A Guide to the Best Chinese Regional Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area

Because the birthplace of the oldest Chinatown in the USA, San Francisco and its surrounding areas have many family-owned eating places that includes dishes that characterize the range of China’s regional delicacies. With out leaving the Bay Space, diners can slurp up unctuous hand-cut noodles and soup dumplings or attempt Sichuan peppercorn-filled dishes that may go away the mouth tingling and numb.

Because of the primary Chinese language immigrants, who arrived largely from Toisan, Zhongshan, and different areas of Southern China within the mid-Nineteenth century through the top of the Gold Rush, the Bay Space has scores of Cantonese eating places. Then, beginning within the Nineteen Sixties, immigrants from totally different elements of the nation started arriving in bigger numbers, bringing their meals with them.

Chinese language regional delicacies will be roughly categorized into eight types: Sichuan, Canton, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, and Anhui. Whereas these classes characterize a number of the best-known dishes and types of Chinese language cooking, there are, after all, many areas of the nation that fall outdoors these classes, together with a lot of Northwest China. As Al Cheng, a Bay Space meals lover and co-founder of Friends of Roots, says: “You possibly can’t actually categorize 5,000 years of historical past and meals.”

This information, put collectively by Cheng with some historic and background assist from Florence Lin’s Chinese language Regional Cookbook, goals to assist diners navigate menus and discover dishes that is probably not acquainted. Some suggestions: Go along with a bunch and share dishes, and ask waitstaff if the menu contains any regional specialties — or test the menu for an inventory of regional dishes.

The eight essential regional cuisines and the place to attempt them

Sichuan

Chuan Tsai, or Sichuan, delicacies contains well-known dishes resembling freshwater fish in spicy and sizzling soup, inexperienced beans with minced meat, and twice-cooked spicy pork. There are various kinds of sizzling and spicy: “mala,” or mouth-numbing, utilizing peppercorns, or dried sizzling purple chiles that go away a light burning sensation. As one of many extra well-liked types of Chinese language cooking, many Bay Space eating places serve Sichuan dishes. Go to Chong Qing Xiao Mian for spicy Sichuan noodle soup or Huangcheng Noodle in Oakland for Chongqing noodles.

Head to Newark’s Customise Malatang or Tang Bar at Stonestown Galleria for malatang, a street-style noodle dish that’s just like sizzling pot. Each locations have customizable malatang, which implies you select your substances, that are then weighed by the pound. Lastly you choose proteins, contemporary greens, and broth — or select “dry noodle” model, akin to a stir-fry. The dish prices roughly $20 per serving, relying on the load, or you may pay a flat fee of about $22 per bowl when you order to go. Tang Bar additionally serves Sichuan dishes resembling pig ear in spicy Sichuan chile oil.

Canton

Referred to as Yue Tsai, Cantonese meals typically options contemporary seafood and is likely one of the hottest cuisines of China. Dim sum alone is an intensive class with many nice Bay Space choices. Strive Koi Palace in Daly Metropolis or Peony Seafood Restaurant in Oakland Chinatown for an important traditional expertise. For extra trendy dim sum dishes, go to Palette Tea Home and Dragon Beaux, each in San Francisco. Ming’s Tasty in Oakland is an efficient informal dine-in or to-go joint, the place you may get three steamed barbecue pork buns for $3.95.

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For different Cantonese fare, R&G Lounge in San Francisco’s Chinatown is understood for its salt-and-pepper crab and baked cod. Riverside Seafood Restaurant has conventional braised squab, a dish from Zhongshan, for $14.50. Go to Harborview in San Francisco is understood for roasted pig, however name forward to test availability. The most effective locations to get roasted duck is at Oakland Chinatown staple Gum Kuo, the place you may decide up a chicken by the pound or sit down and luxuriate in an intensive menu of steamed rice noodle rolls with totally different fillings and a savory-and-sweet soy-based sauce.

Toisanese meals contains clay pots; attempt one at Far East Café, which has been open for greater than 100 years in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The massive restaurant generally is a formal banquet expertise or informal eating for a drop-in customer — all at reasonably priced costs. A beef clay pot, for instance, is $18.50. The restaurant additionally options some hard-to-find American Chinese language dishes, resembling “E Fu wonton” soup and egg foo younger.

Fujian

Fujian, additionally positioned in Southern China, has its personal specialty delicacies and dishes, referred to as Min delicacies. One of many area’s most well-known dishes is Fuzhou fish ball, a fish paste full of pork and infrequently eaten in soups or sizzling pot. Tasty Pot, a series of sizzling pot eating places, serves Fuzhou fish balls.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a seafood soup that features abalone, sea cucumber, and historically shark fin, although it’s outlawed in California. You could find the dish, typically eaten through the Lunar New 12 months, at Koi Palace for $43 a bowl. Capital Restaurant serves a Fujian-style egg tofu dish that pairs nicely with rice for $16.95. Hakka and Chao Zhou-style cuisines additionally come from China’s southern area. Strive Hakka-style stuffed rooster at Hakka Restaurant in San Francisco, although you’ll must order prematurely. For Chao Zhou porridge and dishes, go to Porridge and Issues in Millbrae, the place the menu contains an abalone and rooster porridge. Different Southern dishes embody mei tsai kou rou, or tender pork stomach with pickled mustard greens, served by Nice China Restaurant in Berkeley.

