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Utopia Cafe
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
139 Waverly Pl(between Clay St & Washington St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(415) 956-2902
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, 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:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
113 reviews for Utopia Cafe
Review Highlights
"I can recommend the clay pot rice."
(in 17 reviews)
"I recommend their salt and pepper chicken wings."
(in 10 reviews)
"The beef chow fun I had to-go was ginormous."
(in 6 reviews)
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113 reviews in English
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Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Per coworker's recommendation. my friend and I came here for dinner to try their clay pot rice. This is because our usual favorite Chinatown location for this, Hing Lung, has been shut down by the Health Department (for how long or whether it's for good, that's unknown still).
We both agreed the clay pot rice items we ordered were good in that it's not oily compared to Hing Lung. It is more expensive though by a few dollars each depending on the item of choice. Even compared to Taishan Restaurant on Clement Street (another one of our favorite places for clay pot rice), everything is at least $1 more.
Nevertheless, chances are we'll likely we back at times to satisfy this craving if we want to go for it in Chinatown and Hing Lung remains closed. -
Review from Allison M.
Palo Alto, CA
2/5/2012
I had to pick a restaurant in Chinatown using the iPhone Yelp! app, and ended up on this one. Now I've gone there, and I'm unconvinced that it stands out in any way from the other Chinese restaurants teeming around it.
One really great thing about it was that they offered a fantastic deal on a veggie dinner spread, if you ordered it for two people. $10 for 2 veggie egg rolls, 2 bowls of vegetable soup, mu shu vegetables, fried tofu with mushrooms, veggie fried rice, tea, and fortune cookies.
The only thing was, the food wasn't that great. The egg rolls were, as was the tofu-- amazing flavor and so silky! And the soup was definitely not lacking in vegetables. But the mu shu was pretty bland, it soaked through the pancakes immediately, ripping them. Plus my fiance found a rock (!) in his! He almost chipped his tooth... Luckily, he still would have been able to enjoy the mushrooms in the tofu dish, which he found slimy (but agree to disagree there; I enjoyed them!)
We also appreciated that they validated the parking in the garage down on Kearny Street-- a free two hours-- if you spend $30!Listed in: Where I Can Score Some Coke
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Review from Subrosa I.
Palo Alto, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm guessing that the person who named this restaurant had a wicked sense of humor, unless being insolent to one another is normal behavior in the Chinese Utopian society.
The waitresses here were contemptuously rude and, at times, downright hostile. That's rather unfortunate, because the food here was pretty good. The sweet and sour chicken dish and the bean sprout leaves with garlic dish were particularly tasty.
And the price was easy on the pocket book. Our bill averaged out to about $12 per person. By the way, if you want to know what a hardcore stink eye looks like, just ask the waitress to split the bill with multiple credit cards. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
It was on my bookmarked list to try ( but I didn't even try the claypots!).
*dou mei
*seafood claypot
*salt fish with rice -
Review from Eve C.
Union City, CA
1/24/2012
So I guess I will have to come back for the clay pot rice...since we didn't get it that day. The meal was pretty average along with the prices.
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Review from dolly s.
Austin, TX
1/12/2012
I was looking forward to eating the claypot rice here but was a bit disappointed. The chicken mushroom claypot rice I had was bland since sauce is given on the side and not cooked with the ingredients. The sauce is also a very thin consistency and did not have enough flavor.
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Review from Victor W.
11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Total hidden gem for those who don't mind eating in less than fabulous atmospheres. The place is tucked away in a quiet street of Chinatown and is quite simple in design.
The one thing you have to get here is the clay pot rice. I'd recommend getting it with chicken and mushrooms. It takes 20-25 minutes to make since it's freshly prepared but it's totally worth the wait. This is what all the local Chinese people know this place is known for. -
Review from Peter L.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2011
3 1/2 stars.
The Beef Stew Noodle was da BOMB! The piece of beef were tender and excellent. The broth was just right
Wife had the dumpling Noodle Soup - it was OK. The dumpling was pork as opposed to shrimp.
They offer 2 hours Free Parking at Portsmouth Garage which is a MAJOR PLUS.
Service was OK, but on the slow side. -
Review from Jackie D.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Salt & Pepper Chicken wings are yummy! The 2 clay pots we ordered were mediocre. One was chicken & one was beef, I wouldn't order this again. Staff was really nice which is always an extra star in my book.
