434597 Fri Aug 24 10:45:45 -0700 2007 8 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2877890 Gary Soup reminded me in another thread that Spices has stinky tofu and I wanted to try it. Also wanted to stop by Spices. So which is the best spices to go to? What to order. It does or doesn't need to go with stinky tofu as I might chicken out. Is Spices at Filmore a fourth Spices or a different restaurant Fri Aug 24 10:45:46 -0700 2007 10264 rworange 1 2878186 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/421064 I have only eaten at Spices II and I highly recommend the black mushrooms and bok choi. The link is my report, which also includes brief discussion of the new one on Fillmore....although I don't think I've read any actual reports on meals there yet. Dave MP Fri Aug 24 11:52:21 -0700 2007 2877890 21930 Dave MP 1 2878206 I liked Spices II better than Spices 3 the couple of times that I have been there. That said, I live in Oakland, so I go to Spices 3 all the time. They serve stinky tofu there and at Spices (1), but last time I was there not at Spices II. I haven't been to the Fillmore location, but table notices at Spices 3 indicates that yes, it is part of the Spices family. I have seen photographs of food at Spices (1) which lead me to believe that it might be better than the food at Spices 3, but I say go ahead and go to Oakland sometime since it is closer to you. They are open till 11 Sun-Th, 12 Fri-Sat. If you want to try the stinky tofu, the appetizer sized fried stinky tofu is only $4 or $4.5. Eating the whole thing could be a meal (I've done that). It's stinkier than it was, but not as stinky as it started out with. I haven't had much experience with stinky tofu outside of the Spices restaurants (except Richmond Ay Chung, which was not stinky at all), but many of my friends are revolted by the Spices 3 version. I like it myself, in the fried stinky tofu simple prep, or the prep with chilis and basil. Their other food is pretty decent too, if rather oily. I like the spicy beef noodle soup and pork chop noodle or rice, many other dishes. Fri Aug 24 11:55:54 -0700 2007 2877890 10406 twocents 1 2878818 I would recommend Spices II over the others. I have only been to Spices once so I am probably not a good judge on the original location, but I found the Oakland location(which I live near) to be a step below Spices II in overall quality. That being said Oakland location is still solid and continues the Spices tradition of not being unwelcoming to non-chinese spearkers. But then again what do I know...I like Tu Lan...:) Fri Aug 24 14:14:41 -0700 2007 2877890 51976 IanW 2 2878970 Well, heavens, I'll just have to ignore you completely ... you Tu Lan lover you. Seriously, thanks to all. I suspected that going through all the Spices threads would be daunting. Chowhounds REALLY like Spices. SPICE 3 May 30, 2006 Spices 3 (SPiCES!3) last night http://www.chowhound.com/topics/46268 Apr 11, 2006 SPiCES!3 in Oakland http://www.chowhound.com/topics/45065 Mar 31, 2006 Spices! 3 in downtown Oakland report http://www.chowhound.com/topics/44900 SPICES II Jul 14, 2007 SPiCES! II Report http://www.chowhound.com/topics/421064 Oct 11, 2006 Z & Y and Spices II: report http://www.chowhound.com/topics/333176 Jul 20, 2006 Spices II (in SF) Report http://www.chowhound.com/topics/310892 Oct 04, 2005 Spices II (Damn I love this place!) http://www.chowhound.com/topics/40128 Apr 02, 2005 Spices Restaurant http://www.chowhound.com/topics/35428 Oct 20, 2004 Spices II Report --As Promised http://www.chowhound.com/topics/32116 Jan 20, 2004 Farallon DAT, Spices! II review http://www.chowhound.com/topics/27508 SPICES Feb 26, 2006 Spices on 8th -- Atrocious service! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/43919 Jan 03, 2006 Spices http://www.chowhound.com/topics/42523 Oct 10, 2005 A month at Spices I http://www.chowhound.com/topics/40280 Jul 05, 2005 An ode to Spices I! (LONG) http://www.chowhound.com/topics/37588 Jun 24, 2005 opinions on Spices (Szechuan Trenz), Inner Richmond, SF? http://www.chowhound.com/topics/37343 Feb 10, 2005 stinky tofu at Spices! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/34281 Feb 10, 2005 Spices Restaurant (s) in SF http://www.chowhound.com/topics/34301 Jan 13, 2005 Beef Noodle Soup at Spices! I and need somewhere in SF http://www.chowhound.com/topics/33667 Aug 17, 2004 non-cantonese food: comments on Spices! and Joy http://www.chowhound.com/topics/30871 May 19, 2004 Lunch @ Spices! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/29384 Feb 04, 2004 What of Spices I and II? http://www.chowhound.com/topics/27738 Jan 06, 2004 We’ve Been Ma-La’d: Chowdown #1 of 2004 at Spices! II http://www.chowhound.com/topics/27262 Dec 19, 2003 spices http://www.chowhound.com/topics/27049 Mar 26, 2003 Spices, interesting, but needs some work.(long and boring) http://www.chowhound.com/topics/23479 Fri Aug 24 15:02:36 -0700 2007 2878818 10264 rworange 3 2879293 Spices I or III in Oakland both have the Twice Cooked Fish Fillet which is a MUST HAVE. Light crispy fish coated in hot spicy sauce served with black beans and fried leeks and cripsy fried tofu. *drools Homer Simpson style* I never go to Spices without ordering it. For some reason, it is not on the menu at Spice II and to tell you the truth they've been on something of a downswing for the last year or so. I had mushy fried tofu with explosive chili pepper, sent it back, and got slightly less mushy fried tofu with explosive chili pepper. As anyone who had the original dish knows, it used to be wonderfully light, crisp pillows with a silken tofu interior. I also ordered the spices Special chow Mein there once and it arrived at the table with no shrimp ( a big no-no). I suspect that when they opened III they shifted the original chef from II there. It hasn't been the same since. By contrast, that delicious tofu is still delicious at Spices III. Fri Aug 24 16:57:47 -0700 2007 2878970 71179 prettypithy 1 2880660 Amazing coincidence (or great minds think alike...) but I was just about to ask if Spices III had stinky tofu (thanks, twocents). I am headed for the Mysterious East Bay because a friend's band is playing for the returning students' bash at lower Sproul in Berserkeley, and prefer to stay upwind of the Berkeley food snobs as long as possible, so I'll be hanging out in Oakland Chinatown. It's either Spices 3 or a bed check of the xiaolong bao at Shanghai on Webster, or both. If you run across me, I'll be the guy with the "Impeach the Three Elders" T-shirt. But don't worry, if the fried chou doufu at Spices III is anything like Spices I's version, it's suitable for a lady of your refinement. Sat Aug 25 10:33:54 -0700 2007 2877890 10255 Gary Soup 2 2880666 Doesn't Shanghai also do stinky tofu? Maybe you can do a direct comparison. Sat Aug 25 10:36:22 -0700 2007 2880660 10159 Ruth Lafler 3 2880688 They do, but only serve it after 6:00 PM (something to do with the neighboring business' wishes, which leads me to believe it's a more robust version). I'm seldom there after 6:00 PM and probably won't be this time. Sat Aug 25 10:46:57 -0700 2007 2880666 10255 Gary Soup