Namu by Numbers

Namu is one of those special, San Francisco-esque places that diners and critics love to write about. If you Google or Yelp it, hundreds of glowing reviews about this Korean-inflected spot pop up. So instead of adding to that long list, here's a quick hit of numbers to know:

1. 10. Namu's ranking on 7x7's 10 Best Burgers in SF list, and I couldn't agree more. The burger is cooked to a juicy perfection, and made truly unique with soy glazed onions, picked daikon, mustard and aioli. For $1 more you can add kimchi relish (totally recommended).

2. 6. The number of bowls of ramen they make nightly. Reportedly quite labor intensive, with handmade noodles, pork-miso broth, pork shoulder, veggies, kimchi, bean sprouts and a fried egg. I've tried it and it's good, but I prefer my ramen a little simpler. (6 [pm] is also the time to get there if you want to score a bowl.)

3. 4. The number of shiitake dumplings (photo #6 above) in an order, and also the amount of time in seconds it will take you to inhale these juicy, flavorful, and addicting appetizers. Add another 4 seconds for the amount of time it will take you to lick the bowl of the richly layered, just-as-addicting dashi broth.

4. 83. The ranking SF Eater gives their dashi braised oxtail & daikon on their list of SF's 92 Best Dishes. It's rich, tender, meaty and so, so flavorful (see pic #5) and the cooked-for-hours daikon just kind of melts in your mouth. And the luscious, almost buttery sauce is so good you'll want to drink it. Namu is also #21 on their Essential SF Restaurants list.

5. 1. The spot its yuzu french toast lands on my Favorite Desserts this year list. Made with my current #1 obsession (yuzu) - this fruit-topped, caramel-drizzled treat (see pic 7) is a classic example of how they can take something familiar and transform it into something new and completely brilliant. (Also see Korean tacos, #90 on 7x7's 100 Things to Try Before You Die list).

6. 0. The exact number of dates MFM and I had been on before we had dinner here many, many moons ago! Also the number of times I didn't enjoy my meal here. Or received poor service. Or went home hungry. I could go on and on...

SAMIWICH'S TASTE RATING