George Kelly

Tenderloin residents and businesses will file lawsuits Thursday, alleging San Francisco has treated the destitute neighborhood as a &#8220;containment zone&#8221; for illegal drug dealing and use.

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<p>Tenderloin residents and businesses will file lawsuits Thursday, alleging San Francisco has treated the destitute neighborhood as a "containment zone" for illegal drug dealing and use.</p>

<p>Tenderloin residents and businesses will file lawsuits Thursday, alleging San Francisco has treated the destitute neighborhood as a &#8220;containment zone&#8221; for illegal drug dealing and use.</p>

A federal lawsuit asserts that the city has failed to address long-standing issues with street safety and crime.

<p>A federal lawsuit asserts that the city has failed to address long-standing issues with street safety and crime. </p>

The plaintiffs include four unnamed residents who are described as families with young children, seniors, disabled residents and two businesses, including the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/31/san-franciscos-phoenix-hotel-is-an-oasis-in-the-tenderloin-now-its-on-the-market-for-15m/">Phoenix Hotel</a> and Best Western. The suit further accuses the city of violating constitutional rights, disability access laws, public nuisance laws and other statutes.

San Francisco’s Phoenix Hotel is an ‘oasis’ in the Tenderloin. It’s on the market for $15M

<p>The plaintiffs include four unnamed residents who are described as families with young children, seniors, disabled residents and two businesses, including the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/01/31/san-franciscos-phoenix-hotel-is-an-oasis-in-the-tenderloin-now-its-on-the-market-for-15m/">Phoenix Hotel</a> and Best Western. The suit further accuses the city of violating constitutional rights, disability access laws, public nuisance laws and other statutes.</p>

&#8220;For years, the de facto policy of the city has been to corral and confine illegal <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/01/san-francisco-money-laundering-tenderloin-drug-dealer/">drug dealing</a> and usage, and the associated injurious behaviors, to the Tenderloin,&#8221; the complaint states. &#8220;The city tries to keep such crimes and nuisances out of other San Francisco neighborhoods by &#8216;containing&#8217; them in the Tenderloin.&#8221; &nbsp;

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<p>"For years, the de facto policy of the city has been to corral and confine illegal <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/01/san-francisco-money-laundering-tenderloin-drug-dealer/">drug dealing</a> and usage, and the associated injurious behaviors, to the Tenderloin," the complaint states. "The city tries to keep such crimes and nuisances out of other San Francisco neighborhoods by 'containing' them in the Tenderloin." &nbsp;</p>

<p>&#8220;For years, the de facto policy of the city has been to corral and confine illegal <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/01/san-francisco-money-laundering-tenderloin-drug-dealer/">drug dealing</a> and usage, and the associated injurious behaviors, to the Tenderloin,&#8221; the complaint states. &#8220;The city tries to keep such crimes and nuisances out of other San Francisco neighborhoods by &#8216;containing&#8217; them in the Tenderloin.&#8221; &nbsp;</p>

The lawsuit includes photos depicting sidewalks blocked by tents, crowds of people appearing to buy and use drugs, discarded needles, human waste and other hazards. It also cites online reviews from hotel guests disturbed by the neighborhood conditions surrounding the lodging properties.

<p>The lawsuit includes photos depicting sidewalks blocked by tents, crowds of people appearing to buy and use drugs, discarded needles, human waste and other hazards. It also cites online reviews from hotel guests disturbed by the neighborhood conditions surrounding the lodging properties.</p>

In a statement Thursday, spokesperson Jen Kwart said the City Attorney&#8217;s Office would review the complaint and respond in court.

<p>In a statement Thursday, spokesperson Jen Kwart said the City Attorney's Office would review the complaint and respond in court.</p>

<p>In a statement Thursday, spokesperson Jen Kwart said the City Attorney&#8217;s Office would review the complaint and respond in court.</p>

“While we understand and share the frustration of Tenderloin businesses and residents, the city is making progress in reducing crime, disrupting open-air drug markets, and addressing homelessness, all while complying with the preliminary injunction issued in the Coalition on Homelessness case,&#8221; Kwart said.

<p>“While we understand and share the frustration of Tenderloin businesses and residents, the city is making progress in reducing crime, disrupting open-air drug markets, and addressing homelessness, all while complying with the preliminary injunction issued in the Coalition on Homelessness case," Kwart said.</p>

<p>“While we understand and share the frustration of Tenderloin businesses and residents, the city is making progress in reducing crime, disrupting open-air drug markets, and addressing homelessness, all while complying with the preliminary injunction issued in the Coalition on Homelessness case,&#8221; Kwart said.</p>

Kwart also called the latest lawsuit&#8217;s timing &#8220;odd,&#8221; given the U.S. Supreme Court&#8217;s impending decision in the Grants Pass case &#8220;potentially altering the legal landscape in homelessness cases.&#8221;

<p>Kwart also called the latest lawsuit's timing "odd," given the U.S. Supreme Court's impending decision in the Grants Pass case "potentially altering the legal landscape in homelessness cases."</p>

<p>Kwart also called the latest lawsuit&#8217;s timing &#8220;odd,&#8221; given the U.S. Supreme Court&#8217;s impending decision in the Grants Pass case &#8220;potentially altering the legal landscape in homelessness cases.&#8221;</p>

&#8220;It is clear that increased litigation over homelessness is not improving conditions on our streets,&#8221; Kwart said. &#8220;The courts are not equipped to police every interaction between outreach workers and unhoused individuals. The courts are similarly not equipped to step into the shoes of elected policymakers and voters in order to craft broad strategies to address homelessness.”

