Friday Five
Think European-style sidewalk and street seating by way of Chinatown. San Francisco’s leisurely closed streets continue to sweep the city during the pandemic—this time in North America’s oldest and first Chinatown. The Chinatown Merchants Association and the city are supporting hard-hit neighborhood businesses by closing three blocks of Grant Avenue, from California to Washington streets, every Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in hopes of attracting locals to support one of our shared national treasures: Chinatown.
Dine under swinging red lanterns and Chinese architecture; the street cheers with vibrant colors and life, even if shops and restaurants lean touristy. Stock up on teas after some clay pot and wok shopping (the Wok Shop has been a pioneer in the country for more than 40 years), then savor lunch, dim sum, or dinner at these five spots, among 10 restaurants open for outdoor dining during San Francisco Chinatown Walkway Weekends.
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1. China Live
While we’re missing the elevated Eight Tables restaurant and the Cold Drinks bar, both of which normally operate upstairs at China Live, the downstairs eatery is going full steam. Owners George and Cindy Chen have smartly morphed in multiple directions since the pandemic hit: outdoor/sidewalk dining, takeout, delivery, bottled cocktails, upscale Chinese groceries, cooking accoutrements, teas, bottled house sauces, and more. Unique dim sum flow, like the popular Sheng Jian bao/pan-fried dumplings, as does the excellent kumquat-glazed Peking duck in sesame pockets. Also look for lively dishes like tamarind sweet and sour basil pork ribs, chrysanthemum 10-ingredient salad, and George’s iconic minced chicken lettuce cups from his Betelnut chef days. In addition to the cocktails, drink fans should take note of the Japanese whiskey selection available for takeout.
644 Broadway Street (Between Stockton and Grant)
2. Washington Bakery
A Chinatown longtimer for old-school Cantonese/Hong Kong fare and Chinese pastries and cakes, Washington Bakery’s food is hit or miss, but the menu’s been revamped in time for just-launched outdoor seating. There is a vast array of soups and clay pot and noodle dishes, but most notable is the teatime treat of Hong Kong “French toast” with Hong Kong–style milk tea and other pearl-milk teas. Bakery favorites include shrimp toast and pineapple buns alongside dishes like roti duck wraps.
733 Washington Street (between Grant and Portsmouth Square)
3. Spicy King
Open since 2013, Spicy King is another mixed menu bag amid mediocre touristy restaurants that have long dominated Chinatown. While Sichuan/Szechuan food may be best across the city at places like Inner Richmond’s Chili House, this is one of Chinatown’s Sichuan destinations serving spicy favorites like mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and pickled mustard broth hot pot. It also offers the likes of sesame-rich Sichuan cold noodles and cilantro in preserved egg soup.
65 Waverly Place (at Clay)
4. Dim Sum Corner
A newcomer in 2019, Dim Sum Corner, like most dim sum houses, does some items better than others. But its decidedly contemporary look and colorful murals bring some much-needed modernity to Chinatown’s dim sum houses. Cooked-to-order dim sum flows alongside boba drinks and fruit teas. House favorites include classic Cantonese shumai (seasoned ground pork and Chinese black mushroom dumplings) and Shanghainese xiao long bao (soup dumplings).
601 Grant Avenue (at California)
5. Mr. Jiu’s
Brandon Jew of Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s, set in an intriguing Chinatown alley, has been creatively diversifying the offerings of this celebrated modern Chinese restaurant during the pandemic. Start with Mister Jiu’s takeout/delivery, offering changing dinner-for-two feasts centered around meats (like char siu pork) or fish (Alaskan halibut), as well as Moongate Lounge cocktails from his upstairs bar. Jew and team also launched Jiu’s Ho Ho, selling gourmet groceries, farm-direct produce, edible treats made by “friends,” plus wine, spirits, and cocktails, like Empirical Spirits’ unique canned cocktails from Copenhagen. Thankfully, we can now add Mister Jiu’s outdoor dining to the mix with reservations via Resy.
28 Waverly Place (between Clay and Sacramento)
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Here are the other five restaurants participating in San Francisco Chinatown Walkway Weekends that you should also check out:
- Far East Café, 631 Grant Avenue, (415)982-3245
- Bow Han Restaurant, 850 Grant Avenue, (415)362-0601
- Grand Place Restaurant, 737 Washington Street, (415)982-3705
- Chinatown Restaurant, 744 Washington Street, (415)392-7958
- Boiling Shrimp Restaurant, 150 Waverly Place, (415)658-7168
