruments to hang from the walls. You can taste the care — hand-ground spices, fresh curry leaves — that goes into each dish on the short menu of curries and tandoori meats. 3486B Mission St. (at Cortland); (415) 647-2222.
EL BUEN COMER Chilaquiles
What: Chilaquiles with rice and beans ($12) When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Tue.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun.
With mole rojo, meatballs and coffee served in terra-cotta dishes and handmade tortillas in flower-topped baskets, coming here feels like sharing a meal in an abuela’s kitchen. Chefowner Isabel Caudillo serves Mexico City-style guisados (stews) family style, in different sizes for groups. At her stand at the Saturday Noe Valley Farmers Market, she gained renown for her chilaquiles, crispy tortillas tossed in either red chile or tomatillo sauce. Bonus brunch tip: Try the pampazos ($8), rolls soaked in guajillo chile sauce and stuffed with chorizo and potatoes. 3435 Mission St. (at Kingston); (415) 817-1542.
PIZZAHACKER Pizza & a salad
What: Top-Shelf Margherita ($15.63) and Intermezzo Salad ($7.36) for two
When: 5-10 p.m. Tue.-Sun. Diners share beer garden-style tables as they wait for the well-priced Neapolitan-style pies from Jeff Krupman, who used to peddle them on the street from a modified Weber grill. The Top Shelf Margherita comes with a warm pool of melted mozzarella and homemade Early Girl tomato sauce, held in by a cornicione (ring) of charred, chewytender crust. Share it over a wooden bowl of Intermezzo — inspired by the chickpea-laden hippie salad from the Berkeley cafe (now called Mezzo) that has sustained generations of Cal students. 3299 Mission St. (at 29th); (415) 874-5585.
OLD DEVIL MOON Patio po’ boy
What: Seafood Po’ Boy ($15) When: 6-10 p.m. daily, until midnight Fri.-Sat. While the rest of the city is patio-deficient, many of the restaurants and bars on the Mission-Bernal corridor have generous outdoor seating, this bar included. The seafood po’ boy, a thick roll stuffed with fried oysters and gulf shrimp, shredded cabbage and aioli, is a highlight of the short sandwich menu that suits the Southern Gothic decor. The cocktails ($8 to $11) are a draw, though most of the focus is on the craft beer menu, like the Marzen from Sudwerk Brewing Co. 3472 Mission St. (at Cortland)
RED HILL STATION Happy hour
What: Half-dozen oysters ($1.50 each) with a $6 Albariño When: 3-6 p.m. daily.
The main courses don’t fall under our $20 bargain cutoff at this tiny seafood spot, all charm with copper-topped tables and sky-blue wainscoting. However, during happy hour, local oysters on the half shell are marked down to $1.50 each, and beer and wine on tap — like the shellfishfriendly 2015 Bokisch Vineyards Albariño from Lodi and the Lost Coast Brewing Co. pale ale from Eureka — are half price. There’s also a rare (in the city) kids’ menu. 803 Cortland Ave. (at Ellsworth); (415) 757-0480.
BALOMPIÉ CAFE #3 All-day breakfast
What: Casamiento ($10.75) or plantains ($9.75) with beans, cheese and sour cream, coffee included
When: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Salvadoran restaurants crowd the Bernal-Mission corridor, and with its lightfilled room and perpetual soccer games on the large-screen TVs, Balompié is one of the best. Beckoning at all times of the day are breakfast platters of fried sweet plantains with black beans, fresh cheese and sour cream; or casamiento — a mixture of fried rice and beans, served with an egg. With their lacy cheese edges and creative stuffings, the pupusas ($3-$3.50 each) are also stellar. 3801 Mission St. (at Richland); (415) 6474000.
GOOOD FRIKIN CHICKEN Chicken
What: Half-chicken meal ($16.50) When: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
Featured on restaurant bargain lists for years, GFC has had to increase prices over time on its succulent marinated chicken, but it remains a great value. The halfchicken meal ($16.50) is big enough for one or two, with either rotisserie or grilled chicken, a big salad, a side dish (like smooth house-made hummus or smoky baba ganoush) and a pile of olive oilsoaked flatbread. The vegetarian plate ($10.95) is another great option with those same salads plus falafel, dolmas and more of that pita. 10 29th St. (at Mission); (415) 970-2428. — Tara Duggan, tduggan@sfchronicle.com