Went here today for the first time and got a bunch of fresh rambuttan, which is really difficult to…read morefind in santa cruz

I stopped by here a couple of weeks ago because I was making a vegetable soup. I got 12lbs of…read moreproduce for 13 bucks! I was amazed at what I walked out with and the quality of the produce. It was all really good! For 13 bucks I got: A head of cabbage A bunch of celery A large bag of Mushrooms A 1lb bag of green beans 2 bell peppers 2 onions 3 carrots 2 peaches A bunch of bananas Will most definitely be back next time I am making veggie soup!

In my recent series of reviews, I've been writing about various stores and markets in Chinatown,…read morealmost all of which are located on Stockton St. Where Grant Avenue is dominated by gift shops, tea companies, and, on one particular block, fresh chicken stores, you'll find Stockton St. dominated by fish markets, produce stores, Chinese delis, and general grocery stores. This location used to house the most popular and famous meat market/butcher shop in Chinatown, Hop Sang Meat Market (El Dorado Meat Market to English speaking buyers). It was so renowned in its day that that pioneer of California of cuisine in Berkeley was buying its meats for their restaurant until this store closed in the early 1990's. Back to today, this store specializes mainly in fruits and vegetables with a small assortment of dried and canned good on their shelves inside. I happened to walk by on a weekday morning while running errands and saw some green bananas with a slight yellow tint hanging above their vegetable and fruit bins. I'd gone to a local western supermarket near my home for two consecutive days hoping to find this, but all of their bananas were fully yellow. I brought my bunch inside and waited behind two or three customers before paying. I was in and out of the store in about seven minutes. Do note that they mainly sell vegetables and the variety of fruit is often limited. There are stores that specialize more in fruits on and around Jackson Street. It's a good spot if you are walking by and not necessarily anything particularly special in Chinatown. However, you may come across that item that you seek like I did in this case.

I had no idea what a produce wonderland existed on Stockton Street. It's the kind of place I would…read morenormally walk on by, but I was with a friend who went to school around the corner & said if he ever ran out of money, he'd never starve because of places like this. Apparently, a lot of grocery stores in Chinatown have flash sales, you just have to know how to find them. You won't see posters, but you will see a small crowd forming around bags of fruits and vegetables. What decade is this? I got a box of fresh strawberries for One Dollar! Big bag of broccoli 79 cents/lb. Cherries, 79cents/ lb. Not some expired fruit, but firm, ripe organic cherries. Next time I'm in Chinatown I'll bring a larger shopping bag & be on the lookout. See ya later Whole Foods.

I used to love shopping here. They had mounds of great cheap produce. Not anymore. They remodeled…read morefor some reason making the store smaller. It really makes you wonder how people with no business sense get into business. I miss the old owners.

Purchased produce and couldn't see how rotten until one cuts it open. Avocados looked great ,…read morebrown inside ($2.99 each and I got 5 for guacamole ). Zucchini's were mixed... some good and sine very bitter . The new owners should also watch their cashier / front person. The pleasant customer in front of me said thanks twice. No response. Cashier monotonously told me my amount and as I was getting my card out of wallet, kept repeating it several times rudely. Dude, I am trying to get it as fast as I can! Hold on! Then he threw my receipt at me. :( I just took the high road by zipping my lip, quietly gathered my purchase and walked out. Terrible service!

This place is a legend. They always have a mix of random fruits and veggies at great prices--most…read moreof them just on the edge of their freshness window, which makes it perfect for stocking up on soup ingredients or experimenting in the kitchen. I even found the biggest carrot I've ever seen! Shop local and keep this little gem in business.

Amazing little Chinese market. All sorts of vegetables. Some exotic looking stuff. Some strange…read morelooking stuff. My friend came in for durian. They had it frozen and a small metal package. Service was friendly. Ambiance is exactly that of a small strange little produce and fish market

Great prices and produce selection for fruits and vegetables. Lots of variety and cool options for…read morerecipes.

Chung Hing Produce is mostly that-produce. inside has only a spotty inventory of canned groceries,…read moresauces, noodles. the aisles are cluttered with stuff. buys: baby bok choy. (.79/lb.) -seem to be, babies bigger here than elsewhere -not labeled, just assumed it was. leftovers: -not a madhouse like on stockton st.

I've been living in North Beach for a long time, and one of the highlights of my week is the…read moreFarmers Market. It started back in 2018 as a small, volunteer-run effort by North Beach Neighbors and Piazza Pellegrini, and over the years it's really grown into the heart of the neighborhood. Now, every Saturday morning on Greenwich Street by Joe DiMaggio Playground, the market is buzzing with local farmers, artisans, and about a half-dozen food vendors. My Saturday routine usually starts with grabbing a cup of coffee from one of the vendors on the Columbus Street end, then sipping it as I stroll through the market to the other side. Along the way, I love checking out all the fresh produce, baked goods, and handmade items that catch my eye. More often than not, I'll also pick up something tasty to eat from one of the food stalls. It's become one of those simple rituals that makes me feel connected to the community and reminds me why I love living in North Beach.

I was mainly here just to get sugar and carbs cookies (amazing new york style cookies). The farmers…read moremarket is relatively small and is only about half a block. The plus side is its in little italy where there's a lot of amazing food , so if you're already in that area its worthwhile to check it out!

Huge supermarket. Got some snacks. They offer a big packet. I found similar snack of triangles but…read morebetter in quality and fragrance in traders joe. They have good chinese stir fry sauce like plum sauce, garlic , soy sauce. Very small space to walk around. Cash only.

