www.chowbaby.com asked me to select what I felt were the top 10 Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. I have been to many of these, and the others I rated simply from what I've heard from foodies here in town. San Francisco has so many great Chinese places that this list could have been a Top 40 list. So grab your chopsticks, because heeeeerrrre they are (in no particular order):
TOP TEN CHINESE
ELIZA’S
2877 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 621-4819
Hours: Lunch: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; Dinner (Mon-Fri) 5:00 pm-9:45 pm; (Sat-Sun) 4:30 pm-9:45 pm
This very popular restaurant offers culinary updates on Hunan and Mandarin cuisine with a California flourish. Offering all of the standard dishes, expertly prepared using fresh, high-quality ingredients, it’s the unusual and exotic entrees at Eliza’s that people flock for. Signature dishes include mango ostrich, Hunan lamb and salmon with asparagus. They take a heart healthier approach to the food here, with less oil and more vegetables. The décor is amazing, with a warm and friendly feel. Service is highly amiable and extremely efficient. A must visit for Chinese food lovers.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
FIRECRACKER
107 ½ Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-3470
Hours: (Tues-Thurs) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5:30 pm-11:00 pm (Sun) 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
Firecracker serves some of the finest American-Chinese fusion food in San Francisco, featuring legendary dishes like Ying Yang prawns, walnut-tossed prawns, spicy, hot tossed chicken, pot stickers, Mongolian beef, hot and sour soup and spring rolls. Everything is made using less oil and without heavy sauces. An interior made up of soothing pastels and creative lighting schemes makes Firecracker a feast for the eyes.
Service is very helpful and adept at suggesting dishes that will match your particular mood and desires.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $35-$45
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TOMMY TOY’S CUISINE CHINOISE
655 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-4888
Hours: Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Dinner (Mon-Sun) 5:30 pm-9:30 pm
The cuisine here can best be described as France meets China. With a décor right out of the ancient Ching Dynasty, Tommy Toy’s is full of 300-year-old tapestries, beautiful etched glass panels, carved wooden archways, silk draperies and Tommy’s personal collection of Chinese fans. Signature dishes include pan-fried fresh foie gras with a fresh sliced pear and watercress in sweet pickled ginger sauce, vanilla prawns with raisins and fresh melon, wok charred prawns with Chinese five spice and fresh mushrooms and deep-fried tenderloin of pork with Chinese fruits in cassis nectar.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TON KIANG
5821 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 752-4440
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 10:00 am-10:00 pm; (Fri) 10:00 am-10:30 pm; (Sat) 9:30 am-10:30 pm (Sun) 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Featuring Hakka style cooking from Northern China, Ton Kiangs offers an enormous range of dim sum delights, clay pot selections and traditional entrees. All of the sauces, wines, pickles and dim sum fillings are made completely from scratch. Notable dishes include golden fried Pacific oysters, crispy shrimp balls, pea tip and shrimp dumplings, lobster steamed with ginger and scallions, diced watermelon soup and sizzling onion chicken in a clay pot. Service is very fast and the food is always fresh. For the best Hakka Chinese cuisine in San Francisco, Ton Kiang gets top marks.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
YANK SING
101 Spear Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 781-1111
Hours: Lunch Only: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; (Sat-Sun) 10:00 am-4:00 pm Serving Deem Sum, Yank Sing first opened its doors in 1958, when Owner Alice Chan unveiled her vast collection of delectable delights, including her renowned “creative collection” – an ensemble of dumplings, buns and assorted culinary gems. Signature dishes include Alice’s now-legendary chicken and mushroom dumplings dotted with garlic, chestnuts and cilantro, classic Shu Mai, consisting of translucent fluted skins holding fresh shrimp and pork, signature Shanghai dumplings with minced Kurobata pork, scallion and ginger, Peking duck by the slice, a snap peas vegetarian dish and steamed pork buns. If you’re in the mood for an exploration into the new and exciting, Yank Sing will have you singing its praises.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
BETELNUT
2030 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 929-8855
Hours: (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-11:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-12:00 pm
