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    Kam Lok Restaurant

    3.6 (189 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Order Kam Lok Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

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    KAM LOK RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Kam Lok Restaurant

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    Lobster- delicious
    Vivian H.

    After a really amazing Chinatown history tour given by a local who is very well known, we were all pretty hungry and our tour leader suggested this place. Kam Lok means "Gold Happy," and you'll definitely leave this place happy but leave with less gold than you walked in, but a full and satiated belly. This place is definitely a hole in the wall and as for ambiance, well it doesn't have any. We sat at one of the back tables and had a very large group, probably 15 people. The food here was excellent and I got to try dishes I have never had before. I also enjoyed the bitter melon dish as I don't get to eat this often. There was a meat pie dish that was excellent and where my family is from, we have something similar but just a tad different. Overall, this place makes really good food, come for the food but go elsewhere for ambiance. I'd definitely come back again just for the meat pie kind of dish.

    Photo 1: Montage of images from Kam Lok Restaurant
    Ed U.

    This casual subterranean spot is as old school as it gets in Chinatown, and it's really easy to miss on Washington Street unless you're looking for it in particular. I wasn't, but out of curiosity, I walked down the steps anyway to see the restaurant quite empty with the staff just chatting with each other. I think they were surprised to see me since the banquet tables signaled to me they target large groups. There was a robust selection of traditional Cantonese dishes in their menu, and some of the higher than normal prices likely reflected banquet size portions. Logically I probably should've gone with the $14 Sautéed Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce or the $12 BBQ Pork Wonton Noodle Soup. However, the dish that drew my attention was the Steamed Chicken with Mustard Greens, a half chicken that would cost me a somewhat exorbitant $23 (Photo 9). I bit, and what arrived was a rather huge platter of steamed poultry surrounded by a forest of bok choy, all of it lacquered in a coating of sesame oil and accompanied by a small dish of minced garlic sauce. It was decent enough, and I was surprised how much of a dent I made. I might come back to try one of their house specials like their egg drop soup with deep-fried wontons, but I'll probably need to bring my own hungry batallion. FOOD - 3 stars...steamed fine, big portion with a big price to match AMBIANCE - 3 stars.. an aged banquet basement SERVICE - 3.5 stars...fast enough given I was the only customer TOTAL - 3 stars...targeted to large groups with big appetites RELATED - Exploring SF's Chinatown? Here's my collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2WoF1Z2

    Fish
    Steven S.

    The food I had delivered to my restaurant was great. The wonton soup with beef chunks was like butter in my mouth and the fish dish I had was incredible. I highly recommend this place if you are in Chinatown San Francisco. Next time I will go to that restaurant in person to eat there in person. The service and the ambience of the place was great from what I've read in other reviews. I give them 5 stars

    Lou L.

    Excellent chinese food at a decent price. Good sized portions. The salt bake chicken is nice and juicy, not dry at all. Twice cook pork has great flavor and not too salty. Pork was not overly fatty. The salt and pepper fried pork chop was nice and crispy. Not overly fried. It could use a little bit of more salt and pepper. Friendly service. Kinda of a hole in the wall place. Well actually hole in the ground. You gotta go down a few stairs to the restaurant. It's not fancy dining, so don't go in with your nose in the air. But would definitely recommend trying.

    Menu
    Allena C.

    This is old school Chinese food! My bf has been to this restaurant years ago, while growing up near Chinatown. So it was a trip down memory lane and nostalgic for him! Kam Lok is not ground level and located downstairs. There may be a few tourists that might take a chance and check this place out but more than likely, people who live in Chinatown come here to chow down! It's a no frills, hole in the wall restaurant. Don't expect great ambiance, service, or spotless silverware. That's typical in Chinatown! You come hungry, expect to pay lower prices and go away satisfied. Well, that's how it went for us. We ordered shrimp with scrambled eggs over rice noodles, garlic yam leaves, and beef stew with curry sauce on crispy Hong Kong style noodles. After ordering, she gave us the house soup and a pot of tea. Nowadays, you pay for these things but here, it's complimentary. The food came out quickly and piping HOT! You get a decent amount of food and may need to bring leftovers home unless you wanna stuff yourself silly! Just might be our new go-to resto in Chinatown!

    Outside
    Jeff H.

    Kam Lok is a classic SF Chinatown basement style restaurant. I've eaten here in the past and didn't post a review. Tonight, I had the runny egg shrimp chow fun $12. This was delicious with ample wok flavor. This dish can be challenging to make because chow fun and egg are kind of plain. That gravy has to be good. Their menu is limited if you are ordering fried rice, noodles and etc. It is more family style dishes orientated with only one page for rice and noodles. Not on the menu is crispy Hong Kong style noodles, which I love. If you ask, they will make it for you. So, don't rely too much on the written menu. Service was excellent.

    Menu
    Pamela L.

