The Chairman

This commissary kitchen of a food truck cooks up much-welcome flavors in a neighborhood of limited dining options. The pork belly bao, straightforwardly sweet and tender, with nice acidic crunch from daikon pickles. Karaage chicken fingers, not very different from any diner-made chicken tender with fries. The food, while tasty, could step it up a bit on the spice.

I loved the bao here at the Chairman! I came to their co-op restaurant location at Hawker Alley for lunch, and had a wonderful quick lunch! I got 3 of the bao: the karaage chicken, pork belly, and spicy chicken. They were all so warm and fresh, but my favorite was the karaage chicken because of how incredibly crispy it was! I got to eat at their outdoor dining area, which makes it convenient to stop for a quick lunch during the week. Highly recommend!

My first time here and first meal in San Francisco. The rice bowl (vegetarian) that I got was pretty appetizing. The food was done within minutes and the service was good. The dining area and overall place is fairly small so quick bites or lunch with a friend would be ideal.

Great food and customer service. We stop here every time we're in the city. Everything is amazing. My son's favorite is the coca cola pork sandwich, mine is the pork belly buns. Rice bowl and noodles are also excellent!!

Excellent vegetarian & vegan options: rice bowls or steamed/toasted bun with marinated tofu; accompanied by mustard slaw and bok choy. They also offer great steamed and toasted bun with meat. Good service.

My first introduction to the Chairman was their food truck. I've been hooked ever since. The Tofu taco on the soft warm bun is to die for. Even meat lovers will love it. There's only street parking at the restaurant. Unfortunately, I had a short wait during my visit because the cashier forgot to put my order into the cook. But he made sure to make up for it by providing me with a extra taco.

The chairman was once voted the best food truck in SF, and it was well deserved. We always enjoyed the food, at their store in the tenderloin and at their food trucks. You could expect high quality at great prices, executed perfectly, consistently. However since the price rise they seem to be having major quality control issues. We ordered 3 miso cured tofu steamed bun along with a burger and a bowl at their oakdale location. While picking up, I checked if I had all the items and everything checked. However upon reaching home my partner took one bite of the miso cured tofu and immediately noticed that something was missing. When we opened it up, there was a soggy piece of tofu with some sauce in a steamed bun. The greens (baby choy) were missing. Not a single wayward green made it into any of the 3. Super disappointing as we spent almost an hour to drive and pickup the food. Check the picture to see the best of the 3, the others were lacking the sauce as well. So so sad that a great experience is now sub par, and more expensive!

Loved them when they were a food truck and now love this brick and mortar store, especially the salad bowls, noodle stores and delicious rice bowls not available at the food trucks.

I have not been to the free-standing restaurant however the truck is so good. It is definitely my go to at the farmers market. I usually go with a spicy chicken baked bao and sometimes switch it up with a steamed Coca Cola braised pork. So delish.

Am I the last person in the area to have waited this long to sample The Chairman's offerings? Perhaps. An ever-present line tends to snake out from The Chairman food truck wherever one finds it thus keeping me away for the many years they've been plying their trade. Finally though, on an evening when the buns were free to me and the line was minuscule, I was able to sample 4 of their offerings (pork belly, braised pork, spicy chicken, and tofu). The verdict? Very good. Each bun tasted fresh (healthful even), well thought out, seemed aesthetically pleasing, and tasted nothing like fast food. These are high compliments. There's a reason for those lines and though I'm inclined to get sidelined by any nearby taco truck I'd not be disappointed were The Chairman's offerings again to appear before me.

SKIP! More organized trucks out there. Their food is not worth the 30 minute wait at Presidio pop up. They opened but didn't have their computer set up fully and seemed annoyed they had to give me a discount to put my order through, reiterating the discount, as they turned the tip screen on the tablet towards me. I was second in line and they conveniently forgot my order while everyone else received theirs for the next half hour. I was also missing one bao when I finally received the food. They said they thought they gave me one already. I was excited to see their truck at Presidio pop up as I used to order the baos all the time in a small Potrero pop up. I won't be supporting them again.

