For this food writer, 2025 was all about finding new favorites: my favorite Peking duck house, build-your-own malatang counter, jjajangmyeon spot, and Lao restaurant inside a bowling alley (granted, a niche category) — all discovered in the course of this year. In a Bay Area food scene marred by crushing closures of longtime staples , it felt more important than ever to cherish and support the local restaurants I love.

Here, then, are 10 of my favorite new-to-me dishes from 2025, presented in roughly the chronological order in which I ate them. You could do a lot worse than start 2026 by eating your way through this list:

Smothered pork chops and other assorted soul food deliciousness from Dimond Kitchen — a feast served on the hood of the car. (Luke Tsai/KQED)

1. Smothered pork

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