My dear friends and I celebrated our 60th birthdays at this very beautiful Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown. Our old Empress of China restaurant transformed. The elevated food was detailed, lovely and delicious. The people who served us were so kind and professional. New memories to cherish. Thank you Chef Boon. read more

I've been eating Chinese food for 84 years and this was the best cuisine I've ever experienced. Chef owner Ho Chee Boon, and his beautiful wife, provide a gracious ambience, exquisitely, decorated with spectacular views of the city of San Francisco Every one of the staff were warm and friendly, and their attire was magnificently curated. For the first time in my life, I went back to a restaurant two nights in a row this time bringing my dear friend, the world, famous rocket scientist, Creon Levit, and his lovely lady friend Maxine. They also were delighted. I will be gratefully luxuriating at the Empress Boon every time I go to San Francisco. Dr Richard Louis Miller read more

Last weekend, we went to Empress by Boon for a special occasion meal--our 31st anniversary. It's located on the 6th floor of a building in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. The ambiance is very special. Big windows offer expansive views of the city and Coit Tower, creating a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. In terms of both food and atmosphere, it reminded us of an upscale meal we had years ago in Hong Kong. It's fancy but not stuffy, and the staff are incredibly warm and welcoming. Here's what we ate: * Braised Dungeness Crab with Caviar - A perfect start to the meal. The caviar added a subtle brininess that elevated the sweetness of the crab. * Braised Pork Belly Puff and Prawn Puff - Like tacos with a crunchy nori shell. Both were excellent. * Squid and Fish Dumplings - Shaped like squid and fish with an amazing presentation. The dumplings were served in a mildly spicy, rich broth--absolutely delicious. * Stir-Fried Quail with Pancake - Excellent. * Grilled Black Cod - Very good. * Wok-Fried Celery, Bell Pepper, Chicken, and Coriander - I thought this was good, but it was the weakest dish overall. * Thick Noodles with Lobster - Excellent. * Mongolian-Style Pan-Fried Wagyu Beef with Crispy Taro - Outstanding. The beef was buttery soft and packed with flavor. read more

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Our date night at Empress was a truly enchanting experience from start to finish. The romantic and elegant atmosphere set the perfect tone for the evening. The cocktails felt like works of art. We like their wine list. Our server recommended a nice bottle of dry Riesling. When it came to the food, we were absolutely blown away. The chicken salad with papaya and mango was a delightful blend of flavors, each bite revealing intriguing layers of taste. The black cod, as always, was a pinnacle of delicacy and deliciousness. The wagyu beef was pure luxury . It simply melted in our mouths. The eggplant with meat, a nostalgic reminder of my grandmother's cooking that added a comforting touch to the meal. The rice with sea urchin was subtle yet packed a flavorful punch. The desert was delicious. Service was warm, attentive, and professional, with special mention to Boon, who greeted guests at each table. It felt very special to talk to him. Everything was exquisite and unforgettable. We can't wait to return for another exceptional dining experience. read more

The place has great ambience. However I would not call the food fine dining. For $400 the spoonful portions were just ok.. nothing tasted like elevated dishes and the tiny portion just makes the whole thing feel cheap read more

Empress by Boon - Cod with cauliflower puree. Hardly any puree so I couldn't actually taste any cauliflower flavor. Cauliflower is size of a thumb nail - Cantonese Near Me - San Francisco, California

So you'll feel exclusive as you ride the elevator to the 6th floor. Give your reservation at the entrance and again once you arrive on the 6th floor. Great wine list and interesting diverse drink choices. The Big trouble in Little Chinatown was a hit. There was beer, including Chinese, but no one sampled. Otherwise due to the prix fixe menu, the only choices were do you want to add a course of Peking Duck or a flight of wines. Have no worries you control freaks! Every course was very very very good. No one added the duck. At the time we were all sufficiently stuffed, but now I regret not having tried it. We shared the chocolate and ice cream dessert, which was pretty good but pricy. Honestly portion was too small to share for most people. The view is amazing. If you want to impress your date/ clients / in-laws, this is the place. Best view of Coit Tower other than up close. Easy walk from the Hilton financial district. read more