<p>"It is clear that increased litigation over homelessness is not improving conditions on our streets," Kwart said. "The courts are not equipped to police every interaction between outreach workers and unhoused individuals. The courts are similarly not equipped to step into the shoes of elected policymakers and voters in order to craft broad strategies to address homelessness.”</p>

<p>&#8220;It is clear that increased litigation over homelessness is not improving conditions on our streets,&#8221; Kwart said. &#8220;The courts are not equipped to police every interaction between outreach workers and unhoused individuals. The courts are similarly not equipped to step into the shoes of elected policymakers and voters in order to craft broad strategies to address homelessness.”</p>

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UC Law SF will also file a court motion Thursday in an ongoing U.S.&nbsp;District Court lawsuit seeking compliance with a 2020 court order requiring the city to remove all Tenderloin <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/01/san-francisco-homeless-encampments-decline-court-ruling/">homeless encampments</a> and tents.

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<p>UC Law SF will also file a court motion Thursday in an ongoing U.S.&nbsp;District Court lawsuit seeking compliance with a 2020 court order requiring the city to remove all Tenderloin <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/01/san-francisco-homeless-encampments-decline-court-ruling/">homeless encampments</a> and tents.</p>

The city has claimed it is prevented from enforcing that order by a separate 2022 injunction from Judge Donna Ryu, barring enforcement of certain anti-camping laws when there are more homeless people than available shelter beds.

<p>The city has claimed it is prevented from enforcing that order by a separate 2022 injunction from Judge Donna Ryu, barring enforcement of certain anti-camping laws when there are more homeless people than available shelter beds.</p>

However, the plaintiffs argue that the injunction only applies to those who are involuntarily homeless, not those who have refused offers of the city&#8217;s approximately 300 open shelter spaces. They also note an appeals court has since limited the 2022 injunction&#8217;s scope.

<p>However, the plaintiffs argue that the injunction only applies to those who are involuntarily homeless, not those who have refused offers of the city's approximately 300 open shelter spaces. They also note an appeals court has since limited the 2022 injunction's scope.</p>

<p>However, the plaintiffs argue that the injunction only applies to those who are involuntarily homeless, not those who have refused offers of the city&#8217;s approximately 300 open shelter spaces. They also note an appeals court has since limited the 2022 injunction&#8217;s scope.</p>

The enforcement order asks the court to require the city to resume full compliance with the 2020 injunction by discouraging tents, preventing re-encampment and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/09/25/san-francisco-to-resume-enforcing-laws-against-homeless-people-who-refuse-shelter-mayor/">&#8220;employing enforcement measures&#8221;</a> against those who refuse shelter. 

San Francisco to resume enforcing laws against homeless people who refuse shelter

<p>The enforcement order asks the court to require the city to resume full compliance with the 2020 injunction by discouraging tents, preventing re-encampment and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/09/25/san-francisco-to-resume-enforcing-laws-against-homeless-people-who-refuse-shelter-mayor/">"employing enforcement measures"</a> against those who refuse shelter. </p>

<p>The enforcement order asks the court to require the city to resume full compliance with the 2020 injunction by discouraging tents, preventing re-encampment and <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/09/25/san-francisco-to-resume-enforcing-laws-against-homeless-people-who-refuse-shelter-mayor/">&#8220;employing enforcement measures&#8221;</a> against those who refuse shelter. </p>

UC Law SF&#8217;s attorney, Matthew Davis, said his clients were not seeking monetary damages.

<p>UC Law SF's attorney, Matthew Davis, said his clients were not seeking monetary damages.</p>

<p>UC Law SF&#8217;s attorney, Matthew Davis, said his clients were not seeking monetary damages.</p>

“Rather, they demand equitable treatment and relief from open-air drug markets, violence, and impassable and unsanitary streets,” Davis said. “They demand an end to the rampant illegal street vending, and from the squalor and misery that exists throughout their neighborhood because the city has decided that people in the throes of addiction can live and die on the Tenderloin’s streets.”

<p>“Rather, they demand equitable treatment and relief from open-air drug markets, violence, and impassable and unsanitary streets,” Davis said. “They demand an end to the rampant illegal street vending, and from the squalor and misery that exists throughout their neighborhood because the city has decided that people in the throes of addiction can live and die on the Tenderloin’s streets.”</p>

Dean David Faigman said the school was committed to helping make neighborhood streets safer by enforcing the stipulated injunction.

<p>Dean David Faigman said the school was committed to helping make neighborhood streets safer by enforcing the stipulated injunction.</p>

&#8220;The Tenderloin deserves to be treated just like any other neighborhood in the city. As an institutional anchor in the Tenderloin, we have the responsibility to speak for and protect our campus and our neighbors whose voices are often diminished,&#8221; Faigman said.

<p>"The Tenderloin deserves to be treated just like any other neighborhood in the city. As an institutional anchor in the Tenderloin, we have the responsibility to speak for and protect our campus and our neighbors whose voices are often diminished," Faigman said.</p>

<p>&#8220;The Tenderloin deserves to be treated just like any other neighborhood in the city. As an institutional anchor in the Tenderloin, we have the responsibility to speak for and protect our campus and our neighbors whose voices are often diminished,&#8221; Faigman said.</p>

<em>Correction: This story was updated with the proper spelling of UC Law SF Dean David Faigman&#8217;s name.</em>

<p><em>Correction: This story was updated with the proper spelling of UC Law SF Dean David Faigman's name.</em></p>

<p><em>Correction: This story was updated with the proper spelling of UC Law SF Dean David Faigman&#8217;s name.</em></p>

Tenderloin residents, businesses to sue San Francisco over ‘containment zone’ policy

Astrid Kane

When San Francisco chef Azalina Eusope was named a semifinalist in the 2024 James Beard Awards—the so-called Oscars of the food world—it did not translate to lines out the door at her Malaysian restaurant, Azalina’s.

<p>When San Francisco chef Azalina Eusope was named a semifinalist in the 2024 James Beard Awards—the so-called Oscars of the food world—it did not translate to lines out the door at her Malaysian restaurant, Azalina’s.</p>

“It hasn’t made any difference” in business, Eusope said, adding that on some nights her team serves only five guests. “I keep telling myself to put your head down and cook the best meal you can possibly cook, and let the universe take care of the rest.”

