The Spice Jar

An amazing ramen experience in San Francisco! We discovered this place during our trip and absolutely loved it. The ramen was incredibly flavorful, with rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every bowl was comforting and delicious. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, and the staff were friendly and attentive. It’s the perfect spot to warm up and enjoy authentic ramen after a day of exploring the city. We would definitely come back and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting San Francisco!

We had their special bbq spare ribs with mashed potatoes and tonkatsu shoyu ramen bowl. The ribs melt in your mouth like butter and the sauce was tangy and sweet. The ramen broth was filled with umami and delicious. Noodles were al dente and saffron and spinach was a nice unexpected addition. The atmosphere was cozy and cute. Featuring one long family table with about 6 tables for two inside and 5 or six tables outside. Parking is street only. Families with children about 6-8 years old were dining there along with couples and friends. Service was quick efficient and attentive without being distracting. Overall, The Spice Jar is highly recommended. We just stumbled upon it and feel like we won the lottery for a night out spot. Reservations are recommended after 6pm they got very busy by then.

I love this cozy place! Restaurant's pretty unique. Different types of Asian comfort food, absolutely delicious. I am a frequent client and every single time, I enjoy my food!! My favs: Laksa, Pho Ga, Fried Rice.

What a fun hidden gem! I came here with a friend with no reservation and no line on a Thursday night. Good: - Loved the laksa noodle soup here - so much flavor and the coconut flavor was very pronounced and good. - The fries here were great and I loved the dipping sauce - Good place for a catchup - it was nice and quiet inside and good clean vibes that felt homey - Staff were so kind and willing to help! - Good value! Bad: - Took a bit for entrees to come out! Overall this was a great find, and tucked into a nice corner of the mission. I will be back!

There are a lot of Indian food restaurants around the Inland Empire, this one by far the dirtiest. It's perhaps in the culture to serve with entitlement and I get it, but when I found a small peace of plastic in my chicken masala I lost it. Just take a look at their premises and you'll understand. That's how they roll, but I'm never going back.

The spice jar The spice jar is a solid place for Asian food of all kinds. The menu has a great variety of dishes and everything is really good. The prices range between 13 and 19 dollars per dish, depending if you go for lunch or dinner. Everything has the right amount of spice and flavor. I definitely will keep checking them out for their awesome dishes.

Homemish atmosphere with delicious Asian Californian fusion. Generous portions, very nice service, and good value. Lovely broccoli tempura, great calamari salad, and Mongolian beef wok. Pork ramen was closer to Malaysia style, just sadly with hard boiled eggs.

Casual corner depot perfect when in the mood for Asian, but not quite decided on cuisine. Clever interior, with a few outdoor tables. Laksa noodle soup, flavorfully authentic — a surprise especially considering ramen shares a place on menu. Great for walk-in lunch, weeknight dinner or non-committal first date.

Incredible food! Great service. Had the Mongolian beef & Braised short rib. Ginger lemonade was super refreshing.

This is a great neighborhood spot with friendly service and great food. I love the green beans here too, and I'm not actually that into green beans.

It's good imo, they have dishes you can't go wrong with and quick service. I just felt as if it was a bit pricey for what you are getting, as a pain point. The green beans are tasty! But I love green beans in most forms!

Friendly service. FLAVORFUL food. Indoor and outdoor seating. Casual, intimate, open kitchen concept. Portions are huge and prices are fair! My favorite was the ramen. Everything tasted fresh. Good food for comfort and flavor

Great service, excellent food! I really liked their chicken wings, love the sauce with the fries, and love the mushrooms on the mongolian beef. Will come back again for some other dishes! The staff was very nice, very friendly, great attitude. The food was high quality and very flavorful!

Great spot local on the corner for Asian food. In a nice quiet area and pretty good service. Not rushed or annoying like others to flip a table. They don't take reservations so go early as space is limited. Spring roll was hot and delicious and fried rice I couldn't stop eating as it wasn't too salty like others and soaked in sauce. I got chicken and shrimp and it was a good mix of meat and veggies.

