Eating Around the Bay: Bun Mee & Dumplings & Buns

Fillmore Street houses a wide array of great new restaurants. Earlier this year it was Bun Mee, and most recently, Dumplings & Buns. Both offer a unique take on much loved Asian fare, with one new eatery making a splash and the other but a ripple.

First stop was Bun Mee (2015 Fillmore Street). The restaurant errs on the small side, with a long bar right up by the kitchen. The Belly Bun jumped off the menu, with its Braised Kurobuta pork belly, salted radish relish, shaved onion, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro. The sandwich was roughly six inches long and had the right blend of savory and spicy. Two slightly messy thumbs up.

Next on the menu was Dumplings & Buns (2411 California Street). The new eatery offered an enticing combo of a choice of one pork or bbq chicken bun and three dumplings (pork, chicken, pea, shrimp) for only $5.50. The offer was too good to resist: one pork bun and one pork one chicken and one shrimp dumpling coming up. Unfortunately, the good vibes stopped with the offer. The bun had an overdose of garlic and the dumplings were too soft.

Give these restaurants a spin the next time you're on Fillmore St.