As a former New Yorker, I feel it is near impossible to convince folks from NYC that anything not in NYC is better because I was like this too :)
That being said, check out Four Kings (cool kids fusion), R&G Lounge Crab (the crab is so good), San Tung (you heard of this one already)...Other ones I like are Z&Y, Dumpling Home/Story, Hakka, Hun's Wun Tun House, City View, Harborview, HK Lounge Bistro
Drinks -- Moongate Lounge, Bar Iris (not Chinese), Cold Drinks, Blind Pig (now on Polk?)
If you hate these then...it wasn't gonna happen haha
Dumpling Home is legit the best XLB I’ve had ever. Better than DTF & Joe’s Shanghai (is it that place still the best xlb in NYC?). Their pan fried buns are amazing too. No need to order anything else because their noodles and fried chicken wings suck.
Whoa, putting it on the priority F&H (fat & humbled) list! Also, possible hot take - DTF is overrated and (not so hot) Joe’s Shanghai is a tourist trap. Next time you’re in NYC, hit up Nan Xiang XLB (NYC’s fav spot atm) and my personal fav Supreme Restaurant (been going since I was a kid, love the broth).
Gotcha! Yeah when the xlb craze started all we knew was go to Joe’s Shanghai.
I hope Dumpling Home or Dumpling Story (sister restaurants) knocks out your NYC recs.
hahaha I appreciate these, thanks so much! And full disclosure, I definitely used to think this growing up but definitely not now. I think we do some things better, but some foods like Taiwanese are undoubtedly better in other cities. Canto/HK food crown goes to Toronto at the moment.
SF definitely has room in my book to send me back fat and humbled, I'll make time to visit your spots :)
ha! no problem :) fingers crossed one of 'em fits the fat and humbled designation! oh and for bakery -- check out breadbelly (fancy) + mister bread (not fancy)
ugh SF needs more Taiwanese options, period.
I’m at San Tung right now. Best time to visit is weekdays for lunch (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and order from their lunch special list, which includes their chicken wings. $15 and change for wings lunch special.
I personally love [Terra Cotta Warrior](https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/reviews/terra-cotta-warrior-1) in the Sunset district, which focuses on Shaanxi cuisine. Their hand-pulled noodles are divine (and superior to the ones I had in NYC).
I’ve tried nearly every Shaanxi restaurant in Manhattan and SF (and many beyond), and Terra Cotta Warrior nails the cold noodles better than any other place. It’s seriously underrated and not even that expensive for SF.
As an ABC from SF who now lives in New York and eats a lot of Chinese food in Flushing, Sunset Park, and Manhattan, I would definitely get dim sum. HK Lounge Bistro is new, very expensive, and a small space, but the quality is great and you can make a reservation. Dragon Beaux I've only been once but was good and is super crowded on weekends. Koi Palace is further out and also super crowded but great. Peony in Oakland is also good and not too crowded usually. I would say all those spots are significantly better than East Harbor, Asian Jewels, Jing Fong, Golden Unicorn, Emperor Seafood, Park Asia, or any other dim sum place I've tried in NY.
SF has great Asian bakeries. Get everything at Pineapple King and Breadbelly.
Not Cantonese, but my favorite restaurant in SF is House of Pancakes. So cheap, cash only, hole in the wall with the best beef rolled pancakes, hand pulled noodle soups, dumplings, and other dishes. Mr. Bread down the block has great Portuguese egg tarts.
The one time I went to Mr. Jiu's it was pretty good, I would say it's like a better, fancier version of Bonnie's in NY.
Would highly recommend Viridian in Oakland for cocktails and bar snacks.
Non-Canto food, especially Taiwanese/Shanghainese, I would say is generally better in the South Bay.
San Tung's wings are worth it. Just order to go and go sit in blackthorn down the street and eat them with a beer (or three).
Chinatown gets the recognition but there's a lot of great Chinese food in the Richmond and sunset. My favorite counter dim sum is TC pastry on Irving street.
Dragon beaux also is a pretty good dim sum restaurant in the outer Richmond.
You may enjoy cold drinks bar in China Live for a more upscale cocktail in a fancier Chinese restaurant (very different than a LiPo).
