Piglet & Co — Restaurant in San Francisco

Piglet & Co is located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District and offers a modern take on Asian comfort food. Their seasonal non-traditional menu is inspired by childhood memories, family meals, and beloved night market dishes straight from Taiwan.

Piglet & Co first came onto my radar with their take on Taiwanese breakfast foods. One morning I finally woke up early enough to head over and sample their brunch offerings. The restaurant is not overly large but still boasts fairly ample seating - that being said reservations are recommended. We didn't make a reservation in advance; however, they were able to offer us bar seating, which we happily took.

After perusing their menu for a few minutes, we went with their (1) ginger scallion milk bread (usually this is served on focaccia; however, on this day they ran out of focaccia and substituted it for fluffy Japanese milk bread), (2) honey walnut shrimp toast, (3) chicken rice porridge.

The ginger scallion milk bread as light, fluffy, sweet, and savory all at the same time - what a perfect bite! Honestly I'm actually quite happy we got the try the dish with the milk bread substituted for the focaccia, as I felt the sweet fluffy taste/texture of the milk bread perfect offset the savory notes coming from the ginger and scallions on top.

The honey walnut shrimp toast is a perfect example of how Piglet & Co puts a modern take on a traditional dish. At first glance, one might be a bit hesitant to give this one a try as it's so different from the traditional honey walnut shrimp dish that so many of us love; however, I encourage you to go out on a limb and give it a try! This dish was the shining star of our meal as the honey walnut shrimp flavors you expect still came through, just in a slightly different vehicle and atop a fluffy piece of bread - I would definitely return just to eat this one again!

Last, but not last, the chicken rice porridge. This was probably my least favorite dish of the three that were ordered, and this really came down to the texture of the dish. I felt the "porridge" was really more of risotto and the texture was a bit too thick to be called a porridge; however, I can appreciate the flavors that went into the dish and still found it to be tasty overall.

If you're the adventurous type and are seeking a modern take on traditional Asian breakfast dishes, then I highly recommend giving Piglet & Co a try! They also have a dinner menu as well, that I will be back soon to...

Tucked away amidst the vibrant graffiti of Mission Street, Piglet and Co. in San Francisco beckons with the promise of authentic Taiwanese cuisine - a siren call to a native like myself. Hailed as the best new restaurant of 2023, its doors, nestled in the vibrant tapestry of Mission's graffitied thoroughfare, opened to reveal an interior pulsing with the nostalgia of kung fu cinema and setting the stage for a night of gastronomic storytelling.

As early diners, we expected a smooth culinary journey. Yet, our experience took a turn as another couple, a classmate from culinary school with the chef from several years ago, arrived 15 minutes after us. Their camaraderie translated into a flurry of dishes promptly served to them, while our wait for the same dishes extended past the hour mark and a forgotten dish along the way.

The persimmon salad, a dish of fresh fruit and a contrasting zesty sesame glaze, stood out as the sole highlight of the evening. The dirty rice followed, with a subdued savoriness that cleverly utilized pig's blood—an innovative twist. However, the roasted cauliflower, though generous, was marred by an excess of greasy shiso verde and doubanjiang, straying from its healthy portrayal. And when the local black cod finally arrived, it was a letdown. The dish, expected to be a centerpiece, was overshadowed by a diluted ginger scallion butter, morphing the sauce into a thin broth. Moreover, the cod's texture lacked the fresh, flaky softness one would anticipate, instead presenting a chewiness that spoke of less-than-ideal freshness.

As the evening drew to a close, the narrative of our experience was one of culinary highs overshadowed by service lows. The heartening brotherhood amongst culinary staff, while admirable, cast a shadow over our dining experience as we watched dish after dish pass us by for the latecomers. It's a tale of two services within the same walls, where the joy of gastronomy is dampened by the prioritization of personal connections.

In the highly competitive San Francisco dining scene, where authenticity and service are paramount, Piglet and Co.'s offering fell short. Despite the culinary sparks that flickered with a couple of the dishes, the overall lackluster flavors and the disheartening service make it a chapter I'm not keen...

Piglet & Co. successfully reinterprets Taiwanese and Asian comfort food with a modern, contemporary take.

This restaurant is for those who are seeking a superb meal, where strong flavors and points of view are accompanied a variety of textures and sweet, salt, sour, umami, and bitter are presented for the guests.

Re-envisioning any ethnic cuisine that has deep roots is a difficult challenge for any chef and restauranteur. Don't push far enough, and you'll be accused of just fancying up food that can be gotten elsewhere for less. Push too far and people who come in expecting what they read in the headline of articles written sling accusations of inauthenticity. Chef Chris Yang nails the sweet spot to deliver an experience that is drawn from the roots, but is presented in a new experience.

Front-of-house staff, run by Marcelle Gonzales Yang, is a smoothly run operation. There is a fun friendly nature to the team where they are clearly proud of the food being served and are eager to share their enthusiasm. I appreciate their warmth and casual nature, while still being on-point to deliver the details or explain menu items.

I'm glad we had a chance to get in before the world figures out how incredible this restaurant is, after which, we'll have to hustle for a resy like other hyped and successful restaurants in the SF scene.

One more thing, like most modern cuisine restaurants today, there is a cancellation policy. Don't ignore it when you make your Resy because—like most modern cuisine restaurants today—it's there to make sure they stay financially viable—and we all want them to stay financially viable.

I hope they turn into an institution because we're down to be regulars.

(photos are from brunch, but we've come for both dinner and...