Grain Restaurant

I am so sad this place is closed. One of the few fusion burrito places in the Bay Area. I loved their Korean twist especially the braised short rib. Just thinking about it makes my stomach growl. And the price was so reasonable. I hope this place reopens. In the meantime, I’ll have to satisfy my fusion burrito cravings at Curry Up Now.
4 stars

I never went to Grain when they had their original menu and the fact that I found out about them selling Asian Burritos just recently and that they were closing was a double shock to me. So I knew I had to hustle over before they closed to at least try one burrito.
I ordered their Braised Short Rib Burrito Über Style (
). It was very, very tasty, especially with the eggs and avocado inside. The best part however wasn’t the short ribs surprisingly, but the fried potatoes inside. Added a nice crunch to the burrito that I loved!
It’s really too bad that they closed, but the bright side is that they’re passing over their menu to the new owners. So hopefully, they’ll do the right thing and not mess with the recipes, but if they can make them better, I’m all for it!

The $ 5 Asian burrito sign caught my eye. They’re offering something different using six core proteins that combine Mexican and Asian cuisines: chicken adobo, grilled chicken, carnitas, tofu tikka masala, Korean spicy pork, 4 hour beef short rib. You can get burritos ($ 5), tacos ($ 2), rice plates, nachos and hot dogs.
* 4 hr beef short rib burrito ($ 5.50): with salsa, scrambled egg, rice & crispy hash browns wrapped in a flour tortilla. Interesting & good. The egg and salsa flavors get lost. The real star is the beef. It’s been braised in a sweet soy based sauce till it’s rich, tender, and slightly sweet. The hash brown flavor is pronounced and gives it a breakfast burrito flavor. The rice wasn’t mushy.
Maybe they should invest in some marketing, a snazzy new name (The Breakfast Truck?), and a mobile food truck. I think if they had those things, plus chorizo, they’d find a following. The space is so tiny you feel like you’re visiting a food stand anyway (there are only 2 small tables). The open kitchen takes up ½ of the space.
$ 12 credit card minimum

What the hell happened to the separate page for the new Grain? While the name, location, and owners have stayed the same, it is an entirely different restaurant and these reviews for old Grain and new Grain really shouldn’t be combined.
I finally came here with my bf one night before they closed. I have no idea why they decided to close off their already super tiny restaurant. There was only room for two tables. I am pretty sure they could have worked out the same set up using their old counter for the register. I don’t understand why they have this sorta kinda fast food set up now either since they still serve the food and check to you.
I got the Über Tofu burrito while my bf got the Korean Spicy Pork and 4hr Beef Short Rib tacos. I would definitely go for the burritos if I were you. They are huge and the tacos are tiny. He had to go back and order a 3^rd one.
My burrito was pretty good except the flavor got kind of old. It was mushy and the flavor was ever so slightly off but the hash browns were fantastic, just as I figured they would be. They offer a good contrast to the mushy tofu and I love that they stayed nice and crunchy throughout the burrito. I didn’t love it but the next day I was craving it like mad! The über is supposed to come with guacamole but it doesn’t with the tofu burrito.
My bf loved the tacos. He kept saying 5 STARS 5 STARS while eating them. They did look pretty tasty but I don’t eat meat so I have no idea how they were.
I hate hate hate that they use Styrofoam trays. I can understand if it was take out but it isn’t. What happened to all the plates they had? Did they just get rid of them? I do appreciate that they have a recycling bin by their trash but it doesn’t really compensate. They also only offer flour tortillas. I feel like those are two things they can only get away with being in Daly City.
Also what the hell happened to their desserts? A PB&J burrito does not a good dessert make. I could make the same thing at home for 10 cents. It is so strange because their desserts previously were so good and creative. I highly doubt anyone will complain if they brought the old desserts back. They pretty much almost cost as much as their dessert burritos.
Service was fantastic as always. They were blasting an extremely grating talk radio channel but I don’t think that is always the case (hopefully!).
I really hope this restaurant works out as I love to support local businesses. Props to them for adapting to their environment asap by changing it to a cheap taqueria with prices that compete with some of the cheapest taquerias in the Mission. Unfortunately, they probably chose the most obscure location in already black listed Daly City.