We had The Chairman food truck at the Alameda Antiques Faire this weekend. I have had it before but have never posted a review. This was my son's first time having it. He opted for two different buns. Think of these buns as pillowy and soft tacos instead of your traditional shaped enclosed bun. The young lady who took out order was sweet and patient. I even made an error with tipping and she promptly fixed it without a side eye or any sign of giving her extra work. Our first was the Tender Pork belly with Pickled Daikon and Red Miso Glaze. Son loved the pork belly as it was the perfect combo of some crisp on the outside and melt in your mouth soft on the inside, He enjoyed the Red Miso Glaze. I absolutely loved the flavor contrast of the Pickled Daikon to go with the savory Pork Belly and Glaze. Really felt that it amplified the flavors. Our second was the Coca Cola Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage and mustard. Normally i'm not a fan of mustard because it tends to over power easily but didn't get that sense here. The cabbage had a nice complimentary feel as a whole and I felt like the texture was a nice offset. This was also my 8 year old's favorite. Price was fair for a bun. I would have given it a 4.5 if I had that option. Why? Something super basic, these buns are messy and everything falls apart, lots of good juice and flavor. No napkins, not a 1. Since we are at a food truck where restrooms with handwashing aren't ready available, this is actually a big deal because we are sticky and messy for our other activities.

The Chairman food truck. I've had them a couple times and every time I feel the same. First, I want to say that they usually have a long line. They always go through the line pretty fast though, and have the food ready fast as well. This is a food truck so the ambience depends where you are. Today I had them at the Taraval Night Market. I think their food has great parts, but their food always feels too busy to me. Their best bun is to me is the Tender Pork. Has great flavor, nice crunchy takuan to go with it, and some mayo. Second to me is the cola braised pork with pickled cucumber and carrot and some sauce. Last to me the fried chicken. The buns are nice and soft. The tender pork was great and if I got again would def get that. All in all is a good option if they are around.

Oh my goodness. I tried the spicy chicken w/ baked bun and it was sooo good! I can't stop thinking about it lol the way the bun was buttery and crispy and the meat had so much flavor to it was so delicious! I think the carrots and cucumbers really complimented the sandwich so well. I didn't think it was spicy at all, but the flavor of it made me forget about it haha

Pork Belly Baked Bun $11 "Pork Belly, please" "Baked or steamed?" "Whichever one has more meat" Off the grid parking lot event. People were lining up at the other trucks so I stepped up here. Who doesn't love pork belly? Tender, lightly sauced, evenly balanced between sweet and savory with a nice crunch from the pickled daikon. Darn good sandwich. Quick turnaround. They forgot napkins so I had to go back with sauce on my hand. I wish they offered an extra meat add-on. I had skipped lunch that day so this sandwich at 5pm wasn't enough to quash that hunger. For $11 it was priced and valued correctly for this type of venue. Another truck was $16 and change for a nothing special, no sides chicken sandwich. (Reminds me of Pulp Fiction, Jules if you give the effing nimrod $1,500 I'll shoot him on general principle). I would definitely order this again.

Ok I eat here often at the farmers market and love the Pork Belly on steamed bao - today I went for something different - braised pork on a steamed bun Usually the bun I perfectly soft and squishy, the meat flavorful but not too fatty if that makes sense for pork belly - a hint of Mayo - delicious Today the meat was also delicious but wow so much mayonnaise and the bao was hard on one side - not sure how they keep the bao soft but this felt like an end bao. They need to have a sacrificial bao on the end to keep all of the inner ones soft - and knock it off with the mayonnaise A poor showing today, but definitely 4 stars most days - and usually the loss of a star is due to how long it takes for it to come out - got here earlier today, near the crowd? yes I will keep going, hopefully this is a one off. If you are worried, tell them light on the Mayo

The truck was at the San Mateo farmers market and I did the combo of 4 baos thought these baos were very good! My only downside was that the cabbage was a little sour on the braised pork but the other ones were really good! The bao itself was the best texture and taste! The line was not too long and they were pretty fast to get us our food. Will be back!

One of my favorite food trucks in the city! I really hope they reopen their now-closed Bayshore location.

