Latest news with #LeSoleil
San Francisco Chronicle
05-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
After 32 years, this S.F. restaurant family is back with a new contemporary Vietnamese spot
Life wasn't easy for Dennis Wong after the fall of Saigon. He abandoned his family's noodle business, fled Vietnam, was robbed by pirates and lived in a Malaysian refugee camp for two years before making it to San Francisco. Then he met his future wife, Annie Wong of Hong Kong. Together, they opened a restaurant together on Clement Street: Le Soleil, which would go on to be a treasured Vietnamese staple for over 30 years. Now, the restaurant has expanded with a second San Francisco location in Stonestown Galleria. This newest rendition of Le Soleil also has two more creative forces: the Wong's daughters, Bianca and Kandyce. They grew up working in the original restaurant, and after years of exploring their own passions, they've returned to put a modern spin on the family business. This is the latest example in San Francisco of a second generation stepping in to preserve their family's legacy through food. Last year, New Song Hong Kong in Chinatown reopened following four years of closure, thanks to the efforts of the owners' adult children. In 2022, the son of the Bodega Bistro family — with pandan cocktails and caviar. Bianca and her father teamed up on a new menu for Stonestown that features a mix of classic and contemporary dishes, such as the Blue Shrimp Aguachile, a Mexican-inspired raw shrimp with Thai chile sauce. Her time working at other San Francisco restaurants — the now-closed Farallon, which specialized in seafood, and Abacá, which has gained national attention for its contemporary Filipino cuisine — gave her a different perspective, she said. 'I wanted this menu to reflect who Kandyce and I are as people,' she said. 'We definitely wanted more contemporary things on it, things that felt like it reflected the fact that we grew up in San Francisco where there's just so many cultures.' One of the most ordered items since its opening two weeks ago is the Pho Risotto, a twist on the Vietnamese soup typically made from beef stock. Instead of noodles, the carb of the dish is a creamy risotto, and in lieu of sliced beef, a flavorful beef rib is placed on top along with pickled Fresno peppers. An unexpected highlight is the chimichurri — a bright green, zesty addition whose acidity pairs well with pho's beefiness. Bianca first got inspiration for the dish after a trip to Vietnam with Dennis in 2019. They went out for pho together one morning, and Dennis, speaking in Chinese, went through different ingredients that might be added to the dish. One such ingredient was huángyóu, which Bianca translated as butter — a strange addition to pho, she thought at the time. She decided to try it, playing around with a dish that could combine a carb, broth and butter. Eventually, the pho risotto was born. Earlier this year, when finalizing the dish, she realized she had made a mistake: Although huángyóu indeed can mean butter, it also can mean bone marrow. Dennis meant the latter. 'So that dish really just came because my Chinese is not as good as we thought it was,' Bianca said. The menu also offers a variety of classic Vietnamese dishes, such as Lap Mei, a rice bowl with pork jowl, sausage, vegetables and a runny egg. The signature quail, which is flambéd tableside with rum and served with lemon pepper sauce, is a repeat item menu from the original location. In the next few weeks, the new Le Soleil will also offer a full bar and cocktail menu created by Spencer Vivos, the bar manager of Abacá. There's Vietnamese coffee and egg foam in the espresso martini, and makrut lime leaf and lemongrass in the margarita. If you visit the Stonestown location, whose opening in mid-June attracted guests such as San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, you'll probably see Annie, the matriarch and restaurant designer, greeting guests. Annie designed the first location with limited freedom to customize it, she said. The old space is smaller, darker and more traditional to Vietnamese culture. With 88 seats, she's used this bigger space to create a calm, minimalist atmosphere filled with live trees and flowers, walnut wood and cream walls. Kandyce, who also helps out with front of house, designed the menus and uniforms. The menus feature red accents and a Chinese stamp that translates to 'sun,' and the uniforms come in multiple colors with Le Soleil's classic sun logo. Her designs are inspired by Chinese brush painting, which she did with her sisters growing up. Le Soleil is one of several restaurants that have opened at the Stonestown Galleria in the past few years, increasing traffic to the mall. Other popular businesses include Marugame Udon, YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. '[Stonestown] has become kind of like a food hub here, especially for Asian food, and that was just something we wanted to be part of,' Bianca said. With this new edition of Le Soleil, the entire family is able to build on the legacy that Dennis and Annie started over three decades ago. 'I think we all balance each other out a lot, the four of us,' Kandyce said. 'It just makes sense.'