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Review from pang m.
Winton, CA
1/24/2012
asked for directions to the tin how temple on waverly & they "did not know where it was" (IT WAS A FEW DOORS DOWN!!!!!)
was gonna eat here, but decided against it due to the customer service.
unhelpful staff -
Review from Keilin H.
9/14/2011 3 photos
In my utopia, I would live in a mansion made of rainbows, have a pet unicorn, and have food from Utopia Cafe to feast on EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!!!!!! :D
Hmm this cafe is so tasty! Definitely go for the clay pot/rice in a clay pot dishes!! My friends and I opted to share the Sizzling Chicken Clay Pot, the Sparerib Rice in a Clay Pot, and pickled pig's feet! Everything was EXCELLENT! All the meat was tender and not chewy at all! I've gotten spareribs at other places and sometimes it's just gristle and bleg.
Know that the dishes under the Clay Pot Platter do NOT include rice, so be sure to order some rice. Or you can be like us and get a rice in a clay pot dish!
The service pretty much sucks, but it's Chinatown, so my standards weren't very high to begin with. Very reasonable prices! Complimentary soup!!
I will definitely be back...see if my review update bumps them up to 5 stars! :) -
Review from carol c.
Rancho Murieta, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I feel like I have been the victim of some evil practical joke. Is it possible that everyone who waxed poetic about this place and gave it great reviews was in on this joke? I cannot believe I waited 30 minutes for my order and then schlepped this crap (via foot) all the way home. I had Hot and Sour soup (very good), Potstickers (doughier than that Pillsbury fat ass), salt and pepper chicken wings (heavy 5 spice, no salt no pepper), salt and pepper prawns (mealy and bland), general chicken (not bad - but very close in taste to the orange chicken I've had at the airport), vegetable pan fried noodles (vegetables were over cooked). On top of the crappy food, the service was not much better. I asked them to make sure to put a container of Siracha (hot sauce) and 4 chopsticks in my to go order. I sat there watching them bag it and reminded them of my request (after I had tipped them generously). I get home and no hot sauce, no soy sauce and a bunch of plastic forks. I should have stuck with R&G, Yuet Lee and House of Nanking. Lesson learned
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Review from Karen T.
Came here for family dinner, had a million clay pots, I think it's called peasprouts with lots of garlic, yum! and chicken wings. Everything was good and very homey tasting. Beefstew, Chinese sausage, Broiled Chicken, Curry, and Gluten Tofu Claypots. Their famous chicken wings were crispy and juicy in the middle but I don't see the hype. Ohh and I learned they have a magician in the downstairs room on weekends, WHAT!! A magician in a Chinese restaurant, I have to go back to see that!
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Review from Lauren V.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2011
I'd give you a 0 if I could but the only saving grace was the one employee who I think was either actually a family member or just eating there on her off night and was more attentive to us than our actual waitress. Service beyond terrible, tried a number of dishes and they were bland. I was really bummed I had read such great stuff about the food. Maybe it was an off night....it was a full moon and all?
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Review from Kan W.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food is just OK.
But it takes long time to wait for the food and they don't accept car for the deal under $25. -
Review from Rita Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2011
I'd give the place at least 3.5 stars. We specifically came here to try a couple of the rice clay pots at lunch. We didn't find out until AFTER we left the restaurant & went home & read one of their paper take-out menus that they'll give you 2 hrs free parking at Portsmouth garage! I guess they'll validate. Oh, well.... next time. That alone was worth $6 in free parking.
The customer base today (weekend) was a mix of Asians & Whites and a token Black man who probably likes Chinese food!
They offer 15 rice clay pots, mostly $8 and 3 which are $10 and the one frog leg clay pot for $11. We tried the chicken/mushroom and sparerib blk bean sauce. Tea and the house barley/carrot soup came w/the meal. The soup was quite tasty.
They cook their rice in the pot first (our 2 seat table was in the rear with a clear view of the stove in the kitchen) and then add the meat topping later. A couple of stalks of bok choy was finally added on top of all this. I thought the food was good, rice a bit bland but if you add a few tablespoons from the bowl of seasoned soy sauce which came w/the meal, it tastes pretty good.
