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Alice's Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Asian Fusion Chinese, Asian Fusion [Edit]
1599 Sanchez St(between Valley St & 29th St)
San Francisco, CA 94131
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
(415) 282-8999
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
161 reviews for Alice's Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Walnut prawns were perfectly cooked and glazed."
(in 10 reviews)
"It's a toss-up between Eric's and Alice's."
(in 37 reviews)
"Their sizzling rice soup is exquisite and never oily."
(in 4 reviews)
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161 reviews in English
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Review from Inigo M.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
"Good Chinese restaurant" is a contradiction-in-terms. Not Alice's.
Excellent General Chicken and Garlic Eggplant.
Pleasant staff, clean bathroom. -
Review from Soph T.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love love love this place & the staff!
After coming here for years, I've manage to try almost every dish on the menu at least once or twice and let me say, they are very consistent and delicious. I especially enjoy having the orange prawns, shanghai chicken, and garlic string beans which they have lightly fried then sauteed with garlic. Yum!
The ladies are awesome and always smiling. Seems like they never have a bad day. They are friendly and helpful in helping me decide on what to eat most of the time because I can never make up my mind.
The decor inside is very charming & the crowd never bad. Another plus is that they actually have a clean restroom! How many Chinese places have you been in with a clean restroom? -
Review from Trav W.
San Francisco, CA
11/17/2011 21 Check-ins Here
This is the closest restaurant to my house, by almost one full block. TRANSLATION: I'm glad this place is good, because I'd probably eat here twice a month even if they exclusively served shit on a shingle.
There are three Chinese restaurants in roughly a 3 block radius of this spot (Alice's, Henry's, and Eric's). It is hilarious to read people's Yelp debates about which one is superior to which because they are EXACTLY THE SAME. Seriously, I've been to all of them and they are remarkably similar in layout, decor, and taste/quality of food. I'm 97% certain that they just have one centrally-located kitchen with 3 different hallways, each one leading to the dining room of each separate establishment. This theory has proven extremely difficult to confirm. People get weirded out when you start skulking around the back of their restaurant, checking doorknobs.
Anyway, Alice's has terrific Chinese Food For Gringos (kung pao, crab rangoon, etc.). You should see it on Christmas Eve, the place is PACKED with our Hebrew friends. I might even give 5 stars if they didn't put carrots & peas in the fried rice, that is, pathetically, a dealbreaker for me. But if you can't decide between Alice's, Hank's, or E-Dog's, just go wherever is closest. Science. -
Review from Jas S.
San Mateo, CA
2/2/2012
Went to lunch here recently. Very well priced lunch selection come with soup & rice. Delicious hot & sour soup ! really must rave about soup and Hunan fish entree...fresh, well sized portion and lovely decor. I'm a fan
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Review from Paolo M.
8/1/2011 2 photos
As a Asian, I feel like I have the right to be picky and critical about Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino restaurants. You wanna really piss this Pinoy off? Then, serve me kung pao with rancid sesame oil or chow mein with La Choy's dry-catfood-like fried noodles.
Luckily, Alice's does not disappoint this Asian a**-hole. This place is clean, well-decorated, with pleasant staff checking-in regularly to make sure everything was o.k. Tonight we kept it simple with mango prawns and sesame chicken with brown rice. Both main entrees were really good and innovative. The mango prawns was my favorite with a great sweet, savory, and kind of tangy sauce delicately glazing tender shrimp in a pool of largely diced mangos and a perfect smattering of roasted jalapenos. The sesame chicken was great too; using ample amounts of black sesame seeds and a bed of sauteed yet crunchy julienned vegetables, this dish was quite innovative.
Alice's is a chill, low-key place to hang out, relax, and enjoy good modern Chinese food in the warm company of friends.Listed in: 4 Star Awesomeness!
-
Review from Mike d.
San Diego, CA
7/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was acceptable. But when one if the over-rushed waiters spilled a soup all over my friend, they barely helped clean up their mess, never replaced his napkin, and didn't replace or give a discount on the soup.
