Giant Scoop Cafe

There is a specific kind of culinary magic that only happens in the cramped, loud, steam-filled…read morejoints of San Francisco. And if it's chicken wings your soul is screaming for, let's be honest: there isn't a single place in this town that can compete with San Tung. This recipe? It's completely off the hook. It is sweet, it is tangy, and it is utterly, shamelessly irresistible to the human tongue. It completely defies the pedestrian flavors that everyone else in this city is pushing. This isn't just food; it's a lifestyle choice. It's my drug of choice. What you've got here is a beautiful, bastardized combination of Chinese and Korean BBQ engineering. But let's get one thing straight: the secret isn't some mythical blend of eleven herbs and Chinese spices. No, it boils down to something far more primal: the type of chicken that San Tung purchases. They are looking for something very specific--the precise age, the exact size of the bird. And that? That is something they will absolutely never share with you. Like the formula for Coca-Cola, they guard that secret with a beautiful, paranoid intensity. Now, the people I really miss in this room are Charles and his wife. They split off from this sit-down paradise years ago and carved out their own gig right next door--San Tung 2. They took the crown and put themselves on the map for those wings. It was a beautiful, tightly run family affair--full-on mafia style. Whatever traffic drove through this side of town, they weren't here for the scenery; they were here for the wings. ST2 might be gone now, but the dream? The dream continues to thrive right here. So whenever that craving hits, do yourself a favor. Make your way over to this room. You'll thank me later.

I don't get the huge hype over San Tung. Spicy house in Daly City has slightly better chicken…read morewings, but besides the wings, San Tung is average. I tried a bunch of the noodle dishes, the rice, and the sautéed string beans. The string beans were a little thick and too oily, DTF is better. The noodles also were not amazing as I had better.

Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

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Noodles w/ Peanut Sauce ($18)

Four Kings 四大天王

4.2(477 reviews)

4.6 mi•Chinatown

Amazing service! I…read morecame as a party of 2 at 5:20 (just before opening) on a Saturday night and we were the last party to be seated as the first round of walk-ins! We got seated right by the window, so lovely! The ambiance is so nice and the decor is so cozy and cool. We got the free peanuts and cucumber salad first- so flavorful and a nice way to whet our appetite. The scallop vermicelli was SO buttery and flavorful. I wanted another order!! The claypot rice came steaming hot and full of meats! Get something to cut it with! The black bean clams were delicious but a tad salty so it's nice to have with the claypot, or even an order of veggies and plain rice! We ended our meal with shaved ice that was layered with black bean, custard, and boba! So refreshing and a perfect end! I would come back 10000%

Five of us dined here to celebrate a birthday. According to the one who managed to get the…read morereservation, it's quite popular and the reservation is one of the coveted ones in SF. Anyway, having tried it, I can say it was good, but not so good that I'd expend that much energy to secure the reservation. Have to say, service was really great. Servers were attentive without being overbearing, which is always welcome. We ordered several dishes and dined, as they suggested, family style. To start, we were given two complimentary dishes, the roasted peanuts and the smashed cucumbers; both were nice appetizers. We ordered the Chiu Chow green beans, the Mongolian beef noodles, the claypot rice with lop cheung and bacon, the salt 'n peppa prawns, and the whole fried petrale sole, the last two being on the day's "specials" board. The winning dish was definitely the green beans. All the food was good, but seemed to be a bit overly salted and highly spiced. The piece of beef I had from the Mongolian beef noodles was tender, but one of my friends thought her piece was a bit tough and too chewy; we all thought the beef could have been cut into smaller or thinner pieces. We also shared two desserts since it was a birthday celebration (there are only three options offered). We had the red bean shaved ice and the mango pudding. Both were good (not "oh, boy, yummy" good, but good). Nice to try. The price wasn't outrageous ($200 including tax and tip), but I think this will be a "been there, done that" experience for me unless a friend absolutely wants to go again.

