Bay Meadows

Social Fusion Kitchen in Downtown San Mateo is now open and serving up traditional concepts with an Asian twist. We chatted with Social Fusion Kitchen’s Jonathan Hogg. Planting roots in San Mateo was an easy decision, Jonathan is a San Mateo native who has lived here all of his life. “I’ve watched the downtown area bloom over the past few years in terms of dining options and knew I wanted to be a part of that!”

Read more from our interview:

I’ve always been a social person who loves food and enjoys hosting events and cooking for friends and family. Growing up, both of my parents spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking tasty meals so I guess I inherited my passion for food from them. My mom was always cooking traditional Filipino cuisine, while my dad has always been into grilling and more traditional comfort foods. For this restaurant, the idea was to start with common traditional items and put an Asian twist on them. I wanted something that could appeal to everyone, so I started with comfort foods most people in this area are familiar with and put my own Asian spin on those items to get people to try something new. I strive to offer unique food and drink options that appeal to the local demographic. And, our menu items are handcrafted, as I hope to appeal to foodies from near and far….

What three words best describe the vibe at Social Fusion?
Casual. Comfortable. Inviting.

How do you select your unique fusion pairings?
For the most part, I started with some of my favorite dishes… such as chicken and waffles… and then started to think about how I could give it an Asian twist. Kung Pao Chicken is a common Chinese dish so I played with that and came up with one of our most popular dishes. I’m a big fan of chicken wings, so why not prepare them in a tasty egg roll?! Same awesome taste, minus the mess!

What are the 3 most popular dishes on the menu?
The Philly Cheesesteak Steam Buns, Korean Street Tacos and Kung Pao Chicken & Waffles.
We have a wide variety of draft beers that are always on rotation. It’s my goal to offer unique beers that aren’t available everywhere, along with some of the common beers many people enjoy.

We serve our homemade Wonton Churros with most menu items. The perfect blend of sweet & salty, we think they’re the perfect accompaniment to any dish. They’re much lighter than the standard french fry you might get elsewhere. Kind of a sweet treat.

What’s your go-to must-have item?
Definitely the Ahi Nachos! We’re serving fresh crab and ahi tuna and avocado poke over fried wonton chips, topped with avocado and a trio of tasty sauces drizzled over. They’re very addictive!

Best drink pairings?
As for pairings, who can go wrong with the house favorite Social Bomb… a hot sake & cider shooter!

Eat.Drink.Be.Social – Follow Social Fusion Kitchen on Instagram and Facebook too.
Social Fusion is open daily for lunch and dinner with a Social Hour on Monday through Friday from 5:00pm-6:30pm featuring discounts on both food and drinks. They are always playing around in the kitchen to create new menu items and planning on bringing weekend brunch this spring!

*Note: They even have new lighter version dishes on the menu to help you stick with those resolutions!

Featuring best-in-class retailers such as Tin Pot Creamery and Blue Bottle Coffee, Bay Meadows’ Town Square is shaping up to be the ideal gathering place with more ground floor retail, outdoor dining and pop-ups to come. Soon home to a stunning new sculpture from internationally-renowned artist Jeppe Hein, the Town Square will be the dynamic core of our urban village. With Caltrain electrification to start in 2017, the platform will be elevated and grade separations will be installed on 31st and 28th Avenues, making the Town Square the perfect place to relax outside for a glass of wine or an ice cream after a day of shopping and entertainment at Hillsdale Center. Join the Bay Meadows email list to stay on top of the latest.