Hungry and at the san mateo farmers market, I got to try chicken baked buns made with milk bread. The sandwich was filling, tasty and enclosed in a sweet, fluffy bread. I loved the picked carrot that help round out the umami of the chicken cut the light heat of the sandwich. Overall, great meal and hit the spot.

Food was pretty tasty. Lots of flavor in the sauces, seasoned well. Only thing is it's a long wait to order and get the food, even for private catered events. Tried a steamed bao with pork belly. Pickled daikon was a nice vinegary addition. Baked bao with coca cola braised pork was about double the size of the steamed, like burger size. Moist and the slaw was nice.

The Chairman is one of my favorite food trucks in SF! The staff and owner are so friendly and the service is quick. Love their grub and they pop up everywhere in town so it's not to be missed.

Tried this food truck up in the Presidio and the food was incredible! I loved everything I ordered. I had the spicy chicken and coca-cola braised pork steamed buns with wonton chips sprinkled with seasoning and nori. The coconut juice they have here is delicious as well. The meal was filling but not overly heavy- which was perfect for lunch while I was working up in the Presidio. Can't wait to try more items from The Chairman in the future - I'll be back! :)

I loved the bao here at the Chairman! I came to their co-op restaurant location at Hawker Alley for lunch, and had a wonderful quick lunch! I got 3 of the bao: the karaage chicken, pork belly, and spicy chicken. They were all so warm and fresh, but my favorite was the karaage chicken because of how incredibly crispy it was! I got to eat at their outdoor dining area, which makes it convenient to stop for a quick lunch during the week. Highly recommend! I loved the bao here at the Chairman! I came to their co-op restaurant location at Hawker Alley for lunch, and had a wonderful quick lunch! I got 3 of the bao: the karaage chicken, pork belly, and spicy chicken. They were all so warm and fresh, but my favorite was the karaage chicken because of how incredibly crispy it was! I got to eat at their outdoor dining area, which makes it convenient to stop for a quick lunch during the week. Highly recommend!

Bao sandwiches (Asian-inflected fillings in a steamed bun) became really trendy after the revolutionary Momofuku pork belly bun from David Chang. I loved that one (in New York), and I've been chasing a similar experience for the past year. The Chairman is the closest to it, but it still is just good rather than great. This is a food truck in an industrial neighborhood with a good selection of options. And it's better than the other bao spots I've found. But the buns are still a little dry, and some of the fillings could benefit from more sauce. Service is fine (it's a food truck) and there's a bit of space to eat outside.

I loved the bao buns! This was my first time trying them and I want more! I got the spicy chicken, which wasn't spicy but it was tasty. And the Coca-Cola pork, which didn't taste like coke but it was sweet and good! The garnishes were also good and I'm typically very picky!

The bow buns here are fire!!!!!! They were amazing , the staff was cool, they also have sandwiches, will definitely come back to try the sandwiches sometime in the near future!!!!!!!!!!

The chairman was once voted the best food truck in SF, and it was well deserved. We always enjoyed the food, at their store in the tenderloin and at their food trucks. You could expect high quality at great prices, executed perfectly, consistently. However since the price rise they seem to be having major quality control issues. We ordered 3 miso cured tofu steamed bun along with a burger and a bowl at their oakdale location. While picking up, I checked if I had all the items and everything checked. However upon reaching home my partner took one bite of the miso cured tofu and immediately noticed that something was missing. When we opened it up, there was a soggy piece of tofu with some sauce in a steamed bun. The greens (baby choy) were missing. Not a single wayward green made it into any of the 3. Super disappointing as we spent almost an hour to drive and pickup the food. Check the picture to see the best of the 3, the others were lacking the sauce as well. So so sad that a great experience is now sub par, and more expensive!

Was at the farmers market on the College of San Mateo campus this morn. Surprise find was this food truck, The Chairman. I'd read some good things about the food. Had no clue about the menu. However, at the top of the menu was Tender Pork Belly (P.B.). P.B. between a brioche bun, knew that's what I wanted. OH MAN, that was a delicious sandwich! I think there was at least 1/3 pound of pork belly. It was thick. The P.B. was marinated in a tangy Chinese spice marinade. It had multiple things going on. Some of the pork had a light-fry crust to it; it was of course tender and succulent and at least one biteful was like eating the meat/skin on lechon. The glaze was on the sweet side and brought the meat and bread together. The daikon was my least favorite thing as I'm not a big fan of the smell. However, it was pickled and had nice crunch. Each bite was exquisite . Now this is an EXCELLENT food truck!!