Hubby prefers the meat and seasoning mixed and cooked into the rice vs. topping and feels the rice clay pots are better at Taishan Restaurant on Clement St. for the same price. If you're not too hungry, 3 persons can easily share 2 pots as they're filled with a lot of rice. The staff was very nice but at lunch time, they were pretty busy. $20 minimum for credit card use. -
Review from Krystal H.
Berkeley, CA
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Slipped in here for a quick dinner before a night of fancy cocktails at House of Shields. I ordered the salt and pepper chicken wings to start, with a minced beef and rice claypot as my main. The food was quick and good enough. It didn't wow me, so I'll give it two stars!
Listed in: Chinese
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Review from Shane W.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/17/2011
Living in San Francisco its hard to have a regular Chinese restaurant as there as many to choose from.
I had not eaten at Utopia for awhile and thought it was high time I went back as I was craving a Claypot dish.
Oh it was delicious...its very tasty and fantastic value for money. If you want to try a claypot dish then I really recommend Utopia.
I love the fact its nestled into a side street and for me its more of an authentic Chinese restaurant than many of the places which are more for tourists. Yum! I will be back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/10/2010
Am visiting from Sweden and Sweden is not a great place for Chinese food unfortunately. Its all… Read more »
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Review from Joy M.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2011
I came here on my last day in SF, right before my flight. Not exactly hole in the wall joint, but somewhere in that category. we were seated promptly, water and tea was bought to us. We ordered a few entree intems and all were excellent. The only disappointment was the clay pot! After reading about this place and their infamous clay pot, i had to order one. The rice on the bottom was soggy, and topping were spare. Would I give it a try, again? Yes!
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Review from Helen H.
4/20/2011 2 photos
Good Prices/ Bad Service.
The other members in my party ordered various clay pot rice dishes. They didn't really appeal to me, so I ordered the Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup. It was a good price for $4.95, but tasted bland. I also tried the congee, which was also bland.
Service sucked. The waitresses were really rude. When we requested for something, they did not hide their irritation. -
Review from William Z.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011
I love it. Even though it is a small restaurant. The food is tasty because I am eating it right now. I know it has Wi-Fi network because I am using it to type this right now! The soup is not bad. I will try to go here as many times as possible.
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Review from Vicky L.
10/1/2010 1 photo
I can't tell you how many times I've ordered something just to regret it completely because I know I should be ordering something else. However, I like to judge a Chinese restaurant by its wonton noodle soup, and I kind of wish I didn't.
Sara P. and I headed here in search of good Chinese food. It was recommended by a few of my coworkers, who said the clay pot was really good. Not that I didn't have this in mind, but I was just in the mood for wontons, and if it'd been good, it would've totally made my day because after our office move, Hon's is now like two blocks down a steep hill for me, and walking up that hill on a full stomach is really no bueno. Utopia, on the other hand, is on a flat walk of Waverly directly across from my office. It had potential.
The menu is pretty extensive, with different types of veggies, clay pots, noodles, noodle soups, meat, porridge (jook/congee) and rice dishes. Prices start at $2.50 for a plain bowl of porridge, and goes up around $8 for most other things. I had my eye on the minced meat clay pot, but the wontons took over my brain, so I ordered the shrimp wonton noodle soup for $4.95.
It was okay. At most, it was a 3-star meal. There were 5 wontons that were too hard and too densely packed into the wrapper for me, and there was a sort of funky taste to it, like they didn't add some sort of seasoning or whatnot (maybe the pork they used was bad? I hope not, since I didn't get sick yet). The noodles were on par with Hon's, and it's the dry-ish curly thin noodles that remind me of over-permed, over-stressed hair. The broth, with a few shakes of salt, was good.
I think I'll leave my experience at 3 stars for now, since the service was mediocre (again, it's a Chinese restaurant so it's not like I was expecting my chair to be pulled out for me) and prices and quality were just okay compared to some of the other restaurants around the area (Hon's, New HK Menu).
Oh, and if you go between 2:30 and 5 (I think) they have "afternoon tea time" specials, but they were all in Chinese so I couldn't understand what they were serving. Boo.
I'm totally down to come back here and try out all the other dishes and their tapioca teas (it looks like a place that would be good). Oh, and the other thing that kind of is awesome: they accept credit cards. Not sure if there's a minimum of any sort since we paid cash, but at least for bigger parties it won't be a problem.Listed in: CCG Approved, Oh Hai Chinatown!
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Review from Tiffany H.
