Spice Kit

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Lunchtime spots that specialize in Asian fusion seem to be all over the SOMA and FIDI area.  Spice Kit offers up its menu items in a simple format for all of us who really want to give our brains a break at lunch.  Step 1: Pick your Style (salad, ssam/wrap, or sandwich); Step 2: Pick your meat (Five spice chicken, beef short rib, pork belly, or tofu); Step 3: Pick a side (lotus root, pork bun, or ginger-peanut slaw).  Sound familiar?  Reminds me of an Asian Chipotle.  They sell themselves as Asian street food, but its definitely not any hawker food I've seen in Asia.

The lotus chips are one of the step 3 choices.  Served thin and fried, I found these to be a little too greasy.  I preferred the lotus chips at Freshroll better (see post HERE).

I was really excited to see pork belly buns on the menu  I was hoping for something fluffy and fresh like those at Chairman Bao's.  The bun here was a little too dense, almost as if they were prefrozen.  I usually swoon over pork belly, but this one was just okay.  The heavy handed sauce was too strong and distracting.

Taken from the Korean word "ssam" meaning wraps, these "ssams"were wrapped in the largest rice paper I've ever seen.  Korean ssams are wrapped in lettuce leaves.  I did take a moment to admire how well wrapped and sturdy the rice paper was.  I was expecting a smaller work appropriate lunch portion, but this was the size of a small Mexican burrito.  The five spice chicken was yummy and tender, but the pieces were buried in way too much rice.  For being Asian fusion, I found the tastes to be unexciting and felt like it needed something.  Maybe some spiciness.

You know you are in downtown SF when the Vietnamese sandwiches cost just barely under $7.  The banh mi was too sweet from the pickled vegetables and the bread was flat tasting.  The $3 banh mis from the ghetto are more satisfying. 

Address:                   Spice Kit
                                  405 Howard St.
                                  San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                         Asian/sandwich/Korean/Vietnamese

Popular chomps:      five spice chicken
                                 banh mi
                                 pork buns
                                 wraps

Chomp worthy:        nothing