Angler may serve the best lunch deal in San Francisco

Angler's roast chicken is a masterclass in whole-chicken cooking. Its preparation is a multi-day process similar to that of Peking duck: brining, drying the skin and separating it from the meat before blanching it twice. The result is an umber-colored, deliciously crispy exterior. “It's probably the most intense chicken [preparation] “I did,” says Hou. It's accompanied by Angler's version of “good old American barbecue sauce,” made with French's yellow mustard in the golden style of South Carolina. Both mains come with a generous salad that's barely a side note: a pile of local lettuces – watercress, arugula, the extra-zesty kinds – dressed à la minute with a light vinaigrette.

If you think there's no room for dessert, I dare you to hold off. Wasting even a spoonful of Angler's soft serve ice cream would be an insult to the dairy gods. The twisted vanilla tower is covered in smoked caramel, a sprinkle of candied cocoa nibs and smoked sea salt. It's both playful and decidedly grown-up.

Hou says the bargain price of the prix fixe menu is meant to draw people to Angler's stretch of waterfront, which overlooks the Bay Bridge and the Embarcadero, and the view is better during the day, too.

📍Angler, 132 of the Embarcadero