These restaurants are each recommended by at least one person/guide/publication (including Yelp, Chowhound, and Zagat).
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
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/
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: 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
Z&Y Restaurant - SF Chinatown, very spicy, known for chicken with "explosive chili pepper", Michelin Bib Gourmand
Mama Ji - SF Castro District
Sichuan Home - SF Richmond District, Michelin Bib Gourmand
China Village - Albany (East Bay), Michelin Bib Gourmand
Henry's Hunan Restaurant - SF SoMa/Embarcadero/Downtown (3 locations), highly recommended by many sources
Wonderful - Millbrae, Michelin Bib Gourmand
San Tung Chinese Restaurant - SF Richmond District
Taste of Shandong/Alice Chinese Bistro - SF Sunset District
Shandong Restaurant - Oakland
JX Cuisine - Santa Clara
Islamic: Old Mandarin Islamic - SF Sunset (no website)
Beijing Restaurant - SF Outer Mission/Balboa/Excelsior, SF Weekly review, Chowhound discussion
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
Silva Bakery in Hayward—Portuguese not Chinese www.silvabakery.com
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
##Read these:
Best of Silicon Valley: www.metroactive.com/best-of-silicon-valley/2015/
Regional Cuisines
Cantonese in Bay Area
Shanghai in Bay Area
Egg Tarts