I found out about this place through a recommendation but was thoroughly disappointed by the food. I am a lifelong vegetarian and ordered the Thai green curry and the vegetarian noodles from the limited vegetarian options. This is probably my 500th time eating green curry and I can say this was the worst. The green curry lacked depth of flavor and had no substantial vegetables. The noodles were drenched in what felt like soy sauce, it was one of those rare times where I felt "I can make this better at home." The service was good, after explaining that the green curry was not my best, the team brought out asparagus and green beans to add to the curry, which I strongly encourage them to add from the start.

Great cozy area to get a variety of Asian comfort food. There's definitely something for everyone here! We started with the tempura Brussels sprouts. I was mostly intrigued because the menu mentioned curry salt, and they were just as good as I hoped! Pretty much everyone around my table got a different type of soup. (Although my sister ordered the Dan Dan Noodles, she was given a bowl of soup. When asked about it, they said it was Zen Noodle Soup which I didn't even see listed on the menu, even though I see it mentioned in many other reviews. They offered to make her what she ordered, but since we didn't have much time to spare she ate the soup and said it was great even if it wasn't what she expected.) My Spice Jar Curry Udon was incredible. It was flavorful, warm, and delicious! I had an iced green tea to go with it, and was so happy when I realized it included free refills. The ambiance in the restaurant itself was calm, but im sure they do great take-out too!

I ordered the laksa, and it was great -- rich, flavorful, and just the right portion size. The coconut curry base gave it a thicker consistency, which let the noodles soak up all the flavor. I loved the variety of protein in it too; the chicken and shrimp were both cooked perfectly and added a nice balance to the dish. We also tried the chicken karaage, and honestly, it was the best I've had! The pieces were super fresh and tender, with a light, crispy coating on the outside that was just right. We came for a friend's birthday, and they had a cake service for $12 (we brought a cake). When it came time, they dimmed the lights and brought out the cake. They even cut up the cake and plated it for everyone in the party, so I'm happy with the service!

Went there a lot 5 years ago. Then prices went up , so not as much. I keep on going back to the spice chicken salad. The go-to. But this time i had so many gnats competing with me. I killed three. I think it was the marinated vinegary cucumbers that attracted them. They were swarming my bowl. I had to eat fast while swatting them away. If someone walked by the window, they probably think i have touretts, involuntary movement. I had no peace. Once o finished my bowl, no more gnats! They went away. Maddening!

What a fun hidden gem! I came here with a friend with no reservation and no line on a Thursday night. Good: - Loved the laksa noodle soup here - so much flavor and the coconut flavor was very pronounced and good. - The fries here were great and I loved the dipping sauce - Good place for a catchup - it was nice and quiet inside and good clean vibes that felt homey - Staff were so kind and willing to help! - Good value! Bad: - Took a bit for entrees to come out! Overall this was a great find, and tucked into a nice corner of the mission. I will be back!

Good is clean. Crisp flavors, quality ingredients. Reasonable prices. Clean & bright. I'll be back!

Walk into this cute little corner restaurant near Potrero hill and you instantly feel the vibes of a home kitchen. As mentioned before the space inside is relatively small so make sure you plan accordingly. Service was great! They took out orders promptly, kindly sat us down even though we had three more people coming, and kept an eye out to everytime we needed anything. The laksa was yummy however I feel like it could've had more spice to add more dimension to the flavor profile. Most of what I was getting was creamy and umami notes and although they gave lime I wish there was more punch or tang to the dish. The chicken was shredded thinly which was quite nice as it was swimming with the noodles and I could've used more shrimp but the tofu and over all dish was great nonetheless!

I have had several nice meals at this place. I recently ordered the Chicken Lakea to go and found when I got home that there was no chicken, one shrimp, and a few cubes of tofu. I called to complain and they said they'd call me back. I waited a while, called again and they hung up on me. They just lost a good customer!

