Ambitious Food Hall From Tartine, Cala, and Kin Khao Is Open at SFO

The Manufactory Food Hall, a hotly anticipated flight of projects from San Francisco hits Tartine, Kin Khao, and Cala, has touched down at San Francisco International Airport. That means travelers to and from the airport’s International Terminal (near boarding area A) can get a first or last taste of San Francisco’s favorite breads and pastries, Michelin-starred Thai food, and Mexico City-inspired tacos.

Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson of Tartine, Gabriela Cámara of Cala, and Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao piloted the new project, which is run by concessionaire SSP America. But, says Techamuanvivit, their use of a third party operator doesn’t mean the chefs aren’t fully invested in the Manufactory Food Hall.

“This is not us licensing our names out — this is us cooking and serving the food,” she said as the project was taking shape in 2017.

At the Manufactory, a 3241-square-foot space, Tartine is offering a to-go pastry counter with baked goods: Expect the morning buns and croissants that made them famous at their original Mission District location. There’s also a full-service dining option based on Tartine’s newer, larger bakery and restaurant, Tartine Manufactory, with salads, sandwiches, and soups.

Chef Gabriela Cámara’s contribution is Tacos Cala, based on the casual, daytime taco offering adjacent to her upscale Civic Center restaurant Cala. Cámara’s celebrated food, inspired by her native Mexico City, includes breakfast tortas, tacos, tostadas, and salads at the new Tacos Cala.

Techamuanvivit’s new offering, meanwhile, is called Kamin. It’s a a casual spinoff of her Union Square restaurant Kin Khao, starring khao soi northern-style chicken curry, salads, noodle soups, and carry-out boxes of fried chicken and fried tofu — seat mates who settled for airline food are sure to be jealous.

To drink, there’s a cafe outpost from Tartine’s Coffee Manufactory — the brand’s roastery — with grab-and-go coffee, espresso drinks, and whole beans to-go. And finally, a full bar boasts beer and wine plus cocktails from all three brands — and since Kin Khao, Cala, and Tartine Manufactory all have a pretty stellar cocktails, it’s going to be tough to choose between them. Nervous fliers can sample them all.

Cámara, Techamuanvivit, Prueitt, and Robertson are all serious jet-setters these days, a fact that helped inspire their new food hall. Customers at SFO are liable to see Cámara as she commutes to and from her Mexico City restaurant Contramar, Techamuanvivit as she heads in and out for her role as executive chef at Bangkok’s Nahm, and Prueitt and Robertson as they zip back and forth from LA, where two new Tartine Manufactory locations are in the works.

“Our goal is to offer locally-sourced food and beverage concepts that reflect the cultural diversity of our region,” said airport director Ivar C. Satero according to a statement shared with Eater SF. “With the opening of the Manufactory Food Hall, travelers from around the world can get a taste of what makes San Francisco so great.”

The Manufactory Food Hall’s daily hours are 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eater SF has reached out to SFO and SSP America for further details, so stay tuned for updates.

This story has been updated to include a statement from SFO’s airport director.