The Tenderloin. Everyone knows it for the mayak*, the World War Z situation, le dudu on the…read moremagnastrada... But few realize that the TL is also a cuisine Mecca, a deluge of flavors from every corner of Earth. Case in point, Mongol Cafe, visible from the windows of the 38. I've ordered take out lunches multiple times from here. The brownish burgundy gulyash came with an egg, and had a too-rich flavor in the form of sourness in the sauce, just like my previous Mongolian gulyash experience elsewhere. Not my thing. The Tsuivan is hearty, not noodles the way you'd think, but more like the starchy toothpicks you get when you grate a doughball. Well flavored with the fat of the meats it was cooked with. Very rustic. Very stick to your ribs. The buuz was good. And authentic, filled using chopped meat rather than regular ground meat. Bigger than a typical dumpling. Smaller than a bao. Another basic but hearty dish. Maybe you'll find the flavor bland, but you'll notice it. The huitsai is currently my favorite item from here so far. Having a subtle but hearty flavor profile like the other dishes, you can tell this is a Mongolian soup. The carrots, the fried potatoes, and the sliced beef are nice, but the hot soup with the meatballs made it for me. No buns came with the soup, but the noodles were a really nice and filling surprise. Huurshuur - imagine the Cantonese dim sum 咸水角 AKA fried mochi dumpling, but stuffed with the filling used for buuz. And flattened. The coleslaw is a no-go for me though. By American standards, the chop was too rough and thus the texture too hard. You know what's an item that I didn't think I'd see at a Mongolian restaurant though? Mongolian beef. We Cantonese made that dish but I guess the community asked for it or maybe Mongols do have a similar dish. I didn't ask. Potatoes and carrots instead of onions and pepper. Good but I like the huitsai more. You might notice that the restaurant has a cell phone number. You can and should order your lunch ahead by texting her. She does her best, but it's a one-woman show, and English isn't her first language. The prices on the website are definitely out of date though. Don't be discouraged if the door is locked though. She's there. This is the TL after all. Just give her a minute and you'll get to check out the display case full of Mongolian things. * Translate to Korean.

If you like real Mongolian foods, this is the place. I have been in search for 15 years. The…read moreTsuvian is perfect and the huurshuur is wonderful. The owner is super delightful. I don't what people are saying the place is clean and wonderful. Having had such a good meal since my time in UB. Is it super fancy, no. Which is why it's go good.

This place tastes like my mom's cooking to me in the absolute best way. It has authentic Chinese…read morehome cooking vibes that you can't really find at a lot of restaurants these days. I'd recommend getting a couple different dishes and some fried rice or plain rice and just go to town! I loved the Hunan pork belly and would definitely try the smoked pork belly too. This was absolutely decision and a hidden Chinatown gem :) Park at the Hilton public parking for $4 an hour for cheap-ish parking in this area!

The service was horrible. The young girl taking our order…read moreacted as if we were her parents. If you don't like your job quit

I saw many were able to park right outside of the restaurant and it is walkable from Union Square…read more If you are walking and first time SF, the area may feel a little sketchy especially after sundown. I was by myself and wanted to have a quick eat. This place has unique ramen so I decided to come again (also SF/bay area only in the US). Since I was alone, I got to skip the line and only waited 15 minutes. The ramen was great. I would love to come again and try new one. Their duck chashu is SO GOOD. A little salty but works great as a whole. I respect the kitchen and servers because it's so busy and they are very efficient.

