Corner Markets are Becoming Foodie Hangouts. Rhea's Deserves To Be

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Don't let the dust-covered cans fool you.

​The first time we walked into Rhea's, we were buying a can of beer. That was about six years ago. A genial, chuckling Korean dude with eyeballs as bloodshot as a swirling barber's pole checked us out.

Now there's a baby in the family, or a toddler, more specifically -- if the pictures posted to Yelp can be trusted -- and a legit deli counter covering a good third of the store's real estate. With Pal's holding down the other end of the Mission, the sneaky gourmet deli buried beneath mounds of breakfast cereal, tortilla chips, dust-covered cans, and bottles of Barefoot is becoming a savvy corner-store standard. Rhea's does it justice.

james c./Yelp

Korean steak on Tartine bread.

​The pork katsu sandwich ($6.95) both read and tasted as if a high-functioning stoner had been charged with its creation -- and had thrown together parts that sounded complementary in theory, but together, smushed between bun halves in sweet sandwich synthesis, gave way to a wild melee of flavors, with focus and balance caught squarely in the cross fire. The effect was not bad -- spicy aïoli, drippy cabbage, and assorted unknowns hugging a filet of once-crisp pork -- just an overload -- and gooey. Next time, we'll plead for lighter applications. The slick of creamy, crimson sauce sloshing out of the sandwich was like animal-style on steroids. The Acme bun it came on barely held together for the five-minute walk home. If we'd subbed in slices of Tartine bread, the waxed paper wrapping would have resembled a crime scene. We're not complaining exactly, just feeling kind of dazed and guilty -- as if we should be brushing our teeth every five minutes.

On the other hand, the Korean steak sandwich ($7.95), though no less rich, was blessed with a little more breathing room. We could taste the meat -- mom's recipe, according to an ardent Yelp supporter -- and the slices of Swiss kept the goo onslaught at bay. The coleslaw proved a mild, crunchy blanket, not a distraction, and the pickled onions added tang and bite. There's more on the menu, but this offering alone feels like a blessing bestowed upon the sandwich-starved neighborhood. That said, we're going to eat steamed tofu for a week.

Rhea's Deli 800 Valencia (at 19th St.), 282-5255