Information:
SanJalisco
Address: Map
901 South Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone:(415) 648-8383
Hours: Mon-Sun 8am-10pm
Soup Price Range: $7.95-$16.95

La Santaneca De La Mission's sopa de pescado. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Sopa de Pescado and Sopa de Res: La Santaneca De La Mission

Back up on Mission Street is a small Salvadoran restaurant worthy of its profuse admiration. Yelpers sing praises of La Santaneca De La Mission’s pupusas, but don’t skip the soups—rainy day or not—on your visit.

Busy lunchtime crowd at La Santaneca De La Mission. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Sliding into a booth in their crowded, dimly lit dining room is like stepping into a womb-like cocoon. Inhaling whiffs of broth, corn, and cheese wafting out from the kitchen heightens the sense of warmth. This comfort only increases upon the first sips of soup. Try first the fragrant sopa de pescado. Its broth, enhanced with tomato and infused with mysterious Salvadoran spices, is far more complex than fish bones simmered in water. Each successive spoonful reveals more even complexity; it would be easy to get lost in the broth without even trying the fish. Yet the seafood, cooked bone-in and skin on, is a wonder in itself. Just cooked through and robustly seasoned, the pieces of fish are as fine as in any white tablecloth restaurant. Large chunks of hard boiled egg are a fun surprise.

La Santaneca De La Mission's sopa de res. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

The sopa de res, El Salvador’s version of Mexican beef stew, was also impossible to put down. Where SanJalisco’s beef broth was light, La Santaneca De La Mission’s is marrow rich. Like their sopa de pescado, the beef broth is imbued with Salvadoran aromatics, topped with hearty chopped greens, and shot through with lemon juice. Each element of the soup, from the succulent short ribs to the wholesome vegetables is clearly executed with care. It is possible to love the bites of tender chayote squash just as much as the pieces of beef.

La Santaneca De La Mission exterior. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

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