SF Weekly's Seven-Day Dish

Around Town:

The proprietors of SOMA’s impeccable Thai restaurant Basil (1175 Folsom at Eighth St.) recently opened up a new place just a few blocks away. Basil Canteen (1489 Folsom at 11th St.) sits in the landmark brick building that once housed the Jackson Brewery when it was built in 1912 and most recently was home to restaurant The Public.

“It was a conscious choice when this spot came up to do Basil Canteen,” owner Todd Sirimongkolvit says. “What we have here is a very concise menu of mainly noodle dishes. It’s something we wanted for many years to do at Basil, but you just cannot do everything in one kitchen, obviously. Basil is fun, but a bit formal, and here is essentially a noodle bar with snacks to go with cocktails. We are trying to achieve something very simple and focused on the neighborhood.”

Basil Canteen’s rotating menu is an inventive fusion of Bangkok street food and San Francisco ingenuity, with unique creations like sakhoo sai moo (pork dumplings encased in tapioca) and kao soi neur (tender grilled skirt steak with noodles in piquant lime-coconut curry). And with several offerings priced at $10 or less, the restaurant is a thoughtful addition to 11th Street, which remains an epicenter of the city’s nightlife, with clubs like Slim’s, DNA Lounge, and Fat City within one block. Basil Canteen serves dinner seven days a week, and is open for lunch on weekdays. 552-3963

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