Since I found myself in Chinatown for lunch recently I wanted to pick up some produce for my weekly…read morevegan stew. At Dong Hing Supermarket I bought: bitter melon okra mushrooms chives jalapeno pepper bell pepper broccoli tomato and okra. All the produce was reasonably priced yet the bananas I was looking to pick up for my daily smoothie were overly ripe Overall this was a great market for vegetables yet decided to get my fruit elsewhere. One exception is they carry durian here which is an exotic fruit that I love and while can be an acquired taste it is hard to find. I would definitely return here the next time I was in Chinatown yet would not go out of my way to go here unless I was going to get durian as a special treat!

My fav fruit stand at the pier! With all the fried options at Pier 39, I love having a healthier…read morealternative to donuts- and that's their beautiful and sweet strawberries, cherries, etc. The fruit is a little pricey, but you're at the pier! I come here every time I'm nearby...and they're one of the few spots I've found lychees in the city! Staff here is super friendly, love what they do, and the views of the bay are 10/10!

You can only buy better fruit in the US! It's very true and that is why you pay a little more…read more Vlahos Orchards pays the highest price to beat out the competition and ensure that tourists get the best there is. Delicious!

When shopping in Chinatown, it's a challenge for those who seek specific things. Who has the best…read morecabbage? Who has the best fruits? Who is less or more expensive? The majority of the vegetable and fruit stores are on Stockton Street, spanning from Clay Street to Vallejo Street. Perhaps it is best to follow the crowds and lines, observing which has the largest crowd or longest lines. When it comes to fruits, it gets tricky as most will have your garden variety (pun intended) apples, oranges, tangerines, pears, etc. For those who seek more exotic fruits, you can pare the number to three or four stores. The one that I bought the most in the past was on Jackson Street but they have been closed for over three months. There was a sign posted that they would reopen in a month but... still crickets. There is a new awning and business name on it but, again, no opening date is posted and I don't know if it will be the same business. Anyway, the listing on the popular search engine still lists this business as May Sun Market which matches the Chinese name. The awning and signage (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=TqFXO9eXQqDCMGnInvKO-Q) should be current. I've walked here on many occasions on the advice of a friend to find particular fruits such as Hawaiian papayas. Said friend asked me to find lychee (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=CYT_kWlITO8bvGbejSgV3A) and guava (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=0&select=wVGuQrD1IFyDdsm5bhtpBw) so I completed my mission here. Besides getting the fruits for my friend, I bought a bag of lychee for my mom and me to share. I had some a few days later and they were sweet and juicy though the pit is on the larger side. I cannot read the Chinese characters on the listed sign so I'm not sure whether they are from Hawaii, Florida, or Asia. Prior to 2020, they also were the only store in Chinatown that sold a particular Hawaiian papaya brand in Chinatown, one that I found consistently good. Sadly, I have not seen them in recent years. I will likely stop here again next week when we finish those lychee and get more. *** I will be reviewing other stores in Chinatown as I believe this information is useful with the Chinese New Year celebration almost upon us. Happy shopping!

Cherries were fresh and only $1.49 per pound! It was a bit busy to check out on a Saturday…read moreafternoon.

Delicious, fresh pasta, great sauce, quality meat…read more Best for lunch. Very European. There's style here. A real treat.

$25 lasagna. Having never been there before, I went with the signature house dish. Thinking I was…read moregoing all-in is also part of why I'll probably shy away from returning. When the dish landed, I was initially impressed. But after the first bite, it felt a bit like the Wizard of Oz: impressive presentation hiding something less substantial underneath. Their lasagna is a sort of deconstructionist take on the classic dish. The noodles are cooked and layered almost naked between barely any pockets of filling. There were a few tidbits of meat, maybe sauce and no cheese within the layers themselves. The noodles are then baked, cut, plated, and topped with what I'd guess was about a 6 oz ladle of their bolognese, finished with finely pre-grated parmesan. The first bite was overwhelmingly pasta-forward. It took me a moment to understand how the dish had been assembled against my expectations. Once I cut into it and spread everything out, it became clear this wasn't the kind of lasagna I think of when ordering lasagna. It didn't check the familiar boxes - a rich ragù, maybe a creamy béchamel, or the sharp, salty depth of cheeses layered throughout. The dish lacked the complexity and savory comfort I was craving and expecting. Another miss was the homemade flatbread (which I went back and paid cash for, so it wasn't included in the total). Traditional Italian flatbread is a yeast-free bread made with flour, olive oil or lard, salt, and water or milk, then rolled thin and cooked until crisp yet chewy. This version tasted like flour, lard, and water. It wasn't crisp or chewy. As soon as I started chewing, it turned into an unappetizing doughy mass in my mouth. After the first quarter-piece, I didn't eat anymore. As for everything else, I arrived around 7:15 on a Saturday night, and the inside was packed with a small line to the door. The outdoor tables weren't full, but it was summer in San Francisco, more people were jockeying for seats inside than out. But I wasn't too concerned and I got there around 7, so all that is on me. There were a few specials written on a chalkboard, and the cashier was awesome while explaining those. They were incredibly patient. I apologized for holding up the line, and in a very Italian way, they assured me it was my right to make sure I ordered exactly what I wanted. That interaction honestly stood out as one of the better parts of the experience. I grabbed a table just as one opened up, helped myself to water a few times from the station, and my food arrived in about 20 minutes which wasn't bad considering how busy they were. There's been a bit of internal conflict with this review. I usually don't like judging a restaurant based on a single dish, especially a restaurant with so many positive reviews. But I also don't spend as much time in that part of the city anymore, and there are simply too many other places I still want to try. Unfortunately, while there was some good-looking food on other tables, if a restaurant's claim of lasagna as its signature dish doesn't hold up, the first visit just didn't do enough to pull me back for a second chance.