Eater
03-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
Flambéed Quail and Pho Risotto Touch Down at Stonestown Galleria
This is a list of the Bay Area's most notable restaurant and bar openings , with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line . PARK MERCED — Inner Richmond Vietnamese restaurant Le Soleil has just opened its second location after over thirty years in business. This time, it's daughters Bianca and Kandyce Wong running things, as they take the beloved Le Soleil menu and add on a few items of their own, as well as an updated look to their new Stonestown Galleria digs. OAKLAND — Lucuma is a new modern Peruvian restaurant adding to Oakland's vibrant downtown dining scene from partners Renzo Roca and Garrett Morris. Diners can expect some classic dishes like lomo saltado, arroz cahufa, and plenty of crudo, as well as fun brunch dishes such as croissant relleno and lucuma French toast. OAKLAND — The new Bistro 4293 brings the cuisine of Azerbaijan to Oakland, the Mercury News reports. Located at 4293 Piedmont Avenue, the new restaurant offers dishes such as Xocali lamb shank and dushbara, or ground meat dumplings, per the Merc . See More: San Francisco Restaurant Openings
Eater
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater San Francisco's Editors Ate in May
There's certainly no shortage of excellent food to be found in San Francisco and the Bay Area — but there's plenty worth skipping, too. Luckily for you, Eater editors dine out several times a week (or more) and we're happy to share the standout dishes we encounter as we go. Broccoli pizza at The Laundromat Unfortunately, it took me more than two years to learn Balboa Street's Laundromat had gluten-free pizza. The times I tried to go upon its maddeningly popular debut, I couldn't get in, giving up over time as I thought, 'Well, what can I eat at a bagels and pizza place anyways?' I'd go by in the mornings, grabbing a cup of Grand Coffee, ever curious as my friends wolfed the bagels. On a sunny evening, I finally ordered my gluten-free pie. Stupendous. Stupid springy and crispy at the same time, crackly bits of cheese on the base with light slices of fennel reigning above all the indulgent lordliness below. After the Brussels sprouts, the goat cheese was nutty and rich enough that I thought there was a base of tahini beneath the dish, and I could barely finish. Fortunately, I have reason to wait in line next time. The Laundromat (3725 Balboa Street) is open for dinner Wednesday and Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday 5 to 8 p.m. — Paolo Bicchieri Devilish half chicken at Jules Those who have attended Max Blachman-Gentile's pop-up, Jules, know very well the mastery of his pizzas, as he's toured them around town at various restaurants since 2023. Just this month, Blachman-Gentile opened his new permanent restaurant in the Lower Haight, and yes, the pizzas are amazing as always. But this location is also a chance to see Blachman-Gentile stretch beyond the pies. So I'm here to sing the praises of one of the (non pizza) showstoppers from a recent meal: this devilish half chicken. The nicely-salted, crisp, fried chicken skin is just the eye-popping start of this dish that employees in season vegetables and herbs — here, some snap peas and mint — along with deliciously-cooked chicken underneath. I was also truly impressed by the sauce, which packs a nice heat to it without being overwhelming, and it served as a nice accompaniment to the mushroom-loaded Fun Guy pizza on the table. If I may, while you're at it, don't skip the desserts: my dining companion and I split both options, including an incredible ice cream with chocolate shell and fennel pollen on top. Jules (237 Fillmore Street) is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday. — Dianne de Guzman Squid ink fried rice at Le Soleil Also in the Richmond District (can anyone tell I moved recently?) is the simple, unadorned treasure chest of a restaurant Le Soleil: This could very well be the lead ship in the west side's restaurant armada. The extended naval metaphor is in honor of this squid ink fried rice, crowned with tobiko as garlic and scallion dot the scene and encircle the dish. The chunks of squid are well placed throughout the elegant dome of rice, allowing for chew without texture overload. The pop from the fish egg and the crisp of the fried garlic provides further balance. Ordering the quail, flambéed table side, is a sharp move. Our server said he fires a ton of them every night. When you're a captain of San Francisco dining, that comes with the territory. Le Soleil (133 Clement Street) is open Mondays 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Paolo Bicchieri Joojeh kabob at Lavash As a food editor going out on the town often, when I dine with friends, I'm typically expected to be the one to pick the location. There's nothing wrong with that, as it comes with the territory, but what I'm usually interested in is where my friends love to go for a meal on their own. I have my own lists and (insane) Google map pins, but oftentimes when I force the decision on others, I find places that aren't yet on my radar. Such was the case at Lavash, a charming Persian restaurant on Irving Street, where I had a recent lunch this month. Letting my friend take the lead on ordering, it was a truly refreshing meal, including an herb-filled sabzi paneer platter, ghormeh sabzi, and this lovely joojeh kabob. Composed of chicken breast and thighs, the marinated meat sang against the grains of perfectly cooked basmati saffron rice. This friend, a regular, thankfully knew to ask if the kitchen could add zereshk, or barberries, atop the rice, which gave everything another dimension as we tore into each bite. Pairing with this food is a gorgeous space just bursting with flowers, and it's an all-around great place to drop in for a meal, and one I'll be coming back to in the future. Lavash (511 Irving Street) is open from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. — Dianne de Guzman Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Boise day care requires vaccines. Does revived Idaho ‘medical freedom' bill affect that?
Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:19 p.m. April 4 to include comment from the governor's office on how the law could apply to day cares. For children at Le Soleil French School for Children, a Boise-based day care with four local programs, vaccines are the rule — no exceptions. 'When we first opened, we did accept medical exemptions,' Le Soleil founder and director Justin Snyder told the Idaho Statesman in an interview. 'But we noticed that there are medical providers in Idaho that will sign off on a medical exemption that is not actually needed for a child. 'We were getting some pretty suspect medical exemption papers from folks, and so we decided to just not accept any.' But Snyder said he's unsure if the private day care will still be allowed to require immunizations now that Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed a new 'medical freedom' bill that lawmakers sent to his desk on the last day of the session. The bill appears to bar private businesses like Snyder's from requiring employees, patrons or attendees to have any 'medical intervention' — including a treatment, medication, injection or anything else that can 'alter the health or biological function of a person.' Just last week, Little vetoed an extremely similar version of the bill that he said would limit families' abilities to keep their children safe and healthy at school. According to a tracking sheet of the governor's daily bill actions, he signed the new legislation 15 minutes after it arrived on his desk Friday afternoon. Republican legislators asserted that the new bill addresses Little's concerns, with new references to existing school attendance codes and other guidelines. But opponents, like Sen. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, said it was overbroad and would cause confusion for business owners, similar to the uncertainty Snyder is facing. Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, introduced the vetoed bill and the alternative, which initially included an exemption that meant day cares, unlike other businesses, could still mandate medical interventions. Lawmakers in the House amended the bill to remove that language Friday. In debate on the Senate floor Thursday, Foreman told fellow lawmakers that the bill doesn't 'defeat, delete or detract from a parent's ability to opt their kids out of vaccination programs, either in a public school or in a day care facility.' However, Little spokesperson Emily Callihan told the Idaho Statesman that day cares will still be able to require vaccines under the new law. Idaho parents have long had the option to waive immunization standards for medical, religious or 'other' reasons. Idaho had more kindergarten students with at least one vaccine exemption than any other state in the country in the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The distinction was by a wide margin — 14.3% of Idaho's kindergartners had at least one exemption, and the next closest state was Alaska, with 9.5%. Day cares are considered private businesses under Idaho law, but they still have immunization standards. According to a 2024 Child Care Provider Manual published on Idaho Department of Health and Welfare websites, child care providers are not required by law to accept children who are not immunized. Snyder said being able to require vaccinations in a day care setting is crucial. 'For us especially, it's important because we have children of many different ages,' Snyder said. 'An infant is not yet able to get certain vaccines, or hasn't yet received all of the doses of a given vaccine. So it's extra important that the older children that are around them — who are probably exposed to more children — are protected, so that they have the sort of herd immunity to keep the younger children safe that haven't yet been fully vaccinated.' Snyder said many of Le Soleil's families come to the school specifically because they want an environment where their child is around vaccinated children and staff. Snyder and several families whose children come to Le Soleil reached out to the governor to ask him to veto the initial legislation, putting him among the roughly 500 people who contacted Little in opposition, according to Little's spokesperson. Around 1,500 people encouraged the governor to sign the bill. Little's veto of the original bill was a relief for Snyder and his families, the day care director said. The governor wrote in the transmittal letter with his veto that the legislation 'jeopardizes the ability of schools to send home sick students with highly contagious conditions.' Lawmakers edited the bill to include references to existing Idaho code that allows school officials to turn away contagious students. Snyder isn't sure where his business might stand. 'If a child has pink eye, we don't want every other child and every teacher to also have pink eye, so they go home until they've started treatment and are no longer going to be spreading pink eye,' Snyder said. 'The same thing should be applicable to any nasty, highly contagious disease. 'For a state that talks a lot about being business friendly, I just don't see at all how this would be a business-friendly move when it would make it so hard for us to keep our staff healthy.'
