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We will be in SF in March on the Princess Ruby Cruise. I am hoping to have a great Chinese lunch in Chinatown. I have been searching online (yelp etc) but I would love to hear about any of your favorite China Town spots. Thanks!

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Most of the "good" Chinese restaurants are outside of Chinatown, but since you asked the only restaurant I would recommend for non-Dim Sum is R&G Lounge.

 

http://rnglounge.com/

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/r-and-g-lounge-san-francisco

 

For dim-sum, outside of Chinatown in the South of Market (SOMA) area: Yank Sing. This placed is priced for business folks with a generous expense account. There are others on the West side of the City, but this one is closest to the Cruise Terminal.

 

http://yanksing.com/

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/yank-sing-san-francisco-2

 

For one that's near Chinatown: City View Restaurant, about half a block down from R&G Lounge. Catering to the business folks with a more moderate expense account.

 

http://cityviewdimsum.com/

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-view-restaurant-san-francisco

 

For a Michelin star experience try Mister Jiu's

 

http://misterjius.com/

 

Then there's Great Eastern Restaurant, where our former CInC got take-out.

 

http://www.greateasternsf.com/

Edited by Philob
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Most of the "good" Chinese restaurants are outside of Chinatown, but since you asked the only restaurant I would recommend for non-Dim Sum is R&G Lounge http://rnglounge.com/ https://www.yelp.com/biz/r-and-g-lounge-san-francisco

 

Thank you, I will check it out. I guess I just assumed Chinatown would have good restaurants, probably they are more touristy. I am walking and riding a cable car but if you know of someplace wonderful and in walking distance I would be very interested. Thanks!

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Thank you, I will check it out. I guess I just assumed Chinatown would have good restaurants, probably they are more touristy. I am walking and riding a cable car but if you know of someplace wonderful and in walking distance I would be very interested. Thanks!

 

Chinatown itself is quite compact, it's about 4 blocks by 6 blocks or so. Any cable car line will be within 2-3 blocks of R&G Lounge, City View, Mister Jiu's and Great Eastern. These are my Chinatown picks for visitors, but there are plenty of "locals only" places to chose from. Jackson Street is essentially restaurant row.

 

Riding the cable car? The cable car barn/museum (where they spend the night) is a block up the hill from Chinatown on Mason/Washington Streets. The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines go right by it. If you like machinery in motion that's a neat place, you'll see all the gears pulleys and motors turning the actual cables for all three cable car lines.

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Good Mong Kok on Stockton - take out only. Could take it down to Portsmouth Plaza Park to eat (it’s the site of the first public school in California.

 

New Asia on Pacific - huge Dim Sum parlor evidently this place was once/maybe still is owned by China.

 

In both places I was one of a handful who did not speak Chinese.

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Any visit to SF Chinatown should include a stop at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory. The freshly made cookies are incredible and the affordable bags are great souvenirs to share! They also sell adult versions!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chinatown is fascinating and unique. For dim sum, Yank Sing is surely the best, although not in Chinatown. For good Cantonese food in a pleasant environment, center of Chinatown, Far East Cafe on Grant Street.

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Chinatown is fascinating and unique. For dim sum, Yank Sing is surely the best, although not in Chinatown. For good Cantonese food in a pleasant environment, center of Chinatown, Far East Cafe on Grant Street.
Doing a quick google.... it appears there are two locations. Is Stevenson or Spear Street location better? Except for location.... what's the difference? I guess Spear is closer to the cruise terminal and Stevenson is closer to Chinatown?
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Doing a quick google.... it appears there are two locations. Is Stevenson or Spear Street location better? Except for location.... what's the difference? I guess Spear is closer to the cruise terminal and Stevenson is closer to Chinatown?

 

I've been to both locations. Neither one is in Chinatown. I prefer Stevenson St. for the ambience. Both are in downtown financial district locations, very popular. Stevenson is a bit closer to Chinatown.

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Doing a quick google.... it appears there are two locations. Is Stevenson or Spear Street location better? Except for location.... what's the difference? I guess Spear is closer to the cruise terminal and Stevenson is closer to Chinatown?

 

What's the difference? Rent. Rumor is that almost all their food is prepped at a central kitchen on down by the airport.

 

Stevenson is their original location after leaving their Chinatown "roots" location; it's in the "old, Wall Street-West" Financial District.

 

Spear is in the South of Market (SOMA) District, the "new" Tech/Financial District. The building they're in, Rincon Center used to be the Main Post Office, before it was turned into condos & offices.

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I also like the Far East Cafe on Grant Street. I've taken other out of town visitors there because of the history. They have private dining booths with a curtain. The history rumor is that the heads of the Chinese tongs (gangs) would eat in the booths in privacy and could meet with other tong leaders to make deals and this way nobody would see them while they ate.

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