I lived in the lower Haight in the mid 80s when I used to get this dee-licious vegetarian hot and sour soup from a restaurant that was in the same spot as Parilla. I still dream about that soup and the chunks of deep fried tofu floating in the flavorful broth, and I'm not even a vegetarian! I was heartbroken when it closed, but shrugged it off since I was moving to the east bay on a scholarship to UC Berkeley, and wouldn't be around anymore anyway. And with Cal giving me a 2BR apartment in student family housing for only $425/month - all utlities included - I didn't have a choice but to leave the city. I paid almost that much to share a sprawling, noisy Victorian flat on Oak Street with three roommates, with a sleep loft in the laundry room as our 4th bedroom, and a fair share of drama, depending on who didn't mind living with a broke, overwhelmed single mom and her precocious preschooler. At one point they included Margaret Atwood's nephew, a German artist named Lothar, punk aficionados and bike messengers who jump started what became Critical Mass. Oh the good old days. But since I knew I wasn't going to be in the area much any more, it lessened my grief a little bit.
I was happy to see the International Cafe and wondered if they still served their amazing mujadara. I haven't seen it on any other menu since leaving SF. That cafe nourished me often while a single mom attending City College. I have many fond memories of my 3-year old making adult friends, with me furiously studying, hunched over a book. She'd bring them by the hand to meet me, and ask me to get their phone number for her, so she could invite them to annual tree trim party. It was our annual holiday bash where guests with musical talent - many we met at the cafe - would often play a set.
But more things in the area are different now than when we lived there. The days of renting a 4-BR flat for $975/month - even on noisy Oak Street - are long over. The health food store on the corner of Haight and Fillmore is a Whole Foods now. The Catholic Church up the street is now the Church of 8 Wheels skate rink, and the nunnery around the corner on Oak Street is condos now. The driveway between their nunnery and the Victorian where I used to live is gone too. It's been swallowed up by a modern white monstrosity completely out of character with the other buildings on the block, that blocks the sunlight that used to pour into my former living room, and the view of the distant lights of City Hall from the tiny sleep loft in our bedroom/laundry room.
But it was great to discover Parilla, which now dons the mantle of bomb Southeast Asian food in in my old stomping grounds. While they don't have fire hot and sour soup on their menu, they offer plenty of deliciousness in its place. Their Thai Iced Tea was the best I've ever had, with the perfect balance of tea, dairy and sweetness. And the Five Spice Chicken Garlic Noodles was OMG pure goodness. The chicken grilled to perfection, and the garlic noodles were full of garlicky goodness, the best I've eaten so far.
But it was their take on Imperial Rolls that has my mouth watering as I write this review. Theirs seemed slightly shorter than your typical rolls, but tbh I ate them in my dark car, so I didn't get a good look. I was too busy enjoying them to turn on the lights. They also seemed a little deeper fried than your usual rolls too. Whatever they do, it was culinary magic. At least that's what my tastebuds told me. I couldn't wait to eat them until I drove back to the east bay, so I ate the entire order while parked out front in my car.
If I could, I'd give Parilla ten stars for the food alone. They'd deserve it. But then their customer service? Above and beyond. I placed a DoorDash order for pickup late in the evening, two minutes before the cutoff time. I ran late to see Annie Liebovitz at the Palace of Fine Arts, so I hadn't eaten all day. I got distracted checking my messages, so by the time I got to Parilla, the lights were out and they were closed. Kudos to the two guys who were still waiting when I finally got there, and handed me my delicious dinner, still warm. I forgot to tip you, but I promise I'll make it up to you the next time. Because I WILL be coming back to get your Imperial Rolls and to try something else on your menu, even if I have to make a special trip.
And for those of you who made it to the end of my review, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