Empress by Boon - View from 6th floor - Cantonese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing food, excellent service and lovely environment! All worthy of Michelin rating. read more

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It ended up being $250 per person although the booking said it would be around $160 because they charged a mandatory hidden fee of 22% tip and a "health mandate", the service was not exceptional so I don't think that was very reasonable. The environment was very nice though I enjoyed the atmosphere and the decorations. I also enjoyed the view here and was pleasantly surprised that there were fireworks that night. The food was good, but I don't think it was up to standard to be $250 per person, I was also really thirsty after eating the food, which is very surprising for a restaurant that is supposed to be using top quality ingredients. I did enjoyed the squid and shrimp dumpling very much, and also the crab and caviar. read more

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I will come back again! Empress by Boon offers an exceptional dining experience. The chef's creations are beautifully presented, full of refined flavors, and thoughtfully prepared. Every dish feels elevated and memorable. --Lisa read more

An amazing dinning experience. A preset tasting menu of some of the best executed Chinese food I've ever had. This is the place that you want to take your mate, your parents because you can express your love or gratitude through food. I wouldn't waist the money using this place to impress other people. We added the Peking duck to our meal. You do need 3 hours for dinner here but you will leave satisfied. Service was attentive and ambiance was elegant. Park in Portsmouth Square parking garage. Entrance is on Grant street. read more

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Must visit!! Empress by Boon was an amazing experience by all means from its ambiance, food quality and presentation, and overall service. Highly recommend the optional Crispy duck (melt in your mouth) add-on for $40. My favorite dish from the fixed menu was the California Prawn roll (look for the pic with a fried seaweed wrap on a wooden holder). read more

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What a disaster. We went for New Years (Chinese New Years) for a set menu dinner. When we arrived the hostess greeted us warmly and took our coats, which was the end of competent service for the night. Our reservation was for 6:30pm. The main course wasn't served till 8:30pm, at which point we were ravenous, since the appetizers were tiny. And then dessert wasn't served till 9:00! From about 7pm to 7:40pm there was a dragon dance (traditional Chinese festival dance) going around the restaurant. Which would have been fine, except this was accompanied by 85dB cymbal-crashing. Not the most pleasant dining environment. Interestingly, they kept playing their ambiance music through this, which clashed thunderously. This may have been funny if I wasn't starving. Food quality was hit or miss, definitely not worth the $400 bill. I will steer clear in the future and suggest you do the same. read more

