TLC at ABC
May 30, 2003
ABC Bakery and Restaurant
650 Jackson St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 681-8800
Hours: 5Sun.–Thurs. 8 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 8 a.m.–1 a.m.
Price: $2.50–$3.95 for appetizers, $3.00–$6.95 for main courses.
Cash Only
When I first heard of ABC restaurant, I was told that the Hainan chicken with rice was to die for because it’s prepared with “chickens that exercised.” Immediately I thought of chickens running laps around their pens. The thought of a buffed thigh sitting on my plate just didn’t sound too appetizing.
But I soon found out that the “workout” meant the chickens are free-range, which makes them leaner than the regular fryer chicken and free of hormones. Ask any butcher in Chinatown and they will tell you that a yellow-feathered chicken tastes “naturally sweet, full of chicken flavor.”
ABC sits on Jackson Street, away from the foot traffic of Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. When I first stepped inside the bright and airy restaurant, I knew the food was good. The place was packed and everyone was Asian Pacific American with Cantonese being the common language. Not a tourist in sight.
I was excited as I followed the waitress to my table. As I walked by tables filled with steaming bowls of soup, noodles and rice plates, hunger pangs stirred in my stomach.
My table was in front of a glass-enclosed kitchen area. (Think: Benihana in a fish tank.) Behind the glass stood a stoic-looking man cooking noodles and won tons. Next to him were two women cutting slices of marbled pork and wrapping plump dumplings.
On the menu, Hainan chicken is simply known as Chicken On Rice ($6.95). If you’re on the run, this is a quick dish to get. The dish comes with half of a yellow-feathered chicken, bok choy and pork soup, seasoned rice with dry scallops, salted peanuts and a salty, ginger-scallion pesto to dip the chicken.
The chewy textured chicken bursts with flavor in every bite. Forgo the utensils and use your hands to peel off the slippery skin (for you calorie counters) and pick at the bones. The rice is prepared with the chicken and is infused with real poultry flavor. There are no yellow cubes of bouillon in this recipe.
Besides hearing about ABC’s chicken, thumbs up were given to the restaurant’s gargantuan won tons and handmade egg noodles. The Shui Kau Noodle Soup ($4.50) resembles dumplings on steroids. Stuffed with prawns, wood ears, pork and bamboo shoots, the heavyweights sit atop a billowy nest of egg noodles that are cooked to a soft al dente. The noodles are light and fluffy and don’t have the congealed and gluey texture that you might find elsewhere. We also tried the B.B.Q Duck Noodle Soup ($4.50) and the Prawn Won Ton Soup ($4.75), and both received high marks from our taste buds.
If you’re not in a won ton mood, opt for a delicious Steamed Rice Crepe with B.B.Q. pork in a sweet soy sauce ($2.75). Or do what the locals do and guzzle down a big bowl of congee (rice porridge) when the weather is warm outside. Although the congee is served piping hot, sweating serves as your body’s air conditioner. For fans of duck eggs, ABC has Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee ($3.95) with chunks of the gelatinous, black cubes and tender shreds of pork. The eggs are nutty and creamy and lack the acidic smell of preserved eggs gone bad.
The cynic in me thought that the congee came out of the same vat with different toppings. So I ordered Frog and Mushroom Congee ($6.00) and was pleasantly surprised that it carried a flavor of its own. The congee is heavily perfumed with ginger, but not too overpowering. I was expecting flavorless gummy bears when I bit into the mushrooms, but instead they turned out to be tasty and not a bit slimy.
For the main courses, Brisket in Hoisin Sauce ($5.50) and Baked Pork Chop With Rice ($5.50) prove heavy and hearty.
One word for the pork chop dish: Hungryman. Remember those frozen dinners? Well this one resembles it, but it tastes a whole lot better than its frigid counterpart. Three pieces of lightly floured pork chops are drenched in a tangy tomato sauce and served with egg rice. Perfect for a late-night meal, says my friend.
But the one dish that surprised us both was the Chef’s Special Bortsch ($3.70). Yes, bortsch, the Russian soup made with beets and other vegetables. We ordered it out of curiosity and it is excellent. It is a delicious, tomato-based broth with tender celery, onions, cabbage and pieces of beef. Every spoonful seemed to stimulate our palates. The sweetness of the soup balanced out the slight tartness of the tomatoes to make for a home-cooked feel.
Wash everything down with an addictive glass of refreshing Iced Lemon Tea ($2.50). When you get the tea, the glass is still warm from the freshly brewed tea. But pay special attention, you must crush the lemons. Trust me, you’ll know what I mean when you drink it.
Fast, friendly and fresh is what you get at ABC Restaurant, simple as that. So the next time you’re in the mood for good, Hong Kong-style food that is inexpensive and filling, walk on over to ABC — it’s as easy as 1-2-3.
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