Be sure to follow them on Instagram to keep up with the latest update on where they will be! I tried the steamed spicy chicken sandwich and the braised pork bao bun. Love creative they are with their bao buns. Offering baked baos and steamed baos, with vegan and vegetarian friendly options too! Great flavors and the pork belly is soo tender! Prices are fair. Service is great!

Sandwiches are bomb, and we're going back to try more. Everyone at the office enjoyed it, and it was flavorful and hot.

Chairman Bao has had a lot of hype over the years so I wanted to try it out. In my opinion it is quite pricey especially considering the portions aren't very big. I got the baked pork belly and the steamed coca cola pork which was pretty small despite it being over $5. Definitely should eat it as soon as you get your order because it gets soggy pretty quickly. The pork overall is solid and the buns were fine as well. Chairman was still worth trying at least once though.

The tofu tacos are the best and I don't even eat tofu. Wish they were in the South Bay.

Get rid of the computer kiosk if the staff is too lazy to help those who have trouble ordering from it.

Those Chinese tacos are tasty. I wish they still in the downtown pop up location. If you can catch them, they are worth it.

The bao they serve were so delicious I was actually brought to tears... Shout out to being one of the only affordable options at the presidio and probably the best one.

Caught them at the San Mateo farmers market, really friendly folks too. I ordered a couple of steamed miso tofu buns. Took only about a couple of minutes even though there was a decent amount of foot traffic. The buns were extremely soft and the tofu was well marinated and had a great texture. Delicious food that didn't leave you feeling stuffed and quite healthy too with a topping of greens, you can skip the Mayo if you wanted to go vegan but there wasn't too much of it anyway. Love the food and the people!

Yummy! Everything you want from food truck food. A tasty bite and reasonably priced at $4.50 per bun. I appreciate the compostable packaging, but what'll bring you back is the garlicky miso vinaigrette! The bok choy is a great compliment to the tofu and soft, sweet bao bun. They had my order ready in under three minutes! Speed and taste are rarely paired, but The Chairman nailed it! Another tip: order two! One is just enough to whet your appetite.

Great food! Sad that they will be "temporarily" closing on March 22 due to lack of business. In the meantime rush down to get a cola braised rice bowl or bao and chicken karaage. The pork belly is also excellent. Ask for a side of chips, seasoned fried wonton strips with seaweed. Addictive!

Hands down the BEST baos! They are so fluffy, soft, & delicious. I can eat it on its own without any protein or sauce. I highly recommend the steamed fried tofu. This is my favorite on the menu & this is coming from a meat eater! The tofu holds well & it's crispy - yum! The tender pork belly is tender as they say and pairs well with the tangy sauce and vegetable. I go to the CSM farmers market and they always have a crowd, but don't let this discourage you because the food comes out semi-quick!

My friend and I were driving to Muir Woods and happened to see a sign for a food truck festival. As our luck would have it, we happened upon this delicious food truck. I used to live in Taiwan, and let me tell you, these baos are nothing like you have ever tasted. I had the Coca-Cola Braised Pork and the Miso Cured Tofu. The Tofu was so good that I went back and got a second one. I cannot recommend this food truck enough. Service was excellent and speedy.

I had the steamed Coca Cola braised pork bun, steamed crispy temph bun and steamed tender pork belly bun. All three buns were great and very flavorful

Pork belly bun with sweet moist bun and pickle radishes are the best. Pork belly marinated and slow cooked just right. Deep flavors and eating it brings a smile to your face.