We also celebrated our anniversary at the Empress by Boon. Both restaurants we visited are in Chinatown, although with drastically different styles in decor and food, both Chinese cuisine and helm by Chefs that previously worked at Michelin-starred restaurants. Empress by Boon is beautifully appointed on the 6th floor of 838 Grant Ave in the heart of Chinatown. When we arrived, we were asked if we had reservations (we do) and direct to the 6th floor by the reception downstairs. Up on the 6th floor, we were checked in and led to our table which had a view of Chinatown rooftops, and the Coit Tower in the distance. We were shown a seasonal prix fixe menu with the option of adding the Peking Duck. Although I indicate interest in the Peking duck course, I don't think our server heard us due to their loud music and noise, and later my husband told me to just leave it out because he thought the prix fixe was enough. Prix fixe menu $108 pp 紫菜青芥末蝦球 California Prawn seaweed, green wasabi mustard 魚子醬鮮貝蛋卷 Scallop and Keluga Caviar Roll egg white *** 酸辣蒸雙鮮餃 Steamed Shrimp and Squid Dumplings *** 黃豆腐皮燴加州紅魚 Half Moon Bay Snapper soy, bean curd skin *** 西瓜梅子焗乳骨 Smoked Kurobuta Pork Rib plum, watermelon *** 乾香辣味脆皮雞 Roasted Crispy Chicken spicy sesame sauce, shrimp crackers 川椒炒萬壽果苗 Wok Tossed Peanut Sprouts bell pepper, Chinese chive flowers 加州珍寶蟹干貝糯米飯 Dungeness Crab and Dried Scallop Sticky Rice We got the Moth & Fern Mocktail to start, very yummy. I wanted to try other mocktails they offered, but didn't find their names auspicious for our occasion, so maybe try them another time. It also took a while to get drinks because they only had one bartender working that night and it was busy. Everything on the prix fixe menu was delicious and delightfully presented, but we didn't like the 西瓜梅子焗乳骨 Smoked Kurobuta Pork Rib because it was too sweet. The 酸辣蒸雙鮮餃 Steamed Shrimp and Squid Dumplings were beautifully and playfully plated to look like they were swimming in a small pond. Although the skin of the dumplings were a bit thick, I enjoyed it along with the vinegary taste of the sour soup. I really enjoyed the 黃豆腐皮燴加州紅魚 Half Moon Bay Snapper. My husband doesn't really eat this, so I ended up eating both portions of the fish while he sampled the bean curd skin that came with the dish. My husband enjoyed the 乾香辣味脆皮雞 Roasted Crispy Chicken which came with spicy (mala) sesame sauce and shrimp crackers and the 川椒炒萬壽果苗 Wok Tossed Peanut Sprouts. We never seen such big sprouts before, but they were crunchy and delicious. The 加州珍寶蟹干貝糯米飯 Dungeness Crab and Dried Scallop Sticky Rice was okay. While my husband likes this dish, I can't really taste any Dungeness Crab, and I much prefer the Claypot Rice we had at Four Kings on a previous night. We ended the meal with an amazing dessert, the Passionfruit Cheesecake ($19.) We were both impressed by this delicious dessert. Maybe they were just very busy, but the service while professional lacked warmth. The ambiance and decor beautiful. Located in the heart of Chinatown on Grant Ave, between Clay St. and Washington St. read more

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5 stars for the bar! (4.5 tbh) I didnt go for a meal, just wanted drinks and a view, got them! Been wanting to check this place out since they opened, but either we were in the wrong attire or they were not opened. Well, third time's the charm! The restaurant is on the 6th floor, first host is at the street level, then another host right outside of the elevator. The bar/lounge area is gorgeous, very picturesque, it was what ive seen the most on their ads. Right where we sat, we can clearly see the Coit Tower, if Karl allows it. Service was good. Even though we were a walk in group only getting drinks, the servers were quite attentive, checked in on us more often than I was expecting. Drinks had a unique take using some Asian flavors. One drink had baijiu as the base. Some featured asian spices and herbs. Be brave and try them out. I ordered True Strength. While it was an aromatic drink, it wasnt giving me the flavors I craved for. Spellbound however was pretty good, I took a sip from my friend's, more fruit forward and easier to drink than mine. Overall, views were definitely better than the drink presentation. The lounge visit was a great choice. read more

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This is extremely difficult and saddens me to say, but Empress by Boon did not live up to the expectations that I held when trying this restaurant. I tried this restaurant with my family during lunar new year and tried the lunar new year set. While there was a good portion of food, these flavors were extremely familiar which made me hate the fact that the menu was priced at $168 when I could have walked across the street and gotten everything for $20. The ambiance and the plating are extremely elegant and fancy don't get me wrong, but if I'm solely judging this place on the food, I cannot say this is a restaurant I would go back to. Side note, I ordered the Nanjing cocktail and absolutely hated it - but that could just be me. Service was great and attentive otherwise. read more

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Thank you, Chef Ho Chee Boon! This meal was spectacular. I can say with confidence that everything was flavored very well and the textures of each dish really stood out to me. The ambiance is quite romantic and the staff are very polite, but scripted. They seem to have queues on what to say and when to bring out each utensil. I was happy to get descriptions of each dish! Hearing each component before eating made the food feel like art - WHICH IT WAS! My favorites of the night included the Braised Squab Breast, Steamed Shrimp & Squid Dumplings, and the Domestic Wagyu Mongolian Beef. We also ordered the additional Crispy Skin Peking Duck supplement. The duck was rich and sweet, but to justify the $48 price tag... it was definitely a one-time thing. Not a MUST ORDER. Overall, I would definitely love to dine here again. For special occasions, or just a nice meal with a view of Coit Tower... I am excited to see what this restaurant has to offer in their future Prix Fixe dishes. read more

