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House of Nanking
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
919 Kearny St(between Columbus Ave & Jackson St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 421-1429
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1514 reviews for House of Nanking
Review Highlights
"My favorite dish so far is Sesame Chicken."
(in 302 reviews)
"It's STILL among the best chinese food in the City."
(in 94 reviews)
"The sizzling rice soup was my favorite."
(in 25 reviews)
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1514 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer C.
Torrance, CA
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wonderful!! This great restaurant was referred to me by a friend and while my husband and I were leaving the hotel to walk over I overheard a few people talking about The House of Nanking!!
Needless to say we were excited to try out this well talked about restaurant.
Truly a local gem! Traditional Chinese style eating best when you have larger groups.
We started with the rice porridge with chicken, with dish was absolute heaven. The chicken had a bit of spice to it which added a flavor that burst in your mouth! I also loved the house specialty sesame chicken!
Will definitely make another trip to this fabulous small mom & pop place!! -
Review from Mark D.
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been coming to House of Nanking for many years. I would highly recommend asking the waiter to bring you a combination of dishes. When eating at House of Nanking I never look at the menu. I just ask for a few dishes and the owner delivers his inspiration. It's never disappointing. House of Nanking does accept credit cards. Push for the restaurant to take your credit card. Don't pay cash. That is BS!!! You have to try the following;
Sautéed mushrooms or salt and peppered prawn with sautéed mushrooms
Spring beans
Fried Pork Pot stickers
Hot & Sour Soup
Sesame Chicken
Yummy!! Definitely one of my favorite eats in San Francisco. Highly recommend for tourist or guest visiting San Francisco. Park at the Chiness underground parking across from the Hilton Hotel. -
Review from Rachel H.
Seattle, WA
1/29/2012
One of the best greasy hole-in-the-wall places with a line out the door in SF's Chinatown.
That line tells you all you need to know. Order anything. My favorite is anything with yams and chili and protein! -
Review from Krystal H.
Berkeley, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
OMGOMGOMG, this place is amazing! While it's certainly not as cheap as other Chinese restaurants in the area, it's worth the occasional splurge for delicious, fresh tasting Chinese food. And the giant mug of flowering tea?! Perfect for a rainy day! My favorite part of the meal were the onion cakes.. the sauce is delicious. Good people watching too. They definitely take cards -- no need to push the server into it.
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Review from Shyama G.
Austin, TX
2/8/2012
Some of the best Chinese food I've had. I don't know the names of the dishes because we were asked how hungry we were and the chef sent out his picks for us--I'd recommend going with a group and doing the same, you get to try so many dishes and they are all good.
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Review from Brian M.
North Wales, PA
1/23/2012
I read a lot of reviews where people bash this place for not being authentic, food is too starchy, blah blah blah and who cares? The food is delicious and thats all that matters. My sister lives in San Francisco and every time I go out I make it a point to eat here. You usually have to wait outside for 10 minutes or so because it's always so packed but they do a good job of moving people in and out.
Once you sit down they will take your order, but if you order things that don't pair up then they will kind of take over and order for you. This might turn some people off but everytime the server has ordered for me I have loved everything I have gotten. The fried onion cakes and rice chowder are incredible. Just remember to bring cash though because they don't take cards.
I would urge anyone to at least give this place a shot. It may not be the most authentic food in the world but its good and that is all that matters. -
Review from Marie E.
Scottsdale, AZ
2/2/2012
House of Nanking is always a must have when I go home. Personally I never trust a restaurant that has pictures of their dishes in the front window. But I do trust a place that is always packed with a line around the corner. I have never tried anything I didn't like...tea, fried tofu with peanut sauce, noodles it is all amazing. You leave feeling satisfied with out the jacked up stomach Chinese food can give you at times. (Well me that is!)
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Review from Miguel R.
1/18/2012
House of Nanking doesn't sound like much for some reason but it is a really cool and really tasty place anyway.
The sign is UGLY! The facade is cool. The place has a pseudo run down look but it really isn't. It has lots of character. I like the lighting inside! I love the windows and we were lucky enough to sit by them. However, I had my back turned to the window so I didn't get to do much people watching and this is a great place to do that. So many people pass by!