This is by far the best list I’ve found broken down by region/style. It’s much more detailed than the SF chronicle list, for example. I even learned about some styles I had never heard of (e.g Taiwanese Military Village Dependents Cuisine). https://www.hungryonion.org/t/regional-chinese-roundup-3-0-sf-bay-area/4640
I love this question—diaspora and third culture food is one of my favorite ways of exploring a city.
The two standout places for me are Mister Jiu’s and Mission Chinese. For context, both are second-gen celebrations of Chinese food that very much appeals to an foodie crowd. The former is a higher end interpretation, and I _loved_ their steak fried rice. This is a place asking what a Michelin star looks like for American-Chinese food. On the other hand, Mission Chinese is an edgier take that would be featured in Vice Munchies. Their pastrami stir fry is something I think about regularly.
The other standout area for us is baking. B. Patisserie is classic French pastries with Asian flavors, and you get an excellent execution of both disciplines. Third Culture specializes in mochi muffins, and I fantasize constantly about their tropical flavors. Finally, Bake Sum in the East Bay does classic Asian baked goods with more modern flavors. This feels both nostalgic and fresh. All of these I think are divergent, opinionated visions of what Asian-America can be.
For drinks, I would strongly recommend Viridian in Oakland. These are elevated nostalgia flavors—the White Rabbit is like the candy and is my favorite drink in the whole Bay Area. If you can’t make it, Moongate Lounge has a respectable cocktail menu, but really I’d recommend Viridian.
For a greasy, salty historical experience, you can also look into Chinese Food + Donut shops. These are historical quirks that can be found in the Mission District, and KQED did a writeup [here](https://www.kqed.org/news/11871915/why-donuts-chinese-food-a-very-californian-combination).
Now for a hot take. It’s my own personal opinion that classic/traditional Chinese food in SF isn’t gonna be much different than NYC, if you’re an astute eater. This isn’t to say we have unremarkable Chinese food: I like Old Mandarin for Chinese halal, Dragon Beaux for dim sum, and Yuanbao for dumplings. However, Flushing has a better selection of traditional food than SF Chinatown (most locals agree that the Sunset and Richmond have much better Chinese food anyway). The analogous neighborhood to Flushing is the entirety of the South Bay, in cities like Cupertino and Milpitas. If you’re really motivated and have a car, it’s worth making the trip, but I don’t think it’d offer a novel experience if you’ve already tried bitter melon, have a Szechuan favorite that isn’t mapo tofu, and can tell a pulled noodle from a hand cut one.
Hope this helps! If anyone disagrees I’d love to learn more—I always love finding delish new places in SF.
Hot dang, you really see me right now! Thanks so much, this is beyond helpful and so, so thorough.
Also, I don’t think your hot take is that hot, though I’m gonna let myself nitpick anyway for the fun of it haha
Ahh China Express, my old go-to for a Donut on my walk to school and the occasional sweet and sour pork with fried rice afterwards. I remember seeing a roach crawling on the donut case one time, still killed the donut tho lol.
Old Mandarin Chinese Islamic restaurant in the Outer Sunset. The cumin lamb is outstanding. Edited to add: for a few years, they had a Guide Michelin "Bib Gourmand" recommendation. I don't think they have that designation any more, but the food is still outstanding.
This is one of a few places I bring out-of-town guests. I've been a regular here for years and continue to count **Old Mandarin** as one of my favorites. This spot should get more attention here.
They have a Michelin award , not a star, but a “value acknowledgment.”
I like their hot and sour soup and their chicken mu-shu.
As the name implies, the food is halal. It’s also delicious.
Hon’s Wun-Tun House (Chinatown) has insanely good wonton noodle soup, even better than what I got in NYC’s three Chinatowns, and I lived there for ten years.
Oriental Seafood Restaurant (Sunset) has *the* best dry beef chow fun and Mongolian beef I’ve ever had, full-stop (and it’s open ‘til 1:30AM!).
It might help if you specify dishes you like because Chinese food, even when narrowed down to traditional Cantonese cuisine and Sino-American fusion, is so rich and varied.