<p>“It hasn’t made any difference” in business, Eusope said, adding that on some nights her team serves only five guests. “I keep telling myself to put your head down and cook the best meal you can possibly cook, and let the universe take care of the rest.”</p>

The problem for Azalina’s isn’t the cooking or the price point or the decor. It’s the location. The restaurant, which opened last July, the successor project to Eusope’s Noe Valley restaurant, Mahila, sits at the southeast corner of Ellis and Leavenworth streets in the Tenderloin. It’s a diverse and densely populated neighborhood that has long struggled with high rates of poverty and homelessness, open drug use and filthy sidewalks. Factor in the self-reinforcing chatter about commercial vacancies downtown and dying malls in nearby Union Square, and it’s hard to overcome the perception that the Tenderloin is, well, a wasteland.&nbsp;

<p>The problem for Azalina’s isn’t the cooking or the price point or the decor. It’s the location. The restaurant, which opened last July, the successor project to Eusope’s Noe Valley restaurant, Mahila, sits at the southeast corner of Ellis and Leavenworth streets in the Tenderloin. It’s a diverse and densely populated neighborhood that has long struggled with high rates of poverty and homelessness, open drug use and filthy sidewalks. Factor in the self-reinforcing chatter about commercial vacancies downtown and dying malls in nearby Union Square, and it’s hard to overcome the perception that the Tenderloin is, well, a wasteland.&nbsp;</p>

Amy Chau (left) and Eddie Chun Fat (right) look for a table to eat tamales in La Cocina Municipal Marketplace in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FEATURED_SOCIAL_LaCocina033023.jpg?w=2048" alt="A bustling marketplace with people carrying plates, a neon sign above, and a sign that reads &quot;La Cocina Municipal Marketplace.&quot;" class="wp-image-154314"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Amy Chau, left, and Eddie Chun Fat, right, look for a table to eat tamales in La Cocina Municipal Marketplace in the Tenderloin in April 2023. </figcaption></figure>


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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FEATURED_SOCIAL_LaCocina033023.jpg?w=2048" alt="A bustling marketplace with people carrying plates, a neon sign above, and a sign that reads &quot;La Cocina Municipal Marketplace.&quot;" class="wp-image-154314"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Amy Chau, left, and Eddie Chun Fat, right, look for a table to eat tamales in La Cocina Municipal Marketplace in the Tenderloin in April 2023. </figcaption></figure>

Ambitious culinary projects like La Cocina’s Municipal Marketplace have flamed out for lack of foot traffic, while successful small businesses like <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/24/san-francisco-fleetwood-richmond-district-small-business-saturday/">quirky retailer and screenprinting shop Fleetwood</a> have relocated elsewhere in the city once their leases were up.

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<p>Ambitious culinary projects like La Cocina’s Municipal Marketplace have flamed out for lack of foot traffic, while successful small businesses like <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/24/san-francisco-fleetwood-richmond-district-small-business-saturday/">quirky retailer and screenprinting shop Fleetwood</a> have relocated elsewhere in the city once their leases were up.</p>

In an effort to boost the neighborhood, the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development have teamed up on a $100,000 <a href="https://www.visittenderloin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Visit Tenderloin” ad campaign</a>. The goal is to entice diners to restaurants like Azalina’s, which serves some of the city’s most acclaimed Southeast Asian street food.&nbsp;

<p>In an effort to boost the neighborhood, the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development have teamed up on a $100,000 <a href="https://www.visittenderloin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Visit Tenderloin” ad campaign</a>. The goal is to entice diners to restaurants like Azalina’s, which serves some of the city’s most acclaimed Southeast Asian street food.&nbsp;</p>

But restaurateurs and other small business owners are convinced that such efforts, while welcome, aren’t enough. Things need to change, Eusope said, adding that she hardly sees people out past 5 p.m.

<p>But restaurateurs and other small business owners are convinced that such efforts, while welcome, aren’t enough. Things need to change, Eusope said, adding that she hardly sees people out past 5 p.m.</p>

“I want something better for the children and the folks that live here, all the immigrants that live here,” she said. “I want my sidewalk to be clean.”

<p>“I want something better for the children and the folks that live here, all the immigrants that live here,” she said. “I want my sidewalk to be clean.”</p>

Created pro bono by <a href="https://vsquaredesign.com/">VSquareDesign</a>, which has designed restaurant parklets and generated a guerrilla campaign calling for more street trees, the Visit Tenderloin campaign debuted in February on Muni bus shelters and vertical banners hung from streetlight poles. They featured alliterative messages (“Crepes, Cakes and Cocktails”) and close-up photos of tasty morsels from Yemen Kitchen and Sweet Glory, plus Tenderloin-branded apparel from locally owned clothing shop Tilted Brim.

<p>Created pro bono by <a href="https://vsquaredesign.com/">VSquareDesign</a>, which has designed restaurant parklets and generated a guerrilla campaign calling for more street trees, the Visit Tenderloin campaign debuted in February on Muni bus shelters and vertical banners hung from streetlight poles. They featured alliterative messages (“Crepes, Cakes and Cocktails”) and close-up photos of tasty morsels from Yemen Kitchen and Sweet Glory, plus Tenderloin-branded apparel from locally owned clothing shop Tilted Brim.</p>

A $100,000 marketing campaign intended to showcase the Tenderloin as a dining destination has cropped up on Muni bus shelters, including this ad for Malaysian street food restaurant Azalina's on Thursday, March 18, 2024.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/img_2021_2b7d80.jpg?w=2500" alt="An outdoor ad depicts a hand garnishing a dish, with the text &quot;Tofu, Theatres, and Trinkets&quot; above. It's on a city street corner." class="wp-image-263420"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A $100,000 marketing campaign intended to showcase the Tenderloin as a dining destination has cropped up on Muni bus shelters, including this ad for Malaysian street food restaurant Azalina&#8217;s.</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/img_2021_2b7d80.jpg?w=2500" alt="An outdoor ad depicts a hand garnishing a dish, with the text &quot;Tofu, Theatres, and Trinkets&quot; above. It's on a city street corner." class="wp-image-263420"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A $100,000 marketing campaign intended to showcase the Tenderloin as a dining destination has cropped up on Muni bus shelters, including this ad for Malaysian street food restaurant Azalina's.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/img_2021_2b7d80.jpg?w=2500" alt="An outdoor ad depicts a hand garnishing a dish, with the text &quot;Tofu, Theatres, and Trinkets&quot; above. It's on a city street corner." class="wp-image-263420"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A $100,000 marketing campaign intended to showcase the Tenderloin as a dining destination has cropped up on Muni bus shelters, including this ad for Malaysian street food restaurant Azalina&#8217;s.</figcaption></figure>

In the case of Azalina’s, the ad shows a steamed tofu dish with sambal black bean sauce—an entree that reminds Eusope of her father and which she particularly loves to prepare. “Tofu, Theatres, and Trinkets,” the caption above reads. The wording may be slightly contrived, but the marketing aims to showcase the neighborhood’s bounty, according to Kate Robinson, the community benefit district’s executive director.

<p>In the case of Azalina’s, the ad shows a steamed tofu dish with sambal black bean sauce—an entree that reminds Eusope of her father and which she particularly loves to prepare. “Tofu, Theatres, and Trinkets,” the caption above reads. The wording may be slightly contrived, but the marketing aims to showcase the neighborhood’s bounty, according to Kate Robinson, the community benefit district’s executive director.</p>

“We have over 300 small businesses, mostly women- and immigrant-owned,” she said of the Tenderloin. “And we absolutely have the best food in the city.”

<p>“We have over 300 small businesses, mostly women- and immigrant-owned,” she said of the Tenderloin. “And we absolutely have the best food in the city.”</p>

At the same time, the very restaurateurs who are featured in the campaign say that while they appreciate the slogans, the Tenderloin’s woes have grown so entrenched that their businesses’ survival is at stake. The city, they agreed, must do more to improve street conditions before their revenue dwindles any further.

<p>At the same time, the very restaurateurs who are featured in the campaign say that while they appreciate the slogans, the Tenderloin’s woes have grown so entrenched that their businesses’ survival is at stake. The city, they agreed, must do more to improve street conditions before their revenue dwindles any further.</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-been-scary">‘It’s been scary’</h2>


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-been-scary">‘It’s been scary’</h2>

Abdul Alrammah has served roasted lamb with a unique blend of spices at Yemen Kitchen on Jones Street for almost a decade. But while he’s seen plenty in his time in the Tenderloin, he said conditions outside his restaurant have gotten worse. When he calls 311 or 911 these days, nothing happens.&nbsp;

<p>Abdul Alrammah has served roasted lamb with a unique blend of spices at Yemen Kitchen on Jones Street for almost a decade. But while he’s seen plenty in his time in the Tenderloin, he said conditions outside his restaurant have gotten worse. When he calls 311 or 911 these days, nothing happens.&nbsp;</p>

“To be honest with you, it’s been scary,” Alrammah said. “I open the restaurant and see people laying down, or a tent next to my business. People can’t even walk on the sidewalk. It’s bad.”

<p>“To be honest with you, it’s been scary,” Alrammah said. “I open the restaurant and see people laying down, or a tent next to my business. People can’t even walk on the sidewalk. It’s bad.”</p>

Abdul Alrammah poses for a portrait outside of his restaurant Yemen Kitchen on Jones Street in San Francisco on Friday, March 29, 2024. Restaurateurs in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood appreciate a new city-funded ad campaign designed to get people to visit. But they urge leaders to do more to help them.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240320_tenderloinrestaurantcampaign_eg_22.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man stands leaning against a restaurant doorway beneath a neon &quot;OPEN&quot; sign, with menus displayed next to him." class="wp-image-263398"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Abdul Alrammah says the conditions outside his restaurant, Yemen Kitchen, on Jones Street have gotten worse.</figcaption></figure>


Hai Ky Mi Gia is Little Saigon’s <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/08/little-saigon-tenderloin-restaurants/">oldest and most famous noodle house</a>, where diners have flocked for braised duck in wonton noodle soup for more than 35 years. But manager Amy Hang said business is hurting big time.

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<p>Hai Ky Mi Gia is Little Saigon’s <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/08/little-saigon-tenderloin-restaurants/">oldest and most famous noodle house</a>, where diners have flocked for braised duck in wonton noodle soup for more than 35 years. But manager Amy Hang said business is hurting big time.</p>

“More and more people are doing drugs in front of our restaurant,” she said. “Customers don’t want to come. They don’t feel safe leaving their car there.”&nbsp;

<p>“More and more people are doing drugs in front of our restaurant,” she said. “Customers don’t want to come. They don’t feel safe leaving their car there.”&nbsp;</p>

Up on Geary Street, the neighborhood’s northern edge, the San Francisco Giants’ season opener did not bring the expected business to the Ha-Ra Club. Mike Castellanos, a bartender at the historic dive that looks like a cross between a sports bar and a bordello, said street conditions have deteriorated so bad he’s considering leaving the city by the end of the year.

<p>Up on Geary Street, the neighborhood’s northern edge, the San Francisco Giants’ season opener did not bring the expected business to the Ha-Ra Club. Mike Castellanos, a bartender at the historic dive that looks like a cross between a sports bar and a bordello, said street conditions have deteriorated so bad he’s considering leaving the city by the end of the year.</p>

“Some days, I have to walk on Hyde Street because I can’t walk on the sidewalk,” he said. “There are so many people passed out, and drug dealers on their scooters trying to wake up people and sell them more drugs.”

<p>“Some days, I have to walk on Hyde Street because I can’t walk on the sidewalk,” he said. “There are so many people passed out, and drug dealers on their scooters trying to wake up people and sell them more drugs.”</p>

Tents on the sidewalk along Larkin Street during the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s biennial Point-in-Time Count of homeless and unhoused people on the street on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 from 8PM to midnight. According to Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the count covered all 47 square miles of San Francisco and used administrative data for people staying in City shelters, emergency shelters and transitional housing. The final report will include more detailed information about people experiencing homelessness including demographics, veteran status, and chronic homelessness.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240126_homelesscountwewent_-2827.jpg?w=2500" alt="A city street at night with a blue tent on the sidewalk, neon signs, a parked scooter, and cars." class="wp-image-263391"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A person drives a scooter past a tent on the sidewalk along Larkin Street in Little Saigon.</figcaption></figure>


The city’s own economic data supports these grim anecdotes. Although <a href="https://www.sf.gov/data/san-francisco-sales-tax">quarterly sales tax receipts</a> for the Tenderloin have rebounded from their 2020 lows, they reflect a 25% year-over-year decline for September 2023, the most recent date for which figures are available, and a 60% decline from their 2018 peak.

<p>The city’s own economic data supports these grim anecdotes. Although <a href="https://www.sf.gov/data/san-francisco-sales-tax">quarterly sales tax receipts</a> for the Tenderloin have rebounded from their 2020 lows, they reflect a 25% year-over-year decline for September 2023, the most recent date for which figures are available, and a 60% decline from their 2018 peak.</p>

The Muni bus shelter ads are only the most visible component of its response to the Tenderloin’s precarious economic state. In the last 18 months, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development has disbursed more than $20 million in funding to more than 2,600 small businesses citywide, covering vandalism relief, rent relief, small business training and other auxiliary costs. In cooperation with the Planning Department, it’s extending the “First-Year Free” initiative that waives city fees for starting a new business.

<p>The Muni bus shelter ads are only the most visible component of its response to the Tenderloin’s precarious economic state. In the last 18 months, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development has disbursed more than $20 million in funding to more than 2,600 small businesses citywide, covering vandalism relief, rent relief, small business training and other auxiliary costs. In cooperation with the Planning Department, it’s extending the “First-Year Free” initiative that waives city fees for starting a new business.</p>

“Our goal is to continue building foot traffic and ensure a safe, vibrant and thriving neighborhood,” said Gloria Chan, the development office’s spokesperson. “The work we are doing is all community-driven.”

<p>“Our goal is to continue building foot traffic and ensure a safe, vibrant and thriving neighborhood,” said Gloria Chan, the development office’s spokesperson. “The work we are doing is all community-driven.”</p>

Over the next several weeks, the office is launching three separate grant programs, including “SF Shines,” allowing proprietors to make improvements to their physical space. Corner stores with older refrigerator cases can get an upgrade, while buildings with tired awnings or sagging exteriors can spiff up their street-facing presence and improve Americans with Disabilities Act access.

<p>Over the next several weeks, the office is launching three separate grant programs, including “SF Shines,” allowing proprietors to make improvements to their physical space. Corner stores with older refrigerator cases can get an upgrade, while buildings with tired awnings or sagging exteriors can spiff up their street-facing presence and improve Americans with Disabilities Act access.</p>

The city is also working on activations like a revival of the <em>Compton’s Cafeteria Riot</em> play, scheduling arts programming on underused city blocks, and social events on Dodge Alley, the dead-end street behind Shovels Bar &amp; Grill.

<p>The city is also working on activations like a revival of the <em>Compton’s Cafeteria Riot</em> play, scheduling arts programming on underused city blocks, and social events on Dodge Alley, the dead-end street behind Shovels Bar &amp; Grill.</p>

Abdul Alrammah, right, cooks a dish at his restaurant Yemen Kitchen on Jones Street in San Francisco on Friday, March 29, 2024. Restaurateurs in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood appreciate a new city-funded ad campaign designed to get people to visit. But they urge leaders to do more to help them.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/20240320_tenderloinrestaurantcampaign_eg_08.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a white shirt and red apron works in a restaurant kitchen near a large oven." class="wp-image-263394"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Abdul Alrammah cooks in his restaurant, Yemen Kitchen on Jones Street.</figcaption></figure>


“The city’s pouring a ton of money into Union Square, and it’s making a huge investment in Downtown—and the Tenderloin is part of downtown in many ways,” said Katie Conry, executive director of the Tenderloin Museum, which is helping to produce <em>Compton’s</em> in a former record shop on Larkin Street. “Empty spaces mean opportunity, and we’re just starting to see what San Franciscans can create.”

<p>“The city’s pouring a ton of money into Union Square, and it’s making a huge investment in Downtown—and the Tenderloin is part of downtown in many ways,” said Katie Conry, executive director of the Tenderloin Museum, which is helping to produce <em>Compton’s</em> in a former record shop on Larkin Street. “Empty spaces mean opportunity, and we’re just starting to see what San Franciscans can create.”</p>

While grants and other economic initiatives may go a long way in keeping small businesses in place, they’re not the same thing as fixing the Tenderloin’s street conditions. Eusope, who commutes to the neighborhood from her home in Candlestick Point, is doing whatever she can in the absence of government help.&nbsp;

<p>While grants and other economic initiatives may go a long way in keeping small businesses in place, they’re not the same thing as fixing the Tenderloin’s street conditions. Eusope, who commutes to the neighborhood from her home in Candlestick Point, is doing whatever she can in the absence of government help.&nbsp;</p>

She lowered the price of her four-course prix fixe to $89 and teaches Sunday cooking classes to get people in the door. When patrons leave mixed Yelp reviews about Azalina’s, raving about the food but denigrating the neighborhood, she will sometimes reply to them directly and ask them for their help in fixing it.

<p>She lowered the price of her four-course prix fixe to $89 and teaches Sunday cooking classes to get people in the door. When patrons leave mixed Yelp reviews about Azalina’s, raving about the food but denigrating the neighborhood, she will sometimes reply to them directly and ask them for their help in fixing it.</p>

“I hope this [ad campaign] will really help bring people in,” she said. “I make seriously delicious, unique food—and you’re not going to get it anywhere else.”

