50 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Francisco

“This restaurant was born out of Hong Kong Lounge II, which was one of our favorites. This met our expectation. So glad to see returning staff from the prior location providing the same amazing service. Food was outstanding. My next adventure will be chicken feet.“

“California-style Cantonese cuisine! I really like the decoration style here, which always makes me feel better when dining here. The golden lotus chandelier and the gold and silver wire lamp are definitely the best decoration! 👍The pastries here are also worth mentioning! Pineapple buns, wife cakes, black sesame banana cakes with miso sugar!“

“Always great dim sum and dumplings.“

“Wonderful restaurant, Absolutely outstanding experience! This Chinese roast duck restaurant delivers perfection in every detail. The duck is incredibly crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and carved with impressive skill right at the table. The flavors are rich but never greasy, and the accompanying pancakes, scallions, and sauces are all beautifully balanced.

The service is warm, attentive, and efficient, and the staff make you feel truly welcome. The atmosphere is elegant yet comfortable—perfect for both family gatherings and special occasions.“

“This was our first time trying House of Pancakes, and let's just say--the name is definitely misleading in the best way. While you might expect a traditional breakfast spot, this cozy, mom-and-pop-style restaurant serves up hearty Northern Chinese dishes packed with flavor.

We came with a large group of extended family and were impressed with how accommodating and friendly the staff were. They even made thoughtful dish recommendations based on our group size and preferences, which made the experience even better.

We ordered quite a bit to share:

Beef Pancakes (a house specialty)
Lamb Skewers (spicy and non-spicy)
Lamb Dumplings
Pork Dumplings
Lamb Stir-Fried Hand-Pulled Noodles
Fresh Cucumber Salad

Overall, the food was delicious and flavorful. That said, if you're not a fan of lamb (like me), just be aware that the lamb skewers and dumplings can be a bit gamey. The spicy skewers helped mask it a bit, thanks to a generous sprinkle of paprika.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the lamb stir-fried noodles--the lamb in that dish was melt-in-your-mouth tender and tasted more like beef than lamb to me. Unfortunately, I couldn't try the beef pancakes due to dietary restrictions, but my cousins absolutely loved them and said they were a must-order.

The pork dumplings were a standout for me--juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. And the cucumber salad was refreshing and balanced everything out nicely.

The restaurant has a small, casual diner vibe that gives it local charm--nothing fancy, but welcoming and perfect for sharing a flavorful meal with family or friends.“

“Superb! The cooking show is very nice!“

“It's packed and it may take bit to be seated. You write your name and party size on the white board.

The dry fried chicken wings are the best chicken wings I've had. Juicy and crunchy with a nice sweet glaze. The green beans, dry black bean sauce noodles, and hot braised chicken were all good but the dry fried chicken wings were the standout!“

“Who knew pineapple bun could be used as a bun?! Love the sparkling teas too… and the spring rolls…. And the chrysanthemum salad… and the ice cream... Actually haven’t tried anything I didn’t like!! If there was one in Oakland, I’d have a serious problem. On that note there ARE a few vacancies on College Ave… just saying 🙏🏼💕😘“

“Great dim sum. Friendly service. Great location in the fisherman’s wharf area where locals and tourists can enjoy the food and the scenary“

“It is a strange place and the food is a twist of classic chinese... well, different for certain. But overall tasty. We had the fried garlic rice, cold noodle with peanut sauce, hot & sour soup, pork belly and fried lamb dumplings. My favorite was the pork belly, but it came with strange presentation with pineapple which wss just watery. Not sure if I'm coming back. But overall nice experience and we enjoyed the meal.“

“Nouvelle Asian cuisine. We enjoyed the tasting menu, which offered many delicious and artistically presented courses including two desserts, all for a reasonable (by San Francisco standards) $120 per person + drinks + taxes + tips, bringing the actual total to $200 per person.
The Happy Crane cocktail made is a gimlet style drink, small yet so tasty that one of us ordered two of them!
Each course was presented promptly. Understandably, given the rapid rise in popularity of this new dining spot, some of the wait staff appeared to be still in training. That said, servers were eager to please and friendly.“

“Everything is just great!!! From your time waiting till you’re served, is wonderful.“

“Great place for dim sum and good service“

“I worked here before and when it first opened!!! Such happy memories and so happy to see it’s still thriving!“

“🥡
Terra Cotta Warrior
📍 2555 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122

I’ve never forgotten it after eating Laotai Liu’s Tongguan Roujiamo and Lamb Momo in Neihu in Taiwan. This is a restaurant in San Francisco’s Sunset District that specializes in steamed buns and noodles!