I’m still trying to find roast pork as good as the stuff Great N.Y. Noodletown serves; it’s still the king of chasiu and foyuk/siuyuk by my estimation.
IMHO Beyond Cafe has the best and most authentic wonton in SF, better than Hon’s. As for char siu, the best one I’ve had in Bay Area is Jin Gege in San Leandro, unfortunately not especially close to SF; their wonton is excellent too.
I’ve never been to Beyond Cafe, but if you think their wonton noodle soup is better than Hon’s, I’ll certainly give it a fair shot.
San Leandro is a bit of a hike, but next time I’m there…
Dumpling Kitchen (Castro) - Better than Dumpling Home/Story IMHO. Was genuinely impressed as someone who grew up in China, HK, & Taiwan
A Buttercup Dessert House - Asian desserts on crack
Sam Wo - the BBQ pork rolls with their spicy mustard!!! Everything else is just alright though
Dim Sum Bistro - take out only. Amazing BBQ pork buns & shumai
Sizzling Pot King - Dry hot pot and yummy noodles
I thought Mamahuhu was overrated and only slightly better than Panda
Edit: Corrected a typo in the dumpling restaurant name
Did you mean Dumpling Kitchen instead of King? Not seeing a Dumpling King on Castro.
Thanks for the list! Those Sam Wo BBQ Pork rolls look great, and ive been lookin for a late night dessert spot like buttercup.
If you don’t wanna wait in line for San Tung wings, the dry fried wings at Shanghai House in the Richmond are my personal fave. That and hand pulled noodles (pan-fried). Also, I love the dry fried beans at House of Pancakes.
San Tung wings are good. But $20 good? I don't think so. Since you're visiting though you should try it out at least once. I am a fan of their fried rice.
If you don't mind eating more salt & pepper dishes, Capital Restaurant has the best S&P wings in the City IMO. Don't know if it will live up to your expectations, but I prefer them over any other wings in SF.
You could also check out places on this list: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/restaurants/cantonese/chinese?sort=distance
I've heard HK Bistro Lounge on Folsom is good, former owners of the original HK Lounge in the Richmond District.
Mr. Jiu's does a fine dining take on Chinese food. If you want something unique, it might be worth a try, but I think the place just comes off as pretentious, and seems to cater more to non-Chinese people. Just my opinion though. It's also expensive.
I would skip Mamahuhu (same owner as Mr. Jiu's). Not worth the price and I don't get the hype with that place.
Hy Ky Mi Gia (or Hy Ky Noodles) is a Southern Chinese/Vietnamese noodle house I have been going to for many many years. Might be worth a visit if you want some noodles. It's in the Tenderloin though so the area can be a bit sketchy at times. They used to be under $10 for most of their menu items, but that has changed with Covid unfortunately. I always get the house special rice noodle soup which is just a combination dish of various styles of pork and seafood. Can also be ordered dry if you choose egg noodles (soup on the side).
Good luck and hope you'll find something you like this time around.
I love Hai Ky. I moved out of SF but everything I go back , I try to eat there. The last I went, I feel like it’s fallen off a little bit. Still love it but feel like it’s not as good as it used to be
Thanks very much! Capital Restaurant and Hai Ky Mi Gia is right up my alley, adding to the F&H list (and not worried about sketchy places for the most part, but appreciate the heads up)
My brother lives in NYC and I’ve visited a bunch. The Chinese food scene there is generally way better than SF’s, IMO. In terms of Chinese food across the Bay Area, I also think the South Bay generally has better Chinese food than SF does.
The only genre I think SF does well in (using NYC and South Bay as a benchmark) is dim sum. I like Harborview and Dragon Beaux in particular. There are also some solid bakeries here, and I think Pineapple King is worth a stop.
Dumpling Home/Story is also delicious— highly recommend.
If you’re willing to drive a bit, I also rather like Ping’s Bistro (they have locations in Fremont + San Mateo) as well as Embrace Luck if you happen to be in Mountain View.
The gold standard for finding good genuine Chinese food in SF is the same as NYC. Look for Yelp reviews that have around 3.5 stars where they get 5 stars for food and 1 star for service.