It's a pretty space, but under the surface, they are classless. -
Review from Matsuo U.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2011
I am not sure who Alice is, or if she or he is a real person...
But, in any case, Alice's does provide a low priced and varied menu. I never ever order "take out" , I LOL at 1 reviewer's comments on the "phone service" calling to demand their grub and issue complaints in their review. Kinda like "hey I a spendin $10. and I expect you to kiss my ring and bow down". I may start a "get a clue" service (like call 1-800-get-clue). But at the same time $10 is as huge sum of cash for some people, so they have very high expectations.
Liked the Walnut Prawns ( ok, I know this is a "round eye" dish), also the eggplant ( w/ chicken ). Itsa cheap place with good service and good food. Been to Alice's 3 times, when in that Noe hood and liked it each time. -
Review from Roni L.
South San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
Great place for lunch- how can you beat under $7 for rice + entree + soup?
Tasty, nicely cooked, well presented, but my kung pow was heavy on the salty side...
Resembles Eric's quite a lot in looks and menu and price... so if one's busy, just hop skip and jump to the other. -
Review from Johny X.
San Francisco, CA
8/4/2011
Standard Chinese. It's not terrible like some of those buffet places filled with octogenarians stuffing mints and crab rangoon in their pockets, but it's not unforgettable.
If you need a fix for regular, above average Chines in Noe, this is your place. Atmosphere is very open air with high ceilings but quiet and stale, certainly not hip.
Good food, but nothing to write home about. -
Review from Thomas D.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2011
Their Assorted Vegetable Soup is very good. The vegetables are always super fresh and crunchy.
I tried Alice's Chow Mein tonight and thought that was pretty good too. It could have been tastier though. It definitely needed more flavor.
My favorite dish is Alice's Spicy Chicken.
The service has been good each time I've been there. It's kind of like a happier version of Eric's on Church Street. -
Review from Bruce A.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
This is a perfect place for a lunch. The room is open and light, the decor pleasant in an unforced way, and the service quick and efficient. We had some succulent, crispy pot stickers, to-die-for avocado spring rolls, fried rice, and, in a moment of nostalgia, General Tso's chicken. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and precisely cooked. We haven't been there for dinner, but have enjoyed several lunches and look forward to more.
-
Review from Camille S.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2011
I order take out for lunch from Alice's regularly on the weekdays (usually the same dish.) Affordable lunch prices and the food always seems to be fresh. I believe it is the manager or owner who is there on the weekdays and he is normally friendly.
But I just ordered take out today (Saturday) and when I called in the order the person who took it forgot to tell me how long it would take before hanging up the phone. I called right back and I was yelled at and rudely told it would take 15 minutes, "we are busy" then I was hung up on!
I came into the restaurant about 10 minutes later to find the restaurant was not at all busy (many empty tables.) I asked for the manager. I explained the problem to a man who identified himself as the manager although I have never seen him before. I told him that I owned a business in the neighborhood and that no matter how busy I am I would never treat a customer on the phone the way I was treated. I suggested he speak with the person who rudely hung up on me. The managers response was "I will put it down in his file."
I usually do not like to write bad reviews especially about other business in neighborhood. I have had many good experiences at Alices in the past. But today after my bad experience with the service, I got back to my shop to find that the dish I always order was yucky! The fish did not seem fresh, veggies a little overcooked and the rice seemed like it was a day old.
The only good thing was that my fortune cookie said "I will inherit a large sum of money."
I hope the owners will read my review and do better because I plan on giving them another chance....and hopefully updating my review with more stars in the future. -
Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
It took us awhile to decide on a place that suited the three of us for lunch. Why? Because I come from a family of foodies. We either all agree on the same place or we have a hard time deciding. I think I am just more vocal about where to go, as I'm the yelper in the family.
