Chinese Food in SF Bay Area

These restaurants are each recommended by at least one person/guide/publication (including Yelp, Chowhound, and Zagat).

Various Regions/Creative/American

  • Creative Sichuan: Mission Chinese Food - SF Mission District, inventive dishes that combine American/European with Sichuan-style favorites (including mapo doufu); no reservations so you have to wait in line

  • House of Nanking - SF Chinatown, long lines

  • Shaanxi/Xian: Terra Cotta Warrior - SF Sunset

  • MTV: Ingot House, New China Delight??

  • Ping Chinese in Santa Clara??

  • Upscale Pan-Chinese: M.Y. China - in Westfield Shopping Center in SF downtown, Michelin Bib Gourmand

  • Pan-China: Great China - Berkeley, Michelin Bib Gourmand

Shanghai-Style 滬菜 (Hù cài) / Zhejiang 浙菜 (Zhè cài)/ Jiangsu 沪菜 (Sū cài)

  • SF

    • Shanghai House - Richmond (Balboa) → rec’d by CH, check please: http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/2014/05/29/shanghai-house-reviews/ → newer than SDK (Google reviews are positive for XLB but negative for other stuff: https://plus.google.com/100605729450001505095/about )...yelp likes onion pancake & fried chicken wings

    • Bund Shanghai Restaurant - Chinatown (also hong shao rou)

    • Shanghai House - Outer Richmond

    • Kingdom of Dumpling - Sunset/Parkside (2 locations on Taraval, #2048 is the store, not the restaurant, gets better but fewer Yelp reviews)

    • Shanghai Dumpling King - Richmond

    • Dumpling Kitchen - Sunset/Parkside (also hong shao rou)

    • Old Shanghai Restaurant (Richmond on Geary)

    • Not Shanghai but supposedly have good XLB:

      • (Yank Sing - SoMa, see below under "Cantonese")

      • Chino - Mission (fusion of Chinese + Latin, supposed to have good XLB), Michelin Bib Gourmand

      • Fang Restaurant - SoMa http://www.fangrestaurant.com/

      • Heaven’s Dog

  • East Bay

    • Shanghai Restaurant (Shanghai Xiao Chi) on Webster St in Oakland → one CH likes better than SDS

    • Claypot - Albany (reviews: http://www.chowhound.com/post/claypot-albany-chowdown-307553 )

    • Shanghai Restaurant - Berkeley (Durant Ave) → branch of Shanghai Xiao Chi in Oakland; also Shanghai East in San Mateo

    • Shanghai Gourmet - Richmond (in Pacific East Mall)

    • Shanghai Noodle House - Fremont (rec’d CHs)

  • Peninsula/South Bay

    • Shanghai Dumpling Shop (SDS) - Millbrae

    • Bamboo Garden - Mountain View

    • [Bund on the 8 - Mountain View, not very good?]

    • Su Hong - Palo Alto

    • China First - Milpitas (rec’d CH)

    • JJ Gourmet (Shanghai Jin Jiang) - Milpitas → closed!

    • Shanghai Flavor Shop - Sunnyvale (sheng jian bao, fried dumplings)

    • Shanghai Ding Sheng - Milpitas (rec’d CH)

    • China Bistro - Milpitas

    • Shanghai Bistro - Millbrae

    • Xiao Long Bao Kitchen - South San Francisco

    • Little Shanghai Restaurant - San Mateo

    • Hong Fu - Cupertino (rec’d CH)

    • Shanghai Restaurant - Cupertino (rec’d by Quora user but bad Yelp reviews)

    • Koi Palace - dim sum in Daly City

    • [also branch called Dragon Beaux in SF’s Richmond District]

    • Din Tai Fung coming to Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose by end of 2015 → http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/03/18/din-tai-fung-opening-a-bay-area-restaurant/

Cantonese 粤菜 (Yuè cài) / Dim Sum / Hakka / Hong Kong

  • Fu Lam Men - Cantonese in Mountain View, rec'd by Xuanguang Gao

  • Hong Kong Bistro - 147 Castro St #1, Mountain View, rec'd by Xuanguang Gao

  • Cantonese: Hakkasan - SF SoMa, upscale, rec'd by Michelin

  • Cantonese: R&G Lounge - SF Chinatown, famous for salt & pepper crab

  • Cantonese/Hakka: Hakka - SF Richmond

  • Dim Sum: Yank Sing - SF SoMa, fancy but very nice, Michelin Bib Gourmand

  • Cantonese Barbecue/Deli: Cheung Hing Restaurant - SF Sunset District (2339 Noriega St...different from a restaurant in South San Francisco with the same name)

  • Cantonese Dim Sum/Seafood: Dynasty Seafood - Cupertino / San Jose, won "Best of Silicon Valley" for dim sum in 2015

  • Dim Sum King - Sunnyvale, won "Best of Silicon Valley" for dim sum in 2015

  • Koi Palace - Daly City

  • Hong Kong Flower Lounge - Millbrae

  • Zen Peninsula - Millbrae

  • Asian Pearl - Richmond

  • Hong Kong Lounge - SF Richmond District, Michelin Bib Gourmand

Sichuan 川菜 (Chuān cài)

Hunan 湘菜 (Xiāng cài)

Shandong 鲁菜 (Lǔ cài)

  • San Tung Chinese Restaurant - SF Richmond District

  • Taste of Shandong/Alice Chinese Bistro - SF Sunset District

  • Shandong Restaurant - Oakland

  • JX Cuisine - Santa Clara

Mandarin/Beijing 京菜 (Jīng cài)

Egg Tarts (蛋挞, dàntà)

  • SF

    • Golden Gate Bakery in Chinatown (well-reviewed on Yelp and CH, seems to be favorite)

    • Sunset Bakery (9th & Judah in Sunset, well-reviewed on Yelp)

    • Lung Fung Bakery (Clement & 19th in Richmond, well-reviewed on Yelp)

    • Cafe St. Jorge (Mission/Lengua, well-reveiwed on Yelp, Portuguese not Chinese), www.cafestjorge.com

  • East Bay

  • Chains rec’d by CHs with Peninsula/South Bay locations:

    • Sheng Kee Bakery (Cupertino, Milpitas, Union City, San Mateo, Richmond, Berkeley, Daly City, Sunset District in SF, rec’d by CH) www.shengkee.com

    • Sogo Bakery - their own locations are in Newark, Fremont and San Jose, but also available at 99 Ranch and some Safeways sogo-bakery.com, rec’d by CH

    • Kee Wah Bakery (Milpitas (2 locations), Dublin rec’d by CH) keewah.us

Resources/Other Notes