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Great and delicious food 10/10 Amazing and very good service 10/10 Beautiful, clean, and organized ambiance 10/10 100% recommend! read more

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Experience from 2023, but I feel the need to vent. Fancy setting. Great view. Uneven service and mediocre Chinese food dressed up. -------------------------- Don't bring your Asian parents. They will feel so bad for you. They know you meant well taking them to the scene of the China Town revival. They will resist the urge to criticize the food because they know you spend so much of your hard-earned money on fancy-looking so-so tasting Chinese food trying to impress them. After the dinner, as you walk to your car, they will whisper to each other about how they can have a real feast at many of the restaurants nearby with that kind of money. They say to you, "it was great, We are so proud you." But you know the Empress by Boon disappointed. So you walk in silence and wonder why Chronicle and so many outlets hyped this place up. The place looked great. The food was not. I am so sad that Empress by Boon fell into that familiar cliche. Regular Chinese American (or American Chinese?) food neatly arranged in small individual servings pretending to be something else. The bao tasted store-bought. You can find them in the freezer aisle of your favorite Asian supermarket. The dumpling skin tasted doughy and definitely not hand-made. Everything tasted salty as if to reinforce the stereotype of Chinese food. Fish was not properly scaled and deboned. The noodle was overcooked and was soaked in oil and butter. The worst offense of the night? Because they had "supply chain" problem, they have to substitute out one of the vegetable. Despite the fact that there are so many vegetable markets in China town, the restaurant could not source the fairly common item. I know the suppliers are different for restaurants, but of all the things they could choose, the kitchen decided to go with regular broccoli. Oil soaked broccoli dotted with tiny pieces of Chinese sausage. It was such a bad effort that made me feel like the kitchen either didn't care or just gave up. I really don't know what else to say. I really wish the best for Empress by Boon. At least for now, just go to R&G lounge or Z&Y. read more

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Empress by Boon is a bucket-list restaurant. The food is exquisite. The service is attentive. The ambiance is elegant. The view is beautiful. What's not to love? Written January 18, 2026 read more

Food 4.0/5.0 Service 4.0/5.0 Value 3.5/5.0 Decor 4.0/5.0 Overall 4.0/5.0 The food was decent. Pretty interesting spot, though I thought the food in general was too mildly seasoned -- the fried rice in particular begged for more soy or salt. Service was pretty good. The venue itself is cool. The prix fixe pricing is also very reasonable. I did think it was a bold move for a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown to have guests greeted at the ground floor entrance by a [very nice] Caucasian man! read more

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Overall a good experience although I'm not sure that the food necessarily reflected the grandeur of the interior or the price point. I came here for dinner to celebrate a birthday and had the prie fixe menu for ~$100 per person. It consisted of 6 individual bites/dishes (Crispy Squid Donut, Scallop and Caviar Roll, Turnip Cake, Iberico Pork Xiao Long Bao, Fresh Soft-Shell Crab, Red Snapper) and then 3 family-style plates (Roasted Crispy Chicken, Stir-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls, Wok Fried Eggplant). We also opted to add on the Peking Duck. My favorites of the evening were the Crispy Squid Donut and the Iberico Pork Xiao Long Bao, and the Peking Duck was cooked very well. While the food was overall good, I thought that most of the dishes, such as the rice noodle rolls, turnip cake, fried eggplant, and crispy chicken, were rather "casual" (i.e., they could have been served at a more casual Chinese restaurant). Don't get me wrong - I love Asian food across the entire spectrum of price points, but I found it hard to justify spending $100 when most of the dishes seemed rather standard. The service was ok. We had a lot of trouble flagging down our waitress near the end of the meal and had to wait for a long time to get our check, but the pacing of the meal was otherwise great. The interior is beautiful and you get a great view of Coit tower (although it was rather foggy the evening I was there). Overall, I'm glad I visited but not sure I will be back. read more