La Jolla, CA
7/6/2011
Oops, this review was sitting in my 'Drafts' for 2 years now! I never finished it because I realized there wasn't anything memorable about this place. Just your run-of-the-mill greasy Canto eats for a good price (yes, even by Chinatown standards).
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Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2010
The lovely Vicky L. and I came here yesterday for lunch. I love that she works in Chinatown and has recommendations for spots since I have no idea about cantonese food.
That being said, Utopia Cafe is known for their clay pots, or so I figure from reading other reviews and the fact that their menu has like 30 of them on it. I was very undecided about what to order so I read the whole menu and alas, they have my favorite Chinese lunch item!
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TOMATO
It's exactly what it sounds like, a huge plate of eggs with stewed tomatoes. This is a very "Chinese" thing to eat, considering this is what I ate and what everyone else ate for lunch when I was living in northern China. I would definitely go back to Utopia Cafe just for this dish, since I haven't seen it anywhere else. However, I would have to try more items on their menu to justify giving more stars.Listed in: SF Lovin'
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Review from Laurence H.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/27/2011 7 Check-ins Here
This truly is the best value restaurant in the City. Could have fed 3 people easily and only $22. All food prepared to order.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/13/2010
As good as ever. This is the quintessential cheap Chinese meal. Clean, budget-oriented, delicious… Read more »
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Review from Dom L.
8/4/2010
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants. The rice clay pots are very good, make sure you get one of them. I usually get the spareribs one and a chicken and mushroom one. Their congee is also quite good - they put in dried bean curd like my dad makes it - which makes the congee silky smooth. Their noodle (beef chow fun/chow mein) dishes are good, but if I have time I always order family style dishes here. On two recent occasions I've gotten:
chicken wings- delicious! perfectly cooked and not oily.
clams with black bean sauce- plumb and juicy
yu choy with garlic - good flavor
sweet/sour filet - nice outer batter around the fish with just the right amount of sweet/sour sauce
steamed egg 3 way - my son devours the whole dish practically by himself.
They validate parking if you spend over a certain amount. It used to be $20, then $30, now it might be closer to $40, but don't quote me on the amount.
The restaurant has now become a well known tourist destination so prepare for waits on peak days/nights. -
Review from Eric L.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2010
Great good, nice people.
I had the preserved sausage and duck rice clay pot, chicken wings, vege with garlic, and the west lake beef soup.
Love the rice clay pot and chicken wings, very tasty
The soup was pretty good, a warm addition to the cold day
vege with garlic was prepared like how my mom used to cook it, reminds me a lot of home
Overall, great service and food, definitely recommend people coming here -
Review from Joe Y.
Mountain View, CA
7/24/2011 5 Check-ins Here
This is an excellent little place in Chinatown for a meal. The Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings from the appetizer menu are delicious. Be sure to mention http://Yelp.com to get them for $1.95 - it is a smaller serving compared to the item from the appetizer menu (5 instead of 10). They are excellent and at a much better deal.
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Review from Alvina W.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2010
Utopia? Umm, I think we must be consulting very different dictionaries...
Now I know this place is in Chinatown and so I can't hold it to the standards of a five star restaurant...but:
- dried rice left in "clean" bowls
- only 2 menus thrown at our table when we had 3 people
- I had the fresh fish porridge which was so bland I had to use pepper and hot sauce to give it flavor
- poor service; workers seemed frustrated and were yelling that they were too busy
yeah...'nuff said. -
Review from thomas c.
4/24/2011
Went here for a quick meal after getting a haircut in Chinatown. A pretty good/faithful Cantonese cafe-type restaurant.
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Review from ryan c.
Riverside, CA
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
good food guided by a guy looking for tips and he gave us a good one!
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Review from Ed U.
7/3/2008 5 photos
I hope you realize that Utopia is the name coined by Sir Thomas More for an ideal society possessing a seemingly perfect socio-politico-legal system. Now I'm not sure if they have achieved that level of nirvana since I was stuck in the corner of this compact place with no room for my bulbous body to squeeze through. Does that sound like Utopia? It sounds more like Dystopia if you ask me...or maybe Anti-Fatopia!
This bare-bones restaurant is located on the surprisingly non-congested alley where the redoubtable Uncle's Cafe is on the corner. Even though they have the standard Cantonese dishes on the menu, I came here for the famous claypots. I took a look at the faded 2003 San Francisco Magazine cover (see my photo) they have framed in the window, which spotlights the $6.95 Cuttlefish and Minced Pork Claypot as #34 among the top 125 best things to eat in the city. OK, that's for me.
