In San Francisco, there are, ostensibly, two Chinatowns in just one. In this neighborhood, travellers flock to trinket retailers and chop suey houses, snapping shots of erhu players doing on avenue corners. Meanwhile, generations of inhabitants have tirelessly labored to convert it into a accurate cultural and commercial hub for the Chinese local community. Founded in the 1850s, the community has survived systemic discrimination, fires, earthquakes and crisis following disaster. In excess of time, various waves of immigration have shifted the demographics of the neighborhood, layering it with cultural influences from diverse regions of mainland China, as well as Hong Kong. Unsurprisingly, one can flavor all of individuals shifts in the dining places here: chow mein and chop suey from the oldest of the outdated university institutions, tingly and scorching noodles from Sichuan, and ambitious and youthful approaches to Chinese cuisine from a new technology of restaurateurs. In a scene this challenging, it can be hard to suss out the genuine diamonds, but listed here are 15 of my favorites in our historic Chinatown. Places to eat with an asterisks are also on the Top Eating places checklist.
For extra inspiration on stellar Chinese food items, see my picks for the greatest Chinese places to eat throughout the Bay Region.