We came to Alice's, it's a nice clean little restaurant In Noe Valley that serves tasty and inexpensive Chinese food. Lunch specials come with soup, entree and rice for around $6.00. The soup is an egg flower soup with tomatoes, yum.
I had the Kung Pao Chicken, my Sister had the Salmon Vegetables and Mom ordered the Eggplant. Each meal was really good and I tried them all. :)
It was a nice little lunch accompanied by tea and lots of water. Food was fast and service was great. The whole bill was $21, a great lunch deal for 3. -
Review from Matt P.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2011
Food is above average. But the great price, service, speed and clean environment launches Alice's to 5-star status in my book. Ingredients always taste fresh.
-
Review from Pete S.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2011
I finally have a "go-to" Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. I've been back to Alice's several times now after a friend told me about it, and I've thoroughly enjoyed every dish I've tried so far.
Will-not-let-you-down dishes:
+Avocado egg rolls
+Veggie rolls
+Mongolian beef
+Spicy beef with garlic sauce
+Alice's spicy chicken
+Veggie mu shu
Service is also great...not too much attention, not too little attention either. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Rocklin, CA
7/25/2011
Great Chinese food! Living across the street from Alice's was definitely dangerous! My sister and I ate here a few times a week... or more! The food fresh tasting and not greasy like most Chinese places that I have been to. The egg drop soup is one of my favorites but everything I have had there has been so good. I have taken many friends and family members here and everyone has always loved it.
-
Review from Juliette F.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2011
The lunch specials are so affordable and delicious! You get a cup of Hot & Sour soup to start, which I love. Then your entree served with rice. Everything tastes light and fresh. I always get the mango chicken. The mango is always sweet and compliment the chicken so well. The portions are filling and you get complimentary tea and slices of oranges at the end of your meal, and not forgetting the fortune cookies of course. 3 lunch specials for total of $21, not bad.
I love the ambiance of the place, the blown vases, orchids by the windows, and cool looking wall divider. The service is always friendly and fast. -
Review from Andrew K.
San Francisco, CA
12/2/2010
They use good fresh crunchy veggies. Check!
The wonton soup was so-so - good veggies, wontons were very gingery - but need more flavor overall.
The seafood entree was in a yummy finger-licking brown sauce.
The place is pretty inviting.
Overall, good! -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2011
Above average food.
Very take-it or leave-it, typical Chinese service. -
Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2010
This restaurant is (similar to Eric's which I just posted) alsolike a spinoff of the Eliza Restaurant that used to be on 18th Street in Potrero Hill. They cook (seems like) Hunan-style Chinese food geared a bit towards non-Chinese. Nice decor. The one time I came I think I ordered something with duck and it was good.
This restaurant is also neat in that it seems to be the only restaurant on that street (especially on that part) and not on the Castro or Church St corridor. I like looks of restaurants that stand out by itself as such. -
Review from linda L.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2010 5 photos
Came here with some friends a few weeks ago and was amazed by how awesome their food and service was.
Service :Upon arriving, we were kindly greeted with a warm smile from our waitress.
Ambiance & Decor - Contemporary Chinese, it's not your usual hole in the wall Chinese Restaurant. Their wall separators are beautiful.. it gives the restaurant a very antique yet classy feeling
I was told their avacado egg rolls were a must .... OMG if u enjoy avacados, you will definitely find this dish astonishingly yummy :)
Orange Chicken - fried to perfection with the sauce being well balanced
Eggplants - I love eggplants, and Alice's did a fantastic job with this dish!
Will definitely return to try the other items on their menu! -
Review from Linh P.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Living in San Francisco, the city is flooded with Chinese food, however, if you're looking for a NICE Chinese restaurant without all the loud conversations and bathrooms that look like port-a-potties, then Alice's is a MUST!
The service here is excellent. The servers are very nice, always smiling, and they don't rush you to place your order. The food is delicious. There are traditional Chinese dishes, but they also have some with unique twists on classic favorites.