First up was a cup of warm, nondescript soup (see my photo with the appealing reflection of the fluorescent lights). Then came the huge claypot topped with lots of tender Chinese broccoli (see my photo). Underneath was a big patty of pork and cuttlefish chopped up into a burger-like consistency, all of it resting on a whole lotta rice. Naturally the best part of the rice is the crusty part on the sides of the bowl. I have to admit I liked it a lot, though I kinda wished it was a fried rice to break up the carbs a bit. There was enough for two people, but I was having a bad day, OK? Don't judge me.
FOOD - 4 stars...hearty claypots...but hey, you don't get to keep the bowl, dammit
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...lunch room central at a senior center
SERVICE - 3 stars...they work in Utopia...they must be happy, right?
TOTAL - 4 stars...oh what the hell, we'll keep it at 4 stars for the mutha-sized claypotListed in: "Forget it, Jake...it's…
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Review from Teri C.
2/8/2007
Noted as one of SF Examiner's Top 10 Chinese restaurants in 2003 and featured in San Francisco: Great Escapes magazine for May 2003, they sure have gone downhill since then.
I was running some errands today through the rainy mess and had to hit up Chinatown. I figure I would grab some lunch, and passed by this cafe in the alleyway of Waverly Place. Nestled between the suki suki Double Dragon Massage parlor and the Wonderful Foods Co., it's quite easy to miss.
I noted that most, if not all the diners were Asian, Chinese-speaking Asian. Usually a good sign, right? I ended up with the Chow Fun, dry style. I requested it vegetarian. This cost me $6.25. I figure with that price, they would take out meat and throw in some veggies....any veggies would be good at this point! I would be so happy if I found broccoli, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, string beans, or even cabbage!
I got back to the office and this is what I found...a box of brown noodles with no taste, bean sprouts, onions, and green onions. Shute, all those 'veggies' would have been in the regular order anyway! Now I'm stuck eating a box of greasy noodles with no substance whatsoever! Argh! I hate this. Thank gawd for hot sauce. Okay, so it does look like I have an overabundance of bean sprouts in there, but hey, bean sprouts are damn cheap! (I'm beginning to pick them out now 'cuz there's so much!)
If I'm ever dragged back there, maybe I'll have to get there salt and pepper rock cod that was featured in the magazine. But yeah, no to go orders for me anymore from here! Blah!
Sidenote: They offer two hours free parking at Portsmouth Garage with a minimum $20-$25 purchase (depending on what sign you read). They also have the 'secret' Chinese menus posted inside and out...y'know, the specials that are a steal but only if you can read Chinese can you order from it. I can't read Chinese, oh well. I feel stiffed!Listed in: Weekday Lunch Craze - SF
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Review from Matt G.
11/7/2009 2 photos
When you walk on one of San Francisco's Chinatown's historic alley, you actually feel like a part of Chinese History. I can elaborate all day from my grandparents taking my siblings and I to hang out at one of many associations listening to Old-school Chinese Opera and play mah-jongg, to assisting my parents in grocery shopping-duties in my beloved Chinatown.
It did seems like yesterday when that happen. And currently, I have the responsibility of carrying the torch and take my daughter with me to walk around the historic Waverly Alley for an early dinner. We all know that history is over and the future is tomorrow. But like yesterday, today and beyond, Waverly Place is still one of the most historic and "dirtiest" alleys in San Francisco.
Utopia Cafe has been opened maybe twenty years and amazingly the restaurant is one of the newest businesses in the block. As a result, there isn't too much history of this restaurant. But I can tell you that this bright-light and hole in the wall cafe serves your conventional Chinese cuisines.
I had a craving for a clay pot meal, so my daughter and I split an ordered of Curry Chicken in the steamy Clay Pot. For $8.00, the Clay pot's content contains the bits of chicken meat, sliced onions and peppers in a thick and mild curry sauce. With just about everything you wanted in a meal, the clay pot was comforting and tolerable enough for my daughter and I to enjoy.
We also split an order of Salt and Pepper Wings for $5.00. We get ten pieces of the crispy wings and they are crispy and tasty. I just found out that the restaurant is currently having a special on the wings for $2.00. Just mentioned to the helpful and friendly waitresses that you are and proudly a Yelper and you will get those wings for the special price.