Hunan

Hunanese meals is well-known partly for its spicy, mouth-numbing qualities — assume large chile peppers and peppercorn dishes with aromatics like shallots and garlic. Signature dishes embody smoked pork stomach and steamed fish head with chopped chile peppers. The most effective locations to attempt it’s Wojia Hunan in Albany, a sit-down restaurant with dishes like “toothpick” cumin lamb, traditional “Chairman Mao’s braised pork” (Chairman Mao grew up in Hunan), and steamed fish head. Head to Millbrae’s Great for an array of Hunan and Sichuan dishes, together with lotus root with smoked pork stomach in an iron pot or Hunan chilly noodles.

Shandong (and different Northern areas)

What’s to not love about dumplings and hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles? At Oakland Chinatown’s informal Shan Dong, attempt the handmade noodles with sesame paste or home particular pancakes full of leeks. Within the Sundown District of San Francisco, you’ll discover many eating places specializing in dumplings. Yuanbao Jiaozi retains the menu concise, and you’ll watch employees within the again deftly wrapping dumplings. Strive the shitake and sole dumpling or pork-and-three-delicacies dumplings.

Peking duck is a signature Northern dish. Though Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Emeryville is a dim sum spot, they make an important Peking duck with steamed lotus buns.

Jiangsu

Patricia Chang

Jiangsu, or Su Tsai, delicacies contains that of Shanghai and Suzhou. Some consider this area is the origin of sweet-and-sour and hong shao, or purple cooking, performed by gradual braising in soy sauce till the dish is caramelized. One well-liked Jiangsu dish is lion’s head meatballs, which will be present in San Francisco eating places resembling Rong’s, a Shanghainese restaurant that additionally serves red-cooked braised pork stomach. Mamahuhu’s sweet-and-sour rooster with rice and the sweet-and-sour fish at Spices 3 in downtown Oakland additionally characterize the traditional taste profile rooted on this area’s delicacies.

Zhejiang

Zhe delicacies contains Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Wenzhou types of cooking. One of many area’s most well-known dishes is dong po rou, or pork stomach. Do that dish at Chili Home in San Francisco, together with a dong po pork shoulder, or at Noodles Recent in Berkeley and El Cerrito, which serve dishes from many alternative areas.

Anhui

Tofu dishes are a specialty of the Anhui area. One of the vital well-known is a “furry” beancurd, or fried comfortable tofu with a layer of mould. One other is an egg dumpling with wrapper constructed from a skinny omelet. Sadly, the Bay Space doesn’t at the moment have a restaurant specializing in Anhui delicacies.

Further regional cuisines and the place to attempt them

Framing Chinese language meals round eight cuisines overlooks a lot of the Northwest, which incorporates an abundance of halal meals and dishes that function lamb and cumin. For flavorful noodles and soups, go to Northwest China Delicacies in Fremont, which makes a speciality of Ningxia and different Western Chinese language meals. Strive the lianpi, or chilly noodles, which originate from Shaanxi Province, and tomato and egg with contemporary noodles. Darda Seafood in Milpitas additionally predominantly serves Northwestern Chinese language meals and is halal, that includes favorites resembling da bing, an enormous slab of thick sesame bread. Outdated Mandarin Islamic in San Francisco is the go-to for a lot of in search of Chinese language halal meals, and Terra Cotta Warrior, additionally within the metropolis, options a number of biang biang, or flat noodles, and a cumin lamb dish. For spicy knife-cut noodles and house-made chile oil, go to Huangcheng Noodles in Outdated Oakland.

Patricia Chang

For different Northern-style regional cuisines, go to Hubei Restaurant in Millbrae, which serves meals from Wuhan, together with lotus root and spareribs soup and hanyang pearl rice meatballs coated in sticky rice.

For Taiwanese meals, go to Purple Sizzling Wok, a divey restaurant and bar in Cupertino, for some three-cup rooster, or san bei ji. Additionally in Cupertino, 02 Valley gives large Taiwanese-style bentos that includes substances resembling pork stomach out of a small store in a strip mall. Good to Eat Dumplings in Emeryville serves trendy Taiwanese small plates like evening market-style grilled squid and lu rou fan, or minced pork over rice.

Mongolian

Although Mongolia is just not a part of China, the nation’s proxominty and deep cultural ties to China imply the 2 cuisines have closely influenced one another. The practically ubiquitous sizzling pot originated in Mongolia and was historically made with mutton. Within the Bay Space, there are a lot of sizzling pot eating places serving a wide range of types. Strive DNM Sizzling Pot in San Francisco, which serves traditional Interior Mongolia sizzling pot and different dishes. Broth bases begin round $10 and a plate of proteins or greens begins round $5. Additionally they serve barbecue lamb ribs.

Lanzhou

The Lanzhou area is understood for hand-pulled noodles, which you’ll be able to attempt at Ox 9 Lanzhou Handpulled Noodles in San Mateo, Cupertino, or Milpitas. A brothy bowl with slices of beef and QQ chewy noodles prices $19.99.

Tibetan

For excellent Tibetan meals, go to Nomad Tibetan in Berkeley. The restaurant serves a powerful lamb shank dish in a flavorful sauce and meat or vegetarian momos.

Guilin

Guilin, positioned within the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Area simply outdoors of Sichuan, is understood for its rice noodles. Basic Guilin Rice Noodles in Oakland, San Mateo, or Milpitas is likely one of the solely locations specializing in Guilin delicacies. Strive the meat and tripe noodles, which include a broth on the aspect that must be poured over the rice noodles.

Yunnan

Yunnan province in China is understood for rice noodle soups, which you’ll be able to attempt at Yunnan Type Rice Noodle in El Cerrito. The restaurant serves 10 varieties, some spicy and others not, beginning at $12.99 for the unique, which comes with greater than a dozen small aspect dishes so as to add in.