Kitchen KURA & Alvin's
Noticing the front page of the Examiner warning about dangerous waves, I of course headed for Ocean Beach. On the way, I stopped in for lunch at tiny Kitchen KURA on Irving, lured by a sign that promised home-cooked Japanese food.
Kitchen KURA replaces an Asian dessert shop and offers a simple menu with everything cooked to order. Two dishes plus rice and salad is $5.75; three is $6.75. Dinner prices are a little higher, but still under $10 for more food than you can eat.
I tried the nanban chicken, the grilled salmon, and a steamed eggplant with grated ginger. The nanban chicken is boneless and fried and comes with a garlic dipping sauce. It was juicy and plentiful if not in the same class as my current favorite (Chick N Deli on Taraval). The eggplant was fine but would have benefited from steaming or broiling longer. The salmon was simple but in a delicious marinade.
I probably wouldn't drive from across town, but it's a decent neighborhood place. Everything is served on paper plates; it's not high end food, but ideal for a picnic. I wish I'd thought to take it to the beach.
Kitchen KURA is on Irving between 16th and 17th Avenue, across from Goemon.
I also got a cup of perfectly brewed Earl Grey for $1 at Alvin's Coffee and Tea up the block. (They mostly serve awful brand tea bags like Stash, so ask for looseleaf.) While I was sitting there, various locals came in and ordered specialty coffees.
It's a more interesting coffee selection than most, including cups of Armenian and Arabian style coffee and Vietnamese (or what they call coffee of the orient). Any coffee recommendations? I think it was the Mad Russian who praised the tea here.
Further west, the waves were not yet 30 feet high, but they are stirring up a lot of cool foam and the combination of sun and smog is pretty spectacular. Just don't try to outrun the surges. Tomorrow should be even better.
Windy
Mar 09, 2005 09:25PM
After helping friends move in around the corner, who coincidentally are Japanese, i popped into Kitchen Kura to check it out. Unfortunately I never had a chance to try the Asian dessert place which was there previously. I had the 2 item lunch plate for $5.75. The salmon was tasty enough, and I liked the sukiyaki quite a bit. It'd be a nice change from burritos in this price category. the fried sausages looked interesting. i got a kick out of the pictures of their food in the windows with hand drawn arrows pointing to what was on the plate. i'd love to see them carry Japanese soft drinks though.
I also learned that Kura is the name of the chef.
---Matt
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