    This is a Cantonese restaurant that is in a basement - no windows. Basement restaurants once housed prostitution, gambling, and opium dens. Its entrance was hidden from the sidewalk via a steep, dark, narrow stairwell either with and without a gate. There are about 3 of these basement restaurants in SF Chinatown. All of these 'no frill" basement restaurants serve Cantonese food; nothing fusion - "soul" Chinese food. Service is quick and efficient. The waitress checked in frequently and made sure our tea pots were filled Portions are ample and ingredients are fresh. They can cook any dish that isn't on the menu. I ordered my two favorites from my childhood (1960) that most restaurants never heard of a stuffed boneless duck ($50) and stuffed boneless chicken ($50). None of these restaurants cook it alike. At Kam Lok, the stuffed boneless duck is filled with taro and Chinese vegetables like gingko nuts, lotus roots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, jujubes, etc. It comes sliced with brown gravy. (Other restaurants fill theirs with barley, rice, etc. Each restaurant has their on take on it. Either way, it's good.) The stuffed boneless chicken is deep fried filled with sticky rice, Chinese sausage, Chinese bacon, dried shrimps. and Chinese mushrooms. (Note: These two dishes are prepared with onions and parsley. Since I don't eat these ingredients, I asked that it be omitted.) I ordered a whole steam fish with ginger, soya sauce, oil and green onions. (Even though I don't eat green onions, you need to have green onions to give the fish more flavor. The green onions are easily be taken off once the dish is on the table.) NOTE: These two dished have to be ordered 2 days in advance.

    Ordered Honey Walnut Shrimps yesterday. When I picked it up, the server charged me $22, but the menu here says $16.95 only. She said it is one portion including tax. The portion is too small (12 medium sized shrimps) and expensive comparing others in this area. So disappointed and will never come back!

    Mimi D.

    Hate to gate-keep such an amazing place but Kam Lok is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to. The winter melon egg dish and pan-fried noodles were phenomenal as well as the flounder. The interior is beautifully preserved and really encapsulates the SF experience of eating in Chinatown. Hospitality is second to none. Amazing family-owned business that I'd recommend to locals and tourists alike

    Pan Fried Noodle with Shredded Chicken

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    2 years ago

    Everything is really good. I really like their mopu tofu because it has that spicy ness that really kicks in and still taste good

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    Whenever my 4 and 10 year old enjoy food, I know it is good. Quick and delicious can't wait to come back to this gem

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    So we finally got here! The line was long, but honestly the wait wasn't bad at all -- probably only…read morearound 30 minutes considering how far down we were on the waitlist. Once they started calling tables, it moved really fast. When we were seated, we ended up sharing a table with two other groups of two. I actually didn't mind it at all because there was still enough space between everyone to have privacy. It also made the experience feel more social -- I ended up chatting with the people to my right and left about the food. Everything we ordered was really good. Their popular dry fried chicken absolutely lived up to the hype and was probably my favorite thing on the menu... besides the cherry pork. I feel like nobody talks about the cherry pork enough! It was SO good -- kind of like a sweet-and-sour pork without the sour. I dipped it in soy sauce because I loved the sweet and salty combo together. The dumplings were also really good. The wrapper was thin and delicious, but my boyfriend said he wished they had a little more protein filling and less leek. The green beans are always a hit. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again was the black bean sauce noodles. Maybe I just expected a different flavor, but to me they honestly tasted like regular lo mein. I'm also not a huge noodle person in general, so I'd probably skip them next time and order something else instead. Forgot to mention their prices are on point! Definitely recommend to any of the tourists. I think the weight is definitely worth it and I love being able to take home my leftovers and eating them for lunch and dinner the next day.

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    Four Kings 四大天王 - sichuan cabbage

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    Throwback to the 90s with good food, fun atmosphere, and friendly staff. Imagine all the 90s HK pop…read morestars and movie stars, they're all here on the walls! We ended up ordered 1/3 of the menu, probably. Everything from their speciality squab to the limited time menu items like Singaporean chile crab. Everything was really delicious (only complaint is the crab sauce drowning the bread, order the bread to be on the side to avoid this situation). The popular dessert item was the red bean shaved ice, which was very nice to balance out the meal.