Rarely will you find a high end restaurant that specializes in Chinese/Eastern cuisine, and was a great experience that certainly lived up to its expectation! We made a reservation well in advance, and it was certainly warranted as it seemed as if we were late we would not be able to be seated. Each dish in the set menu was very thoughtful, and flavours were very unique between each dish, and highlights both the freshness and essence of the ingredients used. We added a Crispy Peking duck skin as an add-on to the set menu, and though it was great, it was a bit too fatty without the usual wraps. Overall a great experience, would definitely recommend for a special occasion! read more

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Empress by boon had beautiful interior decor. It was romantically lit up! There were seating that had a beautiful view of sf too. Then a back room that is a little bit more brighter. We did the prix fixe menu and it came with about 9 dishes. First was the Abalone dish which wasn't too bad (4/5). Then the caviar roll which was very delicious (5/5), the crispy lobster puff (4/5), and the chilled fresh lily bulb (4/5). Next was the shrimp dumpling with a squid dumpling. The squid dumpling was extremely soft and tasty! (5/5). The braised squab breast was pretty good as well (5/5). The wagyu Mongolian beef was a plate I was really looking forward too but unfortunately it tasted way too salty for my preference (3/5). The texture was perfect tho, just needs a little bit of adjustment on salt level. The asparagus and mushrooms was good (4/5). Lastly the cauliflower fried rice (4/5). Service was great. Everyone was quick to serve us and tend to our table. Parking outside of restaurant can be a bit tricky since it is in Chinatown but we were able to find street parking. Overall, great place to check out if you're a fan of Chinese/Cantonese feed. Probably more on the modern/contemporary side of things vs your authentic traditional dishes. Would definitely come here again. Especially hearing that this place would like to give back to healthcare workers which I am one too. I definitely would recommend. read more

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One star - means not good - I don't want to pick on the place because I love Chinatown and want to see it to continue to be a bright spot for SF. The food here is truly a joke - taste like food you would get from a mediocre Chinese buffet - example: first dish tasted like a dollop of cold egg drop soup. The first dish for a restaurant has to be great! - second came an egg roll that tasted no better than the one Chinese restaurant in my midwest town 30 years ago. Noodles were also very disappointing. $18 desert cheese cake the size of a small egg was mediocre and a complete rip off - a mocktail for $12 and a beer for $10 turned a dinner for two for $277 plus the "health mandate", $25 in tax, a 15% tip almost $350 bucks - I understand restaurants have to charge a lot to stay alive but these prices and for what you get is just going to keep in inside. read more

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This is super fancy. From the outside it looks like nothing. I wouldn't even know this place exists. This is very elevated Chinese food. I had a couple mocktails. They were ok. The food is a preset menu so if you're a picky eater ...you should look elsewhere. The meat dishes were excellent but the stir fry vegetable left me wanting a bit more umami. Some dishes were a miss but the majority were a hit. Overall you pay for the ambience and the views of the coir tower. Well, if you get seated in the front. If you get seated in the back room it is much different. The view is of city buildings. Still nice but not as nice. You go here for a very fancy dinner. China town is pretty dead by 7pm so I'm sure you can find parking but I would just Uber I'd I were you. read more

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Terrible service and bland food that I choked down because I was so hungry. This place is trying to pass itself off for fancy but the only part they have right of a high end restaurant is the pricing. We paid $511 for two people (the taxes/sf mandate are insane). What a waste. I can't understand how they are in business but I think they must get enough corporate events to keep them going. Do yourself a favor if you're craving Cantonese food - take yourself for a $20 meal at a dive restaurant that serves up authentic flavors and save your $$$. read more

not the best michelin star. It's giving this is where rich people go just because they r rich. I go to michelin stars for good food. know what I meannnnn. Food was good but not mind blowing life changing ascend to the heavens above. And that's how I think food should feel like for this price tag. honestly no stand out dish. if I had to choose I'd say the scallop roll with caviar. amazing ambience and view tho and service was very nice. I liked my cocktail as well. Also the lobster wasn't cooked right. not rubbery or mushy but too soft. read more