The fusion food at Betelnut works, because the basic building blocks of all the cuisines that are being combined are basically the same. The chef is Alexander Ong, a highly regarded food artist who worked for the Shangrai-La Hotel and at the Caesar’s Tahoe Ritz-Carlton before venturing to SF to do his magic at Betelnut. Signature dishes include the spring rolls, firecracker shrimp with 5-spiced sambal dip, emerald fire noodles with mint, thai basil and chiles and Cecilia’s minced chicken and lup cheong with lettuce cups. Consistently in the SF Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants, this place is fun from the minute you walk in the door. The motif is dark wood with bright red accents. Kind of like Chinatown meets a Montana hunting lodge.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
R&G LOUNGE
631 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 982-7877
Hours: (Mon-Sun) 11:00 am-9:30 pm
Located just two short blocks from the Transamerica building on the outskirts of Chinatown, this 250-seat restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine that is truly inspired. Known for its fresh fish and crab selected live from a fish tank, amazing delicacies and exotic selections, R&G is where Chinese people go for Chinese food. Highly recommended are the salt and pepper Dungeness crab, the R&G signature special beef, shark’s fin soup, fresh abalone, Peking duck and clay pot specialties. R&G also features a wide array of impressive martinis, including fresh watermelon, mango and lychee.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
ERIC’S
1500 Church Street
335 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 397-9222
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 11:00 am-9:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:00 am-10:00 pm; (Sun) 12:30 pm-9:00 pm
There is usually a fairly long line at Eric’s and for good reason. Food like this is worth waiting for. Featuring Hunan and Mandarin cuisine, the food is fresh, the service is smooth and professional, and the prices are fair, with many entrees coming in at well under ten dollars. Notable dishes include the Mango prawns, the memorable scallops with a Szechwan sauce, an amazing Hunan lamb with leeks, red peppers and garlic, sesame crispy beef and Shanghai chicken with pine nuts and Eric’s special sauce. White tablecloths and an airy décor make this place a class act in every way.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TAI CHI
2031 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 441-6758
Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sat) 12:00 pm-10:00 pm; (Sun) 4:00 pm-10:00 pm
Tai Chi has been a highly regarded San Francisco treat for many years, mostly due to its reasonable prices, intimate setting and fabulous food. It’s a little gem that features some of the fastest service in the city. Before you can even say “Tai Chi,” a plethora of Chinese creations hits the table with a flourish. Best known for its black bean chow fun, walnut prawns, orange beef, shrimp with asparagus, twice-fried pork and General Tso’s chicken, everything at Tai Chi is properly prepared and priced right. Their sauces and soups are also highlights here, made from scratch and gleaned from years of experience and skill.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20-$30
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
HUNAN HOME’S
622 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-2844
Hours: (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-9:30 pm
This Chinatown favorite is an old-school restaurant that has won numerous awards throughout the years for its traditional Chinese faire. Known for its sizzling plates, dry scallop soup, seafood with fish tripe soup, hot spice crispy chicken, Peking duck (order in advance) and crab with ginger and green onion, Hunan Home’s offers flavorful dishes that are elegant and made with extreme care. The attentive servers here will pamper you; the décor will make you feel like you’re on a movie set; and the extensive menu of exotic selections, including every type of seafood dish imaginable, will have you yearning for more.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
ELIZA’S
2877 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 621-4819
Hours: Lunch: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; Dinner (Mon-Fri) 5:00 pm-9:45 pm; (Sat-Sun) 4:30 pm-9:45 pm
This very popular restaurant offers culinary updates on Hunan and Mandarin cuisine with a California flourish. Offering all of the standard dishes, expertly prepared using fresh, high-quality ingredients, it’s the unusual and exotic entrees at Eliza’s that people flock for. Signature dishes include mango ostrich, Hunan lamb and salmon with asparagus. They take a heart healthier approach to the food here, with less oil and more vegetables. The décor is amazing, with a warm and friendly feel. Service is highly amiable and extremely efficient. A must visit for Chinese food lovers.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
FIRECRACKER
107 ½ Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-3470
Hours: (Tues-Thurs) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5:30 pm-11:00 pm (Sun) 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
Firecracker serves some of the finest American-Chinese fusion food in San Francisco, featuring legendary dishes like Ying Yang prawns, walnut-tossed prawns, spicy, hot tossed chicken, pot stickers, Mongolian beef, hot and sour soup and spring rolls. Everything is made using less oil and without heavy sauces. An interior made up of soothing pastels and creative lighting schemes makes Firecracker a feast for the eyes.
