The return of SF Noodle Fest on Saturday was a steamy success, as the noodle-icious food festival brought out 29 neighborhood restaurants and more than 1,000 local noodle-loving enthusiasts. While there was an informal, friendly competition for the best noodle dishes served, everyone’s appetite went home the winner in this event that had not been held in 10 years.
Celebrity judges chef Martin Yan, Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho, and Broke-Ass Stuart rendered their judgments on the winning dishes. Soleil Ho awarded their top honors to China Live and Broke-Ass Stuart declared Betty Lou's his winner, whereas Martin Yan went with “I would give everyone the championship.”
But Chef Yan worked the crowd relentlessly all afternoon, chatting up absolutely everyone who wanted to talk to him, and posing for pictures with everybody from line cooks to grandmothers to Hell's Angels motorcyclists.
The concept was simple. A “Noodle passport” entitled all guests to samples, and you’d check each spot off your passport once you grabbed your hot tasty sample. In the spirit of Chinatown and North Beach heritage, all of the noodle dishes were Italian or Asian cuisine.
This flame-broiled pork with vermicelli from Golden King Vietnamese Restaurant gives you a sense of the culinary flair on display.
Each of the 29 noodle-serving establishments participating had a dedicated booth to represent their restaurant.
The booths were set up on dedicated individual blocks of Vallejo Street and Grant Avenue, and the two blocks were consistently packed with more than 1,000 hungry attendees throughout Saturday afternoon.
Tickets for SF Noodle Fest sold out quickly after going on sale in early April. There were a few last-minute tickets available to walk-up patrons, but you had to be in line well before the event’s 2 p.m. start time if you wanted one of those.
And to the surprise of no one, our good friend Frank Chu showed up toting his signature sign.
Despite a 10-year hiatus, the event was logistically very smooth in its return. The weather was fantastic and the crowd enthusiastic. But hats off to SF Noodle Fest organizers, who really used their noodles in putting this event together.
China Live owner George Chen is ready to move forward with getting permits for a rooftop patio and bar that he's been planning all along, and it could be open next year.
Kokak Chocolates founder Carol Gancia says she's looking forward to having more production space, and that she hopes to become part of the "treasure hunt" that is shopping in Japantown.
The more than 30-year-old dim sum favorite Lai Hong Lounge is back from a months-long remodel, and while the giant menu is still the same, there are new private dining rooms to enjoy those Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning pork and custard buns.
The Academy Award-winning 2008 Harvey Milk biopic 'Milk,' the production of which included on-location shooting in the Castro and the restoration of the Castro Theatre's neon sign, will be screened again at the theater in June as part of a benefit.
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