Burrito’s at what used to be a noodle bar? Unheard of right? Some questions that pop up: Noodle burritos? Is it good? Why from noodles to burritos only? All questions aside, this place is pretty good.
We wondered in after I spotted the big banner, «$ 5 Asian Burritos» that draped outside next to their sign. So it being just a little after lunch, it sparked our interest naturally.
The inside is kind of small. Seating for maybe 5 – 6 folks. There was a family of three in there and took up most the space already. It basically has an open kitchen feel since you can see them making the food right there as you wait. Overall a clean and neat place. The owners are great people. Very easy to talk to. The woman, I didn’t catch her name, said they changed to burritos because the noodle aspect wasn’t working out. It was good, but the wait started to upset people, so they gravitated to something a little faster. So in some ways they were catering to their cutomers in the long run!
We’ve tried three of their burrito’s: Beef spare rib, Spicy pork, and Adobo. Of the three I’d say the Spare Rib was the best. We got it «Über» basically meaning super, that adds sour cream and guacamole. The burrito alone comes with rice, potato hash, eggs, adn I might be missing one, but its all good. The burrito is pretty big IMO. I got full with one for sure. I even got full with half of the spare rib! The meat was very tender and full of flavor, same with the Spicy Pork. The adobo lacked a little flavor, but it wasn’t bad. The tortilla is light and thing. There isn’t so much tortilla that it’s able to almost wrap all the way around again like at some other places. A great marriage of portion and wrap.
I’d suggest anyone to try this place out at least once. Start witht he spare rib, then the pork, then experiment with the rest. Come back? Of course. There’s still others ones I need to try!

This is my first visit here. Grain has gone from noodle bar to Asian fusion taqueria four weeks ago.
Their reasoning was sound, as there wasn’t enough room to turn enough tables for a sit down menu and it only makes sense with such a small footprint to have something that emphasizes a to-​go menu.
We bought 4 burritos, all regular. We picked one each: Korean bbq, Carnitas, Chicken, and adobo. Service was very pleasant and our food qas made quickly.
We took it to go and reheated it later for dinner.
The consensus was that it was o-​kay, but my family didn’t go ga-​ga for it.
The price was good, but the food itself wasn’t very tasty or exciting.
edit: you know… i was just sitting here thinking. stick a couple sausages in that burrito and it’d probably make a hell of a giant breakfast burrito. it’d go with those eggs & hash browns.

So, I have never been here before the relaunch when it was a noodle house. I have only tried this place after relaunch as an Asian Taqueria.
My fiancé and I had the Korean Spicy Pork and Short Ribs Burrito. We also had the Über Nachos.
The burritos, both of them were not good at all. The tortilla was wet and it stuck to the foil it was wrapped in. The meats were okay. I did not care for the egg or hash browns. There was no taste, overall it was very bland and seemed as though it was put together poorly. Sad to say we did not even finish our food.
The Über Nachos, also didn’t taste good or looked good. The nacho cheese was mediocre and the chips were so soggy, guacamole did not look fresh or homemade and the chicken was over cooked.
Also it took about 15 – 20 mins for us to receive our food after we placed our order. We arrived about 12:30pm and we were the only customers but it still took a long time.
I did not like the food, but the chef was a really nice guy. He was pleasant and easy to talk to. The place is really tiny, so do not plan to eat there.

Grain, Grain, Grain, what can i say? You fed me 2 Grilled Chicken Tacos and 1 Banana & Nutella Burrito, and fed Lover 2 Carnitas Tacos. Tacos = Small but tasty!
Grain basically serves Filipino food Mexican style. The tacos are pretty small compared to an aunthentic tequeria, but I have to say that the grilled chicken was super delicious & tender. I would have appreciated a little more meat, salsa & sourkraut on my tacos, but they were satisfactory. I will definitely go back.

Although, it’s best to order your food to-​go since they only have seating for about 5 people. It’s a very small & fairly new mom & pop shop, so I will support them and try their burritos next time… Stay Tuned!
Tacos: $ 2.00 served with cilantro, sourkraut and red salsa and your choice of meat: Grilled Chicken, Chicken Adobo, or Carnitas.
Banana & Nutella Burritos: $ 3.50 wrapped in large flour tortilla.
Total lunch for 2 = $ 12.00

