Udon made with a fish-based soy sauce broth, green onions, fish cake, and deep-fried flour batter
Chicken Karaage
Tea House Cookies: fortune cookies, sesame cookies, almond cookies, and chocolate Pocky sticks
Last July, my dining companion and I spent some time exploring the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park. Located next to the de Young Museum on Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, this is the oldest public Japanese Garden in North America and features beautiful trees, sculptures, and a tea house, where you can stop by for a nice snack or meal.
After perusing their impressive menu, we started our early lunch with a pot of Sencha tea, a Japanese green tea. We then shared a warm bowl of Udon and Chicken Karaage, ending the meal with the Tea House Cookies. The Udon featured everything you want in its fish-based soy sauce broth, including thick udon noodles, green onions, fish cake, and deep-fried flour batter. The battered chicken had a nice crunch and provided more protein to our meal. The cookie tray included all of the classics: fortune cookies, sesame cookies, almond cookies, and chocolate Pocky sticks.
This was a delightful meal served in an incredibly beautiful space. (Seriously, take a look at their Instagram now!) I will definitely stop by again for a walk around the garden and a nice snack, potentially ordering the Hojicha tea, Organic Vegetarian Soup, or the Dango sticky rice balls.
75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, CA 94118
Open: Daily 9am - 4:45pm (winter) & 9am - 5:45pm (summer)
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