I have to recommend the salmon, and the portobello mushrooms. I get that every time and I still cant seem to get enough. The eggplant dish is also very good, even though I'm not normally a fan of eggplant.
There is such a "home" feel to Alice's. Great for family and friends.
It's nice to find a restaurant who still believes in excellent service and delicious food without having to charge an arm and a leg. -
Review from ms s.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2011
The walnut prawns are battered and deep fried, not to mention very small.
Potstickers were doughy and needed more dipping sauce.
Alice's Spicy Eggplant had a nice sauce, but was just ok. -
Review from Jason B.
6/19/2010
Thanks to the chinese for figuring out tofu and mangoes make a delicious combination. And thanks to Alice's for letting me order the lunch special of the dish a few minutes after lunch hours ended.
Wallet and stomach thank you both. -
Review from vicki g.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011
love alice's:) u can always get a table, hardly a wait. lovely and clean restaurant, reminds me alot of regent thai. food is very good and service is great! parking can be a little tough but most of the time its ok. really great and chinese food, love the kung pao prawns!
-
Review from Kevin S.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2006
I believe I have solved the greatest mystery in San Francisco restaurant lore: What is the mysterious relationship between Erik's, Alice's, and the two Eliza's?
I believe it is a tragedy of operatic themes. Here's my theory:
Erik's was married to Eliza's in Potrero Hill. Theirs was a happy marriage and one day they brought forth a daughter, Alice's.
Like most children, Alice's shared many traits with each of her parents. Like her mother, Eliza's, she has her name constructed into her right wall as viewed from the street, displays some Matisse reproductions and various artistic nick-nack displays, and most of the time is as charming and kind to visitors as Eliza's Potrero Hill.
Alice's food is more like her father Erik's--not quite as good as Eliza's--and at times her temper can be sharp, like when guests ask if she is affiliated with either of the other places. Like Erik's, her parking is tough and her soup is bland.
Like all operatic family dramas, of course, tragedy lurks in the second act.
Somewhere along the way, Eliza developed multiple personality syndrome. She literally become two Eliza's--one on Potrero Hill, the sunny, friendly, charming, welcoming Eliza's with the beautiful carved dragons and the perfect pot-stickers; and one in Laurel Heights, with the snarky, humorless waitstaff, rushed service, and indifferent attention to detail in the cooking.
Erik's heart was broken by the split, and sadly he could no longer keep up with two very different personalities in the two Eliza's. So he refuses to say he has anything to do with them, even so far as to deny knowing about them.
And so what of poor Alice's? Confused and torn between the two, she must follow Erik's lead and pretend not to know about her crazy mother. But she pays homage in her own way, as a good daughter would, by refusing to toe the line her father sets and occasionally showing a wink of friendliness to the strangers who come to her tables. And her potstickers take more after mama than papa.
Yes, it's all there--the striking family resemblance in all four menus, the similar interiors, the overall level of food quality, the virulent reaction when you ask if they're in a family.
The kicker, though, is when you prepare to write a review on Yelp for Alice's, and you click the Write Review button. Yelp's software says, "Do you mean Eric's Restaurant?"
If the software can't tell them apart, how can we patrons be expected to? -
Review from James T.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2007
Roaches... We were going here for years but the last few times we have had sub-par food. Either overcooked or too sweet.
They have great brown rice but we got a surprise visitor in the fried rice. It was a huge stripped cockroach. A beautiful specimen if you were looking for one to frame in a glass frame but not something you want to confront inches from your lips.
I am sad. I love the food here but my wife and I are not going to be able to eat fried rice for a long time. If it was any other place we would swear not to eat anywhere else but Alice's but it was our favorite place.
Bye Alice's. Bye for now, hope you sort out the roach issue soon. -
Review from L. M.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2008
Okay, slightly annoyed with all the jabs at this place being for non-Chinese. I'm Chinese and I eat here! I think the better description is from the person who called the place "Chinese American" because they do in fact employ many fine Chinese cooking techniques to their dishes -- it just tastes a bit sweeter than probably it normally would in China.