Our meal also comes with tea, house-soup and warm red-bean soup for dessert. The waitress were very vigilant and assisted our needs when needed.
I paid our meal in cash and credit cards are also accepted. There is also a Yelp-sticker and various awards on the door too.
Now that is your Chinatown History lesson from me. It's also free too.Listed in: People love us on Yelp!!, Eats and Treats of Chinatown
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Review from Mitzi N.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2011
Delicious unpretentious Cantonese food, graciously served by attentive staff. Really was surprised by the quality and flavor of what was served.
Looks like somewhere you could grab a quick lunch, but my husband brought me here for dinner. I was surprised. It was a delightful treat.
Might be better suited for people seeking authentic cuisine, rather than egg foo young and fried rice. -
Review from Audrey T.
Evanston, IL
9/22/2006
My quick rule of thumb for picking out a decent cheap Chinese place in SF:
The yellow ratio - if Chinese customers to non-Chinese customers is at least 3:2 then you're good to go on the grounds of authenticity, menu selection, and the ability to customize your order. If there aren't enough tables of people in the restaurant to apply the ratio, well that's not a good sign in the first place.
So how was this rule successfully applied to Utopia cafe? Well first, I was a little thrown by the name Utopia restaurant. I mean Utopia? That's way more whitified than something like New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant, which is essentially as redundant as saying "Chai Tea" and whitified normally means too salty and greasy in my book to be any good. But the cheery yellow awning and random icicle lights in the middle of Waverly alley at least convinced my friend and I to walk up to the window and peer in.
And that's when we applied the rule - more Chinese people than white. Sweet. Let's go in.
How did we fair? Well, it was decent food! I was still nursing (at 9pm) a hangover from the previous night, so I was craving salt and pepper fried chicken wings. They came out quite perfect. Tasty, piping hot, and juicy. Plus, they had clay pot rice, which while it looked like a large hamburger patty slapped on top of a pot of rice, was savory and crispy on the edges.
Despite the decent food, it's a 3 star place because I hate it when there are fruit flies buzzing around a restaurant. I've seen fruit flies in all kinds of restaurants, regardless of cleanliness expectations, but it just gives me the eebie jeebies. And I counted 2 fruit flies constantly circling our table last night. -
Review from Robin K.
Hayward, CA
Updated - 5/19/2009
I came back on a weekend night and the food is still yummy. I tried the chicken and mushroom clay pot, chinese brocolli, walnut shrimp, and beef chow fun. I was disappointed that the rice was not as crunchy at the bottom, but the rice was still delicious, nonetheless.
You can get better chow fun at other chinese restaurants, but the restaurant is clean, service is good, and MSG isn't used as a main seasoning, like at other chinese restaurants.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/6/2009
No MSG attack after I ate. Woo Hoo!
Salt and Pepper chicken wings - Juicy, crispy, and delicious
… Read more »
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Review from Anita L.
Updated - 4/19/2009 1 photo
Came back for 'boh jai fan' again -- was craving it badly! Got the ground pork pattie and salty fish one again to share with the family, but this time, also got some garlic pea sprouts, shrimp and pork wontons, salt and pepper tofu.
Everything was delicious, although this time, the crust on the bottom of the claypot rice wasn't as scorched as the last time I ate here.
I thought service is pretty good for Chinatown, but again, that's because I speak Cantonese, and they seem to react better than say, English or Mandarin.
If you spent $30 or more you also get 2 hours validated parking at Portsmouth Square Garage -- so that's even more reason to dine here.
Everyone loved it!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/29/2009
Can anyone say "claypot rice"? There isn't anywhere in Orange County or LA County for that matter,… Read more »
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Review from John F.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2009
Went to try and buy the salt and pepper chicken wings and mentions saw the special on yelp to get it for $1.95. But they want the printout of the coupon.
Yelp said "This is our special tasting item, and is available for dinner for yelp readers. Please mention that you read this offer from http://yelp.com.
'
Thats what I did, so I'm going back to show them this also happen last time they had this ad.
The lady at the counter seems like the owner with glasses and short hair and don't understand english that will. Hopefully, someone can explain to her in Cantonese about the yelp special, because I can't speak that good. -
Review from Gabriel P.
Florence, AL
7/14/2011
Wasn't overly impressed. Good value for price.
