Best Restaurants in San Francisco Chinatown to Eat At: a List Curated by Asian American locals

I’ve recently started helping out at the store On Waverly, a gift store located in the heart of San Francisco. We have a list of curated restaurants and places to eat at—here are a couple below that the team has curated. I myself have lived in the city for almost a decade, and know my way around downtown and food! Hope you enjoy this list.

Dim Sum Options

Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal shared with family or friends around a roundtable. It consists of small, bite-sized dishes that are typically served with tea in a restaurant and has been popularized for to-go options in the city. We have plenty of dim sum options here in San Francisco (both sit down and to go) and here are a couple you should know.

Lai Hong Lounge – sitdown
1416 Powell Street, San Francisco 94108
(there is seating)

This is a popular favorite amongst the Chinatown community. I know this because I’ve gone various times and had to wait 30-45 minutes for a spot. Aunties and uncles flow in every minute, jabbering in Cantonese and grabbing a spot at the roundtable. You need to go in and grab a ticket from the counter. I recommend sending someone who speaks Canto (or Mandarin) to curry some favor. One time my boyfriend got us a seat way earlier, and people were piiiiissed.

The auntie employee didn’t care and ushered us to our seat. I would also recommend always hanging out around the front area so when the waitress calls your number, you can immediately hand it to her. They do it fast and move on fast, so you need to be sharp about this. Since you’ll be waiting anyways, grab a menu and start thinking of what you want so you can order immediately once seated.

We also went there once with my brother in law and his parents. They’re from mainland China and have certain preferences when it comes to food—they know what real good Chinese food is. Even they loved all the dishes we ordered, including the fresh fish soup and dim sum options. When they said how much they liked it, my brother in law laughed and said it was the first time in a while that they’ve ever openly praised or said something like this out loud.

I usually get the sticky rice in lotus leaf, fish red rice noodle roll, D/F pork and taro dumpling, fried pork puff, and swan durian pastry if you like durian! To be honest, you can’t go wrong with any of these options. If you’re feeling brave, try chicken feet! Just be ready to spit out bone by bone when eating it.

Dol Ho
808 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(there is seating – bring cash; no frills)

This place is a watering hole for aunties and uncles. Clustered around a round table, the locals like to sit together and chat while reading newspapers. The majority of them are eating the giant meatball, which is soft and flavorful. I suspect the elderly enjoy eating it because it’s high protein and soft enough for their teeth (or lack of).

Coming here isn’t for those who lack confidence; you need to come into the store, hunt the waitress, and plop yourself into a seat. Menus are usually slammed onto the table, or you have to go off and fetch them yourselves. It’s definitely a hole in the wall situation, but I adore it. It’s nostalgic and I love being around the elderly while they chatter away in Cantonese. You can’t go wrong ordering anything here, but I like shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, bbq pork bun, stuffed fried taro root, and stick rice with chicken in lotus leaf. Eat that with some soy sauce and chili sauce, and you’re golden! Bring cash.

I also judge restaurants based on their chili sauce. I LOVE Dol Ho’s chili sauce and eat heaps of it. I’m literally plopping the sauce onto everything. They also sell it at the counter in their own plastic containers.

Good Monk Kok Bakery
 1039 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108
(no seating)

This one’s a favorite amongst the tourists and locals alike. They have a pretty wide array of dim sum options, so perhaps take a look at the menu in advance to see what you want and have your ready order. We usually get the steamed bbq pork buns, egg tarts, shrimp har gow, and shu mai. Bring cash and go earlier to get more options. I would study the menu in advance to avoid looking like a fool as these aunties get irritated easily and put the pressure on you.

If you’re also looking for Asian sauces, there’s a small shop on the left that also sells an assortment of Chinese sauces, herbs, and spices if you need any while you’re in Chinatown.

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Where to Get Delicious Flakey Egg Tarts

Golden Gate Bakery
1029 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
(no seating, just grab and go)
**You can call them at 415-781-2627 to see if they’re open! This number was on their door FYI.

