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How to get to the more authentic chinatown in San Francisco?

J

jinduy

Diamond Member
i want to get to the authentic one...

Take the US-101 NORTH towards SAN FRANCISCO
Take the I-280 exit towards DALY CITY/PORT OF SF
Continue on I-280 NORTH RAMP towards PORT OF SF
Take I-280 NORTH
Take the KING ST exit
Continue on KING ST
Turn Left on 3RD ST
Bear Right on KEARNY ST
Turn Left on SUTTER ST
Turn Right on GRANT AVE

Are these the right directions for you bay area experts?
 
is the authentic one far away from this touristy one? is it hard to find? i'm going to go in a bit 100 mile drive 🙁
 
Originally posted by: jinduy
is the authentic one far away from this touristy one? is it hard to find? i'm going to go in a bit 100 mile drive 🙁
Click to expand...

it's like two blocks up. grant street is where the "gates" are and all the light poles have that special lamp design. all the streets that feed into grant also house authentic places also. grant street has all the tourist things you can buy.

stockton is where all the markets are, and a few restaurants. there are some restaurants on broadway mostly. i can't remember where another good restaurant is.

i love sf's chinatown. so much fake stuff on sale there.

EDIT: where are you coming from? that's a lot of city street driving. last time i went i took 101 all the way and i think i exited 6th street. if you take the stockton tunnel, it'll dump you right in chinatown. it's pretty much union square |TUNNEL| Chinatown || North Beach.
 
Hee hee, this is the first time i've heard it referred to as "authentic" chinatown... but yeah, Grant and Bush St. is where the Chinatown gates are and if you walk up Grant, you'll hit most of the tourist shops. As you walk along Grant towards North Beach, you'll gradually hit the non-tourists areas. If you got the stamina, you could zig-zag between Grant and Stockon St. cross streets for local stuff too.

Park in Portsmouth Square Parking Lot on Kearny and Clay? to be a block away from the heart of Chinatown... or to start at the authentic end of Chinatown, go to the Vallejo St. Parking lot (cross Stockon St.) the one next to the Police Station, NOT the one across (spaces are more tight there). If you're going to be there an hour or two, you could also test your street parking skills along the Chinatown hills =)
 
If you just want food, hit up Millbrae so you don't have to deal with driving and whatnot. Fook Yuen for dimsum on El Camino is kickass.

We usually park at Portsmouth Square if we're going into the city. There's a bakery that makes an awesome orange and cream pie. Best places to eat are usually the hole-in-the-wall types. Just look for all the chinese people. If they're all waiting to get in, then you know the food is good. Ditto with the bakeries (they'll actually line up for fresh buns).
 
Fook Yuen is pretty good. Have you tried dim sum at Zen Restaurant? It's further down El Camino, but I usually take Millbrae Exit off 101, and go north on El Camino for a few blocks. It'll be on the right side.

If OP likes vegetarian, there's one on Jackson, between Grant and Stockon, green sign. Grant Ave there's a Clay Pot restaurant (2nd Fl. rice and meats cooked in clay pots) that's pretty good, can't miss it... women passing out flyers in front. Golden Gate Bakery on Grant has great custard tarts, but expensive @ 95 cents.
 
If it's a weekday, you deserve to try out the kickass dimsum at Koi Palace in Daly City. The place is uber-crowded on weekends, though.
 
why even go chinatown?...these days people just go to Clement(richmond) or Irving(sunset).
i live in sunset. 😀
 
i think the op might be referring to chinatown vs. clement st. or irvine. some asians i know calls clement st. btw 4th and 10 ave. "new chinatown".

anyway, I usually take 280 all the way up, make a left on 3rd. go straight, and 3rd turns into kerny st. after market st. i park at the parking lot across the street from holiday inn. from there, you can walk to pretty much anywhere you want.

as far as food is concerned, check out the wonton house across the street from the parking lot. or "little star" on jackson and kerny. it's dirty as hell, but the food is pretty good. also stop by "golden gate" bakery on grant. they have some really good stuff, just look for the long line.

 
Stockton and Broadway.

If you think Fook Yuen makes good dim sum, you don't know what real good dim sum tastes like. They've gone down the hill, their dim sum chef sucks ass now.
 
interesting...

now i wonder who has the better chinatown.... eastcoast or westcoast.


like eastcoast vs. westcoast rappers or east vs. westcoast ballers.


perhaps a new Poll should be made?
 
Originally posted by: jinduy
is the authentic one far away from this touristy one? is it hard to find? i'm going to go in a bit 100 mile drive 🙁
Click to expand...

It's several stories... underground. Watch "Big Trouble in Little China" to find out how to get there...
 
Originally posted by: cheapgoose
i think the op might be referring to chinatown vs. clement st. or irvine. some asians i know calls clement st. btw 4th and 10 ave. "new chinatown".

anyway, I usually take 280 all the way up, make a left on 3rd. go straight, and 3rd turns into kerny st. after market st. i park at the parking lot across the street from holiday inn. from there, you can walk to pretty much anywhere you want.

as far as food is concerned, check out the wonton house across the street from the parking lot. or "little star" on jackson and kerny. it's dirty as hell, but the food is pretty good. also stop by "golden gate" bakery on grant. they have some really good stuff, just look for the long line.
Click to expand...

I heard the same, clement is the new chinatown...I found a great spot on balboa though..new hung leung..or something like that..awesome food..I had a party of 8 adults and 4 kids..cost was $120..not bad. HOSEKAAAAAA!

 
Originally posted by: virtuamike
If you just want food, hit up Millbrae so you don't have to deal with driving and whatnot. Fook Yuen for dimsum on El Camino is kickass.

We usually park at Portsmouth Square if we're going into the city. There's a bakery that makes an awesome orange and cream pie. Best places to eat are usually the hole-in-the-wall types. Just look for all the chinese people. If they're all waiting to get in, then you know the food is good. Ditto with the bakeries (they'll actually line up for fresh buns).
Click to expand...

Bakery's name is Washington Bakery? That place has decent food and is relatively large, clean and non-touristy. Another vote for Portsmouth Square, but two things: validate (by eating at above bakery 😉 ) and on busy days you can't enter the lot just by going on kearny, you need to pass the entrance and turn up the block immediately after and follow the line of cars.

..I originally just wanted to say to look for the older ladies with the pink shopping bags and follow them (if you can).

have fun
 
Originally posted by: SKC


..I originally just wanted to say to look for the older ladies with the pink shopping bags and follow them (if you can).

have fun
Click to expand...


haha that's the best thing to do. so true so true... they know where all the good food with good prices are.
 
Originally posted by: Shortcut
If it's a weekday, you deserve to try out the kickass dimsum at Koi Palace in Daly City. The place is uber-crowded on weekends, though.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Good call whenever I'm in the Bay this is one of the places I try to eat at.
 
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