Our favorites are the pot stickers (chewy outside and savory insides with just enough crisp), orange beef (seriously, Chinese people really eat this!), mango chicken, green beans... mmmm, getting hungry.
Also, like others have said, this is a very family-friendly spot -- very fast service so you're in and out in no time. And their take-out holds up very well. It's one of our regular places for a quick meal.
And by the way, we think Alice's is better than Eric's. -
Review from Scott W.
10/15/2007
Prologue: Scrumpdili-iscious
The Do's and Don't's of eating at Alice's:
DO
- Order the (small) sizzling rice soup--enough for 2 to share
- Order the salmon and asparagus
- Order the orange chicken or the black bean and shrimp
- Eat here for lunch--great deal
- Get waited on by the tall, thin waiter--he's great
- Order take out and start the car--it'll be ready in 10 minutes
DON'T
- Get spoiled
Epilogue: This place is one of the best Chinese in the City. As good as Eliza's; and a hair (ewww, hair!) better than Eric's and Ton Kiang. -
Review from megan w.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2005
Alice's, we know you're related to Eliza's and Eric's. Stop denying it.
That said, Alice's is my favorite family member. I'm a sucker for the Wedgwood dinnerware and the orchids. Because I am white and was born hardwired with a weakness for imperialist decor.
And, as far as white-people Chinese food goes, the Shanghai chicken with the toasted seaweed and the pinenuts is pretty fucking great. The rest of it can be inconsistent and starchy, but on a good day, sweet and sour chicken is not too breaded with fresh pepper chunks. -
Review from Miriam W.
7/17/2006
The mango chicken is perfect. I also like the mango beef.
Lunch here is a major deal. Two can get a full lunch for $15 (including tax and tip!) -
Review from Allan P.
San Francisco, CA
6/8/2011 11 Check-ins Here
Best chinese food in the Bay area. Clean and good service.. My favorite place...
-
Review from Keith C.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2007
I take all of my non-Asian friends to this Chinese restaurant in Noe Valley. Like most non-Asians, I love the food here. For those of you who claim it's not real chinese food, fine - call me a banana if you want. I've been called that many times before (over 10,000 times at last count).
Food: 5 stars. The food is innovative and delicious - you typically won't see salmon with asparagus or anything with chicken with pinenuts served at normal Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area. Try the house specials, they're delicious.
Service: 4 stars. That's pretty darn good for a Chinese restaurant. They're always super friendly, attentive, and appreciative of their customers.
Atmosphere: 3 stars. It looks like what a Chinese restaurant would look like, except it's cleaner.
Hits: Fried crab meat rangoon, wonton soup, china prawns, asparagus salmon, sesame chicken, star chicken
Misses: I haven't really found any yet. The prices are slightly more expensive than what you would find at other Chinese restaurants.
If You Like This Place, You'd Probably Like: Eric's, Eliza's -
Review from Lea may K.
Suisun City, CA
1/23/2009
My boyfriend raved about this place for quite some time so when we were coincidentally in the area he suggested Alice's. He told me how they've been in business for some time and that him and his family would go there whenever they were in Noe Valley so I expected good quality Chinese food.
When we arrived at the restaurant I was impressed on the atmosphere and how they used mirrors and lamps to make comfortable lighting(we were there for dinner). The dinning area was pretty small, so small that the person sitting behind me, I could feel their elbow hitting my back from time to time.
The water and hot tea was complimentary but the water was difficult to refills because the waiters were often wondering about. While I was trying to order food I had a general question on what was in a certain dish that I was not familiar with. I guess he didn't understand what I was saying, or that he was trying to rush me into making my order that he spoke way too fast for me to even understand.