    WHAT A GEM in SF Chinatown! 5.0…read more Hubby secured hard to get reservations and the very next day, I see a friend post her visit on IG Stories. I asked her, "What's good?" Her response... "Everything!" That's all one needs to say. At the entrance, clearly marked are signs reading, "Reservations" and "Walk-ins". Since we had reservations, we waited only a few minutes to get seated at the bar. The bar makes it easy to converse with your partner and to peer over as the fire from the range springs up from the kitchen. Our server brought us some "Free Bites" of roasted peanuts and smashed cucumbers. She was such a pleasant lady with quite the wit that made me laugh between courses. We ordered a full bottle of Negori sake. Note: if you do not finish the sake bottle, they cannot pack it to go for you, so drink up! Obviously, we couldn't order everything on the menu. For our first visit, we definitely wanted their special dish, Fried Squab. It was delicious! The meat was moist and the dipping salt with Sichuan peppercorn paired perfectly! Just don't focus too much on the visual... the head and claws. Hot Mustard Jellyfish Salad ~ I loved the "crunch" of the jellyfish and the hot mustard marinade was just spicy enough to start a slow burn up the nose. Beef Chow Fun Noodles ~ Delicious and so very savory. I was amazed at how flavorful this dish was without being salty. Clay Pot Rice w/Chinese Sausage & Bacon ~ Loved how the entire pot was seasoned nicely. The sauce did not only sit at the top, but penetrated deep down into the rice. XO Escargot w/Milkbread ~ I've only had French Escargot and these are just as good, if not better! Fish Fragrant Eggplant ~ Another savory and very umami dish. Red Bean Shaved Ice ~ Always a refreshing dessert. Dig in for the surprise in the center. We had such a nice, cozy dinner here. Even while at the bar, we never felt for lack of space. They paced the dishes out perfectly, so there was always room to eat and enjoy. Looking forward to returning and trying more items on the menu.

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    Palette Tea House

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    Out to a new place for dinner with family…read more Palette Tea House Server - Westley, was so good in helping us pick the best dishes and drinks. Jordan Chardonnay, 2022 Russian River CA Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Alexander Valley, CA Fort Point Villager IPA Dinner Chinese Olive Fried Rice Cumin Spicy Lamb "Longevity" Noodle Palette Soup Dumpling "XLB" Sampler (5 Pieces) Chicken Soup Dumpling "XLB" (3 Pieces) Black Swan Tara Puff (2 Pieces) Lotus Wrap Abaline Sticky Rice Wok Fried Gai LAN and Shitake Mushroom Desert Steamed Custard Dumpling Durian Custard Bao Wow, I could not say which one was my favorite dish. Every dish was great. In addition to the deserts. The deco was real nice and colorful. The had Peking Ducks all set for roasting on display. Must visit.

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    Memorial weekend Saturday - got walking in that day, I asked the person who sat us if any of the…read morenoodle dishes had soy (they all have soy), she asked if I was gluten-free and I said no, allergy to soy so I will get something else. This person who took our order asked if there were any allergies, I said soy and her eyes lit up while she calming asked, 'soy-sauce', and I list soysauce and all the soy things that fall in that umbrella. I order my item, the chicken wings and item to share: the pan-fried dumplings, while my partner ordered one of the noodle soups. She comes back later and points out that the noodle soup has soy - much apperciated because people sometimes share, etc. And I said it was just for my partner. -- The chicken wings were plump, crispy, the first two were 'heathly', didn't taste the salt, and the rest were packed with flavor. If you're looking for consistency there is a #1 spot in Chinatown for chicken wings which I will not disclose in this review. But, otherwise, for flavor - I like it here. My partner said he didn't find the ones here oily but I said the bottom ones were a little and I did enjoy it. The panfried dumplings - the meat was succulent and delicious, I didn't think there was enough soup, these ones are smaller than other places, but the meat is massive. They were good, not my favorite ever, but I think the meat was the best hands-down anywhere. - It was very busy with perhaps locals and tourists. The table on our left were these two white men in the architeture field - super vulgar and sexist talking about people they don't like, it would defintely be an HR red flag. And then to the corner on the right, there was this little family who hadn't had soup dumplings before - the grown kids ate with their hands and the parents with forks (I love to see people trying new things), I didn't see all of this going on but I asked my partner who kept looking over.. Yes, my partner was judging you but kudos to trying new things however it is. - For large parties - you'll have to wait awhile. QR waitlist kiosk thing in at the front. ** I truly apperciate food safety and staff being attentive which makes patrons more confident and are able to make more safely informed decisions when ordering.

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    Good dim sum in a nice location! So many great dishes. Where do I start? With the best!…read more Baked BBQ Buns with a sugar crust: The pork was slightly sweet, which is a good thing. Soft, soft bun. The crust makes it transcendent. Steamed Pork Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce: The sauce is very light, with a few black beans and peppers making an appearance. Steamed shrimp and chive dumplings: The shrimp pieces were large and the chive made it even better, Steamed har gow dumplings: Big and juicy pieces of shrimp inside of the dumplings went well with my requested chili sauce. Dessert: I liked that these egg tarts were on the smaller size since we were stuffed by this time and they were a perfect end to a great meal. Service was quick. They'll bring your water and tea almost immediately and take your order a minute later if you're ready. By 20 minutes later, all the dishes had been delivered. If you drive, get parking validation. Also a convenient walk from the BART/Muni station and cable car stop.

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    Kam Lok Restaurant - chinese - Updated May 2026

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