Everyone lines up for this when they see the doors are open. Usually when you see a random line forming on Grant Avenue, you can ask what they’re lining up for and it’s usually egg tarts. These egg tarts ($3.75 usd each) are more on the pricier side, but worth it. The egg tarts are creamy and sweet, rounded by the flakey crust. If you’ve never had them before, I would recommend stopping by to check if they’re open. If you want, they also have mooncakes and coconut tarts too, but they’re famous for egg tarts.

The hilarious factor is that the aunties who run the shop don’t really care about shop times; they just open whenever they feel like it. Sometimes they’re even in Hong Kong vacationing or traveling. There’s even a Facebook group that was dedicated to their hours. It’s a game of cat and mouse, so whenever they’re open, I always get something from them when they’re open. They take cash only, but there’s also Chase ATM right across the street.

AA Bakery and Cafe
1068 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108
(there is seating)

I’ve only really gotten their egg tarts from here, but I can say it’s almost on par with Golden Gate Bakery or just a great second contender when Golden Gate Bakery is closed. They sell cakes, breads, and other assorted pastries. It’s a good place to also grab a Hong Kong milk tea. There is ample seating, so you can come in and order some yummy breads. They do take card and cash, but charge an extra fee on card usage.

iCafe
133 Waverly Pl, San Francisco, CA 94108
(there is seating and a clean bathroom)

We usually come to iCafe to grab a quick snack and hot Hong Kong Milk tea. They usually prefer if you pay with cash, but they also have venmo and a minimum credit card charge. I like getting my hot dog bun, while Eric (my fiance) likes to get a char siew bao. Clean, cozy, and comfortable. This place also has a clean bathroom that we use when we are here. It’s kind of hard to find restrooms in Chinatown besides the one at the park. If you’re looking for a good pick-me-up, this is the place to stop by.

While you’re on Waverly Street, you can also pop into the Asian American bookstore On Waverly while you’re there as it sits on the same street and has cute bags, books, and trinkets all made by AAPI creators.

Traditional Chinese Restaurants

Capital
839 Clay Street, San Francisco 94108

Traditional Cantonese dishes served in an unassuming space with counter and round table seating. We sat at the counter and ordered their famous salt and pepper wings, Capital spare ribs, beef chow fun, and wonton noodles.

Prices were decent and they give a lot for each dish. I loved everything, especially the chicken wings. Crunchy, salty, crispy, and with a touch of jalapeno and heat when you pop everything in your mouth together. My boyfriend is Cantonese and said the spare ribs were his new favorites and I believe him as he was scarfing them down. The wonton noodles were just okay. I do like the vibes here since the aunties who work here are friendly and outgoing. They definitely have longtime customers as they chat and check up on the patrons. It’s nice to see.

G & Y Bakery & Cafe
881 Clay St, San Francisco, CA 94108

This was my intro to cozy Hong Kong style restaurants. My boyfriend brought me here one rainy night and I had a delicious cup of Hong Kong milk tea watching the rain while we waited for our combo rice claypot and baked pork spaghetti. The spaghetti sauce was creamier and Hong Kong spaghetti usually has less tomatoes, soy sauce, and more sugar. I was skeptical at first, but rather enjoyed it with the pork chop.

They also have chicken congee and rice donuts, which would make for a delicious savory breakfast. It’s a casual eatery, but the staff is usually friendly and efficient. I see a lot of locals come here for a hearty meal, and there’s plenty seating. This place has become a staple for my bf and I when we want claypot. It tends to get more crowded around 6 pm as the locals start coming in then. You can order in both English and Chinese, as the servers usually can speak both and get a variety of guests come in.

Modern Chinese Dining Options

City View Restaurant
33 Walter U Lum Pl San Francisco 94108

I joked with my boyfriend that this dim sum restaurant would be great for taking your Asian parents to meeting your non-Asian boyfriend as a slow introduction to Chinese food. Classy, modern, and clean—this dim sum restaurant serves delicious food, has beautiful decor, and no angry waiters shouting at you.

