What is street food? Street food is good food that's not fancy. It's a great meal you can order quickly, yet without feeling like you're supposed to leave fast. It's food the locals usually know about--food that you don't feel strange eating by yourself, but are always glad to reveal to a special friend. Street food costs less than $10 per person. You order it at the counter, or at least pay for it there.
Cheap Korean Eats in the Mission
Restaurant review by Carlton Wong
Young's BBQ is one of those hole-in-the-wall joints one used to see all over San Francisco. The usual story: an immigrant family decides to open a restaurant.... What's on the menu is popular traditional home cooking. Nothing fancy, but real good old family-style meals at family affordable prices. Don't expect long conversations with the proprietor or his wife and don't expect to be seated. You just grab the nearest open table and place your order at the counter.
Look around you and you will see an assorted crowd of Mission district denizens--diversity in all its incarnations.You may not be impressed by the ambience. You may or may not get a smile. But save a smile for yourself because your belly will be pleasantly surprised!
Young's BBQ does Korean barbecue well, giving you ample servings in a simple old-style location which could just as easily be in China or Korea as San Francisco. Not much is spent on the décor--green walls are decorated with beer ads and letters from past patrons and politicians. There are always copies of the day's paper to entertain you if you dine alone, or you can bring your own atmosphere with friends and good cheer and get down to the food.
Korean cuisine is not known to be complicated. It's something between Chinese, Mongolian and Japanese--but don't let me prejudice your palate. The presentation at Young's is distinctly western: no lacquer boxes or rice bowls here, and you must ask for chopsticks. The food is served on oval cafeteria-style plates. The barbecue comes with warm slightly sticky rice and a side of iceberg lettuce salad with thousand island dressing, a la Japan-town, but it's simple, hearty, and well prepared. The classic marinated meats are nicely seasoned in a sweet soy-based concoction, and nothing is overly salted, nor is it spicy. The beef, pork, and chicken are nicely grilled without being overly toasted. Try the Korean-style teriyaki chicken on a bed of soft slight sticky rice with a salad on the side, the way your Korean grandma used to make. If you don't have a Korean grandma, you can still enjoy an old Korean favorite, bu-ko-ki, thinly sliced marinated meat grilled to perfection. If barbecue is not your forte try the bibimbap or the japche, both home style classics well done with ample portions. The bibimbap, if you want to know, is a vegetable, meat, and egg combination over rice. The japche is similar but made with starch noodles. The California rolls and potstickers, made with a Korean flair, are my personal favorites. Those unfamiliar with Korean barbecue would best try the BBQ plate.
There's some thing for non-Asian appetites also. Fried chicken, burgers, and hot dogs are part of the menu , simply made and served with fries. Grab a canned soda from the case and wait for your meal. I would stick with the old Asian favorites, though.
Need good eats at a great price? You can't go wrong with Young's BBQ. See you there--and make sure you bring a friend before venturing out in the hopping Mission/Valencia corridor.
Young's B.B.Q.
3412 17th Street at Valencia
San Francisco, California 94110
415-552-4858
Take-out is also available, or ask for quick-service delivery.
Carlton Wong