Asian, but not Chinese restaurants open Christmas Day?

[travertine6]

Hi all - We're doing Jewish Christmas this year, which equals Chinese and a movie. But the thing is, we're going with our German friends who do not like Chinese! It's sacrilegious not to have Chinese on Jewish Christmas, but what can we do? Any suggestions for other Asian food open on Christmas Day?

[Robert Lauriston]

Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Pakistani places are often open on Christmas.

[shanghaikid]

most thai restaurants and most japanese owned japanese restuarants (outside of japantown) are closed on xmas.

[Nina]

I walked by Sushi Tani on Geary near Park Presidio yesterday and they had a sign saying they'd be open. I've never eaten there though. But I would imagine Clement Street would be hopping; what about Burma Superstar?

[Meredith]

I don't know about Christmas (have always been in LA for it) but most of the Vietnamese restaurants on Larkin in Little Siagon are open on Thanksgiving, which would bode well for Christmas. Try calling Bodega Bistro or Pagolac (7 courses of beef is almost like the 7 fishes dinner, or at least close enough for me!)

[Ruth Lafler]

Since they don't like Chinese, what kind of "Asian" do they like? Your post implies they like everything but Chinese, but that seems unlikely.

[sfbing]

And also, what kind of Chinese don't they like? I have taken Europeans (German, Spanish, Swiss) to Chinese restaurants (say dim sum) and have had them insist that it was not Chinese food.

You might be able to get away with, for example, Shanghainese or Sichuan cooking.
Back to your request, since you appear to be in SF--maybe Lers Ros Thai? For Vietnamese, there is Bodega Bistro or Pagolac. Bonus is that they are close to a bunch of theaters.

Also maybe a Burmese place?
There is also lots of Filipino on the Peninsula, but they kind of worship the pig, plus are likely to be closed on xmas.

[Ruth Lafler]

Exactly. When they say they don't like "Chinese" food have they ever had any decent Chinese food (not Americanized or whatever they serve in "Chinese" restaurants in Germany?). What exactly is it that they don't like?

[travertine6]

I didn't get a specific description of what they do not like. They have had dim sum and also do not like that. I don't want to try to open their mind to Chinese - they are not super adventurous. I was thinking Lers Ros - been wanting to try there.

[wolfe]

Sounds good, now make sure they will be open.
http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/res...

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Lers Ros Thai
730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA

[travertine6]

Oh and pig is fine - Hubby is Jewish, but not really. Just called Lers Ros and they are closed... Maybe if I can find a good Chinese candidate, I can change their minds...

[ML8000]

That's funny because to them it probably "isn't" real Chinese food because in their own country they have a version blended to their taste. There's of course Mexican Chinese and Indian Chinese food that gets mentioned but I'd really be interested to taste German or Swiss Chinese food, just to taste it. (I heard the old school Cantonese places in the UK can be really, really bad.)

About other Asian restaurants open...I'm not sure how many will be open but I tend to doubt Japanese, Filipino or Korean (the later two w/ Christian influences) would be open. They work on a different logic.

[sfbing]

I used to be curious too, but after trying some Vietnamese places in Paris, not so much. This is what you learn when you travel with Chinese relatives ("I'm not full." "We just had a five course meal." "Yeah, but there was no rice. Go find someplace with rice!")

My geography is not usually this bad, but maybe Middle Eastern?

[Robert Lauriston]

I was driving around Berkeley and Oakland feeding absent friends' pets on Christmas a couple of years ago, and about half the Korean restaurants on Telegraph were open. So were several Japanese places in downtown Berkeley. My overall favorite Korean place, Ohgane, was packed.

[travertine6]

And it seems like they only object to Chinese...

[wolfe]

Where are you and how far will you go?

[travertine6]

Sorry - should have mentioned that. We are in Russian Hill/San Francisco. We'd like to stay somewhere in the central part of the city, i.e. no treking out to the Inner Sunset or Bernal Heights.

[Robert Lauriston]

If Thai is OK, Lers Ros and Thai House Express are the best in town.

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Thai House Express
901 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Lers Ros Thai
730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA