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Word's gotten out about
Paniolo Social. Bloodhound was packed with wall-to-wall people last night thanks to Ravi Kapur's new Thursday pop-up. The chef has been serving his signature Hawaiian fusiony food at the SOMA bar as he readies his brick-and-mortar, Liholiho Yacht Club, which he's opening with Nopa's Allyson Jossel and Jeff Hanak this fall. At Paniolo Social he's keeping things simple — five menu items, a few drink specials at the bar. Judging by the hordes there last night, he doesn't need to complicate them.
After getting mai tais (Blue Hawaiians are also on offer), we carved out a spot in the corner and were able to eat our way through a poke bowl, burger, spicy noodles, and coconut mochi. The tuna in the poke was fresh and firm, glowing in the bowl like hunks of ruby, and the hunks of avocado served with it were at peak ripeness ($13). The kimchi-topped burger ($9) was the standout, mostly due to its gamey Mindful Meats patty (the
only place in town serving them, according to Inside Scoop). I liked the marinated cucumbers on the noodles ($6), but eating slippery noodles with chopsticks in a crowded bar proved tricky. And the coconut mochi ($3), Kapur's mom's recipe, was sweet, creamy, and gelatinous, with coconut shreds throughout — a lovely dessert.
Kapur says he'll be doing the pop-up at least through September.
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415-863-2840
