Chinatown

There’s a reason there’s always a long line outside dim sum legend Good Mong Kok: Decades after its opening, the tiny takeout-only spot is still serving some of San Francisco’s best dim sum. Don’t let the lines get you down as they often move fast; do plan to get here before noon so you can be sure to get as many items on the menu as possible. Go for the  pillowy soft, juicy barbecue pork buns, available steamed or baked; the plump shrimp shiu mai; the jiggly-yet-firm egg tart; and the deep-fried sesame balls stuffed with a rich, red bean filling. This dim sum spot is not a place to dawdle; either point to or say what you want to order, and you’ll be out with your food in minutes. Make your way to nearby Portsmouth Square, where elders hang out to socialize and play mahjong, to enjoy your warm dim sum on a bench just as the fog clears up overhead. In between your meals, be sure to check out Ross Alley and grab a fortune cookie — or 10 — from the historic Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Yes, it’s a tourist hot spot, and you might be too full from dim sum, but it’s worth it just to watch the speedy precision with which the workers make the cookies hot off the presses.

Though San Francisco is packed to the gills with Chinese restaurants, Taiwanese spots like newcomer Yilan Bento are scarce. Come for its selection of bento-style lunch sets, made popular on the island during its occupation by Japan during World War II. There are five options, each with a protein, rice, braised tofu and vinegared cabbage. If you’re looking for more of a snack, try the sweet-tart sweet potato fries sprinkled with plum powder or a bagful of crunchy popcorn chicken. The cheerful counter-service spot features a few indoor tables if you’re interested in eating there; otherwise, take your chicken on the road. There are lots of produce markets nearby, so you can grab some fruit for dessert. Keep an eye out for folks selling fresh loquats and crawfish by the pound on the sidewalk; if the mood hits you, there are occasionally people hawking melons out of car trunks, too.

In this bustling and convivial basement dining room, local families and tourists dig into family-style meals of seafood soups, Cantonese barbecue and platters of drunken squab accompanied by a large array of flavorful small plates. But the centerpiece at most of the tables is fresh Dungeness crab, wok-cooked and given one of a variety of treatments: steamed with garlic, fried with salted egg yolk, and more. The best way to eat it, though, is lightly battered and sprinkled with salt and pepper, spacing each bite with a sip of tea or Tsingtao beer.

After a long period of pandemic hibernation, the intimate hideaway above Mister Jiu’s is open again. It’s the ideal place to laze about after a long day. Bask in colorful mood lighting, enjoy the romantic lunar motif guiding the drinks menu and decor, and sink into the huge velvety booth seating straight out of a vintage boudoir. Like the food menu at Mister Jiu’s, house cocktails are inspired by the seasons, utilizing corn, hibiscus and apricot, among other Californian seasonal fixtures. If you’re somehow still peckish after a full day of eating in Chinatown, the lounge has a brief menu of bar snacks, like salt-and-vinegar shrimp chips, lamb skewers and bao.