The two brothers who started Rooh in SoMa and ran Indienne in Chicago have opened an Indian restaurant in the Marina—and it’s great. There are two ways to experience a meal here: the tasting menu or ordering a la carte. The tasting menu (which ticks all the fine dining boxes) has a mix of small dishes and entrees served on white tablecloth, while the a la carte area feels more like a sultry cocktail bar with green velvet chairs.

There’s been a lot of fantastic new duck to try in SF lately (hi, Z&Y Peking Duck), and the latest (and most ridiculously named by a landslide) newcomer is Go Duck Yourself. The people behind the now-closed Hing Lung Company just opened this dine-in spot in Bernal Heights, and you should spend immediate quality time with their excellent Cantonese roast meat. As you’ve probably guessed, the well-deserved headliner is their duck.

Mini Potstickers just opened a Nob Hill location, so now, anyone east of Van Ness can easily fill up on the tiny, adorable pan-fried pork buns with juicy fillings. This low-key spot, which is pretty bare-bones aside from a couple of neon signs on the walls, also has a much bigger menu than the original Sunset location. Load up the table with heartier Chinese entrées like chow mein and shrimp fried rice, and be sure to snag an order of the spicy version of the namesake potstickers.

Sleepy West Portal is having a moment thanks to some hot new openings, first with Elena's and now Khao Tiew. Like Elena's, this modern Thai spot is filled most days of the week, mainly with groups of friends packing into the dining room with ‘70s Thai ads and movie posters on the walls. The tom yum seafood hotpot at Khao Tiew is more than enough reason to keep coming back—it’s sour, tangy, just the right amount of creamy, and comes in a mobile hotpot that’s warmed via flame.

Minnie Bell’s is serving San Francisco’s best fried chicken. This Emeryville favorite recently made the jump across the Bay and opened a new Fillmore location with the same signature rosemary-spiced fried chicken, mac and cheese, and cornbread. And everything stacks up to the original, especially the chicken, which somehow manages to have an extra crispy breading and super juicy meat at the same time.

There aren’t many dedicated Hawaiian spots in the city, so the arrival of Little Aloha is a Big Deal for anyone who has li hing mui running through their veins. The takeout-only spot in Parkside is masterfully filling the niche—garlic shrimp gets fried until crisp, and their pineapple sausage is a revelation smeared with a breath-ruining amount of thick garlic butter sauce. The only acceptable way to round out a trip here is with a well-packed mound of syrup-soaked shave ice.

Bar Jabroni is the intimate, relaxed neighborhood spot that the Lower Haight has desperately needed for years. From the team behind Sunset favorite Palm City, this wine bar with communal seating feels like a dinner party where you can walk in uninvited. The short food menu is all over the place (in a good way), but the best way to enjoy your time is to grab a small bite like the decadent potato gnocchi, and split one bigger dish (like the tender braised wagyu beef cheeks).

Komaaj Mazze Wine Bar is your new favorite place to kick back for hours with a glass of chardonnay and marinated olives. Their Northern Iranian dishes nail the sour-sweet-salty trifecta, thanks to a heavy hand with pomegranates, walnuts, and fresh herbs on just about everything. Focus on the Rasht mazze platter, a plate the size of a car wheel loaded with beet yogurt dip, eggplant and walnut dip, pickles, and sticky smoked trout.

Elena’s is the kind of Big Night Out restaurant that’s rare in West Portal. This upscale Mexican spot is meant for sexy outfits and sipping on spicy margaritas under live trees and candlelight. Every night, big groups gather in large leather booths and belt out laughs that mingle with Latin rock classics—it’s a vibrant, rowdy dinner party you’ll want to stay at until they kick you out. Luckily, the food is just as good as the scene.

Xiao long bao enthusiasts across SF are familiar with Dumpling Home and their sister spot with an identical menu, Dumpling Story. And while the actual food at this new Mission location of Dumpling Story is just as fantastic as its predecessors, the space is what sets it apart. You’ll bite into shengjianbao from plush green booths, or gnaw on crackly chicken wings under a monkey-shaped chandelier.