The Chairman Truck gets a 5 star. Why did I give this food truck 5 stars...They're the only food truck that been around since I started attending Off the Grid in 2013 (yes I did not mention Señor Sisig and Kojo Kitchen). I love the steamed buns. I prefer the Tender Pork Belly and Coca-Cola Braised Pork in a steamed bun. I love Spicy Chicken and Miso Cured Tofu but I prefer Tender Pork Belly and Coca-Cola Braised Pork. I am not a fan of the baked bun. Give the Chairman Truck a try. Heck even try all four food on the menu in a steamed bun.

This place totally surprise me in a good way. I looked at the menu and have no idea what to order. There is no picture on the trunk and the menu is hard for Asian to navigate. What does it mean steam bun or bake? Why one is $5 other is $10? I have no idea what I will be getting. When it come. It looks sad. $5 for this tiny thing? Why would the daikon goes with pork? I was so sure this is a rip version of Asian food trunk version of 刈包 Guo Bao. One bite and my mind got blown away. It is like Japanese ramen cha Siu pork, roast, only much much better! Daikon still does not goes with this pork bao but the pork is so good, I am in heaven!!! I imagine they will serve this on a bamboo basket, in a restaurant with a view. Not on a food trunk. Totally outstanding Go try it. You won't be disappointed. Especially another food stalls nearby sell hot dog for $12, and it was cold inside.

This food truck has been on my list since our sf days! Finally caught it in the San Mateo farmers market. The baos we got the steamed and the baked spicy chicken baos and yummmm they are melt in your mouth. The spicy chicken is not actually spicy but just have this flavorful tinge of spi ones that just tantalizes your taste buds. Believe the hype and give it a try!

The Chairman has gone downhill, I used to love this place. I ordered the Coca Cola braised pork bao's, absolutely disgusting, the meat tasted as if it had been scrapped from the bottom of a burnt pan. I am so disappointed with my order.

It was fine. The bun was overly oily. I remember getting at Spark a few years ago and liking, but this time, trying at Presidio, it was underwhelming. Won't get again.

It's been 5 years since I've had food from The Chairman, since I've moved to Europe since then. I was reminded of The Chairman earlier today, and I can't even describe how much I loved their food. There is nothing that's even close here in Germany. Their food is so delicious, and I'm craving it so much, but there is little chance I'll ever have the priviledge of having it again. But I'll always remember it, because its just so f'n good.

The tastiest pulled pork sandwhich. Let's start with natively in my culture we do not eat pork. However, belonging to generation that likes to break boundaries, I was very excited to taste all the meats and enjoy the culinary experience. So if a non eater is saying the pork is good it has to be really really good. When it came to pork only a few places really won my heart. One of them is the Chairman Truck. The pork sandwich is very juicy, succulent and super tasty. They braise their pork in Coco Cola which gives it a slight sweet flavor, that is just right. I also love the Vietnamese style tiny sandwiches. They allow you to eat smaller portions and are so fluffy like little clouds. Off the grid website or Chairman truck website to check where they are visiting through the week so you can go eat some Vietnamese goodness. Last time I ate it was in SF in 2012, and recently our office organized a "food truck day" and had The Chairman amongst others. So they do cater too. It will be awesome if you can cater them for a personal or corporate event. People will go gaga over its food for sure, you are really going to Earn your blessings. Hail Chairman! Things I have ordered and loved at this truck are COCA-COLA BRAISED PORK, SPICY CHICKEN, MISO CURED TOFU, WONTON CHIPS (comes sprinkled with Citrus Togarashi Salt and Nori... yum yum) Thats almost everything on their menu. It comes in the form of baked bread sandwich or steamed bread sandwich. For the healthy the same comes in a bowl version. You can't go wrong with this truck just go for it!

I've heard of The Chairman Truck before, but have never seen it until today at the Off the Grid in Alameda. We got the baked spicy chicken and the steamed coca-cola braised pork bun and their wonton chips. The braised pork was good, tender and the slaw on top added a nice crunchy texture to the bun. The baked spicy chicken bun was better, although it might've been the baked bun that made it better. Very flavorful and the bun was big, made it seem like a chicken burger. The wonton chips were simple, but addicting. I couldn't stop eating it. Overall, it was good but I wouldn't say it was amazing.

