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    Ah Ma’s kitchen

    3.9 (97 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    AH MA’S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Menu, shot for style not for completion
    Glenn M.

    First time visit today based on Yelp reviews, thank you very much. I give this place a rare five stars based on two highlights: 1) The "Must Try Specialty" of a half Kiln Chicken is the bomb! They bake it wrapped up in foil like a giant Ji Bao Gai and then it's super tender and the juices with all the marinade and spices makes a great dipping sauce. The waiter wears clean gloves and offers to debone it for you, which is a true table-side joy... like getting caesar salads in the 1990s! And it's TERRIFIC! 2) It's not a dive... it's very clean, and the QR code ordering is convenient. I mean, I love a good dive, but some people don't. 3) Good drink selections, as people have mentioned. You can choose your level of sugar and ice. We got the Ice Hongkong Style Milk Tea. We also got a big plate of fried rice with beef, chicken, and shrimp. Not particularly unique, but exactly what you expect.

    Zoe G.

    Came for dinner and the inside is super cute with nice lighting. I loved seeing people of all ages inside, it wasn't just trendy for the younger crowd. It was easy to order on the app and everything came out so quickly. We got the beef chow fun and the kiln chicken. The chicken was amazing. Tender, juicy, and so much flavor. The chow fun was also good with nice tender slices of beef throughout. Excited to bring more people back next time!

    Honey Walnut Shrimps(12)
    Alisa B.

    This place is going viral right now for their XXXL Boba Milk Tea and their Pineapple Bun Sandwich, but personally my favorites were the Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef Macaroni and Salted Egg Yolk Green Beans! Cooked perfectly. So flavorful and delicious! These are MUST TRY items in my eyes!! The tableside hand-torn Kiln Chicken was really flavorful and saucy! A little on the dry side, but really tasty. Some of my friends really enjoyed the Mapo Tofu, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Beef Chow Fun! Everything we ordered was a hit! I was shocked to see they even have bitter melon on the menu. We called ahead to reserve a table for 16 people and the staff were super accomodating despite being crazy busy on a Friday! I will definitely recommend this to more friends and dine here again!

    Sweet & Sour Pork
    Jennifer L.

    Food is okay, the hype is definitely there Tried the XXXL boba milk tea and it was slightly disappointing in taste with the giant 'boba' being made of grass jelly missing the mark on the texture The sweet and sour pork was dry while the hot and sour soup fell flat in flavor The redeeming dish was the stir fried black pepper beef macaroni Maybe I ordered the wrong things?

    The bun wasn't as flakey like some in SF on my social media feed. I wonder if I need a spoon or a fork to eat it ? ( Questions in my mind)
    Juan V.

    What came first the chicken or the bun? The age old question . At this location it seems like the chicken is the star of the show and the bun is the supporting cast. It seems many people talk about the best chicken sandwiches in the city but overlook which ones are the most unique. There is a place which uses one of my favorite buns. I usually eat the buns by itself but when you put a chicken breast or chicken thigh in between which makes a major difference in flavor. The sweet and savory kicks in and makes it delicious. Located on Clement street it's called Ah Ma's Kitchen. Walking on the streets of San Francisco inland and not by the Bay or in the Bay on Clement street there a lot places to get buns in SF. One place serves a chicken sandwich with Hong Kong style buns. I got the Scrambled egg and Chicken Bo Lo Bun sandwich. It was tasty and with a not too sweet bun and the savory mix of chicken made the combination amazing. The egg and chicken combined with soft a bit sweet Chinese pinneaple bun makes this chicken sandwich different than most chicken sandwiches in SF and a must try because Ma and Ah Ma knows best. Take a Spring stroll is almost ending although Summer feels like it already "begun" with this weekend heatwave San Francisco experienced lots of "sun"especially when there are lots of events in the city in the month of June to enjoy and have some" fun"and also enjoy an unique chicken sandwich in between a "Cantonese bun" Some stories on social media saying you from the San Francisco Bay but live not in SF are "fiction " a total "contradiction" there is a fair "distinction"because last I checked the restaurant is located inland on the streets of San Francisco not the Bay is where you find "Ah Ma's Kitchen"

    Viral chicken sandwich-DO NOT ORDER. Kinda gross
    Amy W.

    I came here for the viral chicken sandwich on a pineapple bun. It was pretty bad. the meat was chewy, the bun was dry. I ate about 1/4 of it and gave up. Avoid.

    Beef Brisket Casserole
    Melody L.

    Stopped by Ah Ma's Kitchen on a Sunday afternoon and there were already 4 parties ahead of us on the waitlist. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes before being seated, which wasn't too bad for a weekend crowd. For ordering, they give you a big physical menu to look through, but you actually place everything through a QR code at the table. Once the order was in, the service was pretty quick. They are known for their Kiln Chicken, which came out last. They actually have someone bring it to the table to open it up and break it apart right in front of you. To be honest, it didn't look all that appetizing while they were tearing it apart, but it tasted pretty good in the end! Everything else we ordered was really good too, and the portions were solid enough that we had some leftovers to bring home.