I love the concept of two delicious cuisines coming together. Grain takes Asian flavors like chicken adobo or beef short rib & incorporates it into a taco ($ 2) or burrito ($ 5), giving it a Mexican quality. Grain calls the marrying of the two fare an «Asian Taqueria,» which I thought was a successful union.
Grain’s menu, like it’s dining space, is tiny. I believe there are six different items on the menu & two tables in their establishment.
The bf ordered three tacos: carnitas, spicy pork & beef short rib & I had the beef short rib burrito. I was so pleased that the short rib was extra lean. The best part of the burrito was the serving of hash browns inside, giving it some awesome crispiness & texture. It is part breakfast burrito because of the eggs & hash browns & part traditional because of the salsa & guacamole. Aside from the rice, all the components packed a serious flavor punch.
At the register was a sign that read «Special Lemonade $ 1» so we ordered one for each of us. I don’t know exactly what was in that lemonade, but it was phenomenal – sugary sweet, had unexpected hints of pepper & ginger & was ice cold.
Total not including tip: $ 15
They are open M-​Sat 11am-​9pm & take credit cards for orders over $ 12.
P. S. Grain is dangerously close to Valerio’s Bake Shop (a few yards away) & the bf dragged me in there for some ensymada (ok, I keed, I keed… I dragged him!)

I haven’t eaten out in a couple of weeks, so I was really excited to try Grain. Noodles are probably my favorite ingredient to eat across all types of cuisine, and since this place’s noodles had a 4 star average I had to try it.
«Hello, where’s your noodle menu?»
«Oh, we don’t have em’ anymore. We just changed the menu last week.»
«DAMN!!»
I thought the idea of Mexican-​Asian fusion sounded tasty after experiencing the joy that is Korean Tacos, so I decided to give theirs a try.
My bro and I split a Carnitas and an Adobo burrito and agreed that they were sub-​par. Compared to other Asian inspired burritos it was way too bland and not unique enough. Upon comparing it to legitimate Mexican food, it was just a disaster. With the eggs and hashbrowns in it, it was very reminiscent of a fast food chain breakfast burrito, with some vinegar in it in the case of the adobo one.
The server was nice, the burritos were only $ 5, and the concept was cool. Other than that, everything was way below average.
Grain had a really good thing going on. With their rave reviews on their noodles and increasing fan base, you have to wonder why they changed up their game.
As they always say: «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!»

Been visiting Grain before it recently became an Asian Taqueria. I never really got to review their yummy goodness.
This place is right up the street from me and is located in a little corner space inside the plaza. Before Grain came to town, that spot was forever changing owners. It’s been hard business there I guess. I believe Grain has been the longest standing restaurant there so far — which they deserve, especially for being unique to this area; bringing to Daly City a taste and feel of SF in a way.
Honestly, when I heard they flipped the whole menu, I was like «Asian Taqueria… Saay whaat!?» — at least it was still something unique to this area.
We decided to try out their new menu yesterday. The inside didn’t look as eye catchy as before. We ordered the Über Chicken Adobo Burrito (okay), Über Beef Short Ribs Burrito (yuuum; the best one), Über Nachos (pretty good if you eat it before it gets soggy!), Carnitas Taco (wasn’t really feeling it at all), Spicy Korean Pork Taco (okay), and Beef Short Ribs Taco (very yum).
Overall, their new dishes were pretty good. I loved the Short Ribs Burritos/​Tacos the best. I think it was a great idea, of the chef, to put eggs and crunchy hasbrowns in the burritos — I LOVED IT! The other meats were good but not as flavorful as the short ribs. Maybe some duck tacos or sisig tacos ideas hehe?
Chef Richard has a real passion for food and I totally respect him! He has so much potential and he’s doing a great job so far. As much as I would’ve loved for his noodle house to stick around, he has a point about having to switch the menu — you gotta do what you gotta do to survive; you gotta cater to the community.
I really hope you all will like and understand this change as much as I do!

I liked Grain but my meal was memorable.
The customer service was great. Our waitress was very tentative but then again the restaurant was small (less than 5 tables).
Their website makes their place looks BIG but I was surprised how small it was.
I had a nice dining experience but I wouldnt go back. I have to say you should try the place at least once.

I truly wanted to love Grain, but after two dinners there I’m left shrugging my shoulders, and thinking, eh it’s good, but not out of this world.
Yes, the ingredients are very fresh, and the service is off the charts fabulous, attentive and friendly. The problem is none of the foods have grabbed my taste buds and made me crave for more.
The Spicy Pork Noodle Soup is yummy, but it’s not anything I couldn’t get at Mr. Fong’s Noodle place in the same strip mall. I liked how they brought out all the fixings needed to adjust the bowl of noodles to my preferred spiciness and sourness, but the chicharron taste was too much for me.
The beef short ribs were incredibly tender, but again nothing about the flavors really jumped out at me, or made me want to order it again.
I’ve been turning it over in my head over and over again about why I don’t love Grain, when I wanted so much to love it. And, I think I’ve figured it out. Grain’s entrees are no different than good dishes at a regular Chinese restaurant. The only differences are they describe their dishes in a more mouth-​watering way, probably use fresher ingredients, and present the food more nicely.