There is nothing "spiced" about this place. We originally were going to have dinner at a location across the street but, "comfort Asian" food sounded really good on a chilly night and saw that the menu was quite attractive. We ordered a lot of dishes hoping we could satisfy our desire for some good flavors, lots of spices, maybe some heat, but we were highly disappointed when everything we ordered was basically dumbed down for the unsophisticated palette that doesn't really know what Asian food is supposed to taste like. The curry laksa is bland and the only thing close to curry is the color. The Mongolian beef didn't have a single pepper in there and was mostly minced beef with onion--basically a overcooked stir fry. The spicy tuna roll was not spicy at all and was only edible through the ginger and wasabi; why was the roll so large that you couldn't fit it in your mouth. The only way to eat it was basically deconstructed. This place is false when it comes to the description of the food. I'm guessing the only reason they say it's "comfort Asian" is to cater it for people who think salt is spicy. Do not recommend if you want flavor.

All of the stars I consider myself a green curry connoisseur. It is my favorite of all the Curry's and this place is now on my top of the mountain in San Francisco for Green Curry and be still my heart, but they also have an excellent IPA on draft. It doesn't get any better. Lovely cozy restaurant. I am seeing a show over at the brava theater and found myself starving before I am so happy to have found this place.

The zen noodle soup was a great balance of lime flavor and spicy goodnes. The hosts were attentive and quick. Kitchen produced our order quickly. Food was hot, hot, hot and I LOVE that. Lots of locals and families filing in shows us this place is a popular pick. Small, quaint inside makes it great for an intimate date. Did I mention they serve wine?!

I love The Spice Jar and have been here twice now for lunch. The restaurant is small, yet quaint and easy to find seating. The first time I went, I tried the green curry. The photo was so beautiful that I needed to try it. I made it through half of it and brought the rest home to my boyfriend, who liked it too. My friends ordered the garlic noodles and the tonkotsu-shoyu ramen. Both looked really good and they enjoyed them as well. The portions are pretty generous, so they also took the rest home. The second time we went, I ordered the Spicy Sesame Miso Ramen. It's been raining lately and with allergies rampant, I really needed the spicy to clear me up. Again, I ate only half - but this time, polished it off myself when I got home. Sorry babe, too good to share. My friends this time ordered the Mongolian Beef with Jasmine Rice and Chicken Katsu with Curry. I tried a little bit of both, to get the flavor of them and HOLY COW, these were incredible too. Insider tip, my friend requested the housemade chili sauce and that was soooo good. Better than Sriracha in flavor and heat. The ginger basil lemonade is also a fresh drink to go along with your meals. It's so refreshing and will make you think you are sipping a summer cocktail. Absolutely delicious.

Been eating here for several months. Not sure if things have recently changed or not, but we ordered to go and got half empty containers. Can't say for sure but they also may have added MSG to the food as of recent (my stomach doesn't deal with it well). It's a shame in either case, since it was one of the more consistent and reliable food places in the area. Especially considering this was a $40 meal (garlic noodles with chicken and green curry with chicken).

A delightful evening with friends at the communal table. Casual corner depot perfect when in the mood for Asian, but not quite decided on cuisine. Clever interior, with a few outdoor tables.

Food is excellent here. I recommend the garlic noodles, hanger steak bbq wraps, green curry, and mongolian beef. The extra shot of spicy sauce on the side is a must! I would pass on the fried rice and salmon. The restaurant is cozy and cute. Came on a couple Sunday evenings and had no trouble getting seated quickly. Parking is street. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

My friends suggested this restaurant for dinner. I was thinking it might not be wise to eat Asian food since Mission is known for its Latin food, but it was really yummy! I ordered the Zen Noodle Soup $17. The waiter even let me ordered it mild when I asked how spicy it is and the default is medium. The broth was so good that I drank some of it in the end. The Zen Noodle Soup has seafood and a coconut based broth. Not sure which country it is from but somewhere in Southeast Asia, not Vietnam or Thai tasting though. What a surprising excellent find since there isn't much SE Asian food in SF.