4.9 mi•North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill

View of kitchen

Creamy potato salad with tofu dressing

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Sichuan cabbage (@joeynht)

606

4.6(634 reviews)

Family-owned & operated

Takes reservations

Food quality was good! However, quantity was quite less with everything except for tofu.read more

606 took over the legendary New Sun Hong Kong spot--a neighborhood staple since 1989 known for its…read moreiconic hanging floating books outside on Broadway. It has been reimagined by the next generation of the family as a vibrant reboot that honors tradition while bringing fresh energy to Chinatown/North Beach. I came back tonight to sit down for a full meal, and the house was completely full--I love seeing them do so well! As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by one of the owners, Eugene. He was super friendly, welcoming, and focused on making sure we got seated. His hospitality genuinely can't be beaten anywhere; he immediately made us feel like family. Thankfully, a couple of tables were finishing up their checks, and he had us seated in no time. We ordered the wonton noodle soup, seafood fried noodles, and garlic Chinese spinach, and the food came out fast! Everything tasted great, and unlike so many restaurants nowadays that serve individual-sized portions under the guise of "family style," 606's portions are huge and wonderfully generous. Wonton Noodle Soup: The broth was flavorful without being overly salty, and the wontons were packed with plump, tender shrimp--they definitely don't skimp on ingredients! Seafood Fried Noodles: Executed perfectly with just the right amount of savory sauce so the noodles retained that satisfying crispy, crunchy texture. Garlic Chinese Spinach: Cooked just right--not too soft and not undercooked. I'm so glad we came back to sit down and dine in. Not only do Eugene and his team make you feel right at home, but the food is fantastic, hearty, and full of heart. Highly recommend!

Voted Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA! Thank you Yelp and our wonderful and supportive customers!

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Chong Qing Xiao Mian

4.1(1.4k reviews)

4.8 mi•Chinatown

Incredible and even more incredible service --5/5…read more -- we got the beef noodle soup, Dan Dan noodles and the pork belly

We were in the area for the Chinatown Night Market and was craving some type of soup. Chong Qing…read moreXiao Mian popped up as a top rated spot and since it was in the area, we decided to check it out. The restaurant is pretty small, so we had to wait around 10 minutes before being seated. Service was quick & food came out in a short amount of time. We got the: - sweet and sour pork ribs: way more sweet than sour, but still tasty regardless - spicy beef noodle soup: imo this was pretty spicy for me and the only flavor that I could taste was the spice, but my friend (who is a spice lover) thought this was just perfect so would recommend for the spice lovers out there! also the amount of meat given for this dish was mouth-watering - dan dan noodles - loved this dish!! super tasty and the broth was a meaty flavors with hints of spice which was perfect for me! i also loved the minced pork on top. only con was that I wished it had a bit more veggies like radish or more cabbage The ambiance of the restaurant is amazing and it overall was very uniquely decorated. Would come here again!

5.5 mi•Russian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf

Interior

Single Cooked Noodle Soup

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Beanjello in red chili sauce

Palette Tea House

4.1(2k reviews)

Locally owned & operated

Speaks Mandarin

The food was delicious and the service was great. We had the Duck, Pork Bao, Lobster dumplings and…read morechicken dumplings. Their Oolong tea is amazing. Our waiter was great at explaining the menu, and was great at accommodating our toddler.

Wonderful service. Good was absolutely delicious. Sahar was an amazing and well mannered server and…read moremade sure we received our order on time. She was accommodating and so pleasant. We would definitely go back! Five star service and five star food. Thank you for an awesome experience!

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YH-Beijing Duck House

I have been here close to 10 times in the last year -- so surprised I haven't reviewed it yet?…read more My order is always the general tso's chicken, veggie chowmein & depending on the weather the hot/sour soup. Always request for chilli oil (love this on my noodles). This is truly my comfort meal! I crave this after a long tiring week and it instantly rejuvenates me. I almost always dine-in and service is always great. Excellent for groups of all sizes - I brought 11 of my friends here once and we were able to get a res 2 days in advance! Overall, only good things!

Great Peking duck, but the rest of the menu was disappointing. They seem to have dishes from every…read moreregion of China, but not done well. Good service.

Peking Duck 北京烤鴨

Beijing roast duck 北京烤鸭 Limited amount served each day. Pre-order with reservation only. Thank you!

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Beijing roast duck 北京烤鸭 Limited amount served each day. Pre-order with reservation only. Thank you!

Z & Y Peking Duck

4.5(1.7k reviews)

4.8 mi•Chinatown

Family-owned & operated

Private events

I highly suggest making a reservation if you want to stop in for Peking Duck!…read moreI made a reservation for 2 people at 2:15pm on a Thursday with a note requesting a whole Peking Duck. Remember to leave a note in your reservation!

Amazing find! Also A+ service and I highly recommend. I wasn't expecting the food to that good and…read moreit was worth the value. Wonderful job!