Things are pleasant here. No large round tables of aunties and uncles shouting or talking across the table to each other, no clinking or loud chatters, and waiters rushing around. This place has a classy vibe and people seem to take their time. Again, would be great for partners to meet the parents for the first or second time, and a group business luncheon or dinner.

The ambiance is quieter, more chic, and donned with a dark jade green covering most sitting surfaces. Dim sum options are plentiful, though more expensive than regular prices in Chinatown. You definitely pay more for the great food, service, and ambiance.

Mr Jiu’s $$$
28 Waverly Place, San Francisco 94108

I took my boyfriend to Mr. Jiu’s, a Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of SF Chinatown. On their own website, they say they are “a contemporary Chinese American restaurant celebrating the legacy of traditional Chinese recipes while embracing the California heritage of local and sustainable produce and pantry.”

We thought the tasting menu might have been too much for two of us, so instead we did a la carte and got a whole roast duck with sides. Mind you, we’re two people but we can eat a lot, so yes we got an entire duck to ourselves. Call us crazy. We did end up bringing leftovers back home as we couldn’t finish everything, but I felt like we did the right thing as the duck was its most famous dish.

The duck itself came with savory pancakes, peanut butter hoisin, cucumber, and cilantro. We also got the cheong fun and peeled asparagus with two cocktail drinks from the bar. I’m glad we didn’t do the tasting menu and chose our own dishes. It was definitely on the pricier side, but since it was a birthday dinner, I was happy to dish out. If you are feeling vibey and want to continue hanging out after dinner, there’s a bar right upstairs called Moongate Lounge that has “6 house cocktails and 6 seasonal cocktails inspired by the Chinese lunar Calendar and the fruits, flowers, spices and spirits of the seasons,” as shared on its website.

You can make a reservation directly on their website. Reservations are available exactly 30 days in advance. New dates are released every day at 11am!

Four Kings
710 Commercial Street, San Francisco 94108

I’ve heard numerous recommendations about this place. The two chefs practiced and came from Mr. Jiu’s; then they decided to build their own restaurant and worked on their own Hong Kong inspired menu. My bf and I went to their restaurant on a Friday, one hour before they opened. It was hard to get reservations, so we just did a complete walk-in and were the first ones lining up. Lo and behold, another couple joins us at 5:15 pm so we weren’t the only ones with the same idea. We were seated promptly at opening 6 pm.

Since we’ve been staring at the menu, we ordered right away because we came to eat!! We ordered the fried squab, clay pot with Chinese bacon and sausage, XO escargot with milk bread, and water spinach. The escargot was surprisingly my favorite; dipping my bread and allowing the bread to soak it up was divine. Though the space was small, it was decorated and donned with various knickknacks, baubles, and old images from the 80-90s. This was a place I’d take my friends who were visiting San Francisco or come here with foodie friends.

On their site, they state, “We are located in an alleyway in the heart of Chinatown — on Commercial St. between Grant and Kearny. Right above us is a Kumon, just to remind everyone that the Kumon to business ownership pipeline is alive and well. We infused a lot of our own personality into decorating the space and hope you like it as much as we do. There is no shortage of ridiculously good-looking Canto celebs to feast your eyes on while you feast.”

Last Thoughts

Hope these are great options for you while you’re in Chinatown or visiting!

Please share this list with a friend who may be coming. I recommend buying a couple items or souvenirs to add to your list before coming to San Francisco.

You can also check out On Waverly, a gift shop that features and sells AAPI made products, including plushies, books, candles, cards, and more. It’s a modern shop that celebrates diversity and our local community creators. You can also purchase items from them online. There’s also Fanloli, a giftshop chain that sells adorable plushies, pens, makeup, and more. Many products come from Asia, so these stores are quite popular.