This is a neighborhood favorite for our family. They have a wide range of Asian dishes. Our family can always find something that satisfies each person. Consistently great quality we can count on.

I've been here a few times now, pre-COVID and during. I don't know why people say the quality went down. I think it still tastes as good as before. I think the thing that keeps me coming back is the Hangar Steak BBQ Mushu Wraps. The steak is always tender and cooked perfectly. The combined flavors of the seasoned beef, wrapped up and dipped in the green sauce is just sooooo good. I also enjoy the Calamari Salad here. It's not amazing, but I like the combined crunch of the calamari and the dressed salad together. The Braised Pork Belly buns are pretty good too. I think it'd be better if they didn't serve the pork separate from the bun though. It throws off the presentation and requires more work for us lol. I've tried the Spice Jar Fried Rice also, which I thought was just okay. Their garlic noodles should just be changed to "chow mein" in the menu because that's what it tastes like. It didn't have much garlic flavor and was pretty salty. Overall, I've always enjoyed my meals when I come here. I'll definitely be back again for those Mushu Wraps! :)

My friend and I got garlic noodles. It was delicious, but a little bland I'm my opinion. The service was quick. The restaurant itself is a bit smaller.

Ordered this place to go for work but when I got there I found that they had outdoor seating. When I asked if I could eat outside... they told me no. I thought that was kind of weird but they said it was because of the use of plastic. Kind of strange experience but I got the Laksa. It was a pretty good soup. The noodles where on the side but they didn't leave enough room so it got everywhere when I tried to put the noodles in. Lots of toppings like tofu. I wish they put more bean sprouts and shrimp in because they were so tiny. Overall, I probably wouldn't try this place again unless eating there.

// Overall I had lunch here with a friend during a weekday afternoon. The food was decent, but seemed slightly overpriced for the portion sizes and taste. I feel I need to try other dishes here in order to have a more informed opinion. The outdoor atmosphere seemed pleasant for lunch, and the staff was friendly. I may return in the future, but it wouldn't be my first choice. // Food I had garlic noodles with shrimp added, along with their house spicy sauce. Maybe it's just the style, but I wasn't a fan of the garlic noodles. The sauce they used seemed a bit too heavy and overbearing, and the flavor seemed imbalance. The shrimp was fine. Overall, the dish seemed decent, but not memorable. It didn't do anything for me. I did like the spicy sauce they provided. I wasn't spectacular, but I felt it enhanced my dish. I also got the Vietnamese coffee, which tasted fine. // Price Seemed slightly overpriced across the board, given the portion sizes. But I think this value is standard for SF at this point. // Service Staff seemed friendly and provided good service. // Atmosphere The outdoor seating seemed fine. It was nice and quiet during the weekday afternoon. I enjoyed the atmosphere.

I ordered via DoorDash and was very satisfied with the Spice fried rice. It had a great flavor and was full of chicken and shrimp. I was not a fan of the fried chicken was soggy but if hot I bet it would have been great. I would have given another star but they did not include any sauces for the fried rice and there was no option for hot sauce. Eating utensils also were not included so I had to go down to my hotel's restaurant for a knife and fork.

I really wanted to like this place - since it's a cute corner restaurant that I've walked by a couple times and maybe I ordered the wrong dish... but after coming by yesterday, I thought that the pho ga was a flavorless and the noodles were a under cooked. On the bright side -- the garlic green beans were good (crunchy and flavor-wise) and the service was fast.

This was a pretty cute restaurant serving a variety of Asian (or Asian inspired?) fare. We tried the laksa and the ramen, both of which were fine. The broths were good but not amazing in both. The chicken in the laksa was pretty plain, and the egg in the ramen was just a regular hard boiled egg. The pork in the ramen was pretty good, probably the best part of the meal. Overall the atmosphere was pretty nice, and the food was fine but not impressive. There are so many more amazing (and more affordable) Asian restaurants in the Bay Area though, so I really can't see myself coming back here.