We had Sesame Chicken with yams and it was awesome. We also had Chow Mein which was also awesome. We had a seafood soup which the waitress forced upon us in typical House of Nanking style haha! She said "I will take care of you" and then the Targetera tried to choose something else but the waitress insisted and all the Targetera could do was give in haha! We had some delicious braised green beans too!
The food is so flavorful and different from Los Angeles Chinese food that I was surprised - big time! However, the sauce used for the Chow Mein and the Sesame Chicken tasted the same. Minus one star for that and minus one star for the pushy waitress. It may be what sets them apart but I really don't like that:( The seafood soup was not really that great and most of us agreed on that:(Listed in: Magical San Francisco
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Review from Yum Y u m.
Emeryville, CA
1/17/2012
OMG!!...can you say MSG headache & food drenched in starchy sauce? Every time we walk by this place, there happened to be people waiting outside. So couple days ago, the bf & I walked by and there was no wait - so fine let's go in & refresh my memory was "Nan King" food is.
The moment I we sat down, I was already questioning what kind of "culinary" dish we're going to be presented by, because, I scanned the room & we're the only Asian customer - I started to get nervous. (Does this place appeal to people who like P.F.Changs?) Well, I should have trusted my intuition: majority of the food was emphasized with sweet & salty sauce. Got the popular sesame chicken - average, salty & full of msg sauce. Then the mushu beef was tender, but again, saturated in thick soy sauce. Thank goddess the large cup of tea of $3 was beer jug size to wash down all the salt. So I will not return. Come at your own risk if you chose not to believe the poor yelp reviews & be fooled by the 4-star rating. -
Review from Lily T.
Oakland, CA
1/18/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Remember...Cash only!!!
For some reason, I'm always lucky enough to get in the door and plop into a seat RIGHT before the line starts forming out onto Kearny. Whether it's with one other person or a group of people, we manage to get in and get taken care of within 5 minutes. On a cold night, ask for a cup of the hot flower tea. This monster of a mug should be carried by a St. Pauli Girl (I think) cause it's massive and filled with blooming goodness--as in, the sweetish tea blossoms in front of you with tentacular, fragrant goodness.
As of late (and for fun), my table has requested the "chef's choice," which means we don't get to pick what's on the menu except by specifying what kind of meat we'll eat (or non-meat...), and the chefs cook something right up to surprise us. And it has been NO FAIL in terms of super YUM and super FAST.
The fried calamari is exactly how it's stated on the menu: Melt In Your Mouth. Yes.
The sesame chicken is pretty average, but it pairs beautifully well with its side slices of honey-fied sweet potato goodness.
And the pan-fried garlic fish? To die for. It, too, melts in your mouth (this whole place would do well to melt in your mouth, ehem) and was probably my highlight of the night.
All in all, a very enjoyable and hearty dining experience with all the commotion within (and outside of) House of Nanking. -
Review from Todd R.
Aliso Viejo, CA
1/22/2012
Every time I make a visit to the city i make sure to stop by this amazingly authentic restaurant! Each time have ever gone to dine at the House of Nanking the server always orders for us. It must be some type of thing that they do. At first I was reluctant and wanted to order for myself, ut after being as many times as I have I think it only adds to the experience and allows for me to try new things!
This last time I went I had the seafood soup to start and my goodness!! It was the best!!! This place is a must if you are ever in China Town!! -
Review from Bei L.
Tulsa, OK
1/19/2012
If you are looking for authentic Chinese food, this is not the place to go.
Tried Wonton Soup and Onion Cake. The Wonton soup had cream in it and the Onion Cake wan't in a form that I could recognize. -
Review from J L.
Mesa, AZ
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Seems like a tourist trap, but the house noodles are great (I asked for them spicy with shrimp, yum!). The "famous sesame chicken" tastes like something I would get from PF Changs. The chicken is gristly dark meat, lightly breaded and fried (which was a plus) and a sticky sweet sauce (which they were very heavy handed with). The sweet potatoes with the chicken and cucumber garnish were good, though.
I recommend the house noodles, spicy. I do not recommend the sesame chicken.
I question the cleanliness of the establishment, and I would not recommend going to the bathroom here unless you really need to...
CASH ONLY! -
Review from Eric Z.
