What's New in San Francisco's Desi Food Scene

TL;DR

• 🍛 SF's South Asian food scene keeps expanding across Mission, Marina, and the Richmond
• Tiya brings New Indian fine dining to the Marina with sibling chefs Sujan and Pujan Sarkar
• Apna Chulha (2024) joins the Mission's North Indian roster with a full bar
• Ocean Indian Cuisine earned Yelp's Top 100 US and California's Top Indian Restaurant for 2024
• From Nepali momos to Hyderabadi-inspired menus, the city's Desi range keeps widening

New Faces and Returning Favorites

San Francisco's Desi dining landscape has never been one-note. Across Fillmore, Valencia, Clement, and the Mission, South Asian food exists in formats ranging from austere lunch counters to cocktail-forward dinner destinations.

Among the most talked-about recent arrivals is Tiya at 3213 Scott Street in the Marina District. Created by brothers Sujan Sarkar and Pujan Sarkar, Tiya presents New Indian cuisine — drawing on subcontinent culinary technique and seasonal California ingredients — with a thoughtfully built cocktail and wine list. The Sarkar brothers' vision is rooted in their shared culinary background, and the result sits somewhere between a personal project and a destination restaurant. Private events can be accommodated.

In the Mission, Apna Chulha at 550 Valencia Street opened in 2024 with a name that translates from Hindi as "Our Stove." The positioning is deliberate: this is Northern Indian home cooking — curries, biryani, tandoori preparations — served in an environment that also supports cocktails and late-night dining. The restaurant offers catering and private party bookings alongside online ordering.

The Inner Richmond's Quiet Star

Among the neighborhood standbys, Ocean Indian Cuisine at 6127 Geary Boulevard in the Inner Richmond has earned attention well beyond the local crowd. Chef Ghanashyam Sam Kandel leads a kitchen that emphasizes both Himalayan and Indian traditions, with ingredients sourced from California farms. The menu runs from tandoori specials to Himalayan momos, biryani, and thali platters.

Ocean Indian Cuisine was named to Yelp's 2024 Top 100 Places to Eat in the US and recognized as California's Top Indian Restaurant in 2024. For a neighborhood restaurant on Geary, that's a meaningful signal for anyone who hasn't visited yet. Hours are daily 10am–10pm.

Momos, Dosas, and the Full Spectrum

SF's Desi scene covers more geography than "Indian" suggests. The Himalayan and Nepali thread is a good example.

Dancing Yak at 280 Valencia Street has operated since 2018 as both a Nepalese restaurant and a craft cocktail bar. Handcrafted momos and Himalayan home cooking sit alongside inventive cocktails — a combination that has worked well in the Mission's competitive lunch and dinner market. Lunch runs 11:30am–3pm, dinner from 5pm–9:30pm.

Himalayan Cuisine at 1412 Polk Street brings Nepalese and Indian cooking to Polk Gulch, open daily 11am–11pm. The menu covers tandoori specialties, momos, and the traditional Nepali Khaja Set — a sampler plate that's a useful entry point for newcomers to the format.

On the South Indian vegetarian side, Udupi Palace at 1007 Valencia Street holds its place as one of the city's dedicated dosa specialists. The menu includes Masala Dosa, a two-foot Paper Dosa, Spinach Masala Dosa, Sambar Vada, and Udupi Combo platters — plant-based South Indian cooking executed with consistency.

Zante Pizza & Indian Cuisine at 3489 Mission Street has been pioneering Indian-topping pizza in San Francisco since 1986. Thin-crust with tandoori chicken, lamb, or tikka masala is still the headline move, with a full Northern Indian menu running alongside it. Open Monday–Saturday 11am–11pm.

Halal, Pakistani, and Pan-South-Asian

Shalimar at 532 Jones Street brings Pakistani and Indian halal cooking to the Tenderloin, with a 50+ dish menu covering biryanis, kebabs, and curries. Three Bay Area locations (SF, Fremont, and Dublin) suggest an operation that has found its audience.

Mehfil Indian Restaurant at 88 2nd Street, steps from the Financial District, offers free citywide delivery on orders over $5. The menu covers lamb, seafood, rice dishes, and fresh breads. Weekday lunch runs 11am–3pm, dinner from 5:30–10pm.

Curry Up Now at 659 Valencia Street represents the street-food format: Indian burritos, Naughty Naan (Indian-style pizza), rice bowls, and Kathi rolls, with all meat halal-certified. The chain started as a Burlingame food truck in 2009 and has since been covered by Bon Appétit, Eater, and featured in Netflix's Ugly Delicious.

Insider Tip: If you're visiting Ocean Indian Cuisine on Geary for the first time, go on a weekday evening. Weekend crowds since the 2024 Yelp recognition have stretched wait times. The thali platter is the most efficient way to cover the kitchen's range in a single visit.

FAQ

Q: What's the newest South Asian restaurant to open in SF recently? Apna Chulha on Valencia opened in 2024 and is among the most recent additions to the Mission's North Indian landscape. Tiya in the Marina is another recent arrival with a higher price point and a cocktail-forward format.

Q: Where can I find quality South Indian vegetarian food in San Francisco? Udupi Palace on Valencia and Masala Dosa at 1375 9th Avenue (open daily 11:30am–10pm) are the two most consistently cited options for dosa-forward South Indian cooking.

Q: Is halal food available at Desi restaurants in SF? Yes. Shalimar on Jones Street and Curry Up Now on Valencia both serve halal meat. Check directly with other restaurants for specifics.

Q: Any good Nepalese options beyond momo counters? Dancing Yak on Valencia is the most complete Nepalese dining experience in SF, combining full Himalayan home cooking with a real cocktail program. Himalayan Cuisine on Polk Street is a solid alternative with longer hours.

Q: What's the best Desi restaurant near the Financial District? Mehfil Indian Restaurant at 88 2nd Street is the most convenient for the FiDi crowd, with consistent weekday lunch service and free citywide delivery.

Bottom Line

San Francisco's Desi food scene rewards exploration across neighborhoods and traditions. The Mission remains the density center, but the Inner Richmond with Ocean Indian Cuisine, the Marina with Tiya, and Polk Gulch with Himalayan Cuisine each have their own draw. The 2024 accolades landing on Ocean Indian Cuisine are a reminder that the scene's best spots don't stay quiet for long. Whether you're after a New Indian dinner experience, a quick momo and cocktail, or a two-foot paper dosa, the city has it covered.