"The people behind Liholiho Yacht Club are exceptionally good at churning out food that doesn’t adhere to a single theme—house-made spam or kung pao sweetbreads drenched in black vinegar glaze, anyone? The same goes for its sister spot, Good Good Culture Club. The Mission restaurant draws from the team’s wide range of backgrounds and combines a ton of different cuisines. The result? Excellent and original dishes you can’t find anywhere else in town. But first, you’ll want to get comfortable, which isn’t hard to do. This spot exudes lighthearted energy. The door and window frames are painted neon pink, tropical murals cover the walls, and plants hang above. You’ll see as many families with kids as there are couples on dates or friends clinking cocktails across the communal table while E40 and Jay Rock pump through the speakers. Everyone is celebrating, even on the breezy rooftop deck with teal booths and leafy palms. It’s a quieter respite from the spirited echo inside. photo credit: Erin Ng The frequently changing dishes on the menu are an eclectic mix-up of ingredients that come together with the confidence of a five-year-old sing-screaming along to Peppa Pig’s album in the car. The varied textures and spicy, sweet, and umami-heavy flavors in every dish—influenced by Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and more—will command your attention. A thick, well-spiced Lao sausage (inspired by the chef’s mom) is accompanied by Thai dipping sauce that gets a kick from Mexican pasilla chiles. Plantains are glazed in a funky achiote-miso sauce, and soft shell crab tempura is piled over a swath of creamy green curry ranch. GGCC is another one of those small plate situations, so come with a group and go to town. The double-fried boneless chicken wings (two per order) are the best bites you'll have all night. They arrive glistening from the adobo glaze, and are stuffed with dense sticky rice and what seems like an entire head of garlic. Order one per person or prepare to potentially end a friendship over who gets the bigger half. Another highlight: the refreshing crying tiger shrimp, a take on crying tiger beef, which gets an unexpected crunch from fried butter beans hiding underneath a tangle of red cabbage. photo credit: Erin Ng A night here is filled with personal touches, too. Friendly staff will kneel beside your table to explain the stories behind a dish (like the Halo Ha-Lao, a play on Halo Halo and a nod to the chef’s Lao background), and make sure your wine glasses stay full. The fact that you’re well taken care of is all the more reason why you’ll be tempted to stay until the kitchen’s closed. Kick back, hang out all night, and keep the stuffed wings coming. @infatuation_sf Always get the stuffed chicken wings. #InfatuationSF #EEEEEATS #sf #sfrestaurants #sffood #sanfrancisco #goodgoodcultureclub ♬ Lo-fi hip hop - NAO-K Keep scrolling for the food rundown Food Rundown photo credit: Erin Ng Good Good Chicken Wing We eat anything stuffed with garlic sticky rice, but this dish is our favorite way to do it (though sometimes it's filled with an egg roll instead). The boneless chicken wing is adobo glazed, and is the perfect vehicle for the dense rice. We’ve never come here and not ordered this. Lao Style Snack Plate The thin rounds of beef jerky are the ideal sticky-salty-sweet beginning to a night here. photo credit: Erin Ng Hodo Yuba Creamy tofu salad comes tossed in a black bean sesame miso dressing that we now want to put on everything. Start with this. photo credit: Erin Ng Crying Tiger Shrimp A refreshing dish that packs heat. This is exactly what we want to be eating on a nice summer day at the beach, thanks to the cool coconut-makrut cream, perfectly cooked shrimp, and fried butter beans that crunch like airy corn nuts. Poppyseed Steam Bun These beef belly bao mostly end up tasting like a mouthful of poppyseeds. Skip them to fill up on the more interesting dishes on the menu. Whole Fried Petrale Sole We wanted to like this more, but the batter is underseasoned and lackluster. You can skip it and order another entree instead. photo credit: Erin Ng Mom’s Lao Sausage This Lao sausage is aromatic, tender, and spicy—and you can add even more heat with the pasilla pepper jaew scoop that comes on the side. Don’t be surprised when you end up in an intense game of rock, paper, scissors to compete for the last bite. photo credit: Erin Ng Halo Ha-Lao The Halo Ha-Lao is a play on words: It’s both a nod to the chef’s Lao background and the name for the cloud-like Filipino frozen treat. Their rendition is made of ube ice cream, shiso shaved ice, tapioca, and mango jellies, and it’s the best dessert on the menu." - Julia Chen
