Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ah Ma’s kitchen

    3.9 (100 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Waitlist - Ah Ma’s kitchen

    Waitlist closed

    The restaurant is not taking waitlist parties right now

    Order Ah Ma’s kitchen Takeout or Delivery

    Ah Ma’s kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    AH MA’S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Ah Ma’s kitchen

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kiln Chicken(Half)
    Allena C.

    We were looking for a Hong Kong-style café while in the Richmond District, and our friend suggested we try Ah Ma's Kitchen. We got lucky and found parking right in front. The restaurant was brightly lit, clean, and casual. We arrived around 7:30 p.m. on a weekday evening and had no trouble getting a table. *** OUR PICKS *** SALTED EGG YOLK GREEN BEANS ~ Our party felt the green beans weren't fresh and may have been frozen since they were all cut so uniformly. The salted egg yolk flavor was enjoyable, but the beans lacked the crisp texture of fresh green beans. 3.5/5 FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD ~ The cucumbers were refreshing, but they didn't seem to have been marinated long enough. We were expecting more of that tangy, garlicky flavor. It needed a bit more seasoning to give it that extra punch. 3/5 KILN 1/2 CHICKEN ~ Ah Ma's is known for its kiln chicken, and it definitely lived up to the hype. It was the best dish of our meal! It was juicy, tender, and served piping hot, so HOT that the server even wore two pairs of gloves to handle it! 5/5 We were planning to order the pan-fried noodles, but our server let us know they were no longer on the menu, which limited our choices. I wish I had better things to say about Ah Ma's Kitchen. The kiln chicken was excellent, but hopefully they can improve on some of the side dishes for a better overall dining experience. Based on what we've tried, I'd recommend sticking with the chicken.

    Honey Walnut Shrimps(12)
    Alisa B.

    This place is going viral right now for their XXXL Boba Milk Tea and their Pineapple Bun Sandwich, but personally my favorites were the Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef Macaroni and Salted Egg Yolk Green Beans! Cooked perfectly. So flavorful and delicious! These are MUST TRY items in my eyes!! The tableside hand-torn Kiln Chicken was really flavorful and saucy! A little on the dry side, but really tasty. Some of my friends really enjoyed the Mapo Tofu, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Beef Chow Fun! Everything we ordered was a hit! I was shocked to see they even have bitter melon on the menu. We called ahead to reserve a table for 16 people and the staff were super accomodating despite being crazy busy on a Friday! I will definitely recommend this to more friends and dine here again!

    Sweet & Sour Pork
    Jennifer L.

    Food is okay, the hype is definitely there Tried the XXXL boba milk tea and it was slightly disappointing in taste with the giant 'boba' being made of grass jelly missing the mark on the texture The sweet and sour pork was dry while the hot and sour soup fell flat in flavor The redeeming dish was the stir fried black pepper beef macaroni Maybe I ordered the wrong things?

    The bun wasn't as flakey like some in SF on my social media feed. I wonder if I need a spoon or a fork to eat it ? ( Questions in my mind)
    Juan V.

    What came first the chicken or the bun? The age old question . At this location it seems like the chicken is the star of the show and the bun is the supporting cast. It seems many people talk about the best chicken sandwiches in the city but overlook which ones are the most unique. There is a place which uses one of my favorite buns. I usually eat the buns by itself but when you put a chicken breast or chicken thigh in between which makes a major difference in flavor. The sweet and savory kicks in and makes it delicious. Located on Clement street it's called Ah Ma's Kitchen. Walking on the streets of San Francisco inland and not by the Bay or in the Bay on Clement street there a lot places to get buns in SF. One place serves a chicken sandwich with Hong Kong style buns. I got the Scrambled egg and Chicken Bo Lo Bun sandwich. It was tasty and with a not too sweet bun and the savory mix of chicken made the combination amazing. The egg and chicken combined with soft a bit sweet Chinese pinneaple bun makes this chicken sandwich different than most chicken sandwiches in SF and a must try because Ma and Ah Ma knows best. Take a Spring stroll is almost ending although Summer feels like it already "begun" with this weekend heatwave San Francisco experienced lots of "sun"especially when there are lots of events in the city in the month of June to enjoy and have some" fun"and also enjoy an unique chicken sandwich in between a "Cantonese bun" Some stories on social media saying you from the San Francisco Bay but live not in SF are "fiction " a total "contradiction" there is a fair "distinction"because last I checked the restaurant is located inland on the streets of San Francisco not the Bay is where you find "Ah Ma's Kitchen"

    Viral chicken sandwich-DO NOT ORDER. Kinda gross
    Amy W.