The food was okay; I've had better. Maybe my standards were too high since I've been predisposed to Asian cuisine; I was hoping for something that would fill me up as well as fix my hunger for Chinese. But the food was.... eh. -
Review from ML P.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2008
I agree with Tina S. that Alice's food always tastes fresh and clean. Personally, I prefer the atmosphere of Eric's around the corner, but Alice's food is just top notch. The shrimp they use in their dishes is always fresh tasting, and the chicken doesn't have a lot of fat in it. Their sizzling rice soup is exquisite and never oily. The vegetables are always perfectly cooked.
My only complaint is that sometimes the dining room is like a freezer! What is it about SF restaurants and not turning on the heater? I would love to dine there one day without wearing a jacket. -
Review from Seong P.
6/17/2009
3.5 stars. There are a limited number of non-greasy dinner options after 9pm near my gym or home. I can't eat burritos every night after all.
So, we took a scenic drive around Noe Valley looking for this Chinese place that we did not know the name of nor the exact location. Once we found it, I saw that it was not authentic and that it was not a hole in the wall. Instead, it looked really clean with a lot of colorful glassware all over the place as decoration.
We went with the salmon with asparagus and the portobello mushrooms with tofu since I was in a tofu mood. Both were tasty and the portions were large so we didn't finish anything. I wouldn't mind eating here again. -
Review from Elena C.
9/7/2009
I'm sitting at home, as sick as can be and sipping on Seafood Party Soup which I wanted badly enough to walk all 90 feet from my house to Alice's.
Maybe you think I'm crazy, but here's the deal:
Alice's makes some of the best Chinese food South of Chinatown, East of the Sunset and North of San Bruno @ Silver. Ok, so the best Chinese food in the Noe Valley/Glen Park/Bernal/Mission area.
They're THE BEST Chinese restaurant in Noe Valley (sorry, Henry's Hunan and Eric's lovers). The food is well-priced, not too salty (like Henry's Hunan) and really flavorful (without MSG). The service is fast and friendly, their bathroom is clean and their restaurant is bright and airy and nicely decorated.
Just a note, there's almost never any parking in Noe Valley. but if you must drive (they don't do delivery), try the hill above Valley St (West of Sanchez). There's always parking there but have fun on the 30% incline. -
Review from JR H.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2007
I LOOOOVVVVEEEEE me some Chinese food!!!!
I LLLOOOVVVVEEEEEE me some Thai food!!
I do not love Chinese food that tastes like a Thai chef cooked it!!
It's been a few years since I've been here, and it seems to have turned into a Thai/Chinese fusion of sorts...and not in a good way.
We ordered lunch and got a Curry Shrimp special that tasted and smelled like Thai food. The Chow Fun had large basil leaves and had a hint of peanut flavor, not the MSG we all know and love! The portabella Beef is just ok.
We did have an appetizer of little drumsticks that were fried and damn it they were good!!
I would be interested to try this place again at night and see if the food is any different, but like I said, when I want Chinese food, I want Chinese!!! -
Review from Jim S.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2006
Alice's. A recent discovery thanks to my fellow Yelpers. As a White Person, I wanted to know where I can go to have Chinese food for White People..... Anywaz, enuf with the misplaced sarcasm and on with the review:
My bf and I've been there twice now and both times we've had wonderful, spicy, well-prepared food. The won-ton soup had lots of fresh veggies, shrimp, and chicken (all swimming with the won-tons). A meal in itself! The spicy eggplant, tofu and green beans, and sesame chicken are all great! They have avocado rolls too (just like Eric's)!
And, it is so much nicer, quieter, cleaner, calmer, warmer than Eric's. Sorry dear Eric. I know there is this sibling rivalry.
1/07: UPDATE: I'm afraid in the Alice's vs Eric's rivalry... lately Alice's has been slipping up. Our last meal here was so so, while our recent trip to Eric's was amazing and tasty. -
Review from Hilde L.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2010
This is my favorite place in San Francisco for Chinese food. With all the variety and options this fair city offers, just think what that means...?!?!
Go for it!