<p>“I hope this [ad campaign] will really help bring people in,” she said. “I make seriously delicious, unique food—and you’re not going to get it anywhere else.”</p>

<em>Correction: This post has been updated to note that the creator of the ad campaign was VSquareDesign, not V Square Design.</em>

<p><em>Correction: This post has been updated to note that the creator of the ad campaign was VSquareDesign, not V Square Design.</em></p>

Tenderloin restaurant owners: We need safer streets, not an ad campaign

David Sjostedt

Mayor London Breed is proposing new legislation that would force some stores in the Tenderloin to close earlier—and impose $1,000 fines every hour for those that don&#8217;t comply.<br><br>If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the ordinance would require liquor stores, smoke shops and corner markets to close from midnight to 5 a.m. in &#8220;a small area of the Tenderloin,&#8221; the Mayor&#8217;s Office said in a press release Tuesday.<br><br>Breed alleges these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city&#8217;s progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.

<p>Mayor London Breed is proposing new legislation that would force some stores in the Tenderloin to close earlier—and impose $1,000 fines every hour for those that don't comply.<br><br>If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the ordinance would require liquor stores, smoke shops and corner markets to close from midnight to 5 a.m. in "a small area of the Tenderloin," the Mayor's Office said in a press release Tuesday.<br><br>Breed alleges these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city's progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.</p>

<p>Mayor London Breed is proposing new legislation that would force some stores in the Tenderloin to close earlier—and impose $1,000 fines every hour for those that don&#8217;t comply.<br><br>If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the ordinance would require liquor stores, smoke shops and corner markets to close from midnight to 5 a.m. in &#8220;a small area of the Tenderloin,&#8221; the Mayor&#8217;s Office said in a press release Tuesday.<br><br>Breed alleges these late-night retail shops in the Tenderloin are attracting illegal behavior and undermining the city&#8217;s progress in breaking up drug markets. The curfew would be in place for one year under a pilot program if approved.</p>

&#8220;Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,&#8221; Breed said in a statement. &#8220;The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies.&#8221;

<p>"Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night," Breed said in a statement. "The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies."</p>

<p>&#8220;Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,&#8221; Breed said in a statement. &#8220;The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies.&#8221;</p>

The city claims the Tenderloin is much nicer now. Residents of this street say otherwise

The enforcement, led by the Department of Public Health and carried out by the San Francisco Police Department, would cost business owners a $1,000 fine for every hour they operate after midnight. The curfew wouldn&#8217;t apply to restaurants, bars or event halls. The enforcement zone would exist between O’Farrell and McAllister and from Polk to Jones.

<p>The enforcement, led by the Department of Public Health and carried out by the San Francisco Police Department, would cost business owners a $1,000 fine for every hour they operate after midnight. The curfew wouldn't apply to restaurants, bars or event halls. The enforcement zone would exist between O’Farrell and McAllister and from Polk to Jones.</p>

<p>The enforcement, led by the Department of Public Health and carried out by the San Francisco Police Department, would cost business owners a $1,000 fine for every hour they operate after midnight. The curfew wouldn&#8217;t apply to restaurants, bars or event halls. The enforcement zone would exist between O’Farrell and McAllister and from Polk to Jones.</p>

Corner store operators <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/08/tenderloin-stores-close-drug-crisis/">expressed outrage</a> when The Standard reported last month that the city was considering legislation to force them to close earlier. They argued that the city is passing the blame for the street conditions by punishing law-abiding business owners.<br><br>“The problem is the drugs, not the stores,” Ameer Ahmed, who has worked at the Hyde &amp; Turk Market for three years, previously told The Standard.

<p>Corner store operators <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/03/08/tenderloin-stores-close-drug-crisis/">expressed outrage</a> when The Standard reported last month that the city was considering legislation to force them to close earlier. They argued that the city is passing the blame for the street conditions by punishing law-abiding business owners.<br><br>“The problem is the drugs, not the stores,” Ameer Ahmed, who has worked at the Hyde &amp; Turk Market for three years, previously told The Standard.</p>

Ahmed said he was concerned that reducing hours could cost him his job.

<p>Ahmed said he was concerned that reducing hours could cost him his job.</p>

People congregate at an unofficial night market on the corner of Charles J. Brenham Place and McAllister Street in San Francisco on Thursday.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240215_unplazayouthmarket_-0475.jpg?w=2500" alt="A crowd of people on the streets outside of a convenience store at night." class="wp-image-250550"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People congregate at an unofficial night market near United Nations Plaza.</figcaption></figure>


“If I don’t have a job, what do I do?&#8221; he said. &#8220;I’d have to go to the street to make money.&#8221;

<p>“If I don’t have a job, what do I do?" he said. "I’d have to go to the street to make money."</p>

<p>“If I don’t have a job, what do I do?&#8221; he said. &#8220;I’d have to go to the street to make money.&#8221;</p>

However, other community members say there is an abundance of stores subsisting almost exclusively off the business of drug dealers and users.

<p>However, other community members say there is an abundance of stores subsisting almost exclusively off the business of drug dealers and users.</p>

&#8220;There are pockets in the Tenderloin where stores who operate 24/7 which are creating unsafe sidewalks in and around their location,&#8221; Gregg Johnson, a Tenderloin resident, said in a statement provided by Breed&#8217;s office. &#8220;It is going to take an ‘out of the box’ approach in dealing with this situation.”

