San Ho Won is great. Definitely worth going to -- I really enjoyed the soondae pajeon. Flavors aren't as punchy as in a neighborhood Korean BBQ joint, but it more than makes up for that with the precision of the cooking. I still think its hard to get into, even on weekdays.
Tbh, the one can't miss restaurant in the Bay Area is Sushi Yoshizumi. In my opinion, just as good as Yoshino or Shion in NYC, though Yoshizumi really shines with his hikarimono (his sardine and mackerel are phenomenal). I notice he typically only serves his gizzard shad as an add-on, but that's definitely a must-have. Tuna is good, but not as good as I had at Yoshino or Shion.
The NY Times list is pretty good -- I've been to most of those places and all of those I've been to are worth going to:
The chicken kabob at Beit Rima is my post-yoga Sunday supper; a great takeout option.
Cotogna has reliably tasty pasta -- egg ravioli is awesome.
Benu has very precise, technical cooking, but it's a little stodgy, in my opinion. I prefer Singlethread in Healdsburg for their bigger flavors. But Benu worth going to if you are up for splurging.
Daeho's braised short rib dish is quite tasty, but I usually go there for the beef bone broth soup; beef quality is high and both are very tasty. However banchan is subpar, but that is par for the course for SF Korean food. For Korean, there are pretty good places in Santa Clara/South Bay if you're looking for punchy, rustic flavors (San Ho Won is a totally different beast -- it's doing its own thing).
La Taqueria probably has the best Mission burrito (as article notes, get it dorado), but it isn't that much better than Taqueria Cancun (al pastor), Castillito (carnitas), or Farolito (burritos good, quesadillas better) -- specifically, the locations on Mission Street in the Mission. I would actually try to go to El Gallo Giro, a taco truck in the Mission -- burritos are excellent, but they really shine with their tacos. An al pastor stand on Mission that is usually set up around 18th street is also quite good -- only open on weekends.
It's been a long time since I've been to El Buen Comer, but the stews and braises there were really good, and different than a lot of other Mexican places in SF.
Liholiho has a great vibe and really creative food -- off menu Spam musubi is a lot of fun, but everything is good. Large format platters are memorable.
The Progress is awesome and relatively easier to get a reservation than Statebird Provisions. Though, I was able to walk in at Statebird last week at 6pm on a Saturday, so you can always try your luck. Statebird is definitely a place you should go to at least once for the experience, though the food at the Progress is just as good.
Yunbao Jiaozi has very good dumplings, and its cool to see the cooks make the dumplings behind the plexiglass (pig ear salad is very good). Can be a bit of a wait. There are a lot of other great Chinese places in the Sunset and Richmond to explore too, dumplings and otherwise (Terra Cotta Warrior, Old Islamic, House of Pancake, etc. etc..). The Chinese in the Avenues is definitely better than in Chinatown.
Roast chicken and bread salad is still great at Zuni. Octavia, similarly, is also still very good.
Shuggie's is ok, but its definitely a bit kitsch and leaning hard into the natural wine trend. I'm not sure it's worth a detour.
I also agree with what Larry said about Nari, Rintaro and Belotti. I've never been to Penny Roma (though I get the sandwiches at the pasta shop after I go climbing at my gym on weekends -- pork sandwich with broccoli raab is good); but I enjoy its sister restaurant Flour and Water a lot. Delfina and Che Fico also have similar Cal-Italian vibes.
Noodle in a Haystack and Prik Hom are on my to-do list.