Tried Chairman at Treasure Fest SF. I tried to hit up all the unique food trucks! These steamed baos were delicious! I tried and recommend the coca-cola braised pork and tender pork belly baos. The bao was so fluffy and soft (although it got stuck to the paper when I tried to rip it off :/ ) The pork belly was soft and melt-in-your-mouth good, and the pickled daikon added the perfect crunch to the tender pork belly. I had the hardest time choosing which buns to order, so next time I will try the other two! Also, on the white rabbit trend, they have a cookie with white rabbit candy bits!

I remember getting to try The Chairman once in college when it came by campus, but I had yet to see it again despite my constant visits to food truck scenes. Yesterday (Tuesday) night, I saw it outside of Daly City's Serramonte Shopping Center while passing by and was excited to get some of that good stuff! I decided to split a pork belly baked bun and a coca-cola braised pork steamed bun with another. The truck seemed to have quite a good amount of business and I often hear hype about this truck so I was excited to dig in. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by what I was given especially since I probably overhyped it for myself. The baked bun was extraordinarily buttery and the pork belly was a bit dry. The daikon radishes added a nice sweet and sour taste to it, but I found it to be rather average overall. For the steamed bun, I found the bread to be slightly tough as if it had been sitting out for a while. The meat was certainly not bad though as I enjoyed the fatty bits here and there. Overall, I ended up finding The Chairman to be all around not too bad, but nothing to get super hype about. I will certainly try it out again sometime though as I do like their creative approaches in what they serve and I find myself it situations where I would like a small and simple $4 steamed bun.

Every other Tuesday I brave the scents and the crowds of TruckStop SF to get my fill of the Chairman. My order is simple; refined over several visits; informed by pilfered bites of my friends' selections. "One baked pork belly, one steamed tofu. Thanks!" For just under $10, I get it all - savoury and sweet pork belly, cut by the acidity from the pickled daikon; then a light and fluffy steamed bao, stuffed with gently fried miso-cured tofu. The other options are all tasty too -- the coca-cola pork is tender and flavourful, and the rice bowls are put together well -- but I can't pass up the balanced flavours of my regular order. My only complaints: sometimes the tofu isn't crispy, which makes for a sad day -- don't let it steam inside the take-out container too long! And TruckStop doesn't exactly smell like roses. But trust me, it's worth all the waiting and the nose wrinkling.

This review is on their social media. Had the day off, checked their site to see their schedule, drove up to Alameda from Santa Clara (because I think their truck is a lot fresher than what they serve at the Local Kitchen) all to find out that their social media wasn't updated (EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THE WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR JULY 4th and it was July 7th) and waited there for 30 mins before I DM'd them and they said, "We're sorry for that!" Their schedule wasn't updated to remove Thu schedule :/ Super lame.

I rented out their food truck for an event and it was a great success. Everyone loved the food, if you are looking for a food truck for an event, I recommend Chairman!

I want to start off by saying I love the food at the Chairman. However, I am absolutely disappointed in their negligence and poor customer service regarding their food truck locations and times. Today is the 3rd time I've failed at getting food due to their misinformation. 1) On Thursday, November 29th, I walked to their 400 California food truck location as posted on Instagram and it was nowhere to be seen. Messages to their Instagram account went unread and unanswered. I wasted 20+ minutes of my lunch hour. 2) On Sunday, December 23rd, they posted on Instagram they were at OtG Larkspur, I drove to Larkspur OtG and they OtG event wasn't even being held that day 3) Today, December 27th, I had my girlfriend ferry from Larkspur SF to meet me for lunch at the Chairman..... we get there 2:00pm and they shut their truck front to us 30 minutes earlier than their posted 2:30pm closing time on Instagram, completely unapologetic and rude. Whoever runs their Instagram account needs to get their stuff together because this is complete and utter BS!!!

Let's just say that I stalk them at OTG. Now that I'm ok saying. Hahah But in all seriousness, I love these fluffy little pillow filled with juiciness from the daikon and packed with flavor from the pork belly. They are my go to, my #1 choice at OTG. If you have never had a bao, I'm not sure what you are waiting for. Find where they are and try one TODAY. Lines for this truck can get pretty long, but it is well worth it.