I was craving some Pho really badly and found this place online. Naturally, my friends and I decided to stop by. The food was simply excellent. We ordered three items -- the Spice Jar Fried Rice, Pho Ga, and Takoyaki. The Fried Rice was my favorite, though the Takoyaki was definitely special. The Takoyaki was really soft and gooey... it ended up tasting absolutely magnificent (but I wouldn't suggest it as your only entree, as it's a kind of small portion). The Pho Ga was also quite good, however I recommend adding salt, pepper, sriracha, and the hoisin sauce to it; it makes it go the extra mile and pack some of those flavor punches ;) Overall, really cute location and great tasting food for a great price.

came with friends so i tried a lot of dishes! they were okay! when i got an appetizer with my friends, it unfortunately came cold inside (it was the takoyaki too) but i loved the alcohol selection! another thing, the seating is way too close to other parties (bench seating) and i know they were hearing my interesting conversation lol

Really solid neighborhood "pan-asian" place- I usually cringe when I write that because it feels really hard to do good laksa AND good siu mai AND good curry, etc, but we have been here twice and the food is solid. The first time we got siu mai (really big and juicy!), And I got the garlic noodles. The husband got the fried rice. Both were good. The second time I got the laksa, which came with a really nice broth. Seafood was a little skimpy, but the flavors were good. Overall, a great place to come if you really can't decide what Asian food you want :) wait staff are really nice and there's a good number of outdoor tables.

I don't know why I hadn't reviewed this place until now, but they have the most delicious, comfort Asian food in the Mission. Everything I've tried has been great - veggie gyoza, edamame, seaweed salad, and Laksa. The tofu has always been a little rubbery, unfortunately. But other than that, tasty. I've only ordered takeout, so I can't speak to the ambiance, but the staff has been very friendly. They are also a completely nut free place, FYI!

Gem of a neighborhood restaurant for creative and delicious mix of Asian food. All was delicious including the garlic noodles (so good!), Mongolian beef, boa boa and the Pho Ga. Service is great too. Will be back!

The food was not good - let alone worth the price - and I won't be returning. The hip, nice atmosphere is offset by just how disappointing the food was. - The garlic noodles were incredibly greasy and non-garlicky compared to other places. Tasted like low quality lo mein. Portion was good sizing but that is expected for the pricing. - Laksa was easily the most disappointing dish. It was not only one of the least flavorful curries I have ever had, but it wasn't even close to a laksa - which usually has some sort of tamarind, lemongrass, ginger, or fish sauce flavor cutting through it. Beyond the noodles, there wasn't much in it - surprisingly little protein etc. - Karrage was ok, but a little dry.

The food here is amazing. Prepared with care and consistency. They deserve a try and your continued neighborhood support!

Every meal here does not disappoint. Been going here for years. Highly recommend the calamari salad and laksa (replace w/ ramen noodles)! This is where i fell in love with laksa and nowhere compares! Great service and cozy little spot for lunch or dinner!

The food here is incredible and the workers are super friendly! It's rare to receive such nice service that feels like you're going to visit a close neighbor. Crispy calamari salad: This dish did not disappoint! The sauce had a very light flavor and it came with a lot of calamari Braised spare rib bao: The meat was super tender. Definitely get this Laksa: Taste was good, but I'm accustomed to laksa that's slightly less creamy. Overall, still good in flavor, but if you're not a fan of a thick creamy soup, I would skip this Spice jar fried rice: Packed with flavor! Solid side dish to accompany everything Not only was the food good, but it was very affordable too. Can't wait to come back and try other items from their full menu in the future.

Great neighborhood spot for garlic noodles, vegan ramen, a hefty side of veggies and general good vibes. Service is always on point, staff are kind and attentive. This is my go to spot for I need to eat something yummy now

Got the fried rice delivered. Found brush bristles throughout the entire dish. Completely inedible!!

This is from when I came here pre-quarantine but I'm happy to hear they're still open and providing the neighborhood with bomb food! This restaurant has their flavors down! Everything is super balanced yet super flavorful. I personally loooove the laksa, super creamy, warm, and just the best for a cold night. The restaurant is small, so be careful, lines can be long! We waited 40 minutes on a Thursday night...almost bailed to go to Mexican a block away but thankfully we didn't! Go support them if you can!!

