1 Day in SF, need assistance.

[JBurnsPatersonIV]

I'll be passing through on my way to SFO. I have one full day and have some ideas about what I want. I definitely want Korean Fried Chicken, Bahn Mi, and a badass dinner in a good setting, nice restaurant where I can sit at a bar and get great food and service. I definitely want to have a really exceptional meal before leaving California back home to the East coast. My thoughts were...

San Tung Restaurant (Lunch) - chinese/korean fried chicken
Saigon Sandwich Shop (To-Go) - Bahn Mi

for dinner...

Coi - I've been before and enjoyed the lounge, the food was outstanding. I don't want to do a huge tasting menu and if I remember correctly you can order a la carte in the dining room?

Quince - I love the menu, lots of first courses and pasta courses that look great.

Spruce - I love everything about this place, the cocktail menu, the spirits menu, the wine list, and the menu. I'd create my own tasting menu with the bar menu + first course menu. My hesitation...many negative reviews about service. The bar seems like a good setting.

For dinner after tax, tip, alcohol I'd prefer not to spend more than $200 and would like some freedom to choose and not commit to a whole formal tasting menu.

Thoughts?

-----
Saigon Sandwich Shop
560 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

[Robert Lauriston]

Will you be driving? What time do you need to arrive at SFO?

[JBurnsPatersonIV]

No unfortunately I do not have a car. I will have to be at SFO around 8am the following morning. However i'll stay out late if that's what you were getting at...my flight's 5 hours, so I can definitely catch up on sleep.

[Robert Lauriston]

Toyose is out for the KFC, then.

You might consider Oakland: Cam Huong for banh mi, Dan Sung Sa for KFC, Plum for amazing.

-----
Dan Sung Sa
2775 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Cam Huong Bakery
1088 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94607

Plum
2214 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

[abstractpoet]

The area around Dan Sung Sa is a little bit sketchy--I don't think I'd want to be wandering around there on foot at night. And for KFC I like Oriental BBQ Chicken Town a lot better. Neither is open for lunch, which is when I presume the OP would want to do the fried chicken? Anyway, neither place seems remotely worth the trip to Oakland if you're only in town for one day.

Plum, on the other hand...

-----
Dan Sung Sa
2775 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Oriental B.B.Q. Chicken Town
6101 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA

Plum
2214 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

[Robert Lauriston]

Does anyplace serve good KFC at lunch? The places I know are all soju bangs and don't open until late afternoon.

[CarrieWas218]

For your bad-ass bar/dinner experience I would heartily recommend Baker & Banker or Gitane.

-----
Gitane Restaurant & Bar
6 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA 94108

Baker & Banker
1701 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

[bigwheel042]

If you are going to San Tung for lunch anyway, Irving Cafe and Deli is just 12 short blocks (~10 minute walk) down Irving and has banh mi as good as Saigon Sandwich, if not better. IMHO Saigon Sandwich is slightly overrated and the recent NYT writeup is only inflating things further.

-----
Saigon Sandwich Shop
560 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

[nocharge]

Coi doesn't have a bar but you can order a la carte in the lounge. Wine and beer only. If that's OK with your concept of bar dining, it's not a bad choice. Quince and Spruce are good, too.

As for other high-end bar dining places, you might want to consider Michael Mina, which is now in the old Aqua location. And with a $200 budget, Alexander's might work, too, if you order carefully. However, I don't think their bar ambience is their strongest point.