    I came here for the viral chicken sandwich on a pineapple bun. It was pretty bad. the meat was chewy, the bun was dry. I ate about 1/4 of it and gave up. Avoid.

    Zoe G.

    Came for dinner and the inside is super cute with nice lighting. I loved seeing people of all ages inside, it wasn't just trendy for the younger crowd. It was easy to order on the app and everything came out so quickly. We got the beef chow fun and the kiln chicken. The chicken was amazing. Tender, juicy, and so much flavor. The chow fun was also good with nice tender slices of beef throughout. Excited to bring more people back next time!

    Beef Brisket Casserole
    Melody L.

    Stopped by Ah Ma's Kitchen on a Sunday afternoon and there were already 4 parties ahead of us on the waitlist. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes before being seated, which wasn't too bad for a weekend crowd. For ordering, they give you a big physical menu to look through, but you actually place everything through a QR code at the table. Once the order was in, the service was pretty quick. They are known for their Kiln Chicken, which came out last. They actually have someone bring it to the table to open it up and break it apart right in front of you. To be honest, it didn't look all that appetizing while they were tearing it apart, but it tasted pretty good in the end! Everything else we ordered was really good too, and the portions were solid enough that we had some leftovers to bring home.

    Scrambled Egg w.Pork Pineapple Bun
    Elaine Y.

    Came to Ah Ma's Kitchen and enjoyed it! We ordered several dishes to share and all of them were pretty good! We started off with the XXXL boba because why not? Turns out, the boba is actually grass jelly which is nice because that's a little more refreshing and generally easier to chew. It also pairs well with the robust HK milk tea. Having said that, if you were looking for a boba experience, it will leave you pining for that chewiness. Next came the salted egg green beans, kiln chicken, and black pepper beef macaroni. Honestly, all of these are recommended. The beans were crisp but very bold with that salted egg yolk flavor. The kiln chicken is essentially XL foil wrapped chicken from dim sum but I can appreciate the table side presentation to really highlight how tender the chicken is. I did find the "special sauce" or jus to be a tad salty though. As for the macaroni, I applaud their use of a gluten free pasta. The springiness of the noodles were really good and ironically I had a second version of this later in the evening (despite never seeing it ever before?) with regular semolina pasta and Ah Ma's was world's better. We also added the spicy wontons which came sitting in this mala soy sauce that was really good! Would have as a dip for everything! As for the pineapple bun sandwich, it was just okay. I personally could have used more mayo to give it some unctuousness. It was pretty dry sandwich in my opinion. The lettuce and tomato also didn't pair well with the pineapple bun and detracted from the experience too in my opinion... All in all, I would come back if I'm in the area.

    Chloe S.

    Everything was delicious! We were especially surprised by the stir fried black pepper macaroni, it was savory, and had that wok flavor. We came for the xxxl boba and juicy chicken. The boba is grass jelly, while fun we found the jelly to be a bit bland. The milk tea itself wasn't as strong as we would have liked but still a solid drink! The chicken was juicy and the staff even removes the bones for you at the table! Note that they only serve half chickens if you want to reserve a whole chicken be sure to call ahead! The fried rice and porkchop pineapple sandwich were unexpected hits. The fried rice comes with lettuce for that crunch!

    The sign on the walk about the roasted chicken
    Sabrina L.

    For Mother's Day ( Sunday ) lunch with 11:30 am reservation, fortunately we ( party of 9 ) were able to have reservation and got seated right away. When the time we arrived, there is a crowd for waiting list. Inside setup just like its name, very home / grandparens' house, neat and clean. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, a bit too salty for me. The rest dishes are flavorful as well, but a bit too salty for me, glad the service is good enough to keep filling water for me, with water, I can enjoy the food. The clay pots we ordered had very similar flavors/tastes, even ingredients. The XXL boba milk tea was fan to have, taste wise more like honkong milk tea. If your appetite tuned for hongkong cuisine, then you will surely enjoy it. The restaurant is relatively small, limited seatings, also you need to be lucky with on the street parking ( that is typical SF). The food portion is on the small to medium side, the surprising Mother's Day small gifts made the overall experience bumped one star, food quality and value 3stars, extra one star for the service.

    Menu as of March 2026
    Belinda C.

