Headed by Chef Brenda Buenviaje who grew up in New Orleans, Brenda’s French Soul Food is the place to dine at when you’re looking for some good ol’ Southern style of cooking in the West Coast.

Located on Polk Street and dubbed by some as one of the best restaurants in California, Brenda’s French Soul Food serves up an array of New Orleans-style of dishes which have been prepared using Creole cooking with French technique to invent the term ‘French soul food’.

As we arrived at a rather early time for brunch, it didn’t take long for us to get seated at a cozy table where we were handed a rather extensive-looking brunch menu which included their unique house favourites and signature beignets.

We eventually settled on a Chicken, Sausage & Okra Gumbo, Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict, the Chocolate Beignets and Grandma’s Molasses-Black Walnut Iced Coffee.

Though it looked unassuming, we had to say that we were pleasantly surprised with our cup portion of the Chicken, Sausage & Okra Gumbo (USD$6).

As the ingredients were already mixed in with the rice in the form of a stew, we had thought that there would be a disjoint in taste. However, the gumbo proved otherwise with its amazing burst of wholesome flavours.

In a simple sense, the gumbo was very much the tastier and more flavourful western version of our mui fan.

Probably the heartiest version of eggs benedict that we’ve ever tried, Our Eggs Benedict with Pulled Pork (USD$14.50) arrived with a serving of hash and two poached eggs that sat atop cream biscuits that were drenched with a layer of creole hollandaise.

Despite having the saucy pulled pork nestled on the top of the biscuits, they were still able to maintain their soft and crumbly texture. When paired together with the poached egg and pulled pork, the dish presented a good fusion of flavours which paid homage to the Creole cuisine.

While it might be possible to finish the dish on your own, the richness of the hollandaise could prove a little too filling. So, we would recommend sharing this dish with another person.

Filled with molten Ghirardelli chocolate, our beignets arrived fresh from the fryer in a plate of three. Unlike your typical jam-filled doughnuts, these beignets were a lot more doughier which did make chewing a little tougher.

Though we had a bit of a struggle with the chewy fritter, we really liked the chocolate filling within which wasn’t too sweet. We suggest that you order the beignets after you’re done with your main meal as they could be a rather filling snack.

Another winner in our book was Grandma’s Molasses-Black Walnut Iced Coffee (USD$5) which came with whipped cream on top. Unlike some potentially strong black coffee, we were pleased to find that this version of iced black coffee came slightly sweetened with a slight walnut note.

Instead of having any kind of accompanying milk, the whipped cream acted as a sort of creamer which complemented the drink, making it a good cup of medium-bodied coffee.

Brenda’s French Soul Food
652 Polk Street @ Eddy
San Francisco
CA 94102
USA
Tel: 415-345-8100
Mon to Tue: 8am – 3pm
Wed to Sat: 8am – 10pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm

Sotto Mare – the brainchild of chef Gigi Fiorucci – is one of San Francisco’s most popular restaurants. The casual dining establishment is so famous that it has been long regarded as a gourmet institution amongst San Franciscans.

The speciality seafood restaurant is notorious for its incredibly long queues but the wait clearly has not deterred avid foodies from returning.

The restaurant takes immense pride in serving the “best damn crab cioppino” and if you look around, you would soon realise that is exactly what everyone came for. For the uninitiated, the cioppino is a classic San Francisco seafood stew invented and subsequently popularised by the Italian fishermen who worked at Fisherman’s wharf in the 1930s.

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First thing first, do note that Sotto Mare only accepts reservations for parties of three and more, so if you are dining solo or as a couple, you will have to try their luck by walking in.

We waited for more than an hour for a table for two and another 30 minutes before the signature Crab Cioppino (US$41) was served to us.

What can we say? Good things are worth waiting for!

Sotto Mare’s Crab Cioppino is essentially a gigantic pot of piping hot aromatic seafood stew that can feed up to three customers.

Rummage through the savoury dish and you will find generous amounts of clams, crabs, mussels, scallops, shrimps and penne pasta submerged in an addictive tomato-based broth.

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Put on a bib, take a whiff and dig in like there’s no tomorrow.

Cioppino aside, Sotto Mare’s one-page menu too features an impressive selection of oysters, salads, pasta and other scrumptious seafood delicacies. Their oysters are superbly fresh (West Coast – US$1.50 each, East Coast – US$2.50 each) and we devoured them effortlessly instantly.

Read our latest travel guide: 15 Reasons to Visit San Francisco.

Sotto Mare
552 Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
Tel: +1 415-398-3181
Closed on Sundays
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 9.30pm

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.