San Francisco Chinatown Gems

With San Francisco's Chinatown being the oldest and largest the U.S., the plethora of dining options can be overwhelming. Where should one eat and how does the food at one restaurant compare to the one next door? We have a few favorite no-frills and hole-in-the wall places that offer one of the better foods.


Sam Wo
*thanks to the tip from pigouttravels, Sam Wo has closed its doors after 90+ years of business*


Besides being one of the older establishments in Chinatown, Sam Wo has a special place in our hearts. Back in college when T and I spent a summer at the University of California-Bekerley, we also spent a lot of time in San Francisco then. Trips to Chinatown would always involve a meal at Sam Wo. There is nothing fancy about Sam Wo. It is after all a true hole-in-the-wall but even until today what appeals to us is the old school and nostalgic feeling in that place.

The kitchen is on the first floor and the dining area is on the second floor, which means guests will get a peek into the kitchen before taking the narrow stairs up to get seated. The dining area is small and tables are close to one another.

The food comprises of comforting items such as noodle soup, congee, and rice plates all at extremely affordable prices that go as low as about $5 for a hearty bowl of noodle soup. The wontons are always good and the beef brisket is tender with a generous portion of beef tendons included.

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Sam Wo
813 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

 *****

Kam Po Kitchen

Famous for its barbeque meats, Kam Po Kitchen is a hectic place so be prepared to share the table with other customers. This is all part of the experience after all. A short wait for a table is not uncommon either. The servers were busy while trying to keep everything under control. The chef at the front was kept busy the entire time with orders for the barbeque meats. Kam Po Kitchen is not by all means the cleanest restaurant in Chinatown but if you are in for a true authentic experience and good roast meats, this is the place to be at.

We were impressed with the way roast pork was served here. Generally one of the highlights of roast pork is the crispy and perfectly crackled skin, but many times the layer of fat stuck underneath the crispy skin is a deterrent to eat up all the perfect crackling. At Kam Po Kitchen, the meat and skin are both separated from one another and the chef completely removes the layer of fat from the crackling before serving.

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Kam Po Kitchen
801 Broadway Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

 *****

Hing Lung

Well known for its congee, Hing Lung is a fantastic place for a hot and breakfast. The kitchen is at the entrance of the restaurant and customers get a glimpse of the chef preparing the Chinese fried dough sticks, congee, and noodles with the steaming pots on large stoves. The seating is huge and accommodates a lot of people though if all the smaller tables are taken, one might need to share a big table with another small party.





The breakfast specials are affordable and so delicious, Hing Lung warranted two visits on our last trip. With $4.75 (before tax), the breakfast comes with a large bowl of congee and a side plate of Chinese fried dough sticks and dried shrimp rice noodle roll. The fried dough sticks were one of the better ones I have had anywhere. They were crispy and yet soft. One clear favorite congee option was the salt pork bone served with peanuts and shredded ginger. The pork and preserved egg congee was very good as well and prepared a little differently from other restaurants, the meat in the congee was in the form of pulled pork which was very well marinated and helped to add taste to the congee.





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Hing Lung
674 Broadway Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

*****

Gold Mountain

When it comes to dim sum, clearly everyone has their favorite and we really enjoyed our morning at Gold Mountain. This place gets very crowded during dim sum hours but if you get there early enough, having to wait for a table is not necessary. We beat the crowd by arriving at about 10:00am when the place was still calm and the servers constantly brought the dim sum items over to our table until we had to politely refuse. The sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf was excellent. For the brave souls, their braised chicken feet with a hint of spiciness was also a winner.

The sesame balls with red bean filling were perfectly deep fried and the sweet tofu dessert was so delicious and soft that T ordered seconds of it.

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Gold Mountain
644 Broadway Street
San Francisco, CA 94133