    Scrambled Egg w.Pork Pineapple Bun
    Elaine Y.

    Came to Ah Ma's Kitchen and enjoyed it! We ordered several dishes to share and all of them were pretty good! We started off with the XXXL boba because why not? Turns out, the boba is actually grass jelly which is nice because that's a little more refreshing and generally easier to chew. It also pairs well with the robust HK milk tea. Having said that, if you were looking for a boba experience, it will leave you pining for that chewiness. Next came the salted egg green beans, kiln chicken, and black pepper beef macaroni. Honestly, all of these are recommended. The beans were crisp but very bold with that salted egg yolk flavor. The kiln chicken is essentially XL foil wrapped chicken from dim sum but I can appreciate the table side presentation to really highlight how tender the chicken is. I did find the "special sauce" or jus to be a tad salty though. As for the macaroni, I applaud their use of a gluten free pasta. The springiness of the noodles were really good and ironically I had a second version of this later in the evening (despite never seeing it ever before?) with regular semolina pasta and Ah Ma's was world's better. We also added the spicy wontons which came sitting in this mala soy sauce that was really good! Would have as a dip for everything! As for the pineapple bun sandwich, it was just okay. I personally could have used more mayo to give it some unctuousness. It was pretty dry sandwich in my opinion. The lettuce and tomato also didn't pair well with the pineapple bun and detracted from the experience too in my opinion... All in all, I would come back if I'm in the area.

    Chloe S.

    Everything was delicious! We were especially surprised by the stir fried black pepper macaroni, it was savory, and had that wok flavor. We came for the xxxl boba and juicy chicken. The boba is grass jelly, while fun we found the jelly to be a bit bland. The milk tea itself wasn't as strong as we would have liked but still a solid drink! The chicken was juicy and the staff even removes the bones for you at the table! Note that they only serve half chickens if you want to reserve a whole chicken be sure to call ahead! The fried rice and porkchop pineapple sandwich were unexpected hits. The fried rice comes with lettuce for that crunch!

    The sign on the walk about the roasted chicken
    Sabrina L.

    For Mother's Day ( Sunday ) lunch with 11:30 am reservation, fortunately we ( party of 9 ) were able to have reservation and got seated right away. When the time we arrived, there is a crowd for waiting list. Inside setup just like its name, very home / grandparens' house, neat and clean. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, a bit too salty for me. The rest dishes are flavorful as well, but a bit too salty for me, glad the service is good enough to keep filling water for me, with water, I can enjoy the food. The clay pots we ordered had very similar flavors/tastes, even ingredients. The XXL boba milk tea was fan to have, taste wise more like honkong milk tea. If your appetite tuned for hongkong cuisine, then you will surely enjoy it. The restaurant is relatively small, limited seatings, also you need to be lucky with on the street parking ( that is typical SF). The food portion is on the small to medium side, the surprising Mother's Day small gifts made the overall experience bumped one star, food quality and value 3stars, extra one star for the service.

    Menu as of March 2026
    Belinda C.

    Another example of how social media misleads you. My friends and I saw a lot of social media post about this place and decided to give them a try. Pack your patience when you come because the wait was over an hour . When we finally got seated the server told us the kitchen is closing sopk and we had to order in the next 10 mins. So my friends and I had to scramble to order. Here's what we ordered and the ratings 5/5 - klin chicken -half. - the chicken came out piping hot and it was the most juicy and tender kitchen I've ever had . This reminded me of the foil wrapped chicken that I used to get as a kid at dim sum restaurants. 3/5 - stirred fried black bean macaroni - this one was ok. I felt the macaroni wa overcooked. 3/5- salt and pepper chicken wings- this was good but it really didn't taste like salt and pepper. 4/5 curry fish balls - reminded me of the ones in Hong Kong where you can get it on the streets 3/5 Chicken fried rice - a little bland 4/5 shrimp wontons with noodles - pretty good , but it wasn't enough for four people to share. It would be perfect for two people to share . 2/5-xl boba tea - where's the tea ? It was pretty watered down and the grass jelly was just ok. I'm glad we got to try this once. However , I think next time I'll just see if I can get the chicken togo.

    Scrambled Egg w.Pork Pineapple Bun
    Lauren L.

    Social media really blew this place up, I see a long line on the weekends, but during the weekday for dinner, there's no line! The restaurant is pretty small so that also explains the line. Everything on the menu looked delicious and will definitely be back to try other items like the wonton noodle soup! Pork and egg Pineapple bun sandwich - the bun was a lil too toasted and made it hard to eat, it was hard and too crunchy. If it was fresh it would've been good. The egg was so soft and the pork was juicy and thick. I think it could've been a favorite if the bun was fresh, but maybe it's because we got it for dinner and it was the end of the night black pepper beef macaroni - al dente macaroni with yummy black pepper flavor, with tender beef and peppers in it, loved it! half kiln chicken - was piping hot and so delicious! it was so juicy and tender, and the servers tear the chicken apart for you. Definitely scoop the sauce/juices at the bottom, it almost tasted like ginger scallion sauce on the chicken but better garlic green beans - classic and standard, tasted great! I think they also have salted egg york green beans which is interesting XXXL boba milk tea - SO GOOD but I couldn't sleep after. I love that it wasn't too sweet and the "boba" is actually grass jelly, which I prefer over boba right now. If the giant bobas were actually bobas, I think that would be overwhelming and not good

    Samantha C.