So very delicious and great service. prices were reasonable as well. We ordered 5 different dishes and they were all fantastic but the best was the Zen noodle soup.

Ambiance - 7/10. Sat outside and it was clean. Nothing special but it was nice. Service - 10/10. Nice folks. I have no idea how it took all of ten minutes to get me my food but I'm not complaining. Price - 8/10. I feel I got a fair value for my food. It wasn't cheap but I paid $15 for a really solid curry with shrimp/chicken/tofu of a good portion size. For SF I've seen far worse. Food: Laksa - 9/10. Hard to say how it could have been better. I think I'll opt for the premium ramen noodle option next time. Great portion of shrimp / chicken / tofu. I was drinking the broth in the end after I fished everything else out. Highly recommend this dish. Homemade ginger mint lemonade - 10/10. Very refreshing Spicy single shot - love that I can order shots of house spicy sauce for my meal. Costs $1 per shot. I had one and felt it added a good amount of heat to my meal and I usually eat very spicy things. I feel like most wouldn't use the entire generous portion of chili sauce. Great stuff. Will come back many times.

Two stars for the food and service here. Came here on a Sunday night so parking wasn't terrible but wasn't great either. Luckily, we found a spot about a block away. There was only one table available inside right next to the door so we hopped into that one. One thing I noticed was that it took them a while to come and get our order. I really needed to use the restroom and wanted to order before then so I was kind of annoyed at that. We got our order in finally and ended up getting the green curry with rice and the spice jar fried rice. When our food came out, I wanted to get some chili sauce and they asked if I wanted one shot or two. I was so confused but they explained that the chili sauce comes in a shot glass. One thing I didn't know was that they charge you a dollar for a small shot glass with chili sauce..... I've never been charged for this before. The spice jar fried rice was good but nothing too special and the green curry had such a watery consistency. Probably won't come back

Very tasty. Found this spot for a quick lunch. Everything on menue looked great and I decided on the chicken Laksa noodle soup. Very good flavour and large portion. I thought there's no way I was going to finish it but I coudn't stop eating until I finished, lol. My only comment would be that I wish the chicken was simmered in the broth rather than just being added in, making the chicken taste less flavourful than the rest. Will be back for sure.

This was my first time at The Spice Jar and that is just tragic. This place was great!! The smell when you walk in is divine. Warm, spicy, garlicky. I'm still thinking about it. We tried a variety of dishes. The Takoyaki and the garlic green beans stood out as favourites but everything was delicious! As a bonus items are very reasonably price. Definitely check out this neighbourhood spot!

Small, unsuspecting restaurant in the mission. Asian fusion with different cuisines ranging from Japanese to Chinese to Vietnamese. Casual atmosphere. We came here on a Sunday around 6 pm and were only 1 out of 3 parties, so didn't really experience a wait. Waiters were attentive and came back to fill our water multiple times, wrapped our food for us. There is outdoor seating. Parking wise, it is the mission so it is going to be difficult to find a spot. Sunday's are forgiving since there is no '2 hour' time limit in most streets. The food was amazing despite it being Asian fusion. Didn't feel like we had to add soy sauce or salt to our dishes. We ordered the spinach and garlic fried rice with Mongolian beef, both were good. Portions enough to feed 2 people. I want to come back to try more of their menu! Pro tip: Closed Mondays and between 2:30-5:00 pm other days. Open till 10 pm! For those late night dinners.

YUMMM. This review is for the Laksa and the Laksa alone, an absolute must-get if you are in the area. Came here a few nights ago on a brisk, chill evening. Needing something to warm my soul, I took a chance at the laksa and was not disappointed. I haven't had a chance to try their other foods but based on the reviews of my fellow yelpers, it looks like they got some good alternatives as well. However, my heart belongs to the laksa and I shall be back