SAN FRANCISCO 鈥� The best plan for tackling San Francisco鈥檚 Chinatown 鈥� the second-largest Chinatown in the U.S. (behind New York City) 鈥� is no plan at all. Simply wandering the wide streets and narrow alleys will take you where you need to go.
Visit early and you鈥檒l feel the rush of everyday life as the food markets and bakeries hum with activity 鈥� this is a real community as well as a tourist attraction. Visit at dusk and Chinatown takes on a magical glow, the lanterns strung across Grant Street glowing red and the curio shop windows ablaze in a glitter of possibilities.
How to get there
A good place to start is the much-photographed gate at Bush Street and Grant Avenue. This is a short walk from Union Square. You can also ride the cable car to Chinatown via either the Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason lines. Cable cars make many stops. Tickets, $7 US, can be purchased at the turnaround at Powell and Market streets or in advance online. You don鈥檛 have to queue at the turnaround to board. You can walk a few blocks up the line 鈥攍ook for the brown-and-white signs indicating stops. However, you may have trouble getting a seat when it鈥檚 busy.
Where to eat
Tourists and locals alike rejoiced when Sam Wo鈥檚 recently reopened. Before it closed in 2012, the restaurant had operated for more than 100 years on Washington Street and was known as a place for no-frills Cantonese fare where customers were once insulted by the 鈥渞udest waiter in the world,鈥� the late Edsel Ford Fong. Sam Wo鈥檚 reopened in October at 713 Clay St., between Grant and Kearny. Try the 鈥渏ook,鈥� rice porridge served with a variety of toppings. Other standbys include House of Nanking, 919 Kearny St., and Great Eastern Restaurant, 649 Jackson St., known for its seafood dishes.
What to do
Grant is the main drag, but if you want to see the more workaday side to Chinatown, take a walk on Stockton Street, known for its produce and animal markets. Explore the tiny side streets where you鈥檒l find everything from dive bars to tea houses to traditional Chinese apothecaries. Waverly Place, between Washington and Sacramento streets, is home to several temples.
