Welcome revival
Empress by Boon, Apres Vous, Crustacean FiDi, The Hivery, Topogato, MORE
RESTAURANTS • Intel
SKY HIGH: The 2021 opening of Empress By Boon on the top floor of the Empress of China building was indeed a boon to those who missed its shuttered restaurant’s sweeping views. But Boon’s tasting menu format meant that its predecessor's greatest treat — an early evening seat at the bar with a few small plates — was largely off the table.
Four years later, some of that rigidity has shaken loose, and in recent weeks, the restaurant has launched a Mon-Sat happy hour from 430-630p, with seating in both its bar and tea lounge. It’s a great option for those unwilling to make a full-night commitment, and smart timing as SF’s return to office wave — and therefore, return to after-work drinks — continues apace. 838 Grant Ave (Chinatown); happy hour 430-630p, dinner 5-10p Mon-Sat; reserve.
PÂTISSERIE CHAUDE: Parkside specialty food shop Apres Vous just got into the breakfast game, adding coffee from East Bay roastery Due Torri, freshly-baked pastries, and a hot menu of pastries and quiche. The business has had a bustling grab-and-go trade since opening last year, but for this new offering, they’re encouraging folks to take a seat at tables lined up along the sunny corner windows. 345 Taraval St (Parkside), breakfast 8a-sellout Mon-Sat, walk-ins only. –Eve Batey
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Claw back
The Skinny: After a 34-year run on Polk St., garlic noodle destination Crustacean has migrated to a glossy new FiDi location. Proprietor Helene An, now 81 years old, fled the fall of Saigon for San Francisco over 50 years ago, opening Thanh Long in the Outer Sunset in 1971. The An family followed its west side hit with Crustacean in 1991, and other offshoots followed. In July, the iconic Vietnamese restaurant shuttered on Polk and moved to its elegant new home, which boasts an upgraded menu.