Dublin, CA
1/31/2012
Perhaps the other dishes are better but the house noodles with vegetables and garlic were too rich and heavy for me. Kept asking myself, is there butter in Chinese cuisine? Not sure what was in it giving the heaviness, couldn't figure it out. I will say that the baby greens mixed in and piled on top were delicious.
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Review from scott d.
Arlington, VA
12/13/2011
One thing that isn't usually the sign of a good Asian restaurant is a room full of white patrons. Part of me wanted to break out right then, and leave all the other gringos with their lame, bland schit designated for tourists. Yet, it's precisely because the place has such a big rep in all the lame, mainstream tourist literature I decided to give it a shot. After all, it's not like every single place where (FOB) Asians predominate is necessarily infallible either.
The food is definitely priced far above my upper limit for Chinatown but I have to admit, it was pretty phukkin good. The menu is nothing too inventive - most dishes would be on any takeout lunch special in every stripmall in whitebread middle America. However, what they do, they do exceptionally well. I dare say the sesame chicken is the best I've ever had, especially in terms of the quality of the meat. The flavor was good, too, but being sesame chicken obviously didn't come with much heat. This is perhaps the one aspect that really separates it from the "real" FOB schit. I can live without it for one meal though, and in fact I left feeling pretty phukkin satisfied.
It's now clear that PF Chang's is basically House of Nanking at an economy of scale, and I now get why it's so popular among the gringos. It's very good and predictable food in a pleasant setting. Sometimes even I need a break from the greasy hole in the wall. That said, I would NEVER wait on a hugeass and utterly ridiculous line to get in. -
Review from Ron L.
12/9/2011
I trust my lawyer with my life. Always on top of his game, give me sound legal advice, and loves to play golf and down a few drinks. Attorney, why, oh why did you let some doubt creep into my thought of you by taking me to "the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown"?
It's because of people like him. It's because of tourists following the latest guide book. It's because of hotel concierges wanting to send their customers to a "safe" restaurant. These are the people who are pimping this place that causes long lines out the door of mainly fair skinned light haired people who think General Tso actually fought in the Han Dynasty.
If Chef Boyardee opened an Italian restaurant, would there be lines of Chinese lined up to get in? Only if he had a publicist like House of Nanking's. Save your money and go to Panda Express. -
Review from Jorge G.
State College, PA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was a bit worried about coming to House of Nanking after reading some of the reviews mentioning long wait times and dirty dish wear. However, one of the good things of going to Nanking on the holidays is that we didn't have to wait in line nor did we have dirty dish wear. Our evening started out great, having the manager bring us a diverse selection of dishes from the menu so that we could get a taste of what this restaurant has to offer. I gotta admit the food was good but in a very predictable sort of way. Not only that, but it always saddens me to see the wait staff eating food from another restaurant that serves the same type of cuisine. HINT: If you are a waiter at any restaurant doing this PLEASE hide yourself in the kitchen.
So, is it good? Yes. Is it a must-go-to? Not exactly. -
Review from Tree S.
Long Beach, CA
12/6/2011
Though the negatives you read here are true (you will be subjected to everyone else's dinner conversations; it's positively chock-a-block in there!), House of Nanking still is a great experience. I've been lucky; I've never had to wait for a table. Though, I have seen the lines going out the front door as I've left the establishment a few times. And I appreciated the subtly of the flavors. What is that herb in the sizzling rice soup? So delicate! And, get the tea. It just complements the meal perfectly. It may not be authentic, but it's delicious.
My Chinese-American friend was impressed by the sesame chicken. So much so, he wants to bring back his father. I guess it's hard to get it crunchy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.
So, despite the detractors, I say give this place a whirl. Try to time it so you don't have to wait, and you'll be even happier with your experience. -
Review from Bernadette M.
Studio City, CA
1/19/2012
Besides going to eat in China, this is the closest thing to it in California. I came here not knowing what to expect, and the waiter asked us if it was our first time. He asked us if we wanted him to pick our menu. We told him that we like seafood, beef and chicken. Man, everything he gave us was soooo good! My favorite was the calamari! Everything is really good here, and cannot go wrong!
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Review from Roger a.
Portland, OR
12/28/2011
This was my first time back since they remodeled the place years ago when it looked like a divey cafeteria. I'd never been disappointed then and am happy to say this time was no different. Plus our long-time SF friend had never been here so I looked forward to her verdict.