We ordered

Biang Biang noodle with Tomato Egg
Gravy

Spicy Sliced ​​Beef

Silky tofu with preserved eggs

Chinese Burger Stuffed with Cumin Lamb

Clear lamb soup with one pita bread on the side

Overall give🌟🌟🌟🌟
The price is cheap and the portions are quite large, but the location is a bit remote~“

“We dined in for a late lunch as a family of three. The yelp waitlist indicated a 10-20 minute wait and we were surprised to receive a text 5 minutes later.

Food came out hot and fresh. We ordered the Juicy Pork Bao, Pork Xiao Long Bao, Zha Jiang House Special Bean Paste with Mince Pork, Boiled Pork and Chive Dumplings and Fried Tofu.

While there is no separate kids menu, our thirteen month old loved his food so much that he stayed in his high chair for the duration of the meal.

Would highly recommend!“

“My husband and I came across your Chestnut location this past weekend! What a wonderful find. The VERY nice gentleman that served us, the best dumplings - I highly recommend the Spicy Sichuan Wontons in Red Oil. Looking forward to our next visit!“

“loved it! duck was delicious!“

“A gluten free haven! Most items are GF as-is (please know that the restaurantis not 100% gluten free). I've been here multiple times now; the food is always flavorful and piping hot. My favorite has been the orange chicken, and the sesame and General Tso's is delicious too. My non-GF guests did not know it was GF either! My new favorite spot in the city“

“Delicious and served with a smile. Great food“

“This place is busy, which says a lot for a pre-security location in the International Terminal. It's located on the A-side. If you don't see it, you're probably on the G-side of the international terminal.

Options are simple, and it's easy to order. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The food felt fresh and was made quickly. It's a good place to go for a quick meal before you go through security.“

“This was the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever had in my entire life, and that’s saying something cause I’ve eaten at a lot of different Chinese restaurants. My brothers came with me and they agree. Anytime I’m in San Francisco I will come here.“

“Glad you are back. great healthy food. wonderful family team. A community treasure.“

“This place was recommended to us by a bartender at Mr Bings and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious. And the servers/owners were so friendly. Highly recommend.“

“It’s great spot to try halal Chinese cuisine. My favorite food was cumin lamb and beef soup. It’s in neighborhoods location and surroundings makes this place feel more of an authentic experience. Overall food is great but can be pricey.“

“So good! They have many different combinations of dumpling fillings. We went with the three treasures, and the mushroom & chicken filling, one with soup and one without, they were both so good. The soup that it comes with is filled with seaweed, and a light savory broth. I highly suggest adding vinegar to the broth to bring out the flavor even more. And you make your own dipping sauce at the table for your dumplings as well.

Service was great, and the food came out quickly. Plenty of seating, with wall decorations.“

“The taste is very good, I will go there again next time.“

“食物美味，环境优美，服务很棒，下次再来“

“Lovely place to celebrate the Chinese New Year!“

“Yummy dumpling place on Irving St and the prices are extremely affordable for what they offer! I got a beef noodle soup (non-spicy) and it soothed my soul, super delicious and it has that dark but also tender broth. I also tried the Pork and Napa Cabbage dumpling soup and it was light and filling (12 dumplings in the soup). This spot is great for solo-dining and the service is attentive and friendly.

Parking in the area is pretty hard so do plan ahead!“

“Our daughter is obsessed with soup dumplings which we found at Fusion Dumpling. The traditional pork were great, but try the black truffle and wagyu soup dumplings. You won't be disappointed!“

“Delicious meal with generous portions. Really love the salted fish dishes which reminds me of childhood home cooked meals. There’s a ton of options on the menu and dessert as well, and great value for the flavor and portion. I frequently return. Thanks Changs Kitchen“

“Love the Special Combo chow main ❤️👍🏼“

“I had a really nice dinner I had delivered to my address from this restaurant. The duck with cabbage and steamed rice 🍚 was finger licking good. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a place to have lunch or dinner at. I give them 5 stars“

“Good dumplings. We got the spicy pork and chive dumplings. The chive was a little more than the meat in the dumplings but overall quite good. Also got the dan dan noodles, which I prefer with a little more sichuan peppers and spicier but this was quite good. The onion pancakes were crispy and less oily than other places so overall quite good.

The service was quick and efficient.“

“Very good food“

“The food was great, I liked it very much, I will go again next time“

“Went here Monday night with my wife and daughter after seeing the sights at the california academy of sciences. i'm a new york chinatown person, grew up in a cantonese household and would go to seafood restaurants to eat foods that we didn't make at home.

This place rocks.

