Did This Icon Represent Chinese Cuisine?
San Francisco, California USA
Cuisine Style: Chinese
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined in: July 2013
Article Updated: February 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Restaurant Name Zomato rating:
Chinatown is one of the most historic neighborhoods in San Francisco. It is also the oldest Chinatown in North America and is the largest Chinese community outside of China. While most of the restaurants' menus have been translated, the names of the dishes (and the ingredients) may not be so easy to figure out. Most of the restaurants in Chinatown offer a wide variety of regional Chinese cuisine. One such place is Chinatown Restaurant that has been in place for 100 years since 1919. They serve traditional Chinese cuisine, Northern Chinese specialties, as well as spicy Szechuan favorites all served family-style. They have over one hundred items on the menu ranging from spicy Kung Pao chicken, Mu Shu pork, crispy Peking duck and the Salt and Pepper Crab. See all restaurants in Chinatown.
Chinatown Restaurant Menu:
- Seafood Dim Sum
- Chicken Dim Sum
- Beef Dim Sum
- Pork Dim Sum
- Vegetarian Dim Sum
- Entrees
- Chinese Traditional Dishes
- Noodles and Rice
- Soup
- Desserts
Advertising, advertising! While exploring Chinatown and the neat shops to street musicians, I ran across several people handing out flyers up and down the street. Therefore, against my typical routine, I was a sucker and got pulled in via the flyers. The restaurant has three floors of dining that include a banquet hall for large parties of 50-200 guests, a VIP room for parties of 20-30 with a giant round table that seats 20, a balcony overlooking the park, and main dining areas for walk-in guests. I sat on the balcony as it was a very nice summer day.
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| Chinatown Restaurant / Spring Rolls |
There is an old saying when it comes to Mexican Restaurants in the United States, and that is if want good and traditional Mexican food, then to go where the Mexican’s go, because that is where the best Mexican food is. When I walk into a Mexican Restaurant and see a bunch of Gringos, I hesitate and wonder what the food will be like. Well, I walked into Chinatown Restaurant, and saw a bunch of Gringo’s, and had the same feelings. With this being the largest group of Chinese outside of China, where were they eating?
I should have followed my instincts because to start, the customer service was horrible, taking a very long time to order the food, get a drink, and once the food was delivered no one checked back to see if it was good or bad. When it came time to leave no one presented a bill, and I had to walk down to the first floor and get someone's attention to pay. The food and beverage selection was good though. I did, however, enjoy an imported Chinese beer on the menu called Tsingtao (Ching-Dow); it was great for the warm but windy day. I started with some small bite dim-sum combos that consisted of some soft-shell crab dumplings with garlic and onion; “Lucky” fish dumplings and some spring roll with fried rice. Though on the menu these items were listed as starters it was a large sampling that filled me up.
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| Chinatown Restaurant / “Lucky” Fish Dumplings |
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy Chinese and Asian articles and restaurants similar to Chinatown:
Chinese cuisine is an important part of Chinese culture, which includes cuisine originating from the diverse regions of China, as well as from Chinese people in other parts of the world. Chinese is heavily influenced by its regional cuisines such as Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine. Popular dishes include Peking duck, General TSO chicken, Làzǐ Jī, soybean dishes.
Basil Asian Bistro Pan-Asian favorites from China to Vietnam with sushi specials in Canton, Ohio
Hooks Sushi Bar creative & delicious sushi + pan-Asian regional menu of Thailand, Japan, Korea, and China cuisine in St. Petersburg, Florida
Kebaya Asian Brasserie Technology and taste with cuisine styles from Vietnam, Thai, Japan, and China at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Junsui An eclectic taste of Asia with buffets at the Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Morimoto Asia Japanese and upscale Pan-Asian fare with sushi at Disney Springs Orlando, Florida
P.F. Chang’s A ‘farm-to-wok’ concept Asian chain reviewed at the Tampa International Airport, Florida
Wat Mongkolratanaram A Thai / Asian market eatery and a Buddhist temple on the banks of the Palm River in Tampa, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other San Francisco restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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High-End Japanese Steakhouse
San Francisco, California, USA
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Lavish French-Californian cuisine by Chef Hubert Keller
San Francisco, California, USA
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Sicilian-infused seafood
San Francisco, California, USA
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A few California restaurant favorites:
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French-American Fine Dining
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Yountville, California, USA
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3-day tour of Napa and Sonoma
Napa Valley, California
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Organic & Sustainable concept in American Canyon, California (now Table 29 Bistro & Bar)
American Canyon, California
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Chinatown Restaurant a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants, and would have scored higher if the customer service was better.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Chinatown Restaurant
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
|
11
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0
|
Food quality
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Plate presentation
|
10
|
8
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2
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Customer service
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11
|
4
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7
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Alcohol and other beverages
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2
|
1
|
1
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Total regular points awarded
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45
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33
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12
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.733333333333333
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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0
|
0
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Total bonus percentage
|
0
| ||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.733333333333333
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
73% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
An Above Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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Chinatown Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at Chinatown Restaurant:
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Chinese
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, but Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Chinatown Restaurant Experiences:
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Contemporary, Business parties, Great outdoor dining, Rustic, Scenic views, Great brunch, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Chinatown Restaurant public garage lot nearby
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Chinatown Restaurant is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes, No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Alcohol prices:
$5.00 USD
Chinatown Restaurant:
744 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 415-392-7958
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Contact Us:
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Serving hours:
Pacific Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC-8:00)
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Mon - Sun
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Chinatown Restaurant:
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****
The world's best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Modern Italian and Southern
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Classy American fare with steak and seafood
Griffin, Georgia, USA
|
High-end elegant steakhouse with sustainable seafood
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
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| Chinatown Restaurant / Dragon's Gate |
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| Chinatown Restaurant / Map |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
