The Owner of San Francisco’s New Taraval Cafe Is on a Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie | Eater SF

"Tucked into the Outer Sunset, New Taraval Cafe feels like a rare, timeless diner — a piece of Americana nostalgia with Irish breakfast and omelets on a plastic-sheathed menu, while also belonging to San Francisco’s immigrant-owned, Asian-infused breakfast tradition. I watched Stanley Lui, who took over his parents’ cafe after studying chemistry at UC Davis and working behind the scenes, elevate the spot by baking inventive, nostalgic cookies on the side; his first white-whale was a soft-baked, not-too-sweet chocolate chip with lots of chocolate, and he’s since expanded into tiramisu, sesame, ginger turmeric, banana walnut, Grand Marnier caramel cookies and matcha brownies. Lui applies his chemistry background to balance acidity and leavening for the soft texture he prizes, spends years refining recipes, and rotates flavors at the restaurant almost every week. The regulars know him, he clearly loves his community, and his cookies — sold at the cafe while supplies last and available for pre-order on Instagram under the handle Cookie Man Stan — reflect that desire to bring people together; he also hopes one day to give the cookies their own permanent hub." - Paolo Bicchieri