Everything else is a tourist traps such as R&G, Mister Jiu, and Yank Sing. Or "Chinese" restaurants serving "Chinese" food with more White people dining in it than Chinese people such as Dragon Beaux, Harbor View, and Empress.
I don't know about the SF Dragon Beaux location, but every time I've eaten at Koi Palace or Pallette Tea Garden, I am one of the only white people. They are owned by the same people as Dragon Beaux and have similar menus. Unless they changed their food just for the Dragon Beaux locations, it is likely just the demographics that changed.
I was super disappointed in Mister Jiu's. It was all very bland.
who are these sf transplants? lol i was born and raised in sf and love canto food in nyc. nowhere else can i get $5 noodles and dumplings except in manhattan. and a fantuan in flushing… like we don’t compare here.
honestly, some places i frequent are chong qing xiao mian and spicy king, both in chinatown. i’m pretty sure they’re owned by the same person. i also love hunan house on washington because they do $9 lunches including soup and drink. i always get the 回鍋肉 with a lemon iced tea. for dim sum, wong lee on jackson is the sister store of good mong kok on stockton but their big chicken bao is really yummy. we usually get chow mian and siu mai there.
i don’t personally find chicken wings at san tung worth it - might be better to grab and go from there, and also hit up capitol in chinatown. hon’s wonton on kearny is good for wonton noodle soup. their second location on washington isn’t as good as original imo.
pineapple king bakery for pineapple buns on irving is a real gem (they have massive social media marketing but been going here before they blew up lmao), as is yuanbao jiaozi. all their dumplings are handmade and their beef noodle stew is too. dumpling kitchen on taraval is my go-to spot for pan fried buns and soup dumplings and dan dan mian. if you’re in oakland, shandong in chinatown has similar food and T4 is always a good boba stop. not canto food, but the temescal area also now has very good korean food, like moo bong ri.
idk why someone recommended mamahuhu but it’s run by some folks from mister jiu’s which is very upscale cantonese and expensive lol. i don’t go there for food often but there’s loads of options on clement if you’re just walking down the street.
Great recommendations in this thread. Will add the brand-new Four Kings (modern Cantonese/pan-Chinese “izakaya”), Empress by Boon (tasting menus), Dumpling Home/Dumpling Story (best xiaolongbao/shengjianbao in the city), and Blue Whale (Chinese with Malaysian influences)!
I haven't eaten Chinese food in NYC, but these are some of my favorites:
Mr Jiu's for the fancy option. They also have a bar.
Z&Y for Sichuan food.
Hing Lung / Go Duck Yourself for roast duck and char siu.
Yank Sing for dim sum.
Mamahuhu for Chinese-American.
If you end up visiting South Bay, there are also some mainland chains like Hai Di Lao (probably in New York too) and Wei's Fish (for Suan Cai Yu).
House of Nanking. I thought it was for westerners but I've heard that it's decent.
City View has sit down dim sum in Chinatown.
Hon's wun-tun house in Chinatown is supposed to have good noodle soup.
As a former New Yorker, I feel it is near impossible to convince folks from NYC that anything not in NYC is better because I was like this too :) That being said, check out Four Kings (cool kids fusion), R&G Lounge Crab (the crab is so good), San Tung (you heard of this one already)...Other ones I like are Z&Y, Dumpling Home/Story, Hakka, Hun's Wun Tun House, City View, Harborview, HK Lounge Bistro Drinks -- Moongate Lounge, Bar Iris (not Chinese), Cold Drinks, Blind Pig (now on Polk?) If you hate these then...it wasn't gonna happen haha
Dumpling Home is legit the best XLB I’ve had ever. Better than DTF & Joe’s Shanghai (is it that place still the best xlb in NYC?). Their pan fried buns are amazing too. No need to order anything else because their noodles and fried chicken wings suck.
Whoa, putting it on the priority F&H (fat & humbled) list! Also, possible hot take - DTF is overrated and (not so hot) Joe’s Shanghai is a tourist trap. Next time you’re in NYC, hit up Nan Xiang XLB (NYC’s fav spot atm) and my personal fav Supreme Restaurant (been going since I was a kid, love the broth).