Service is very helpful and adept at suggesting dishes that will match your particular mood and desires.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $35-$45
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TOMMY TOY’S CUISINE CHINOISE
655 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-4888
Hours: Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Dinner (Mon-Sun) 5:30 pm-9:30 pm
The cuisine here can best be described as France meets China. With a décor right out of the ancient Ching Dynasty, Tommy Toy’s is full of 300-year-old tapestries, beautiful etched glass panels, carved wooden archways, silk draperies and Tommy’s personal collection of Chinese fans. Signature dishes include pan-fried fresh foie gras with a fresh sliced pear and watercress in sweet pickled ginger sauce, vanilla prawns with raisins and fresh melon, wok charred prawns with Chinese five spice and fresh mushrooms and deep-fried tenderloin of pork with Chinese fruits in cassis nectar.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TON KIANG
5821 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 752-4440
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 10:00 am-10:00 pm; (Fri) 10:00 am-10:30 pm; (Sat) 9:30 am-10:30 pm (Sun) 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Featuring Hakka style cooking from Northern China, Ton Kiangs offers an enormous range of dim sum delights, clay pot selections and traditional entrees. All of the sauces, wines, pickles and dim sum fillings are made completely from scratch. Notable dishes include golden fried Pacific oysters, crispy shrimp balls, pea tip and shrimp dumplings, lobster steamed with ginger and scallions, diced watermelon soup and sizzling onion chicken in a clay pot. Service is very fast and the food is always fresh. For the best Hakka Chinese cuisine in San Francisco, Ton Kiang gets top marks.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
YANK SING
101 Spear Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 781-1111
Hours: Lunch Only: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; (Sat-Sun) 10:00 am-4:00 pm Serving Deem Sum, Yank Sing first opened its doors in 1958, when Owner Alice Chan unveiled her vast collection of delectable delights, including her renowned “creative collection” – an ensemble of dumplings, buns and assorted culinary gems. Signature dishes include Alice’s now-legendary chicken and mushroom dumplings dotted with garlic, chestnuts and cilantro, classic Shu Mai, consisting of translucent fluted skins holding fresh shrimp and pork, signature Shanghai dumplings with minced Kurobata pork, scallion and ginger, Peking duck by the slice, a snap peas vegetarian dish and steamed pork buns. If you’re in the mood for an exploration into the new and exciting, Yank Sing will have you singing its praises.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
BETELNUT
2030 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 929-8855
Hours: (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-11:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-12:00 pm
The fusion food at Betelnut works, because the basic building blocks of all the cuisines that are being combined are basically the same. The chef is Alexander Ong, a highly regarded food artist who worked for the Shangrai-La Hotel and at the Caesar’s Tahoe Ritz-Carlton before venturing to SF to do his magic at Betelnut. Signature dishes include the spring rolls, firecracker shrimp with 5-spiced sambal dip, emerald fire noodles with mint, thai basil and chiles and Cecilia’s minced chicken and lup cheong with lettuce cups. Consistently in the SF Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants, this place is fun from the minute you walk in the door. The motif is dark wood with bright red accents. Kind of like Chinatown meets a Montana hunting lodge.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
R&G LOUNGE
631 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 982-7877
Hours: (Mon-Sun) 11:00 am-9:30 pm
Located just two short blocks from the Transamerica building on the outskirts of Chinatown, this 250-seat restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine that is truly inspired. Known for its fresh fish and crab selected live from a fish tank, amazing delicacies and exotic selections, R&G is where Chinese people go for Chinese food. Highly recommended are the salt and pepper Dungeness crab, the R&G signature special beef, shark’s fin soup, fresh abalone, Peking duck and clay pot specialties. R&G also features a wide array of impressive martinis, including fresh watermelon, mango and lychee.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
ERIC’S
1500 Church Street
335 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 397-9222
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 11:00 am-9:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:00 am-10:00 pm; (Sun) 12:30 pm-9:00 pm
There is usually a fairly long line at Eric’s and for good reason. Food like this is worth waiting for. Featuring Hunan and Mandarin cuisine, the food is fresh, the service is smooth and professional, and the prices are fair, with many entrees coming in at well under ten dollars. Notable dishes include the Mango prawns, the memorable scallops with a Szechwan sauce, an amazing Hunan lamb with leeks, red peppers and garlic, sesame crispy beef and Shanghai chicken with pine nuts and Eric’s special sauce. White tablecloths and an airy décor make this place a class act in every way.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
TAI CHI
2031 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 441-6758
Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sat) 12:00 pm-10:00 pm; (Sun) 4:00 pm-10:00 pm
Tai Chi has been a highly regarded San Francisco treat for many years, mostly due to its reasonable prices, intimate setting and fabulous food. It’s a little gem that features some of the fastest service in the city. Before you can even say “Tai Chi,” a plethora of Chinese creations hits the table with a flourish. Best known for its black bean chow fun, walnut prawns, orange beef, shrimp with asparagus, twice-fried pork and General Tso’s chicken, everything at Tai Chi is properly prepared and priced right. Their sauces and soups are also highlights here, made from scratch and gleaned from years of experience and skill.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20-$30
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
HUNAN HOME’S
622 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-2844
Hours: (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-9:30 pm
This Chinatown favorite is an old-school restaurant that has won numerous awards throughout the years for its traditional Chinese faire. Known for its sizzling plates, dry scallop soup, seafood with fish tripe soup, hot spice crispy chicken, Peking duck (order in advance) and crab with ginger and green onion, Hunan Home’s offers flavorful dishes that are elegant and made with extreme care. The attentive servers here will pamper you; the décor will make you feel like you’re on a movie set; and the extensive menu of exotic selections, including every type of seafood dish imaginable, will have you yearning for more.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open
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