The service is a little weird. I felt a bit rushed in/out and they seat you at big tables next to other diners and try to squeeze as many people as possible in. An older guy took our order and seemed to be scowling at every choice. Reminded me of the Soup Nazi, like 'oops, did i order the wrong thing? Does he not like vegetarians?'. It's all kind of amusing and not a big deal if you take it all in stride.
The food made up for any inconvenience in service. It was remarkably consistent with what I remembered years ago. Everything was universally praised by the 3 of us. I swear there's something dangerous in the sauce (msg??). It's totally addictive and made me crave every bite. The eggplant/sweet potato dish was the best. Our SF friend was duly impressed especially with the scallops she ordered. It's too bad that it's a big touristy spot now, but i guess they're just too good to be kept a secret. -
Review from Terry C.
Glendale, CA
11/26/2011
Horrible overrated tourist trap with mediocre food, lousy service and hardly any Asian customers (take that as a hint). It really doesn't live up to the hype and the ridiculously long wait times. Trust me, go to Chef Jia's next door. There's never a wait, it's cheaper and the food is WAY better.
The main reason this place is full of 'tude is because their coffers are perpetually filled by the tourist dollars from visitors who want "local flavor"---and the truth is this place is about as authentic as a Disneyland "Main Street". They get away with the rude service and subpar food because day after day, tourists and hipsters line up around the block and it's galling because the food at Jia's next door is so much better. Please, don't follow the lemmings in Nanking and go to the most-empty restaurant a few doors down that's the REAL hidden gem. You won't be sorry. -
Review from g f.
Tracy, CA
1/22/2012
Got lucky and sat down right away, And then watched a line form around the block.
Sizzling rice soup was awesome, and though I may not have ordered a couple of the dishes that the chef recommended, having them just bring it all out family style and not having to decide what to order was fun.
Price was ok, a little cramped and grimey but new flavors for me which is awesome.. -
Review from Derek L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Place gets a lot of hype. The food is tasty, but it's relatively expensive for small portions. Chinese food should be tasty while being super cheap/easy. I definitely feel like it's lost it's status as a "gem." There has to be better, more authentic places hidden away in Chinatown. I won't say House of Nanking "sold out," but that's what it feels like with the type of Chinese food they serve. If you let the owner/server order for you, you'll definitely end up with the most americanized items on the menu.
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Review from Raychul M.
San Rafael, CA
11/7/2011
I have such mixed feelings about this place. The food is REALLY good but every time I go I am shocked by the service which is some of the worst I have ever experienced.
Usually there are "floaties" in my water, when I ask for new water they bring me water that still has strange things floating in it. I have had to return silverware several times b/c it usually has hard and dried food on it. This last time my plate had crusted dried food on it. Also, this last time I went, it took 6 minutes to get water and when the server brought it to me he was holding my glass by the rim with one thumb actually in my water! When he handed me the water, the rim of the glass had grease lining it where I was supposed to put my mouth.
Another huge annoyance is sometimes they decide they don't want to bother taking our credit card and demand we pay in cash. The best way around this is tell them you don't have enough cash to leave a tip with and then their story changes and their credit card machine magically fixes it's self.
I don't know if I would recommend this place to anyone. I think the hype for this place is way better than the actual place itself. -
Review from Darren D.
Signal Mountain, TN
1/18/2012
Pretty good, not the "best I've ever had".
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Review from Inigo M.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/2/2012
Sesame chicken got sloppier, bathroom got bigger.
Listed in: SF Date Spots
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/22/2010
Sesame chicken indeed special (crispy outside, tender inside, mostly dark meat); bed of sweet… Read more »
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Review from Cj W.
San Bruno, CA
1/15/2012
This is our favorite place to bring friends who are here from out of town. I'm SUPER picky but love almost everything they serve. I've had one thing that I didn't love, but it was still good!
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Review from Christie B.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2011
My parents had come here with my brother and his wife the last time they were in the City and loved it so we all came here last night for dinner after a full day of sight seeing. My dad was really excited and wanted the nice women to just order for us and bring out what she tought we'd enjoy. There was 7 of us and one who can't eat any kind of fish. She was very attentive to keep only a few of the dishes having shell fish. Unfortunatly those were the best dishes.
