The Skinny combs the neighborhood to find the best eats for the best prices.
     

Nepalese
Little Nepal
925 Cortland Avenue

Start with the Momos ($5.95). The vegetarian ones are substantial little crescents not unlike Irish potstickers, steamed and filled with potatoes that cut the spice of the accompanying sauce. This sauce, like a mountain cousin of tahini, is slyly addictive. For the omnivores, the succulent texture of the Little Nepal Special Chhoila with chicken ($5.95) is juxtaposed against the crispiness of popped soybeans and rice. Fresh cilantro and slivers of dried garlic complement the dish’s lemony tanginess. The slightly smoky mellowness of the Khasiko Masino Masu Curry ($12.95) is comfort food extraordinaire – a thick, stewlike dish of minced lamb, sautéed with mushrooms, green peas, and spices. Sagko Tarkari ($10.35) is the best thing ever to happen to mustard greens; slow cooked with love, the greens swim in a delicately spicy broth of ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, which seem to represent a culinary holy trinity in this part of the world. If you know what you're doing, you'll pay $2 more and get the combo, which comes with – thank you – more sauce. Sides of naan, fragrant basmati, lentils, and seasonal vegetables round out the combos; yes, it seems like too much food and yes, you will eat it all anyway.

 

   Indian/Pizza
Zante Pizza & Indian Cuisine
3489 Mission St @ Cortland

So some Marco Polo wannabe went to India and the lovechild result was Zante, where eggplant, cauliflower, ginger, cilantro, lamb and tandoori chicken replace pepperoni, mushrooms and olives on a traditional pie; you can create your own pizza here with more familiar toppings, but why? There are a billion other places in town for that; let Zante do what it does best. A little cosmic wonder occurs when they make their pizza crust: Its fluffiness recalls naan. This is a good reason to get an order of saag paneer ($7.99) or creamy malai kofta ($8.99) with your pizza, since they function as mildly spicy and faintly sweet dipping sauces for your crust ends. Don't fill up on pakoras and samosas, but do try to eat an entire one of these pizzas by yourself, preferably washed down with several Indian beers. Pizza prices range from $13.99 for a small (about 12”) to $24.99 for an X-large. Many report nearly dying from starvation while waiting for delivery, so takeout or eat-in and enjoy.
Sushi
Moki’s Sushi and Pacific Grill
615 Cortland Avenue

Throw a chopstick in any direction in this town and chances are you’ll hit a sushi place, though Moki’s is one of the lucky few to boast our three top criteria: freshness, affordability and character. Take Jojo's roll ($5.50) – well-balanced and creamy with sake (salmon) and avocado, a welcome spike of freshness delivered by shiso and tempura asparagus. The mouthwatering Golden Gate roll ($9.75) features albacore, ahi and scallions, topped with another melt-in-your-mouth slab of ahi, while the Riptide roll ($9.75) marries the warm crunch of tempura shrimp with avocado and a tender sliver of grilled unagi. But don’t dismiss Moki’s as merely another sushi place – some of their best work is done on the grill. If you don't want to go raw, hamachi kama is a tender half fish grilled to melting delicacy; you’ll pick it apart like you're stranded on a deserted isle and it's the best that the sea has to offer. And we found the spicy corn fritters ($6) charmingly homey like only fritters can be: crispy and soothing in their fresh corn sweetness, but edged with spicy warmth. Didn't even get near the dipping sauce, these babies don't need gussying up. For dessert, try Moki’s house specialty, banana lumpia, lightly fried and served with Mitchell's caramel praline ice cream, coconut caramel sauce and macadamia nuts – you’ll thank us.
   
 

More frugal feasts
The Mission
Potrero Hill
The Tenderloin

Fancier feasts
Bernal Heights
The Mission
Potrero Hill
The Tenderloin

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