Slow morning at home first — nothing before this. ~55 min up to the Inner Sunset; timed to hit San Tung near open and beat the line.
Drive·55 min·42 mi
Lunch — dry-fried chicken at San Tung
Inner Sunset · 2 guests
Dairy-free · The famous dry-fried chicken, hand-cut noodles, pot stickers, and stir-fried string beans are all dairy-free — Shandong Chinese cooking uses no dairy.
Parking · Street parking on Irving / the avenues; arrive early for a spot too.
Nathan's pick — the cult dry-fried chicken. No reservations and the lines are legendary after ~12:30, so rolling in right at ~11:45 open is the whole trick (or put your name in and browse Irving St). Lunch service ends 2:45.
Parking · de Young underground garage (enter on Fulton at 10th Ave).
The unique, time-boxed piece — 'Monet and Venice' closes July 26, so this is the weekend. Timed-entry ticket (includes the permanent galleries); book ahead. Ride the free Hamon tower for a 360° fog-and-city view. Calm, sit-and-wander pace after the busy lunch.
Dairy-free · Thai curries are coconut-based and the stir-fries and soups are dairy-free — easy to order without negotiating.
Parking · Performing Arts Garage (Grove & Franklin) or street; walkable to True Sake and the party.
Calm, long-running authentic Thai on Hayes St — a real sit-down dinner before the party (which won't have food). Well-reviewed; exact stars not dual-verified offline. Reserve or walk in for an early table.
556 Hayes St — the first sake-only shop in the US (Nathan's call). Open Saturday till 7, so an easy stop after dinner; the staff will pair a bottle for the hosts. Then it's an 8–10 min walk to the party.
Walk·10 min·0.5 mi
HousewarmingOn your calendar
Why it fits
A genuinely full SF day on one axis: San Tung for lunch by the park, Monet at the de Young, then an early Thai dinner and the sake pickup two blocks apart in Hayes Valley before you walk to the party.
The unique piece is time-boxed on purpose — 'Monet and Venice' at the de Young is gone after July 26, so this is the weekend to catch it (plus the tower for a fog-and-city view).
Dairy-free the whole way: San Tung's dry-fried chicken and hand-cut noodles, then coconut-based Thai — no cream anywhere — and the housewarming sake is handled at True Sake on the way in.
Bring
Layers — SF summer runs cool and breezy (~54–64°F), colder by eveningComfortable shoes — the San Tung wait, museum galleries, and the Hayes Valley walkde Young tickets on your phone; cash or card for San Tung
Backup
Long line at San Tung? Put your name in and browse Irving St for 20, or grab the dry-fried chicken to go and eat in the park. Rather 'do' than view? The California Academy of Sciences (aquarium + rainforest) is right across the concourse from the de Young. And for the most only-in-SF thing, Audium's surround-sound-in-the-dark show is worth a future date — it runs at 8pm, so it doesn't fit today.