Everything was OVERLY greasy and everything dish was fried. After 7 very small plates (which were split between 7 of us) we told her to stop bringing food that we were full. The bill was a HUGE suprise. $141.00 and we only had water!
Chicken egg rolls - Gross
Chicken Won Ton w/ peanut sauce - just okay
beef with unripe tomatoes and mushrooms - yuck
Seasame chicken w/sweetpotatoes - overly greasy and sweet
Crispy pork was strips of fried pork fat - Dry and stringy
Calamari - Best dish we had hands down
Sweet Shrimp with fried greenbeans - WAY to sweet and the green beans were from a frozen bag.
With so many other options in SF, we will not be returning.
1-star for the calamari
1-star for the customer service and atentiveness to my sis-in-laws no fish request. -
Review from Jackie M.
San Francisco, CA
12/25/2011
I remember when Nanking House use to be a dingy hole in the wall that made real Chinese good and a crazy good fried rice, but those were the good ol days... Now after renovation and being featured by Zagat Nanking House has transformed into an American-Chinese restaurant serving sweet & sour pork and mongolian beef that is way over priced. Unfortunately their transformation has made me lose my love for them. But I'm glad that some of their food still tastes good, just not as good as in the past.
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Review from Bruce P.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
Best Chinese food in the city. If your looking for sweet and sour chicken head elsewhere.
Pea shoot salad and stir fry sweet potatoes are unbelievable.
Service makes you feel rushed, and if you look like a noob the will probably snatch up the menus, ask about allergies and order for you.
Go with the flow you wont be disappointing.
Looking for more of an ambiance? Head to Fang their sister restaurant. Service is more manageable with no communal tables. -
Review from Katherine R.
Miami, FL
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm so disappointed. I used to love this restaurant. We stopped in during a recent visit to SF. There wasn't a line and our party of 4 sat immediately. However, no server came to us for 10 minutes. We had to flag one down and then felt awkward like we were putting that person out by getting us drinks. The real kicker was that we asked them to please not use MSG for our meal (half of us are intolerant to it). They said there was no way for them to remove the MSG from their food; that everything was already prepared with it. Yuck!! I really can't believe this. I equate the use of MSG with low quality food. This is supposed to be the best restaurant in Chinatown SF. Me thinks not.
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Review from Sasha B.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
The only reason I have ever eaten there more than once is because my dad always wants to dine here when visits San Francisco.
The food is pleasurable (no doubt) but I get the worst migraines after coming here. All the MSG?
The people working there are downright rude and inattentive. You have to wave them down aggressively to get any service. They avoid eye contact on purpose.
I once asked if I could have the food made without MSG and the server practically ripped my face off for asking.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the cleanliness. The place is N-A-S-T-Y! You know what I'm talking about. You know no one is washing their hands.
The first time I went there, as I was waiting for the restroom, I saw someone drop food on the floor and throw it back into the vat. Ok, so I'm sure this happens in restaurants all the time...............BUT............does this happen all the time?
I'm here over Thanksgiving break (dad in town) and I'm waiting for the bathroom again (yep...got a small bladder) and I spot the owner's wife do the following:
Touch her shoe.
Walk over to a big pot of something soupy and steamy.
Reach her hand in the pot. A full fist into the very hot pot. Grab a handful of some mushy looking stuff. Put into her mouth. Then she grabs some salt or spice or something, pours the spice in. Then with that same hand (that now contains the mushy stuff, her saliva and her shoe germs) puts the hand back in and continues to eat like that - like a damn animal.
PATHETIC! SICKENING!
And it wouldn't be so bad if the people that worked there, particularly the owners, didn't have such a nasty attitude. But for some reason, it just makes the disgust even worse. -
Review from Maria C.
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
After a couple attempts to try this place, I finally got the opportunity!!! We arrived shortly after they opened and there was only 1 other customer in the restaurant.
Order the following:
-Nanking Chicken ($10): This is the house fave. I looked over at the other diner's tables and found that they ordered the same thing. It was good, although I would have preferred a bigger crunch (more breaded). Overall, this is their staple so it's good to order at your first visit.
-House Noodles with Beef ($11): Not bad, but not the best noodles ever. First of all, they were green and very garlicky. If you don't like garlic - you better pass. It was good for about a quarter of the dish, but I got too garlicked out.
