San Francisco/Chinatown

From World travel guide

Chinatown is a district of San Francisco.

1 Get in
2 See
3 Do
4 Buy
5 Eat
6 Drink
7 Sleep
8 Contact
9 External links

Get in

Catch the BART train to Powell Street Station and then transfer to the 30 or 45 Muni bus or Chinatown cable car. The two cable car lines, California and Powell, cross in Chinatown. Chinatown is also an easy walk from Union Square and North Beach.

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See

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Do

Start at the entrance to China town, a pagoda gate on Grant St. Walk up hill and sample the shops They vary from touristy to very nice. There are all the usual urban services, banks, bakeries, hairdressers, etc., but with a chinese flair. This is a very real and working neighborhood, no disney land. It really does feel like a city somewhere in China.

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Buy

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Eat

Sam Wo, 813 Washington St (Corner of Washington & Grant). Well-known among Bay Area residents, this is a place that people either love or hate - food is cheap, service is terrible, and the conditions are squalid, but for some there is no better restaurant in all of Chinatown. The barbecue pork rolls are a favorite, and the wonton soup is terrific.

Dol Ho, 808 Pacific Ave (up from Stockton St). For excellent dim sum at a price that's a bargain compared to the touristy joints on Grant, this is a great place to eat. Most, if not all, of the clientele are Chinese, and this is a good thing.

Y Ben, 835 Pacific Ave (up from Stockton St). If Dol Ho is too much of a hole in the wall for your tastes, try Y Ben diagonally opposite just up the street for dim sum of similar excellent quality and low prices.

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Drink

Li Po's, 916 Grant St. @ Washington This dive bar is great to pop into while in Chinatown. Although it has nothing on tap, bottled beer is available. Check out the seedy booths in the back lit by a single red bulb. Or catch a live act in the dimly-lit basement on the weekends.
The Bow Bow, near the intersection of Kearney and Columbus. Little hole in the wall dive bar, run by the irrepressible hostess/owner, Candy Mama. A 50-something woman originally from Taiwan. She's a spitfire and a complete rock star. She'll end up doing shots with you, sneaking shots into your drinks, force-feeding you endless peanuts and making adorable, incessant conversation. The crowd's an eclectic mix, which makes for great people-watching. Especially when the karaoke is broken out.

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