I love soup. Even if it’s warm out, I’m game for a hot bowl of comforting pho, chicken noodle, curry, hot & sour, egg drop, sinigang, soon do boo…Mmm. Feast your eyes on these beautiful bowls of comforting broths, tender meats, and fresh greens.

Beef Noodle Soup

While waiting out an oil change, the fiancé and I found ourselves having lunch at Taiwan Bento in Uptown Oakland. I had the beef noodle soup which was especially delightful on this day because I hadn’t had it in at least seven months. The pickled greens, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and the sweet carrots provided a nice balance to a rich, savory broth. Recommendation: pair with the house-made soy bean milk.

Korean Noodle Soup

Ah, Spoon, one of my favorite East Bay eats for two big reasons. (1) They have delicious spicy tofu soup. I can’t get enough! And (2) they open at 10a so I can get a Korean soup fix for weekend brunch! On this visit, I had symptoms of an oncoming migraine and I was feeling dehydrated. This Korean noodle soup, served spicy with thick flour noodles, mixed veggies, and egg, brought me back to normal almost immediately. So. Good. Having the assorted dishes makes these meals extra special and extra tasty. Spicy, sweet, salty…This stuff will nurse you back to health. Recommendation: Go here!

Bamia

The bamia at Mazzat in the Hayes Valley in San Francisco is another comfort food appropriate for any day. Tender, succulent, fall apart lamb in a rich, hearty tomato-based broth with okra and fried garlic, and served with jasmine rice. I am in food heaven! I wish there were more okra (I’m a big veggie fan), so I spent some of my meal rationing out okra pieces. Recommendation: Try the hummus harr, a hummus with a kick of spice!

Hot Pot

My friend met up with me after a craft event and we ventured to Nabe in the Inner Sunset of San Francisco. Mostly, I picked it because it was near my event, but I was mega super pleasantly surprised when we arrived at their door. The restaurant is small but packed with clean, modern decor with a nod to Japanese culture. The sake bottles on the wall – nice touch. We got a double hot pot: one side with seafood and the other with wagyu beef in a spicy miso broth. This place is an experience. The salmon in the seafood hot pot, the dipping sauce (pictured in the top right corner) and the porridge course at the end are definite highlights. Recommendations: Share with a friend and try a sake flight.

Wonton Noodle Soup

This soup may look familiar to you; it’s because I featured it in a previous post. This is the wonton noodle soup from Mint Leaf in Berkeley; it’s consistently satisfying and perfect for filling your tummy with warm, fried-garlicky goodness. On this occasion my fellow lefty friend and I were celebrating International Left-Handers Day. Recommendation: Pair anything with the sweet potato fries and an avocado smoothie.

That’s it for now. As you can see, I’m in the mood for soup quite a bit. Leave me any soup recommendations below!