"北京烤鸭""Peking Duck."

Peking Duck with Caviar 北京烤鸭

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Black Pepper Beef Ribs 低温慢煮的黑椒牛肋骨 | Chinese Restaurant | San Francisco

Hon's Wun-Tun House

4.1(730 reviews)

4.7 mi•Chinatown

Hon's Wun-Tun House was a culinary delight on our recent trip to San Francisco! They've got all…read morethe classic dishes. We reallly enjoyed the wun-tun soup, the dumplings, chow fun, honey walnut prawns and several other items. Once seated, you order from a qr code so service is prompt and efficient! As others have noted the wait can be long as it's always packed! But worth the wait. And - pro tip - you can call ahead and have them add you to the list before you get there if you get lucky and talk to the right person. Inside, it's crowded, loud, and pretty basic. But that's part of the experience, and decor isn't particularly important when the table is covered with delicious food! Definitely worth a stop if you're looking for classic Chinese food in San Francisco in the heart of Chinatown. Just show up hungry and be prepared to wait a bit.

Got this place as a rec for Chinatown from a friend. We were in the area for an evening in the city…read moreand decided to check it out. We got seated right away when we came in at 6 pm ish on a Tuesday night. It's a no-frills kind of place, and indeed our wonton noodle soup came out FAST! Like 5 minutes. It wasn't bad, but also not exceptional or the best I've had. It did taste fresh but not piping hot, and the wonton and noodles themselves were kind of what I expected. Broth was good. The salted egg yolk pumpkin and prawn though was delish! A nice fun break from the soup, especially with a bowl of rice. Good casual vibes for eating with family or friends. I'm not sure I'd go out of the way for this place, but solid place for a filling meal.

4.9 mi•North Beach/Telegraph Hill

Interior, there's more seating behind that partition.

Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot

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E1. 港式鮮蝦雲吞麵 Hong Kong Style Wuntun Noodle Soup

Osmanthus Dim Sum Lounge

4.4(962 reviews)

Recently came by and dined outside with my little pup. I had such a great time enjoying their NA…read morecocktail, Garden & Grove with all the dim sum dishes. Aside from wishing this drink to be a little bit more sour, I love this type of seedlip NA beverages. For those that enjoy alcohol and can have it, Osmanthus DSL serves some great whisky pairings with dim sum. They also have a great list of tea which I didn't partake on this occasion. Great service and I enjoyed people watching from sitting outside this Broadway street facing restaurant. Located on Broadway and Kearny (next to the Peter Macchiarini steps).

Gave this a try for late breakfast or lunch while in town. Service was very prompt and easy to get…read morea table. Had soup dumplings, pork and shrimp sui mai and lastly Szechuan boiled beef in flaming chili oil. All were pretty good. Really liked the soup as it was the real deal with peppercorns and all. Would go back and try more things off the menu next time in town. Just was a light lunch so didn't experiment too much.

4.7 mi•Financial District

Salted egg lava bun

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Garlic noodles

Harborview Restaurant & Bar

4.0(2k reviews)

Outdoor seating

Happy hour specials

This review is about their week day lunch take-out…read more (Located around the corner to the right from main entrance via street level). Prices are very reasonable, quality of food is high, and selection is manageable and solid. All orders come with rice and a drink: 1 item $15 2 items $18 Double meat (duck) $23 Service is quick, accurate, and efficient; up to Harborview 's standard of excellence.

Pork XLB - 5/5 Spicy Pork Wontons - 5/5…read moreRoasted Peking Duck - 3/5 Kung Pao chicken- 4/5 Honey Garlic Sesame chicken - 4/5 Harborview beef - 5/5 Garlic noodles- 3/5 Guava Virgin Mojito - 5/5 Great ambience and service!

Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut

Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!

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Baked Coffee Lava Buns with Crunchy Sugar Crust

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3 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Roldan G.

3 years ago

giant scoop cafe banging on my chest fkthe other side all my homies hate the other side

Valerie N.

613

17 years ago

their fried chickens is a lot better than kfc. yummms!!

Winnie L.

14 years ago

Love their ice cream!

Giant Scoop Cafe - chinese - Updated October 2026

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This family owned business is one of my favorites in the city. The food is delicious and the great…read moreenergy from everyone is worth coming back. I love that theirs parking! Highly recommend the waffles and chicken fried steak!

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