    Another example of how social media misleads you. My friends and I saw a lot of social media post about this place and decided to give them a try. Pack your patience when you come because the wait was over an hour . When we finally got seated the server told us the kitchen is closing sopk and we had to order in the next 10 mins. So my friends and I had to scramble to order. Here's what we ordered and the ratings 5/5 - klin chicken -half. - the chicken came out piping hot and it was the most juicy and tender kitchen I've ever had . This reminded me of the foil wrapped chicken that I used to get as a kid at dim sum restaurants. 3/5 - stirred fried black bean macaroni - this one was ok. I felt the macaroni wa overcooked. 3/5- salt and pepper chicken wings- this was good but it really didn't taste like salt and pepper. 4/5 curry fish balls - reminded me of the ones in Hong Kong where you can get it on the streets 3/5 Chicken fried rice - a little bland 4/5 shrimp wontons with noodles - pretty good , but it wasn't enough for four people to share. It would be perfect for two people to share . 2/5-xl boba tea - where's the tea ? It was pretty watered down and the grass jelly was just ok. I'm glad we got to try this once. However , I think next time I'll just see if I can get the chicken togo.

    Scrambled Egg w.Pork Pineapple Bun
    Lauren L.

    Social media really blew this place up, I see a long line on the weekends, but during the weekday for dinner, there's no line! The restaurant is pretty small so that also explains the line. Everything on the menu looked delicious and will definitely be back to try other items like the wonton noodle soup! Pork and egg Pineapple bun sandwich - the bun was a lil too toasted and made it hard to eat, it was hard and too crunchy. If it was fresh it would've been good. The egg was so soft and the pork was juicy and thick. I think it could've been a favorite if the bun was fresh, but maybe it's because we got it for dinner and it was the end of the night black pepper beef macaroni - al dente macaroni with yummy black pepper flavor, with tender beef and peppers in it, loved it! half kiln chicken - was piping hot and so delicious! it was so juicy and tender, and the servers tear the chicken apart for you. Definitely scoop the sauce/juices at the bottom, it almost tasted like ginger scallion sauce on the chicken but better garlic green beans - classic and standard, tasted great! I think they also have salted egg york green beans which is interesting XXXL boba milk tea - SO GOOD but I couldn't sleep after. I love that it wasn't too sweet and the "boba" is actually grass jelly, which I prefer over boba right now. If the giant bobas were actually bobas, I think that would be overwhelming and not good

    Samantha C.

    We came here on a Wednesday night around 530pm. It was empty when we first got there but by 6 pm l the restaurant was filled up. We tried many things as we had a larger group. I enjoyed the kiln chicken, the Bo law Bao chicken sandwich and the clay pot! The other dishes were also really good. The spicy wonton wasn't spicy and The beans were a little too salty for me. For the kiln chicken if you want a whole chicken have to order a day in advance Overall good, would come back again to try more items!

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    6 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    22 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 4
    Love this 5
    Oh no 5

    1 month ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    3 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 2
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Elaine Y.
    1044
    1690
    4617

    4 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Chloe S.
    1515
    497
    1893

    3 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linz C.
    297
    532
    1829

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 6
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 4
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kaiqi L.

    Kaiqi L.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Ah Ma’s kitchen

    You might also consider

    Crustacean

    Crustacean

    4.0
    (159 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    We went to see the Odyssey at the Metreon, so we chose to go to Crustacean for dinner since it's…read morenearby. We lucked out and got a parking spot right outside. Went in, and got seated promptly even though we came earlier than our reservation time. Zach our server explained the menu thoroughly the let us have time to peruse the menu. He was so professional, friendly and very on point. We ordered the shrimp and lobster dumplings, the caviar and langoustine rolls, and the langoustine toasts. All soo delicate and flavorful. Then we had the shaking beef, the house Dungeness crab, the seafood fried rice and the garlic noodles. Everything tasted awesome and presentation was great. For desserts we ordered the fried banana with vanilla ice cream, the baked Alaska ( was too sweet and too frozen for us, we could barely cut into it ) and custard ( chè ) which was served with ice cream (?) ... the last 2 desserts were disappointing. Crustacean is a fancy restaurant beautifully decorated and food and service are excellent, but we will stick to fried banana or crème brûlée next time for dessert.

