HAWKER FARE
James Syhabout produces a subtle, refined cuisine at Commis in Oakland, but at his Thai-Laotian restaurant in San Francisco, he pulls out all the stops and produces bold, spicy food that honors his mother. For many years she owned a Thai restaurant in Oakland, the original home of Hawker Fare, which Syhabout closed earlier this year. Fortunately, we still can go to the larger outpost in the Mission. The blistered green beans tossed with curry paste and smoked bacon are his mother’s original recipe. The chef pumps up the spice on the Lao papaya salad made with salted crab, pungent fermented fish, dried chiles and other ingredients that give it a little funk and a powerful punch. He channels street food in such items as the barbecued chicken that’s brined for 24 hours before being rubbed in spices and roasted. The design of the large space, which includes the Holy Mountain bar upstairs, takes inspiration from Thai street markets, with colorful rugs and movie posters on the walls and tables draped in bright oilcloth prints. Cuisine Thai | Specialties Som tum Lao, Laotian papaya salad; larb gai, minced chicken salad; sai qua, northern Thai sausage; mussels in coconut broth; grilled or poached chicken | Seats 80 (plus 40 in the lounge); private room for 80 | Prices $13-$18 (plus 4% S.F. surcharge ) | Noise rating | Parking Difficult street Vitals 680 Valencia St., San Francisco. (415) 400-5699. www.hawkerfare.com Dinner nightly (from 3 p.m. on weekends). Full bar. Reservation and credit cards accepted.