-Diet Coke ($2): For a can? Can't you buy a six pack for this much???
-Steamed Rice ($1.50): For a bowl that could serve 2 people. Isn't rice usually complimentary?
Service was so-so... Not the best, but I've had much worse. We weren't
acknowledged for the longest time as the 3-4 employees held their personal conversations at the back of the restaurant.
Another SF bookmark crossed off the list... -
Review from Angelina A.
San Pedro, CA
1/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Best chinese food I have ever had!!! I specifically came back SF just to eat here after I had so many people tell me about this place. It was totally worth it we ate here twice in two days! i loved loved loved the potsitckers both fried and steamed and the seseme chicken was to die for!!!!
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Review from Suzy W.
Carlsbad, CA
1/29/2012
We stop in House of Nanking every time we visit SF. We stopped in on a recent Thursday afternoon and the place was empty. That's a first! There's always been a line outside the restaurant any time of the day or evening. We ordered the same food we always get and boy there was a huge difference. It just wasn't the same. Please someone tell me, did the ownership change? I'm sure it's been 20 years we've been eating there and telling everyone who goes to SF not to miss to the food a House of Nanking. I don't know if we'll be back!
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Review from Emily M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is quite the experience. I had heard about it from my boss who raved about it so I wanted to check it out. We went there at around 730 on a Friday night. Seating was immediate but it was HOT inside. Not just stuffy...like, HOT. I read reviews about bad service but it seemed that the younger waitresses were all really nice. The older ones don't even give eye contact - at one point I wasn't sure she remembered she was at our table. However, we told her we liked chicken and beef and off she went. She brought back the best sesame chicken I have ever had. I mean...so good. She also brought some type of cut beef with tomatoes and onion which was good, but I'm not a big beef person so I don't know if I could rate it well. Back to the chicken...o-m-f-g. It was perfect.
Aside from the food, the ambiance is very chinatown. You have to be prepared for a lot of tourists and a lot of not staring. For example, there were open windows in the front of the restaurant. People would walk by and literally put their head in the window to look at what you were eating. Thankfully we were not by the windows but we were entertained by the people who tried to pretend like nothing was happening so they could continue eating. I will try to upload an action shot of this happening, as it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. -
Review from Monica E.
Redwood City, CA
1/27/2012
Best chinese food in SF, and if you are fortunate enough to have the owner (Peter) take your order, just ask him "what's good today?" and let him take care of your order. The food is off the menu and simply the best!
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Review from Andrea B.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good American Chinese food in Chinatown.
Food Highlights: Get the sesame chicken. Chicken is moist, sauce is great, and it comes with the most delicious sweet potatoes. The scallops in the ginger soy sauce with spinach was great - fresh, cooked well, and tangy.
Not so great food: The calamari was a bit greasy for my taste and needed more seasoning, but they definitely know how to get calamari tender - it did melt in your mouth. Chicken dumplings were good, but they were again a bit underseasoned. The shrimp packets were underwhelming but came with the best peanut sauce.
Price: very reasonable. They pressure you to pay cash, but don't feel like you have to go to an ATM. We paid card. You just have to bust their balls a bit.
Service: LOL. Typical for Chinese restaurants - they won't hold your hand, so speak up when you want something! -
Review from William S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/29/2011
Everytime I taste sugar in main dishes, I slightly freakout. Sweetness to me belongs at the end of a meal, during dessert or at the beginning of the meal for those who eat dessert first, LOL. Most of the sauces here are sugared, totally unappetizing. It's like eating at Panda Express. The restaurant itself is hot inside and the food is boring. Im sure it caters to certain clientele and they like to eat here, its just not for me.
JYFMY! -
Review from Zach M.
12/22/2011
This place came recommended from a friend of a friend native to the area. She claimed it was some of the best chinese food in Chinatown. As soon as we got to here, there was a line which is usually a good sign that the place is legit. However, I kind of only think that there was a line because the place was so small. Anyways, the good was pretty good. I got an order of the sesame chicken (WOW, damn good) and chicken fried rice. The chicken fried rice didnt taste like any chicken fried rice I've ever had before. If anything, it tasted like it was more authentic than something you get at the chinese place in the mall. All in all, the food was great, the service was average, but the experience was memorable. I'd probably try another place the next time I visit but its worth a stop.