Grain is this new, super friendly, modern looking, tiny hole in the wall, Asian fusion restaurant in King Plaza behind Classic Bowl. (
) Basically, everyone’s panties are in a bunch for Grain’s spicy pork noodle soup ($ 8.5).
Overall, the soup’s tasty. It has that pleasing contrast of flavors and textures; the soft rice noodles, crunchy and salty chicharron, and crispy bean sprouts. It reminded me of phở since the broth had a clean taste, but it didn’t have as deep and complex of a flavor as the Vietnamese soup and as I would have liked. (
)
I spiked the soup with the condiments that were given separately; lemon for acidity, fish sauce for saltiness, cayenne for extra kick, and sugar just in case if you wanted to bring down the heat. Maybe for extra kick, I should have spiked it with some Bacardi 151!
Anyways, the broth was good but I wanted the dish to have that something else, especially since there wasn’t much ground pork and I was still hungry after. I think a soft boiled egg with maybe some enoki mushrooms or shredded bo vien balls would be make it addictively good!
See, that’s the fun thing about Asian fusion/​Cali cuisine, everyone has their own interpretation. There’s no right or wrong way when creating your own dish. You’re supposed to, «go against the grain!» and I like how they do that instead of following a template. I can honestly say eating here inspired me to go create my own dishes at home and yeah I’m a fan.

I had the spicy pork noodle soup. It was interesting in that there were rice noodles and bean sprouts with a lot of chicharrones so kind of Asian but the broth was tomato based so it tasted almost like a pasta sauce. I’m not sure if the description makes it sound appetizing but I really enjoyed it. It also had a nice amount of heat which was great on a cold and rainy night. I thought the portion was large so I shared with twinsy and still ended up full.
Tintin’s short ribs were delicious as well. They were more on the sweet side so I could never order a whole dish for myself but the meat was tender and the flavor was good.
I also liked the fried brussel sprouts with the lemon and fish sauce. I never thought to put fish sauce on brussel sprouts, or to fry them, but I’m a fan.
The service was friendly and efficient and the look of the place is almost too nice and modern for the strip mall they are in but it’s a good spot for a casual dinner.

— Strip Mall
— Chain-​smokin’ tweaker
— Noodle Bar
This sums up of my experience in Daly City
I don’t know much about this area… google maps told me it was pretty much right smack dab between SFO and SFSU, the point A, point B destination for my siblings and I a few weekends ago. And a quick search on Unilocal for good restaurants in Daly City highlighted Grain Restaurant & Noodle Bar. The rating was high, menu looked good… asian fusion eh? why not.
We arrived around 1pm that Sat. into quite the competitive lil asian strip mall. Hmm is this it, we thought? Parking is pretty limited but we managed to get lucky with a car just leaving. The restaurant was empty (though it was a holiday weekend of course) and we were greeted immediately by an enthusiastic and friendly server.
Just like the menu, the atmosphere is straightforward and to the point: couple tables, bar, 1 server, 1 chef. and I suppose that is all you need!
One thing that was a welcome surprise was our complimentary appetizer of popcorn drizzled with curry oil. damn tasty! And we were invited to have as much as we wanted.
We got an order of the marinated chicken and tofu w/​salsa. both quite good… and you can never go wrong with pickled cucumbers. mmm, i could have eaten that all day. I got the Ginger Scallion Noodle w/​Chicken for my meal, and yep, thats good too!
Though the location is a bit drab, we had a fun time here and enjoyed some tasty & unique food.
oh, and apparently they offer free entertainment in the parking lot because we were treated to a dude in an elmo beanie sucking down entire «cigarettes» in one hit. it was funny for a while… and then got a bit sad/​depressing. still dont know what was up with that!

Yummy! Love just about all the dishes, I always order the shrimp and melon salad, the spicy pork noodle soup, and the crispy pastry with mango ice cream on top is the bomb! The short ribs r so good my bf always orders it and I eat off his plate lol. The menu does change n I deeply miss the spring rolls, but the new Brussels sprouts r good n usually I never eat it.
Yumnessssssss I love the food!

