On cold nights prior to the pandemic, many of the regulars who’d crowd the small, scruffy dining room at Old Mandarin Islamic would order one of the spicy Beijing-style hot pots. The restaurant, which specializes in Chinese Muslim cuisine, is a great place to feast on lamb whether stir-fried with cumin, braised, or boiled in a clay pot. Chile-heads will want to test their endurance against the side dish slash condiment known as la si ni, or “spice you to death.”

Often described as a kind of soulful cousin to Cantonese food, the cuisine of China’s migratory Hakka people abounds with pickled vegetables and slow-cooked meats. This homey Outer Richmond restaurant is one of the few places in San Francisco to get hooked on its rustic, comforting flavors. Must-order dishes include salt-baked chicken, clams stir-fried with basil, and braised pork belly with shrimp paste — all of which come in family-style portions, so be sure to come hungry or with a group.

A perennial Sunset favorite, this dumpling shop on Irving Street once held an “if you know you know” reputation. No longer, as the popularity of its expertly made dumplings with fillings like napa cabbage and pork exploded into the public arena. It was only a matter of time before legions arrived for a seat at this simple shop. Try the beef noodle soup if an array of dumplings won’t suffice.

As one of the only Sichuanese restaurants to earn a Bib Gourmand designation in San Francisco, this snug Geary Street destination serves up a wide-ranging menu of regional dishes. Popular favorites include the roasted lamb chops with a crunchy cumin crust or the red-tinged Chef’s Special Fish Stew that’s heated tableside.

After closing in July 2022, the longtime Pacific Heights Chinese restaurant Gourmet Carousel reopened in April 2023 under slightly new owners. At the helm: the children of original owners BoHing Ko and his wife Sai Ko, who ran the restaurant for nearly four decades. The business is back for both lunch and dinner offering dishes including Hakka chicken soup, honey walnut shrimp, and Singapore-style fried rice noodles for dine-in and takeout.

While there’s no seating available, this order-at-the-counter joint serves up some of the city’s most popular dim sum. From the moment they open at 7 a.m. to the minute they close, there’s almost always a line (only two or three people can fit inside at a time) but not to worry, it moves quickly. While you’re waiting, be sure to peek at the menu so you’ll be ready when your turn comes — efficiency is key here — and get ready to enjoy plump, juicy pork siu mai, baked barbecue pork buns, and delicious shrimp dumplings all packed smartly in to-go boxes.

The casual first-floor market restaurant in George Chen’s massive, multi-venue complex is known for customer favorites like its crisp-bottomed sheng jian bao and Beijing duck sesame pockets. The rest of the menu offers everything from fried scallion bread and butter garlic noodles to Dongbei-style long potstickers. While you’re there, might as well stock up on condiments made at the restaurant.

Chef Brandon Jew’s ambitious Chinese American restaurant in the heart of Chinatown continues to shine, retaining its status as the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in California. Though Jew, who also won a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: California 2022, has gone on to introduce a number of new projects, Mister Jiu’s is the original favorite. Walk up to the bar to order a la carte or make reservations to enjoy the tasting menu, which comes with your choice of “communal entree” like the popular roast duck platter with peanut butter hoisin.

The name says it all: The duck is the star of the show at this Z&Y offshoot. Put in your order for the Beijing-style duck immediately when you sit down — it’ll take some time to come out of the kitchen — and in the meantime, enjoy everything the menu has to offer from Beijing pot stickers to Sichuan-style poached fish that leaves your tongue tingling with its flaming chile oil. When the duck is ready, the show begins, as it’s delicately carved under a dramatic spotlight in the dining room and brought to your table with ultra-thin crepes and a bevy of accouterments like cucumber, green onion, sweet bean sauce, and sugar.

Whether you come for lunch or dinner, this 44-seat restaurant is always bustling with activity. Locals plop down at this no-frills spot primarily to order the beef tendon, spicy Chongqing noodles, or one of the many massive, comforting bowls of soup like the spicy beef noodle soup: a symphony of silky, tingly, numbing broth; crunchy cabbage; chewy noodles; a slab of radish; and a giant, tender beef rib to top it off.

Since opening its first permanent location in Chinatown in March 2024, this titanic pop-up has become one of the city’s hardest reservations to get. In addition to the raved-about mapo spaghetti and chile crisp pig head, the physical location that’s housed above a Kumon also allows for an explosion of flavors via clay pot and wok, plus, an expanded beverage menu, including beers from Asia and plenty of shochu.

Since 1958, Yank Sing has become one of the city’s most well-known spots for dim sum. This third-generation, family-owned restaurant gives patrons a classic dining experience at both of its locations, but the Spear Street spot has proven to be more popular. Hail a push cart brimming with bamboo steamers and get your pick from over 100 rotating dishes, from barbecue pork buns to the Shanghai kurobuta pork dumplings to the scallop ball skewers.