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The New York Times included two San Francisco restaurants, Abacá and San Ho Won, in its 50 Favorite Restaurants of 2022 list.
Though the roundup recognized grande dame institutions that have been around for decades—like Brennan’s in New Orleans and Anajak Thai in Los Angeles—the two SF picks are among the newer eateries included in the ranking. Both opened in 2021.
The NYT honored Abacá, a Filipino-Californian eatery blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf in the Kimpton Alton Hotel that evolved from Francis and Dian Ang’s beloved pop-up, Pinoy Heritage. The Angs’ kitchen has cultivated a reputation for preparing family-style feasts of lumpia, sisig and pancit that source local produce and seafood.
Abacá’s staff expressed their appreciation on Instagram, writing, “we have so much love and pride for our cuisine and this recognition is not simply a nod to our food's deliciousness and complexity, but a testament of where we come from and where we can go from here.”
The second SF selection, San Ho Won, is Jeong-In Hwang and Corey Lee’s Korean barbecue outfit in the Mission. Since it opened in November of 2021, San Ho Won’s galbi marinated short ribs and rotisserie chicken have swiftly propelled the restaurant to the top of critics’ best of San Francisco KBBQ lists.
Little Saint, a months-old plant-based kitchen from the owners of Michelin-starred SingleThread Farm in Healdsburg, was the only other Northern California restaurant to make the top 50.