We visited Mensho Tokyo SF for our Mother's Day celebration after hearing so many great things…read moreabout the ramen, and we were genuinely excited to try it for the first time. We were a large group of 15, including several kids, and we completely understand that the restaurant is small and accommodating a group our size can be challenging. We waited in line for almost an hour with around 6 children. During the wait, a staff member named Sue came outside, asked how many people were in our group, and handed us menus. Since it was our first visit, we were naturally asking questions and trying to understand the menu. Unfortunately, throughout the interaction, her body language and expressions felt impatient and unwelcoming. There was visible frustration and eye-rolling, which made us feel uncomfortable rather than welcomed. Even after we were seated, the experience continued to feel tense. One of the toddlers in our group started crying briefly -- something fairly common with young children -- and we were told to "keep it low out of respect." While we absolutely respect other diners, the way it was communicated felt lacking in empathy, especially on a busy Mother's Day with families dining out. A small gesture of kindness or understanding could have gone a long way. Instead, my friend felt compelled to take the child outside, which was disappointing. Additionally, after being seated, we had to remind the staff multiple times to come take our orders. What makes this especially unfortunate is that the ramen itself was truly delicious and lived up to the hype. The food was excellent, which is why this experience was so disappointing overall. I hope management takes this feedback seriously because customer service and hospitality matter just as much as the food experience. Unfortunately, this was not the ideal way to end our Mother's Day celebration.

Absolutely incredible- best hot pot I have had in a long time! The ingredients are so fresh and…read moreflavorful, and there is a very wide selection on the menu! We had the 2 soups, mushroom and beef bone broth and both were so rich and had deep flavor! The service is amazing, and they helped us order a really good combination and the perfect amount. Really made our day- definitely will be back!

Fondue Chinoise was a very solid chinese hot pot spot. I think the broth is very good and…read morespicy/flavorful like it should be. The waitress was super nice also and proactive in serving us. We also ordered a mango Soju and it was huge, they definitely plugged us :). The only thing is that is felt a bit more pricey than my favorite spots like Liuyishou and the new Feng hot pot. It also was more expensive for better cuts of meat.

Our server was great, very attentive. Kept our water glasses full and checked on us several times…read more The food. We ordered the garlic green beans which were delicious and properly seasoned, chicken karaage which the pieces were incredibly small, over cooked and salty. Poke salad which was just disappointing and katsu with curry. The katsu was cooked properly but just didn't have much flavor & the curry wasn't more than just brown gravy unfortunately. Was really hoping to enjoy this place since I'm finding myself in the part of town a lot these days. The hunt for a decent asian fusion restaurant is still ongoing

Came here for dinner with friends a few friends last month. I ordered the spice jar fried rice, and…read morewe also shared a few small bites. The garlic green beans were really good and probably the only dish I'd recommend. We also tried the veggie rolls, which were just okay--pretty mediocre. My fried rice looked great and had a nice mix of veggies, shimp and chicken, but unfortunately it was very bland and really lacking seasoning. The chicken was also quite dry, which made the dish pretty disappointing. On a positive note, the service and atmosphere were both good. Overall though, the food didn't impress me enough to come back anytime soon.

606 had been on the list for quite a while given the great story of generational business ownership…read morein SF Chinatown, and also because the food simply looked delicious. I joined with a group of friends and we tried many things on the menu. The highlights included the fried chicken and honey walnut prawns. The service was also so, so friendly and attentive - it was around lunar new year and everyone was great even though they were so busy. Would definitely return.

Great food and friendly service! Came here for dinner for a party of 2 and was seated right away…read more We ordered the son of Hong Kong tea and it was in a cute mug. Now let's talk about the food!! For dinner, we ordered the honey walnut chicken, broccoli beef, 606 house fried rice, and the pork dumplings. The walnut chicken came with halved walnuts and had a nice honey glaze to it that made it sweet but not overly sweet. For the broccoli beef, the broccoli was nicely cooked and the meat was very tender. We really enjoyed the 606 house fried rice. It wasn't overly fried like most places and felt fresh. The mixture of proteins was also tasteful. Now for the pork dumplings, the presentation was nice and also tasted great with nice hints of shrimp. We noticed the place became very busy but the service was still attentive. I recommend getting a reservation for larger parties or if you visit during peak hours. We aren't local or else this would be a regular place for us.

Highly recommend this place! They have a variety of food options from dumplings to noodles. Their…read morechow mien is to die for! The ambiance adds a nice touch to the place, as well.