<p>"There are pockets in the Tenderloin where stores who operate 24/7 which are creating unsafe sidewalks in and around their location," Gregg Johnson, a Tenderloin resident, said in a statement provided by Breed's office. "It is going to take an ‘out of the box’ approach in dealing with this situation.”</p>

<p>&#8220;There are pockets in the Tenderloin where stores who operate 24/7 which are creating unsafe sidewalks in and around their location,&#8221; Gregg Johnson, a Tenderloin resident, said in a statement provided by Breed&#8217;s office. &#8220;It is going to take an ‘out of the box’ approach in dealing with this situation.”</p>

Mayor’s latest drug crackdown plan: Close Tenderloin stores earlier

Sara Deseran

<em>This is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/the-haul/">The Haul,</a> a new series from The Standard that follows the city’s top chefs and food experts as they forage for their pantry must-haves.</em>

<p><em>This is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/the-haul/">The Haul,</a> a new series from The Standard that follows the city’s top chefs and food experts as they forage for their pantry must-haves.</em></p>

Nite Yun is hardcore. The untrained Cambodian chef has never leaned on a business partner nor taken money from a single investor for her restaurants. To open her celebrated Fruitvale spot, <a href="https://www.nyumbai.com/">Nyum Bai</a>, she scraped the funds together on her own. And in 2022, when it closed, she picked herself up and decided to start over—this time in San Francisco. <br><br>When we meet at the little <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-battambang-market-san-francisco">Battambang Market</a> in the Tenderloin, it’s only a couple weeks before her new spot, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lunette_cambodia/">Lunette Cambodia</a>, is set to open at the Ferry Building. Yet she gives no indication of being stressed or worried. She doesn’t manically check the time. Instead, she good-naturedly threads through the narrow aisles of the Cambodian grocery store, the air infused with the aroma of wet cardboard and smoky dried fish.

<p>Nite Yun is hardcore. The untrained Cambodian chef has never leaned on a business partner nor taken money from a single investor for her restaurants. To open her celebrated Fruitvale spot, <a href="https://www.nyumbai.com/">Nyum Bai</a>, she scraped the funds together on her own. And in 2022, when it closed, she picked herself up and decided to start over—this time in San Francisco. <br><br>When we meet at the little <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-battambang-market-san-francisco">Battambang Market</a> in the Tenderloin, it’s only a couple weeks before her new spot, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lunette_cambodia/">Lunette Cambodia</a>, is set to open at the Ferry Building. Yet she gives no indication of being stressed or worried. She doesn’t manically check the time. Instead, she good-naturedly threads through the narrow aisles of the Cambodian grocery store, the air infused with the aroma of wet cardboard and smoky dried fish.</p>

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She genuflects at the foot of Golden Mountain soy sauce. She stops to do an impromptu infomercial about her love of shrimp chips. She excitedly zeroes in on the instant noodles of her childhood. <br><br>Yun&#8217;s love of cooking and eating—particularly the Cambodian food she grew up with—radiates from her core. Born in a Thai refugee camp, she moved to the U.S. with her family when she was two, ultimately settling in Stockton. In 2018, she opened Nyum Bai, keeping it small and funky, pulling in first-gen Cambodians and introducing neophytes to the pungent pleasures of fermented mudfish paste. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/nite-yun"><em>Bon Appetit</em></a> anointed Nyum Bai as one of the country’s top ten best new restaurants that same year.&nbsp;

<p>She genuflects at the foot of Golden Mountain soy sauce. She stops to do an impromptu infomercial about her love of shrimp chips. She excitedly zeroes in on the instant noodles of her childhood. <br><br>Yun's love of cooking and eating—particularly the Cambodian food she grew up with—radiates from her core. Born in a Thai refugee camp, she moved to the U.S. with her family when she was two, ultimately settling in Stockton. In 2018, she opened Nyum Bai, keeping it small and funky, pulling in first-gen Cambodians and introducing neophytes to the pungent pleasures of fermented mudfish paste. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/nite-yun"><em>Bon Appetit</em></a> anointed Nyum Bai as one of the country’s top ten best new restaurants that same year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She genuflects at the foot of Golden Mountain soy sauce. She stops to do an impromptu infomercial about her love of shrimp chips. She excitedly zeroes in on the instant noodles of her childhood. <br><br>Yun&#8217;s love of cooking and eating—particularly the Cambodian food she grew up with—radiates from her core. Born in a Thai refugee camp, she moved to the U.S. with her family when she was two, ultimately settling in Stockton. In 2018, she opened Nyum Bai, keeping it small and funky, pulling in first-gen Cambodians and introducing neophytes to the pungent pleasures of fermented mudfish paste. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/nite-yun"><em>Bon Appetit</em></a> anointed Nyum Bai as one of the country’s top ten best new restaurants that same year.&nbsp;</p>

While we’re at Battambang, Yun learns from the sister of the owner that the store has been open since 1987, when a wave Southeast Asian immigrants settled in the Tenderloin. They, too, were seeking refuge from war, their tenacity carrying through to a second generation of shopkeepers and chefs like Yun.&nbsp;

<p>While we’re at Battambang, Yun learns from the sister of the owner that the store has been open since 1987, when a wave Southeast Asian immigrants settled in the Tenderloin. They, too, were seeking refuge from war, their tenacity carrying through to a second generation of shopkeepers and chefs like Yun.&nbsp;</p>

Lunette opened last Sunday, and while Yun will be sourcing produce from <a href="https://foodwise.org/sellers/gg-farm/">GG Farm</a>—a Laotian farmer whose family also fled war in Southeast Asia—she is clearly also happy to shop for last-minute Cambodian provisions, just up Market Street.

<p>Lunette opened last Sunday, and while Yun will be sourcing produce from <a href="https://foodwise.org/sellers/gg-farm/">GG Farm</a>—a Laotian farmer whose family also fled war in Southeast Asia—she is clearly also happy to shop for last-minute Cambodian provisions, just up Market Street.</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nite-yun-breaks-down-her-grocery-list">Nite Yun breaks down her grocery list</h2>


<strong>Palm sugar ($9.99/16 oz)</strong><br>“Palm sugar has a nutty, vanilla flavor. I used it for Lunette’s dessert of mochi balls with freshly grated coconut. It’s also part of a dipping sauce we make with toasted rice, lime juice, smoked garlic, chili, grilled scallions and cilantro. We serve it with fried cutlets of chicken.”