    Wow wow wow this place!!…read more The location was easy for street parking Staff were kind and welcoming and the service was fast. The food was excellent! I'm really happy we ordered many dishes on the menu to try! The ambience was outstanding. I love the bar at the entrance and as you walk in the openness with the couch, loveseat and chair setting was awesome. We went to celebrate our friends birthday and truly enjoyed ourselves. Over all 5 stars hope to be back and try more

    Photos
    Crustacean, the new bar is very attractive.
    Crustacean, the new bar is very attractive.
    TUNA CIGAR WITH TOBIKO CAVIAR
    TUNA CIGAR WITH TOBIKO CAVIAR
    SHAKEN BEEF

    See all

    SHAKEN BEEF
    Blackwood

    Blackwood

    4.1
    (2.4k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    12 years in business

    Had such a great brunch experience, and Mark made it even better. From the moment we sat down, he…read morewas incredibly friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. He checked in at all the right times, gave great recommendations, and made sure everything came out perfectly. You can tell he really cares about providing excellent service without ever being overbearing. Mark's positive attitude and professionalism made our meal memorable, and he's a big reason we'll be coming back. If you're here for brunch, definitely ask for Mark--you'll be in great hands!

    Found this spot on TikTok and it looked Instagram worthy, so my cousin and I headed over on…read moreSaturday for a late lunch [def have to go back for brunch]. We decided to share a mimosa flight, spring rolls, and ahi scoops. Even though it wasn't brunch, they still allowed us to order a brunch flight, and they were so polite and helpful throughout 4.8/5. The inside is tiny, but quite stunning, clean, and gives a lot of opportunities for insta-worthy pics 4.9/5, I only wish there had been an actual photo wall. Now to the food. The crispy spring rolls were cooked perfectly, and seasoned well. The clear noodles and veggies were so yummy. I asked for soy sauce because that's what I prefer over sweet sauce, but honestly they needed nothing 4.8/5. The ahi scoops had the best seaweed salad on it that I have EVER had, the wasabi cream on top was the show stopper, and I don't even like wasabi 5/5. We shared the flight and was more than tipsy from two drinks each, flavors on point champagne delicious 5/5. Overall

    Photos
    24 hour beef noodle soup
    24 hour beef noodle soup
    Chicken and Waffle
    Chicken and Waffle
    Blackwood

    See all

    JIJIME

    JIJIME

    4.3
    (722 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I've finally made it to this Asian fusion casual spot…read more Rustic ambiance and seating options for all party sizes. Friendly service. Menu is a good blend of Korean and Japanese food. Everything was tasty and portioned to share or eat solo. A good spot to visit.

    It's been over 6 years and a lot has changed in that time…read more A friend hosted a birthday dinner here on a Saturday night for a party of 12. Finding street parking 1.5 blocks away, I walked in and the hostess seated me at a long table to the right of the entrance. I was a little early which gave me time to study the menu. The dining room was mostly full already. When my party arrived, our host ordered several appetizers to share and asked each diner to decide on their own main meal. We tried three small bites as follows: a. Boneless fried chicken, soy garlic (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=KYa0rZOUsOqjeQpdJelYAA) - Korean style crispy boneless chicken; these were as described with a slightly sweet and sticky glaze. b. Popcorn salmon (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=92ZddPT6Qo2TiIur8YOpZA) - Bite size fried salmon with spicy salmon; I did not recognize that this was salmon until the 3rd bite. c. Bulgogi quesadilla (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=ymymJkLHfLRpJgYcbNFUCw) - Quesadilla with bulgogi and cheese; it makes for an interesting combination, again the sweetness from the meat meshing with the rich and savory cheese. I chose the pork plate (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=tYaxEnKifiKWh7TzfzH1rA), spicy; marinated sliced pork savory sauce cooked with veggies and glass noodle on sizzling plate, served with rice (more meat $7.00, brown rice $2.00 supplement charges). I had this with regular rice and the normal portion which was plenty. The flavor was consistent with K style cooking and, being full from a heavy lunch and the apps, I ended up bringing home half of this home, rice included. It seemed that everyone enjoyed their meals and everyone had boxes to bring food home so the portions are generous. In reading my original review, the food again rates 3.5 stars for me but it was interesting to see how the menu changed to include ramen and soups too. The two gals who tended to our big party (not an easy task) were efficient and cordial as they removed empty plates and bowls and refilled water glasses regularly. The dining room filled up by the time we left with a younger crowd. There is an extensive soju menu so that may be a draw too. With the # of restaurants in the Richmond, doubtful that I would return here other than for parties like this. Also, I lean towards more traditional Korean cuisine.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Soy Garlic KFC
    Soy Garlic KFC
    Sizzling Plate

    See all

    Sizzling Plate
    Four Kings 四大天王

    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2
    (465 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$$