    We came here on a Wednesday night around 530pm. It was empty when we first got there but by 6 pm l the restaurant was filled up. We tried many things as we had a larger group. I enjoyed the kiln chicken, the Bo law Bao chicken sandwich and the clay pot! The other dishes were also really good. The spicy wonton wasn't spicy and The beans were a little too salty for me. For the kiln chicken if you want a whole chicken have to order a day in advance Overall good, would come back again to try more items!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Ah Ma’s kitchen

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    We were visiting SF and my sister highly recommended Four Kings, so we had to try it out during our…read moretrip! Our party of 4 ordered the fried hawt rabbit, spicy Singaporean crab with fried milk bread, Hong Kong black pepper steak, and beef chow fun noodles to share family style. Overall, we were super impressed with all the food. Everything other than the chow fun were super unique, but all the flavor combinations worked so well together. While the chow fun wasn't unique, I'd say it's still a very solid dish. Everyone in my party left full and satisfied. The food is a bit on the pricey side for it what it is, so I wouldn't come here regularly but I think that it's worth coming for a special occasion. Service here is super friendly and attentive--our waitress checked in on us frequently and brought us extra napkins and gloves for our food, which was super appreciated. This restaurant is on the smaller end and does have a long wait, so if you can, I'd recommend making a reservation.

    I saw online that this place is one of the most sought after reservations on Open Table. I tried my…read moreluck at getting a reservation and was pleasantly surprised when I was able to get a reservation! Reservations open 3 weeks in advanced at noon. Walk ins are also welcome. One note is that parking can be a bit challenging so get there a bit early. The inside is lively and filled me with so much nostalgia with the decor. The staff is really attentive and friendly. I also appreciate the free peanuts and cucumber salad that you get when you're seated. My boyfriend and I ordered a lot of food because we wanted to try so many things! The lamb skewer was super moist and had a nice flavor. The XO escargot with milkbread had a nice buttery, garlic taste. The milk bread was fluffy and when dipped in the sauce it tasted very rich. We also got the clay pot rice and it reminded me of when I had it in China. The rice was crispy at the bottom and well seasoned. My favorite dish of the night was the squab. It was cooked excellently and the skin was really crispy. The five spice powder on the side really brought out the flavor of the meat. The eggplant was cooked well and portion was good but it didn't stand out as much as the other dishes. Overall, I would visit this place again. It definitely lives up to the hype. The squab and and clay pot rice were the stand outs to me but all the other food was really tasty as well.

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    Finally had the chance to eat here yesterday after seeing it so many times in my yelp search! Fun…read morefact: my mom used to frequent this restaurant when it was New Sun Hong Kong back when I went to school at Sts. Peter & Paul across from Washington Square Park. My mom used to get the pan fried noodles from here and i always used them as my reference point for any other restaurant that also serves this. It's what I remember and grew up with. So far only one has come close! This is all I remember from that place and how delish it was. Fast forward to yesterday. They were really nice and welcoming as soon as I went in. We didn't want to order too much, so we only got the beef hor fun and green onion pancakes. The pancakes were so good! Nice and chewy on the inside and crunch on the outside. The chow fun I had really high hopes for. My memories as a child having had chow fun all the time, had this distinct taste to it and made a certain way. Their chow fun was good, but I think it was lacking a little flavor? I also wish they used the wider noodles instead of these thinner ones. :( It wasn't bad at all, I just had a certain expectation. So far, there's only one place that is reminiscent of what I remember and it's in Sacramento. That being said, we will still come back because I would love to try the Simon's garlic chicken and more of the pancakes!

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    We came in at 7 pm and the kitchen closes at 7:30, but no problem. We ordered some wine and our…read morevarious dumplings. The mango kissed Seafood crispy came out first & it was so delicious & it really set the tone for a positive & flavorful dining experience My favorites were the classic Ha Gow Shrimp Dumplings & the Chicken Soup Dumplings "XLB", but everything we ordered was very good. Service was attentive and kind. The dining area is colorful, bright & upbeat. This location is also in Ghirardelli Square, so it is a fun, bustling area with lots to see and do before or after your meal. If you'd like a more authentic dim sum meal, perhaps you may enjoy heading to Chinatown to experience a more traditional set of dim sum offerings, but for our purposes today, this was more than adequate. Peace!

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    Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut
    Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!
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    Ah Ma’s kitchen - asianfusion - Updated August 2026

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