Grain is The hidden jewel in DC. I went there on a Sunday for brunch before taking the kid to the Zoo and boy was I surprised!
Chef Ju is amazing. First off I like the simple chic décor that was very inviting. I reminded myself to snap some shots before I shoveled the food down my mouth. So be sure to check out my pics.
I especially liked the Short Braised Ribs, Spicy Pork Noodle and Melon Shrimp Salad which was totally refreshing for my taste buds! The ribs were so flavorful and soft that even the vegeterian eater enjoyed it very much! The spicy pork noodle soup again was full of flavor and spiced just right to give me a little sweat on my forehead! The taste was something I’m used to but this time with a very clean and inspiring presentation.
The only thing I would recommend is to add pictures to your site and menu because your dishes are so well presented I think they will speak a thousand words for you.
I will be back for more as I you have taken the number # 1 spot from Eliza’s for me and my family. Thanks!

While looking at the chef in the kitchen, I screamed to myself.
«Give me more, give it to me!»
Surprisingly, I was referring to more fried Brussels Sprouts.
Before the evil veggies entered through my thick gated lips, I had hesitations.
But upon arrival, I just simply lusted for more.
Slightly fried, the Brussels Sprouts was capped off with a sweet dressing that tingled my palate. I suddenly had a moment of food blush from the nutty and garden fresh notes.
I knew this hidden gem had hit my «G-​G» spot.
«G-​G» stands for «Goodness Gracious»
At first glance, Grain and Noodle Bar was clearly out of place.
Surrounded by Classic Bowl, generous parking lot, and a few poorly run restaurants, this minimalist décor deserved a better home, perhaps in the SOMA area. .
But first time chef and restaurant owner Richard had it right.
He told me it was all about the food. After quitting his job in IT, he bet it all. He worked for a few kitchens, paid his dues, and learned his cooking from Culinary School at City College.
His attention to details from food plating, knife skills, and simplicity should not be over looked.
While most menus try to impress, his menu is simple yet sufficient.
Soft wooden panels and wooden tables ease the eyes and pair so ever well with the food.
Trekking along my food porn journey, the roasted corn salad was on par. This dish is all about texture. The sweet corn displays earth tone crunch wile the picked onion just adds a sonic boom.
Although I would have rather had a stronger curry presence, the grilled chicken with pickled cucumber is a safe choice.
The melon and shrimp is all abut temperature. Sea-​sweat shrimp tossed in a sweet mayo based cream dressing.
This dish needed a bit more character for my taste.
The main actress made my day.
Arriving in a dark red hue, the spicy pork noodle soup (rendition from classic Northern Thai dish) stole the show.
With silky noodles cooked al dente, the sweet and savory flavors from the soup warped me to comfort food heaven.
This was a feminine dish, perhaps best compared to Julia Roberts in a luscious red dress from Pretty Woman.
Instantly panting from the deep rich flavors, the crispy pork rinds just added another crunchy dimension.
All the while, my hatred toward Mr. Fog dissipated.
Fog? Where?
Just when I had whet my appetite and lips, the second helping of comfort food arrived. Braised short ribs served with sweet soy served over a mound of pillowy rice.
Rib lovers will enjoy the baby back pork ribs served with braised cabbage.
Let’s be frank.
This restaurant is not catered to people who want big portions and nominal food.
As a champion of the Slow Food Movement, Chef Richard is about serving quality ingredients served at its core.
Food lovers will find this place a great mom n pop rendition of Heaven’s Dog and resembles Momofuku, minus the premium price and pretentious feel.
«Chef, what is this dressing in the Brussels Sprout?»
I enjoy the fact that I can echo my voice over the counter and get to know my food, where it comes from, and be at peace about what I am eating.
For sweet tooth lovers, aim for the crispy pastry. Cut the dessert up, feed some to your date. A perfectly square pastry is fried and drenched with a caramelized sugar glaze, lightened with an assortment of fruits.
For those who wish to end the meal on a more subtle comfort note, the chilled egg custard is good.
The décor is casual enough for a first date, round the night out with a few strikes next door at Classic Bowl.
Right when I arrived at the restaurant, chef/​owner Richard Ju greeted me with a big smile. Wife Cindy Ju continues as a cheerful host. These small things comes a long way.
Note: No liquor license yet, get your buzz by sniffing the fried Brussels sprouts and Red Bull

I would have to agree with the previous review. EVERYTHING tastes amazing. We were there last night and I had the Coconut fish noodle soup. Sooooo tasty. We also had the spring rolls, corn salad, and curry chicken.
The place itself looks very good. Pretty modern compared to the other places in that mall.
I was also very stoked to hear that its open till 1am on weekends FTW.
Thanks Rich for the yum food. :)