    I've had this spot bookmarked for ages now and my boyfriend was able to snag a birthday…read morereservation!! Unless you're a party of 1, I highly, highly, recommend a reservation. While we were waiting for our table, we saw 2-3 couples get turned away. The restaurant is small, but the interior is well-decorated. It pays homage to HK posters, music, and culture. They offer two complimentary small bites of smashed cucumber and peanuts. - XO Escargot: a must order, the dish only comes with 6 pieces but it's so worth it. The sauce is garlicky, buttery, and each bite with the milk bread is so good. The bread also has a crispy outer layer while the inside is super soft. - Eggplant: at first, we thought the dish was good, but the pieces on the bottom that soaks up all the sauce makes the eggplant full of umami flavor. This paired so good with rice. - Mapo Tofu Spaghetti: just as you imagine, but very yummy. I wish there was more of a numbing spice personally! - Black Pepper Steak: The steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare and the sauce was very yummy. This dish did not blow me away like some of the others but was still good nonetheless. I really wished we could have try the Singapore Chili Crab, but that would have been too much food. Our server was also fantastic and so kind, I wish I caught her name. Will def be back!

    Overhyped, Salty, and a Disappointment for Cantonese Food Lovers…read more I wanted to love this place, but unfortunately, my experience at Four Kings was a huge letdown. It felt like a classic case of an overhyped restaurant failing to deliver on the fundamentals, from service to the food itself. Service: The service was disorganized and unwelcoming from the start. I arrived before the restaurant opened and was told I could wait inside for the restroom, only to be immediately contradicted by another staff member who sent me back outside. Later, while we were in the middle of our meal and looking at the menu to order more food, a waitress abruptly snatched the menu from our view and stood it upright, which felt incredibly rude. The confusion continued when we tried to pay; flagging down a staff member for the bill was met with a look of surprise, despite the lack of assigned servers. Food: As someone who grew up with Cantonese and Hong Kong cafe-style food, I found the cooking here to be a poor representation of the cuisine. The overwhelming characteristics of every dish were salty and greasy. The beef chow fun was so oily that it became unappetizing after just a few bites. The pork chop rice with tomato egg, a classic comfort dish, was nothing special and suffered from the same issues: too much salt, too much grease, and a price tag that didn't match the quality. This is fusion food that misses the mark and, frankly, is a huge disservice to the real flavors of Cantonese cooking. Ambiance: The restaurant seems to be going for a nostalgic 90s "四大天王" (Four Heavenly Kings) theme, but the execution is messy. The walls are plastered with a random collection of posters from various singers and eras that have no connection to each other. Instead of feeling like a thoughtful tribute to a specific time, it comes off as a cluttered and generic attempt at creating a "vibe." Overall: If you're new to this type of cuisine, you might be impressed by the bold (albeit one-note) flavors. But if you're looking for authentic, well-executed Cantonese food, this isn't it. The combination of confusing service, overly salty food, and a forced ambiance made for a truly disappointing experience. I would not recommend it.

    Photos
    View of kitchen
    View of kitchen
    Sichuan cabbage
    Sichuan cabbage
    Fish fragrant eggplant

    See all

    Fish fragrant eggplant
    Jilli

    Jilli

    4.3
    (278 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Casual dining

    Very unique Korean tapas bar with large selection of makgeolli - I'm not totally sold on makgeolli…read moreyet but they have a ton! All kinds of different flavors on their menu. It's a sour fermented rice drink. We got pretty much everything on the menu with the exception of the pickles and olives plate. We really wanted the pork jowl but they were sold out (we were seated at 8) - oh well. I really enjoyed everything, the burratta was light and delicious, tuna was great, hamachi excellent, KFC was not super crispy (light breading) but cooked to perfection and I liked the sauce a lot! Nothing was heavy and the dishes are small and thoughtful. Great spot for a date night or bite with friends. Service was excellent as well.

    We were super stoked to try Jilli. It's a cute, cozy corner restaurant in the mission with both an…read moreindoor and outdoor patio. We had an 8 pm reservation and the host was very welcoming when we got there. We ordered: - perilla noodles - fried maitake - beef tartare - fried chicken - pork jowl - Maekoli flight All the dishes were tasty overall but our favorites were the noodles and the pork jowl. The flight was interesting, some more favorable to our palette than others. One flight was enough for me and my fiancé. Our only downside was our first three dishes came out quickly but the pork and the fried chicken took over an hour, with later tables receiving their same dishes first. By the end, they also tried to take the plates before the rest of the food came out but we couldn't cancel the dishes because they were said to be already in progress. The timing wasn't ideal which was unfortunate because the food and experience was great at the start. Overall the food is good and the service may have just been unlucky.

    Photos
    Jilli
    Jilli
    Makgeolli flight

    See all

    Makgeolli flight

    Ah Ma’s kitchen - asianfusion - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...