8 Best Places to Eat, Drink, and Shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, According to Local Experts

Explore Chinatown through these expert picks.

San Francisco’s Chinatown is unlike any other in the country. The neighborhood draws visitors to its Chinese architecture, from ornate lamp posts with dragons holding lanterns to the tri-tiered Dragon Gate on its south side, as well as its tasty — and often cheap — eats. But what permeates the most is its deep roots in American history. After all, this was the country's first neighborhood of its kind.

"As the oldest Chinatown in the U.S., San Francisco Chinatown holds special historical and cultural significance while still remaining a key landing pad and enclave for Chinese immigrants," Daphne Wu, founder of Cut Fruit Collective, a community arts nonprofit committed to creating a more resilient Bay Area AAPI community, told Travel + Leisure.

“Walking through the neighborhood, you'll see a mix of commercial small businesses that power the economic engine, distinct architecture that was developed with neighborhood identity and preservation in mind, the residential areas that remain rooted in Chinese culture, and the social services that empower the neighborhood's resilience,” she said. “Altogether this special blend provides avenues of connection for locals and visitors alike.”

Kenneth Fong, the creator behind Chinatown Wanderer, who grew up in Chinatown and also lives in the neighborhood, concurred. “You’ll see the gong gongs [grandpas] and po pos [grandmas] walking with bags loaded with groceries while carrying their grandsons or granddaughters,” he said. “What also holds Chinatown together is its community — the younger generation is coming out to volunteer and help out.”

To best understand the layers of the enclave, join a walking tour with Wok Wiz Chinatown Walking Tours or All About Chinatown. Also consider engaging with local organizations, like the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC), which has its own CCC Design Store inside the gallery featuring products from Asian American designers. The best part: all the profits go to help uplift the community.

We reached out to insiders for their choice picks on where to best experience the neighborhood. Here, we highlight their top must-visit spots for visiting San Francisco's Chinatown.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

Since 1962, this family-owned-and-operated shop has been cranking out fortune cookies — often as many as 10,000 a day. “All machines are custom-built and all fortune cookies are still handmade,” Fong said. In addition to offering factory tours, where visitors can see the lucky treats made on cast iron griddles, the shop can also custom-make cookies with personalized fortunes right on the spot.

Insider Tip: “I come here for their flat cookies,” Fong said. “Instead of the cookies being folded into a fortune cookie, they just make them into flat cookies.”

Chinatown Kite Shop

“Kites are an ideal gift, no color, no size worries, just joy and surprise,” Chinatown Kite Shop’s site reads. It’s that whimsical attitude that has made it such a neighborhood gem since 92-year-old owner Albert Chang opened the shop with his dad in 1972, according to Wu. In fact, Cut Fruit Collective’s Community Prosperity Program has teamed up with the neighborhood mainstay on a special collection available for sale later this summer.

Insider Tip: “Be sure to check out their collection of stunning traditional bamboo kites in beautiful shapes like goldfish, butterflies, dragons, and more,” Wu said.

R & G Lounge

Locals, tourists, and foodies alike convene at this longtime Chinatown institution known for being a “fancy Cantonese-style restaurant that is still pretty affordable for their dishes,” Fong said. “Pretty much everyone knows about this restaurant. Most of my friends rave about this place because as kids, we always wanted to eat there.” The secret is in their philosophy, rooted in a Five Elements Theory that brings the energy fields of metal, wood, water, fire, and Earth into every step of their cooking process.

Insider Tip: “Everyone raves about their salted crab dishes and their seafood dishes,” Fong said.

Kam Po Kitchen

Kam Po Kitchen is best known for its “juicy and flavorful BBQ meats and meals,” Maya Kulkarni, the other co-founder of Cut Fruit Collective, said of the eatery. “This cash-only spot is incredibly no-frills, and the staff has a no-nonsense service ethos that is somehow endearing but perhaps not for the fainthearted.”

Insider Tip: “The portion sizes are amazing and you can’t go wrong with the roasted duck and char siu rice plate,” Kulkarni said.

By Me Boba Tea

A newcomer to Ross Alley during the pandemic, family-run By Me Boba Tea is doing more than just serving up tasty boba drinks with original ingredients, shaking up favorites like Cheese Pearl Milk Tea to Kumquat Lemon Green Tea. The shop owners have also transformed its historic alleyway location, adding a dose of culture in the form of murals and decorations, as part of a collaboration with CCC's off-site gallery 41 Ross. “Folks who live in the neighborhood or visit can feel a sense of belonging,” Yuanyuan Zhu, CCC's director of galleries and programs, told T+L.

Insider Tip: “Their peach fruit tea with jelly is pretty good,” Zhu said.

Yummy Bakery & Cafe

This small and simple bakery lives up to its name. While it offers standard Asian baked treats like pork buns, pineapple buns, and sponge cake, what they’re best known for is a twist on a classic: egg tarts made using only egg whites. Also, the “staff there are all hardworking and humble,” Zhu said.

Insider Tip: Zhu called those trademark egg white egg tarts “awesome.”

Moongate Lounge

Calling itself a “lunar-inspired listening lounge,” this cocktail bar is co-owned by San Francisco-born-and-raised Brandon Jew, a Chinese American chef. The menu features six house cocktails and six seasonal cocktails, made with spirits, spices, fruits, and flowers inspired by the lunar calendar. “We appreciate how Brandon is truly committed to Chinatown, and honors its past, present, and future through his food business,” Kulkarni said. 

Insider Tip: “Sip a seasonal cocktail while admiring the beautiful and stylish interior for a perfect end to a day in Chinatown,” Kulkarni said. 

New Asia Supermarket

“During the pandemic, there weren’t any wedding banquets or big parties going on, so this restaurant decided to shift its business model into a supermarket,” Fong explained. “As you walk into this supermarket you can still tell it has the old-school restaurant vibes.” As a longtime local, Fong sees this as one of the most unique places that showcase the evolving neighborhood, especially since its prices remain so affordable. 

Insider Tip: This is the go-to spot for everything from groceries to snacks.

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