Don't change a thing, the spice level is perfect!…read more Sincerely, I'd like to meet the people who think Little Szechuan goes easy on the heat because to me, it's a blast of mala spice and numbing sensation- and I have a high tolerance. The Spicy Garlic Pork with vegetables was HOT and there was no escape: Like an opponent's chess pieces trying to grab your king, one bite after the next puts you in jeopardy. It was a good kind of peril. The Chow Mein Select noodles with lots of fresh crunchy vegetables was nicely executed with firm, plump chow mein. It was a very generous helping. I thanked my stars for the relief of white rice. The quart of hot and sour soup will have to wait until tomorrow, so much delicious food. For vegetarians, lots of menu options for you as well as those looking for unique dumplings and lots of offal dishes for those who crave it. Ambience is fresh, polished, non-touristy yet in the very heart of Chinatown where this is not always guaranteed. Locals and visitors alike, bookmark this restaurant. Little Szechuan was another Too Good to Go find. We'll be back soon, before Chinese New Year. 新年快乐

Kitschy and expensive, but my wife and I had fun at the Fairmont Hotel's Tonga Room. Strong,…read morefruity tropical drinks, live "yacht rock" music, moody lights, and a light and sound show reminiscent of the Rainforest Cafe, all add up to a great place to start or finish an evening date night. We visited on a Saturday evening in May, not an optimal choice as the place was full of prom dates and wedding parties. Our original table was directly beyond the dance floor so all we could see was various couples swaying to the band. The server was kind enough to move us to a table with a view of the pool and band. The food isn't much to get excited about here, but we were hungry and ordered a couple appetizers. Quite pricey, I mean, it's the Fairmont Hotel, plus there's an additional entertainment fee when the band is playing. But hey, Anthony Bourdain actually liked this place. I agree, it's worth experiencing. PS - This was the second time I've been in the SF Fairmont Hotel. The first was Feb 1988. I was attending a conference with several lady friends, we walked by the hotel and discovered that Lou Rawls was singing in the Venetian Room. My friends finagled the staff into giving us a table at the back for the show. They loved it, but I was young, and bored, and left after a couple songs. I went to a nearby bar, had a couple drinks, and then meandered back to my room, alone. So much for my carefree bachelor days.

I was able to celebrate my birthday here. The vibe and experience is definitely like Hawaii. We did…read morethe poo poo platter as well as two drinks the Golden cup and then we also did a Kahlúa pork plate and it was very filling. Service was pretty good and the ambience definitely felt like I was back home. Definitely would come back here and celebrate my birthday again. Thank you for letting me spend my birthday with you guys.

After a rocky start, the new owners have settled in and the food is very good now. I ordered…read more - Vegetable Chow Mein : good flavor - Fiilet Fish with Greens : the fish was soft and fresh but a bit saltier than I like. Mixed with vegetables it was quite balanced. - Eggplant in garlic sauce : delicious! - Sesame balls : excellent! The service is very good and the staff is very polite and friendly. Prices are very reasonable for the area. So glad to have our neighborhood Chinese takeout back in action!

I walk past this place nearly every morning on my walk towards the Ferry Building. I saw a sign…read morethis morning that they have steamed BBQ pork buns... and I LOVE bbq pork buns so I had to stop by for a to-go treat. It's a great hole in the wall spot near Oracle Park. Sports folks or folks just walk along the Embarcadero can easily find this spot. Service is what you'd expect from a small Chinese restaurant. It seems to be a bit longer of a wait than I'm used to. There's about 6 tables inside, could probably easily fit a large group here with all the tables together. The bao was hot and great for a bite on the go.

This was our second time coming to this place, and I think we had tried most of the items on the…read moremenu. We had Serrano pork, spicy pig ear, fried pig intestines with spicy sauce, stir fried bef wit hpickle pepper, cilantro beef, stir-fried with lettuce stem, cumin beef, and Stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs. All of these dishes taste amazing. Spicy and flavorful, and served in generous portions.

A big space near fidi with a good amount of tables. It is a bit of a no frills place with quick…read moreservice and good food. The servers are always nice and quick to respond when asked for something or a question. They have a good range of authentic and some "American Chinese" dishes. We have gotten delivery from them for our team lunch in the office many times and we have gone to the restaurant for dinner countless times as well. It's always a filling and delicious meal. The Mongolian beef, spicy fried fish and the meat pie are among my favorites. Have been here and will be back many more times.