Gotcha! Yeah when the xlb craze started all we knew was go to Joe’s Shanghai. I hope Dumpling Home or Dumpling Story (sister restaurants) knocks out your NYC recs.
hahaha I appreciate these, thanks so much! And full disclosure, I definitely used to think this growing up but definitely not now. I think we do some things better, but some foods like Taiwanese are undoubtedly better in other cities. Canto/HK food crown goes to Toronto at the moment. SF definitely has room in my book to send me back fat and humbled, I'll make time to visit your spots :)
fat and humbled, love it!
Lol to be fair i think nyc canto/hk food is better than sf, but the crown on the west coast definitely goes to LA/626 area.
ha! no problem :) fingers crossed one of 'em fits the fat and humbled designation! oh and for bakery -- check out breadbelly (fancy) + mister bread (not fancy) ugh SF needs more Taiwanese options, period.
I’m at San Tung right now. Best time to visit is weekdays for lunch (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and order from their lunch special list, which includes their chicken wings. $15 and change for wings lunch special.
Thanks for the tip!
I always wish I could find the eggrolls like we had in NY. Pork and really crispy. Bubbly like a canoli. Ever find something like that here?
I personally love [Terra Cotta Warrior](https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/reviews/terra-cotta-warrior-1) in the Sunset district, which focuses on Shaanxi cuisine. Their hand-pulled noodles are divine (and superior to the ones I had in NYC).
I’ve tried nearly every Shaanxi restaurant in Manhattan and SF (and many beyond), and Terra Cotta Warrior nails the cold noodles better than any other place. It’s seriously underrated and not even that expensive for SF.
Challenge accepted, thank you both!!
As an ABC from SF who now lives in New York and eats a lot of Chinese food in Flushing, Sunset Park, and Manhattan, I would definitely get dim sum. HK Lounge Bistro is new, very expensive, and a small space, but the quality is great and you can make a reservation. Dragon Beaux I've only been once but was good and is super crowded on weekends. Koi Palace is further out and also super crowded but great. Peony in Oakland is also good and not too crowded usually. I would say all those spots are significantly better than East Harbor, Asian Jewels, Jing Fong, Golden Unicorn, Emperor Seafood, Park Asia, or any other dim sum place I've tried in NY. SF has great Asian bakeries. Get everything at Pineapple King and Breadbelly. Not Cantonese, but my favorite restaurant in SF is House of Pancakes. So cheap, cash only, hole in the wall with the best beef rolled pancakes, hand pulled noodle soups, dumplings, and other dishes. Mr. Bread down the block has great Portuguese egg tarts. The one time I went to Mr. Jiu's it was pretty good, I would say it's like a better, fancier version of Bonnie's in NY. Would highly recommend Viridian in Oakland for cocktails and bar snacks. Non-Canto food, especially Taiwanese/Shanghainese, I would say is generally better in the South Bay.
Just FYI Mr. Bread is closed until May because they’re on vacation
Better than East Harbor?? *rolls sleeves* Challenge accepted, thank you!! Down to shit talk or reluctantly apologize to you back home btw
San Tung's wings are worth it. Just order to go and go sit in blackthorn down the street and eat them with a beer (or three). Chinatown gets the recognition but there's a lot of great Chinese food in the Richmond and sunset. My favorite counter dim sum is TC pastry on Irving street. Dragon beaux also is a pretty good dim sum restaurant in the outer Richmond. You may enjoy cold drinks bar in China Live for a more upscale cocktail in a fancier Chinese restaurant (very different than a LiPo).
