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#25 Spices

Posted on June 17, 2007
Filed Under Best of the Best, Chinese, Extra Hard Core, Taiwanese |

Meal number 25, we’re half way there.

For this special occasion, I’m bringing out the big guns. Spices in San Francisco is one of my favorite, FAVORITE places in the world to eat, it’s the epitome of hard core deviant food, and was really the restaurant that sparked 50meals.com.

It says reserved, but I’m outgoing! Joining us tonight is MattChou, Alex and Cyn, Mikey and Amy Kwan. Spices is usually very crowded so I made reservations. Walking into this tiny crowded restaurant with this sign on the lone empty table sure made me feel special. That’s the 50meals business card Matt designed for me.




We start it off with a bang here, this is bacon mixed with spicy oil and garlic. It’s out of this world and goes very well with rice.




Stinky Tofu! It’s pretty good here, not the best in the world, but definitely solid and it’s something I would always order when I’m here.




The tables here are pretty small and with what’s coming up, it won’t stay this clean for long.




Mikey is a big lamb guy and ordered a stir fry. This is Lamb with Scallion, but on the menu, it says “Fire! Burn! Lamb with Scallion”




Beef noodles! This is a great incarnation of the classic beef noodles, spicy with great strong flavor, good noodles, great picked cabbage.




This is the star of the show, the Bandit Casserole. It has everything from seafood to pig blood and intestines and is ridiculously spicy and good. This is the part of the meal when I started sweating from the heat of the food.




It looks a little intimidating…





… and what lies beneath is over the top.




Someone with some very good common sense suggested we order a vegetable dish, this is the A-Choy with garlic.




Alex had a brilliant pick last time and we just couldn’t pass it up this time, this is the Whole fish in bean chili paste.（豆瓣全魚）That’s Matt attacking the rolling pot of casserole back there.




The fish was awesome, it had excellent flavor and a great spicy kick that was just right.




We had to get something to put us over the top, of course! So I ordered one more — this is the Calimari with basil and garlic. It came on a hot plate and was covered in foil, which they open at your table to let the steam and aroma out. Fantastic.

Oh, what a meal. This is truly worthy of being #25 on 50meals. Spices is all about the food, there’s no pretense about great service or things being organic or high class. It’s just hard core deviant food prepared in spectacular and authentic ways that completely blows me away every time.
Special thanks to MattChou, without whom I wouldn’t have come to Spices two years ago and we wouldn’t be here on 50meals.com. Alex and Cyn (Thanks, Cyn, for putting up with all the spicy food!) and Mikey and Amy Kwan (I TOLD you this place rocked, WORD!)
You guys are the best eating buddies.

Spices isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s real Chinese / Taiwanese food and it’s SPICY. Bring your most daring people who is willing to risk the top layer of their tongue and be willing to put up with the exit wounds. It’s a small place and the wait can seem interminable, so make reservations if you have a semi-large party. The service isn’t the greatest in the world, the restaurant’s name in Chinese is “Spicy Girls” and although the waitresses are cute, they’re not very experienced and there’s just not enough of them… to handle our numerous requests, that is. Be patient and willing to wave your arms wildly for service.

Spices
294 8th Avenue
(between California St & Clement St)
San Francisco, CA 94118

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