<p><strong>Palm sugar ($9.99/16 oz)</strong><br>“Palm sugar has a nutty, vanilla flavor. I used it for Lunette’s dessert of mochi balls with freshly grated coconut. It’s also part of a dipping sauce we make with toasted rice, lime juice, smoked garlic, chili, grilled scallions and cilantro. We serve it with fried cutlets of chicken.”</p>

Chef and restaurateur Nite Yun shows SF Standard reporters Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce at Battambang Market, which has a large selection of Southeast Asian products, in San Francisco on May 13, 2024. Yun is opening a new restaurant, Lunette Cambodia, this spring.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/inlined01_20240508-thehaul-nite-yun.jpg?w=2001" alt="Golden Mountain soy sauce" class="wp-image-280464"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Cambodian pantry must-have: Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce.</figcaption></figure>


<strong>Golden Moutain Seasoning Sauce</strong> ($8.99/25 oz)<br>“Golden Mountain, which is a soy sauce, makes everything taste better. It’s versatile and not as salty as other options, so it’s really forgiving. We use it in Lunette’s version of Student Noodles, which is made with tapioca pin noodles, bean sprouts and brisket. It’s called this because when you’re in Cambodia and you’re on a budget, it’s quick and easy.”

<p><strong>Golden Moutain Seasoning Sauce</strong> ($8.99/25 oz)<br>“Golden Mountain, which is a soy sauce, makes everything taste better. It’s versatile and not as salty as other options, so it’s really forgiving. We use it in Lunette’s version of Student Noodles, which is made with tapioca pin noodles, bean sprouts and brisket. It’s called this because when you’re in Cambodia and you’re on a budget, it’s quick and easy.”</p>

<strong>Sardines in tomato sauce </strong>($1.99/5 oz)&nbsp;<br>“Growing up, sardines were a heavy hitter at my house. My mother would always have them on hand and my brother and I would stuff them on a baguette with a fried egg and some Golden Mountain.”

<p><strong>Sardines in tomato sauce </strong>($1.99/5 oz)&nbsp;<br>“Growing up, sardines were a heavy hitter at my house. My mother would always have them on hand and my brother and I would stuff them on a baguette with a fried egg and some Golden Mountain.”</p>

Chef and restaurateur Nite Yun shows SF Standard reporters Mudfish Fish Sauce at Battambang Market, which has a large selection of Southeast Asian products, in San Francisco on May 13, 2024. Yun is opening a new restaurant, Lunette Cambodia, this spring.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/inlined02_20240508-thehaul-nite-yun.jpg?w=1211" alt="Fermented fish paste" class="wp-image-280465"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prahok, or fermented mudfish sauce, brings maximum umami to Cambodian cooking.</figcaption></figure>


<strong>Prahok</strong> (10.99/16 oz)<br>“The most traditional Cambodian dishes use this fermented mudfish paste. You cook it down to let it bloom and maximize the delicious umami. I use it for crudité with a fermented fish dip with pork belly. I was hesitant to put it on the menu at Nyum Bai, but it became one of the most popular dishes and will be on the menu at Lunette.”<br><br><strong>Three Ladies jasmine rice </strong>($63/25 lbs)<br>“This is my favorite jasmine—other brands don’t seem to have the same fragrance. If I’m using a rice cooker, I give the rice a good rinse until it’s clear and do a one-to-one [water-to-rice] ratio. Wipe the pot before putting the rice in the cooker because if it’s wet, it won’t calibrate correctly. You want rice that’s fluffy, not sticky and wet.”

<p><strong>Prahok</strong> (10.99/16 oz)<br>“The most traditional Cambodian dishes use this fermented mudfish paste. You cook it down to let it bloom and maximize the delicious umami. I use it for crudité with a fermented fish dip with pork belly. I was hesitant to put it on the menu at Nyum Bai, but it became one of the most popular dishes and will be on the menu at Lunette.”<br><br><strong>Three Ladies jasmine rice </strong>($63/25 lbs)<br>“This is my favorite jasmine—other brands don’t seem to have the same fragrance. If I’m using a rice cooker, I give the rice a good rinse until it’s clear and do a one-to-one [water-to-rice] ratio. Wipe the pot before putting the rice in the cooker because if it’s wet, it won’t calibrate correctly. You want rice that’s fluffy, not sticky and wet.”</p>

<strong>Honey Bee grass jelly </strong>($2.69/16 oz)<br>“This is a dessert I love. Just cut it into squares, put it over ice, add a spoonful of sugar and give it a stir. It’s such a delight in the summertime.”&nbsp;

<p><strong>Honey Bee grass jelly </strong>($2.69/16 oz)<br>“This is a dessert I love. Just cut it into squares, put it over ice, add a spoonful of sugar and give it a stir. It’s such a delight in the summertime.”&nbsp;</p>

Chef and restaurateur Nite Yun picks up a few bags of Wai Wai noodles, a nostalgic favorite for her, after showing SF Standard reporters her favorite products at Battambang Market in San Francisco on May 13, 2024. Yun is opening a new restaurant, Lunette Cambodia, this spring.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/inlined03_20240508-thehaul-nite-yun.jpg?w=1197" alt="Instant noodles
" class="wp-image-280466"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Everyone has a comfort food from childhood and Wai Wai instant noodles are Yun&#8217;s.</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/inlined03_20240508-thehaul-nite-yun.jpg?w=1197" alt="Instant noodles
" class="wp-image-280466"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Everyone has a comfort food from childhood and Wai Wai instant noodles are Yun's.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/inlined03_20240508-thehaul-nite-yun.jpg?w=1197" alt="Instant noodles
" class="wp-image-280466"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Everyone has a comfort food from childhood and Wai Wai instant noodles are Yun&#8217;s.</figcaption></figure>

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