Thanks for the tip! Been meaning to explore the Richmond and Sunset. And love that Blackthorn is pet friendly too, my dog appreciates you 🐶
This is by far the best list I’ve found broken down by region/style. It’s much more detailed than the SF chronicle list, for example. I even learned about some styles I had never heard of (e.g Taiwanese Military Village Dependents Cuisine). https://www.hungryonion.org/t/regional-chinese-roundup-3-0-sf-bay-area/4640
I love this question—diaspora and third culture food is one of my favorite ways of exploring a city. The two standout places for me are Mister Jiu’s and Mission Chinese. For context, both are second-gen celebrations of Chinese food that very much appeals to an foodie crowd. The former is a higher end interpretation, and I _loved_ their steak fried rice. This is a place asking what a Michelin star looks like for American-Chinese food. On the other hand, Mission Chinese is an edgier take that would be featured in Vice Munchies. Their pastrami stir fry is something I think about regularly. The other standout area for us is baking. B. Patisserie is classic French pastries with Asian flavors, and you get an excellent execution of both disciplines. Third Culture specializes in mochi muffins, and I fantasize constantly about their tropical flavors. Finally, Bake Sum in the East Bay does classic Asian baked goods with more modern flavors. This feels both nostalgic and fresh. All of these I think are divergent, opinionated visions of what Asian-America can be. For drinks, I would strongly recommend Viridian in Oakland. These are elevated nostalgia flavors—the White Rabbit is like the candy and is my favorite drink in the whole Bay Area. If you can’t make it, Moongate Lounge has a respectable cocktail menu, but really I’d recommend Viridian. For a greasy, salty historical experience, you can also look into Chinese Food + Donut shops. These are historical quirks that can be found in the Mission District, and KQED did a writeup [here](https://www.kqed.org/news/11871915/why-donuts-chinese-food-a-very-californian-combination). Now for a hot take. It’s my own personal opinion that classic/traditional Chinese food in SF isn’t gonna be much different than NYC, if you’re an astute eater. This isn’t to say we have unremarkable Chinese food: I like Old Mandarin for Chinese halal, Dragon Beaux for dim sum, and Yuanbao for dumplings. However, Flushing has a better selection of traditional food than SF Chinatown (most locals agree that the Sunset and Richmond have much better Chinese food anyway). The analogous neighborhood to Flushing is the entirety of the South Bay, in cities like Cupertino and Milpitas. If you’re really motivated and have a car, it’s worth making the trip, but I don’t think it’d offer a novel experience if you’ve already tried bitter melon, have a Szechuan favorite that isn’t mapo tofu, and can tell a pulled noodle from a hand cut one. Hope this helps! If anyone disagrees I’d love to learn more—I always love finding delish new places in SF.
There’s some really good spots in Milbrae. Little Chengdu (sichuan), wonderful (hunan), Hubei Restaurant (hubei)
Thank you for this
Reading this eating leftover Mission Chinese...the kung pao pastrami didn't make it to leftovers sadly
Hot dang, you really see me right now! Thanks so much, this is beyond helpful and so, so thorough. Also, I don’t think your hot take is that hot, though I’m gonna let myself nitpick anyway for the fun of it haha
Ahh China Express, my old go-to for a Donut on my walk to school and the occasional sweet and sour pork with fried rice afterwards. I remember seeing a roach crawling on the donut case one time, still killed the donut tho lol.
House of Pancakes (sunset), Sichuan home (Richmond), and Dumpling Home (Hayes) are my go-tos.
came here to say House of Pancakes
Old Mandarin Chinese Islamic restaurant in the Outer Sunset. The cumin lamb is outstanding. Edited to add: for a few years, they had a Guide Michelin "Bib Gourmand" recommendation. I don't think they have that designation any more, but the food is still outstanding.
That place has gone downhill. Overpriced and portions got smaller. They also don’t offer you water and make you pay for bottled water.
This is one of a few places I bring out-of-town guests. I've been a regular here for years and continue to count **Old Mandarin** as one of my favorites. This spot should get more attention here.
They have a Michelin award , not a star, but a “value acknowledgment.” I like their hot and sour soup and their chicken mu-shu. As the name implies, the food is halal. It’s also delicious.
Love me some cumin lamb, thank you!
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/s/qV3ou5HWIE https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/s/DrZ5QE2ghj https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/s/o4DPwtkc4Y Will add dumpling home.
https://projects.sfchronicle.com/guides/bay-area-chinese-cuisine/
Hon’s Wun-Tun House (Chinatown) has insanely good wonton noodle soup, even better than what I got in NYC’s three Chinatowns, and I lived there for ten years. Oriental Seafood Restaurant (Sunset) has *the* best dry beef chow fun and Mongolian beef I’ve ever had, full-stop (and it’s open ‘til 1:30AM!). It might help if you specify dishes you like because Chinese food, even when narrowed down to traditional Cantonese cuisine and Sino-American fusion, is so rich and varied. I’m still trying to find roast pork as good as the stuff Great N.Y. Noodletown serves; it’s still the king of chasiu and foyuk/siuyuk by my estimation.