We ordered the crab and fish maw soup. the best that we've had.
we also had clams in black bean sauce which was delicious
the roast duck was served with an amazing duck sauce (perfectly balanced, sweet with spice and acid)
Beef chow fun was delicious
Greens were great.

Place was clean and the bathrooms were awesome“

“Great service, super generous servings, and delicious! We ate here for mother's Day and I think we may have ordered too much as we were not expecting the large servings, which is totally not a bad thing! I think the HK noodles were my favorite and I'd say the salt and pepper shrimps were my least. It's lacking a bit of saltiness or umami compared to other places. Overall, I will come back but probably order less. 😅“

“Great food, very reasonable prices. Just be prepared to wait“

“I love this place so much. It’s quickly become a neighborhood staple and my favorite Vietnamese in the city (I used to live near Turtle Tower in Little Saigon so my bar is high)! Things I love -

- The classic beef pho broth is flavorful, savory - not overly sweet or spiced, and not watered down. It’s just perfect. They don’t skimp on portions for meat or noodles.
- You can sub fresh rice noodles for classic pho noodles, which I personally love. Less chewy but soft and comforting.
- they have greater variety than typical of a pho spot. You can get classic beef pho but they also have Bun Rieu (a tomato and shrimp/crab paste noodle soup that’s delish).
- everything’s incredibly fresh. Not a wilty herb in sight.
- finally, they service!! They are insanely kind. The owners are warm and friendly. My three year old daughter was sad that I ate her noodles 😅 and the owner packed her extra to go.

This will be our go-to spot for years to come.“

“I love this place. They’re always so kind,
While it’s super simple it’s pretty decent clean and definitely don’t go for the atmosphere so I just didn’t want them to have less than five stars cause they always are so kind and their food is always so good.:-)“

“Great Food and Service will always come back when visiting San Francisco“

“We got the mushroom broth, instant noodles, handmade noodles, and an assortment of tofu and veggies.

First of all, the service was excellent. We came in closer to closing than we would have liked but were welcomed with open arms. We especially appreciated the complimentary desert.

Second of all, the sauce options were amazing. Everything was fresh and delicious, and we loved how spicy the chili oil was.

Third, all the ingredients were high quality. We especially loved the tofu skin and handmade noodles

We will be coming back! This definitely was the best hot pot we have had in San Francisco. Very grateful to have such a great option in the neighborhood.“

“Excellent, all around. The food continues to be delicious and plentiful. The owners (5 brothers) and a sister are exceptional. Brother #5 takes the time to meet with his patrons in the midst of cooking! A special place to dine.“

“Yummy spring rolls, veggie fried rice & sesame chicken. I tried their mustard sauce & it was heavy on horseradish which I love.“

“I love their braised pork belly with mustard greens. Its just like how my momma makes it. Every time I order here I always get their salted egg yolk fish with pumpkin slices. The egg yolk fish isn't on the menu but if you ask the boss lady she'll make it. If you're a fan of salted egg yolk flavor then it's a must here.“

“So glad to know that our favorite Hong Kong style noodle place is back at the same location as the late Beyond Cafe with apparently the same chef but new owners and an expanded menu! Their wonton noodle soup (exquisitely complex broth with taste of dried scallops, springy noodles, and perfect wontons with juicy ground pork and plump shrimp) and spicy beef brisket noodle soup (tender chunks of gelatinous beef in a nicely balanced spicy beef broth and springy noodles) are so good it will be difficult to try other delicious looking offerings on the new menu!“

“They have so many soup options but was not in the mood for that so we got the dry noodles which were delish paired w the beef skewers. Pretty affordable too!! Also the owner was soooooo sweet 🥹 he gave us free sesame balls and was so accommodating during our stay.“

“I was in the area with a hungry stomach where I needed some breakfast. I passed by here so many times when it was the old place and when it is what it is now. Upon arrival, there was a line out the door, but that did not bother me since I am a very patient person. They offer many different delicious dim sum dishes such as siu mai, ha gow, steamed chicken feet, steamed spareribs and much more. Also they have a variety of steamed or bake buns like the famous pork bun. If you are really hungry they have a rice plate special where you can choose 3 entrees with steamed white rice for a fair cost. And next to their steamed table they have fried goods, eggrolls, fried shrimp puff, Chinese doughnut, etc. Lastly they have frozen foods where you can cook it at home. The staffs here are very welcoming, well trained and understanding where it made my visit a satisfying one. This place is cash and takeout only, so please plan accordingly and have some cash on you. I highly recommend this place to anyone on a limited time, to all Chinese food enthusiasts and if you just so happen to be in the area just like me. I definitely will be back to tryout the other delicious options they have to offer.“