Sweet relief

Rooh, Chapeau!, Loquat, John Waters tix, MORE

RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table

Pacific soul

The Backstory: Eight years ago, some time after I moved to the Bay, I fell in love with fine dining Indian restaurants. At the time, Rooh in SoMa was an innovator in this niche — with its outside-of-the-box offerings and a cocktail menu shaped like a wheel of fortune, it dazzled — so of course, when one of my best friends came to visit, I took her there.

Fast forward to the present, as that friend has now moved to the Bay. It was only natural we’d go to Rooh to celebrate our reunion, though not necessarily a given that the restaurant would’ve remained top-notch over the years. But under Valice Francis (who stepped in to lead the kitchen a year ago), Rooh continues to deliver one of the most interesting dining experiences in SF.