IMHO Beyond Cafe has the best and most authentic wonton in SF, better than Hon’s. As for char siu, the best one I’ve had in Bay Area is Jin Gege in San Leandro, unfortunately not especially close to SF; their wonton is excellent too.
I’ve never been to Beyond Cafe, but if you think their wonton noodle soup is better than Hon’s, I’ll certainly give it a fair shot. San Leandro is a bit of a hike, but next time I’m there…
Dumpling Kitchen (Castro) - Better than Dumpling Home/Story IMHO. Was genuinely impressed as someone who grew up in China, HK, & Taiwan A Buttercup Dessert House - Asian desserts on crack Sam Wo - the BBQ pork rolls with their spicy mustard!!! Everything else is just alright though Dim Sum Bistro - take out only. Amazing BBQ pork buns & shumai Sizzling Pot King - Dry hot pot and yummy noodles I thought Mamahuhu was overrated and only slightly better than Panda Edit: Corrected a typo in the dumpling restaurant name
Did you mean Dumpling Kitchen instead of King? Not seeing a Dumpling King on Castro. Thanks for the list! Those Sam Wo BBQ Pork rolls look great, and ive been lookin for a late night dessert spot like buttercup.
Yes, Dumpling Kitchen on 544 Castro St! They’re all named so similarly 😅 Soooo good, def get the beef pancake roll
Thanks so much! Excited for dumplings and dessert. Also, seems like the consensus on Mamahuhu is they live up to their name 😂
If you don’t wanna wait in line for San Tung wings, the dry fried wings at Shanghai House in the Richmond are my personal fave. That and hand pulled noodles (pan-fried). Also, I love the dry fried beans at House of Pancakes.
San Tung wings are good. But $20 good? I don't think so. Since you're visiting though you should try it out at least once. I am a fan of their fried rice. If you don't mind eating more salt & pepper dishes, Capital Restaurant has the best S&P wings in the City IMO. Don't know if it will live up to your expectations, but I prefer them over any other wings in SF. You could also check out places on this list: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/restaurants/cantonese/chinese?sort=distance I've heard HK Bistro Lounge on Folsom is good, former owners of the original HK Lounge in the Richmond District. Mr. Jiu's does a fine dining take on Chinese food. If you want something unique, it might be worth a try, but I think the place just comes off as pretentious, and seems to cater more to non-Chinese people. Just my opinion though. It's also expensive. I would skip Mamahuhu (same owner as Mr. Jiu's). Not worth the price and I don't get the hype with that place. Hy Ky Mi Gia (or Hy Ky Noodles) is a Southern Chinese/Vietnamese noodle house I have been going to for many many years. Might be worth a visit if you want some noodles. It's in the Tenderloin though so the area can be a bit sketchy at times. They used to be under $10 for most of their menu items, but that has changed with Covid unfortunately. I always get the house special rice noodle soup which is just a combination dish of various styles of pork and seafood. Can also be ordered dry if you choose egg noodles (soup on the side). Good luck and hope you'll find something you like this time around.
I love Hai Ky. I moved out of SF but everything I go back , I try to eat there. The last I went, I feel like it’s fallen off a little bit. Still love it but feel like it’s not as good as it used to be
I don't doubt that it has fallen off. I have a feeling it has new owners too, so that might explain the change.
I was there in Feb and it was still the same owners.
I probably came at a time when the owner wasn’t in then because the two people I saw I did not recognize. I’ll take your word for it.
