Where to eat
Izakaya Kou
The walls of this Japanese restaurant, at 1560 Fillmore Street, are decked out with reclaimed wooden planks, lending a warm cosy feeling to the interior. Nestled in the heart of Japantown, it offers a large range of freshly prepared sushi, sashimi and ramen dishes. Try the charred Brussels sprouts ($ 8/£ 6), far more delicious than any boiled British version, and the Kou bomb: spicy tuna wrapped with avocado and topped with deep- fried taro chips, and — for that bomb flourish – a lighted sparkler!
Le Marais Bakery
A cutesy, French- inspired bakery with branches around the city, including at 498 Sanchez Street in the Castro. Choose from the set menu. I have the biggest Croque Monsieur (£ 15/£ 11.50) I’ve ever enjoyed, made with the lightest, thickest, fluffiest slices of white bread – or assemble your own dish: five ingredients for a salad at $ 12 (£ 9) or seven for three dollars more. The portions are huge — perfect if you want to load up on fresh fruit and vegetables before indulging in a naughtier treat from the bakery counter.
lemaraisbakery.com
The Slanted Door
An award- winning Vietnamese restaurant in the old Ferry Building, at the Embarcadero. With its huge windows overlooking the Bay Bridge ( which connects the city to Oakland), this makes for a memorable San Francisco dining experience. But beware, it’s busy every day of the week. I enjoy grilled wild gulf shrimp with rice vermicelli noodles ($ 35/£ 26) – one of several noodle dishes on the tastebud- tingling menu. Leave room for the confections plate ($ 16/£ 12) with its home- made cotton candy, aka candyfloss.
slanteddoor.com
Fog Harbor Fish House
Situated at Pier 39, this upmarket, family- run eatery has amazing views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. As such, it offers the quintessential San Francisco dining experience. There are loads of seafood dishes, which, although maybe a little on the pricey side, won’t fail to impress. I hoover up seared jumbo scallops and crab risotto ($ 36/£ 27.50). The place is popular so it’s a good idea to reserve a table in advance.
fogharbor.com
Golden Gate Fortune Cookies
This tiny factory in Chinatown is San Fran’s most famous fortune cookie producer. It’s not much more than an open kitchen where a couple of women turn out up to 10,000 cookies every day. You can take a tour of the store, or just pop in to watch them at work and buy a bag of goodies. You can even pay to have a personalised message written on a slip of paper before watching it being placed inside a cookie to give to someone back home.
goldengatefortunecookie.squarespace.com
To enjoy a food tour of Chinatown, visit sffoodtour.com/walkingtours