whose family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1967, remembers vividly how his school lunch of braised pork and Chinese sauerkraut between two pieces of bread was looked at by his classmates. 'Oh, God, what are you eating? That's gross,' Chen recalled during a recent busy lunch hour at his San Francisco restaurant and bar, China Live, on the edge of the nation's oldest Chinatown. 'And now everybody wants the braised pork and Chinese sauerkraut. Hopefully, perception of Chinese (food) has now come a long ways.'
On average, our SF team visits over 75 restaurants per month. Whether we're checking out (and adding the highlights to the ) or hitting up classics that have been around since before BART broke ground, we do a lot of eating. These are the dishes that stand out from the rest-the ones where we'd spend our own money on our off nights, and that you should go get for yourself, immediately. Ate a great dish recently? Tell us about it at sanfrancisco@theinfatuation.com.
With a reservation, you can unlock a world of private dining, where iconic chefs and viral afterparty hangouts await behind closed doors, from chef Tyler Florence's reimagined Wayfare Tavern with its lush lineup of intimate spaces, to the Presidio-inspired charm of Southern fine dining restaurant, Prelude. We're spilling all the tea on where to host your next party. Set those reminders, rally your crew, and snag your spot before they're fully booked.
Just one visit to The Happy Crane makes it abundantly clear that the hype for Chef James Yeun Leong Parry is justified. Parry has an impressive resume, having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo as well as at Benu and Palette Teahouse. Now, at The Happy Crane, he is reimagining dim sum and Cantonese cuisine in marvelously inventive ways that feel both familiar and fresh.
Crossing the threshold into the San Francisco brunch restaurant, Early to Rise brings an instant feeling of comfort - a direct reflection of the spirit of Southern hospitality it aspires to embody. After operating for eight years as a meandering pop-up, this eatery from chef Andrew McCormack finally settled into its permanent home within the San Francisco restaurant scene in 2024.
Our very serious formula takes into account important factors like menu variety, wrapper chewiness, and soup-to-meat ratio of xiao long bao. Bonus points for alliteration (hi, Dumpling Dynasty), or names that make us want to sign a lease and move in (love you, Dumpling Home). If you're looking for all of our favorite dumpling spots in SF, regardless of what they're called, we've got a guide for that, too.
At first glance, this Peruvian spot in the Sunset looks like any one of the sports bars you'd expect to see around the city. The difference is Lomo Libre serves ceviche with fish we'd guess were caught earlier that day from Ocean Beach, oysters with a tangy mango mignonette, and a hearty lomo saltado with crispy french fries. Pull up to one of the bar stools and watch a soccer game on one of the many wall-mounted TVs. Don't forget to get a pisco sour.