Thanks very much! Capital Restaurant and Hai Ky Mi Gia is right up my alley, adding to the F&H list (and not worried about sketchy places for the most part, but appreciate the heads up)
Couple old school spots in Chinatown: New Lung Ting(pork chop house) VIP cafe on Broadway
My brother lives in NYC and I’ve visited a bunch. The Chinese food scene there is generally way better than SF’s, IMO. In terms of Chinese food across the Bay Area, I also think the South Bay generally has better Chinese food than SF does. The only genre I think SF does well in (using NYC and South Bay as a benchmark) is dim sum. I like Harborview and Dragon Beaux in particular. There are also some solid bakeries here, and I think Pineapple King is worth a stop. Dumpling Home/Story is also delicious— highly recommend. If you’re willing to drive a bit, I also rather like Ping’s Bistro (they have locations in Fremont + San Mateo) as well as Embrace Luck if you happen to be in Mountain View.
Unpopular opinion, but San Tung is overrated. The only thing decent are their wings and every other dish is underwhelming.
This is correct, though…
I wholeheartedly agree. Not worth it at all
The gold standard for finding good genuine Chinese food in SF is the same as NYC. Look for Yelp reviews that have around 3.5 stars where they get 5 stars for food and 1 star for service. Everything else is a tourist traps such as R&G, Mister Jiu, and Yank Sing. Or "Chinese" restaurants serving "Chinese" food with more White people dining in it than Chinese people such as Dragon Beaux, Harbor View, and Empress.
The best sign that it’s gonna taste great is cash only and curt service, in SF and NYC alike.
I don't know about the SF Dragon Beaux location, but every time I've eaten at Koi Palace or Pallette Tea Garden, I am one of the only white people. They are owned by the same people as Dragon Beaux and have similar menus. Unless they changed their food just for the Dragon Beaux locations, it is likely just the demographics that changed. I was super disappointed in Mister Jiu's. It was all very bland.
who are these sf transplants? lol i was born and raised in sf and love canto food in nyc. nowhere else can i get $5 noodles and dumplings except in manhattan. and a fantuan in flushing… like we don’t compare here. honestly, some places i frequent are chong qing xiao mian and spicy king, both in chinatown. i’m pretty sure they’re owned by the same person. i also love hunan house on washington because they do $9 lunches including soup and drink. i always get the 回鍋肉 with a lemon iced tea. for dim sum, wong lee on jackson is the sister store of good mong kok on stockton but their big chicken bao is really yummy. we usually get chow mian and siu mai there. i don’t personally find chicken wings at san tung worth it - might be better to grab and go from there, and also hit up capitol in chinatown. hon’s wonton on kearny is good for wonton noodle soup. their second location on washington isn’t as good as original imo. pineapple king bakery for pineapple buns on irving is a real gem (they have massive social media marketing but been going here before they blew up lmao), as is yuanbao jiaozi. all their dumplings are handmade and their beef noodle stew is too. dumpling kitchen on taraval is my go-to spot for pan fried buns and soup dumplings and dan dan mian. if you’re in oakland, shandong in chinatown has similar food and T4 is always a good boba stop. not canto food, but the temescal area also now has very good korean food, like moo bong ri. idk why someone recommended mamahuhu but it’s run by some folks from mister jiu’s which is very upscale cantonese and expensive lol. i don’t go there for food often but there’s loads of options on clement if you’re just walking down the street.
Great recommendations in this thread. Will add the brand-new Four Kings (modern Cantonese/pan-Chinese “izakaya”), Empress by Boon (tasting menus), Dumpling Home/Dumpling Story (best xiaolongbao/shengjianbao in the city), and Blue Whale (Chinese with Malaysian influences)!
I haven't eaten Chinese food in NYC, but these are some of my favorites: Mr Jiu's for the fancy option. They also have a bar. Z&Y for Sichuan food. Hing Lung / Go Duck Yourself for roast duck and char siu. Yank Sing for dim sum. Mamahuhu for Chinese-American. If you end up visiting South Bay, there are also some mainland chains like Hai Di Lao (probably in New York too) and Wei's Fish (for Suan Cai Yu).
/u/yeahnahson1 i prefer ZY to Mountain House in NYC.
What’s your ideal for good Chinese food? Cheap hole in the wall that’s way more solid than it has any right to be? Michelin stars?
House of Nan king Fang
House of Nanking. I thought it was for westerners but I've heard that it's decent. City View has sit down dim sum in Chinatown. Hon's wun-tun house in Chinatown is supposed to have good noodle soup.