Airdate: Friday, January 9 at 9 AM
From convenience store pork chops to a distinct take on Peking duck, KQED food editor Luke Tsai discovered a lot of great dishes over the year. He joins us to dish on the best things he ate in 2025 and recommend places you might want to try in the new year. Despite continued restaurant closures, the Bay Area continues to offer amazing culinary options from all over the world, so how do you decide? We’ll hear from Tsai and other local food writers, Lauren Saria of The SF Standard and freelancer Octavio Peña, on their picks for what you should nosh on in 2026.
Food recommendations across the Bay Area as heard on-air…
Good eats in the City
Arquet in San Francisco’s Ferry Building
Jilli is San Francisco’s first dedicated makgeolli bar
Fikscue Craft BBQ just opened a second location at Thrive City in San Francisco – they specialize in halal Texas style barbecue
Good eats in the East Bay
Mohka House in Oakland is family owned and operated and has affordable Yemeni food
Berma Bites in Oakland has great salt and pepper wings – “meaty, juicy, and hella crunchy” – Forum listener
Li’s Knife Cut Noodle in Berkeley specializes in handmade and cut noodles
Jungdon Katsu in Emeryville specializes in Japanese fried pork cutlets
Great China in Berkeley specializes in peking duck
Daytrip Counter in Oakland re-opened as a fast casual place
Ippuku in Berkeley
Good eats in the South Bay
Tacos Al Vapor Blanquita in San Jose specializes in cabeza tacos
Hết Sẩy in San Jose specializes in food from the Mekong Delta
Duc Huong Sandwiches in San Jose’s Little Saigon is a banh mi staple
Milk Belly Bakery in downtown San Jose
Mariscos el Aguachile 8 in San Jose
Boiling Beijing in San Bruno is Luke Tsai’s “new favorite” spot for peking duck
Tarim Garden in Santa Clara offers Uyghur cuisine from the Xinjiang region of China
Good food in unexpected places
Castro Village Bowl’s concession stand in Castro Valley specializes in Laotian and Thai dishes
Vostok Gyro & Shawarma in Santa Clara is Kyrgyz food truck located in a gas station parking lot – try their plov
Guantonio’s in Lodi offers the “best pizza I’ve ever had in my life” – Mike from Stockton
Korean spots across the Bay
Jagalchi is a new Korean grocery store in Daly City
Sohn in San Francisco’s Dog Patch neighborhood offers a community space for the Bay’s young Korean community
Gangnam Jajang in Oakland specializes in jajangmyeon
Indian-style pizza
Straw Hat Pizza in San Jose specializes in Indian-style pizzas and is SNAP eligible
Outta Sight Pizza has locations in San Francisco’s Chinatown and Tenderloin
Vegan and vegetarian options
Tallboy in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood specializes in vegan hot dogs and martinis
Club Waziema is an Ethiopian dive bar in San Francisco – check out their veggie combo
Peace Natural Vegan Food on Solano in Berkeley has a menu that changes twice a day
Pub food
Dingle’s Public House in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood offers modern British pub fare
Trials Pub in downtown San Jose has great mashed potatoes
“If you’re not going to pop-ups, you are definitely missing out”
Xulo in Berkeley makes amazing tortillas
Good Luck Bakery in Oakland
Bette’s Parm in San Francisco specializes in all things chicken parmesan
Jules Pizza in San Francisco
New restaurants to look out for in 2026
JouJou will be opening in early 2026 in San Francisco and will offer French cuisine
Koi Palace re-opened in January 2026 at Daly City’s Serramonte Mall
Kopi Bar and Bakery in Berkeley is now under new management and combines Californian, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisines
Tacos MamáCuca food truck recently relocated to San Jose and specializes in Sonoran style tortillas