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Back at Empress by Boon which is on our regular rotation when in San Francisco. The food was exquisite as always and every course a real delight. We ordered the optional duck dish which was so good we ordered another instead of dessert. From the greeting at the door by Sean and Jim to the professional service provided by Nathalie, Jorge and the young Colombian gent, it was a wonderful time. Throw in the beautiful view of the city and Coit Tower and it is an evening to remember. My wife is from Penang, Malaysia one of the food capitals of SE Asia and enjoyed it as much as I did. Chef Boon (also from Northern Malaysia) came out and we had a very nice chat. What a great evening. Cannot wait to be back. read more

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This was not planned for us coming here and it was a last minute thing since the first bar of our choice was closed. One week after the chinese new year, as we had to celebrate and do it every year, we just went here for aperitifs. We actually had our dinner at R&G Lounge couple blocks away. The place is extraordinary, well-decorated and has a nice ambience. I cannot rate the food so we will have to go back again and then I can update my review. That is why I am just giving it a 3.5 stars. Will be back! read more

Cosmically, explosively underwhelming. A pandemic of meh. Every single dish was massively under-seasoned. No single grain of salt was harmed in the creation of these dishes. Our wait staff was good and I felt sorry she had to present pretty but bland tasting food over the course of our two hour pre fix meal. At least until the bill, when I realized I spent $400 on what was closer to a $50 cold, mediocre door dash delivery. If you are wavering, don't. I enjoyed a few of the dishes, most of the rest were merely recognizable as food, and the last were...wrong; and delivered all at once as if it were an apology -- like a kid hiding "food" under their seat. Its been 45 minutes, and I still feel gross having ate several bites of the last dish: a horribly greasy, 5-spice noodle monstrosity that coats your mouth and innards as a means of self-embalming. My attempts to erase the damage done to my taste buds have not yet been successful. read more

I was really excited to try Empress by Boon after hearing the great things about it, but overall did not enjoy the taste or quality of food. Me and my partner ordered the Prix fixe menu for $108. For the first course, I was looking forward to trying the Crispy Pumpking Puff but it was too doughy and the filling was not warmed up.. it tasted like they had reheated it and not made it fresh. The Chilled Lily Bulb had a good flavor but I hated the texture, it was very chewy and grainy. The second course was probably my favorite, it was shrimp and squid dumplings. These were served hot and flavorful. While these were my favorite bites, I've definetely had dumplings at other restaurants that tasted just as good or better so these were nothing crazy special. In one of the last courses, they served a pork belly that was too sweet and saucy for me, and I didn't enjoy how chewy the pork was. Overally, I was pretty disappointed by the quality of food. However, I did love the ambiance of the restaurant. It was beautiful, had lots of seating, and even some seats with a beautiful view of Coit Tower and the city. I also loved the cocktails here. I would honestly recommend just coming for the drinks and enjoying the beauty and ambiance of the restuarant - especially if you're able to get a seat with a window view! read more

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This place is just fine dining Asian food. Would I pay to eat this again? Probably not. Just a one experience. Located in Chinatown, you can easily find the same dishes for much cheaper and honestly better quality. We just did this for our anniversary dinner and was still full by the end but wouldn't spend the money again read more

Location: it is located in the heart of Chinatown. There are lots of street parking nearby, and Portsmouth Square Garage is also within a 2-minute walk from the restaurant. Empress by Boon has a Prix fixe menu. I was a little worried that we would not be full from the prix fixe menu, however, we all left feeling very full. We did do the add-on Pipa Duck. The dishes all had a beautiful presentation, however I was not blown away by any of the dishes' flavors. Some of the dishes like the pork belly were overly sweet and the string beans were too salty. The staff was very attentive and consistently came by to check on our table and refill our water. read more

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The servers were very attentive! The interior of the restaurant is also beautiful and has amazing views of the city. For the food I loved the lobster, rolls, and dumpling. It's a prefixed menu and you get each course in order. It's a nice restaurant to go to for a special occasion since the price is very high, but I still left feeling a bit hungry, I would go out for dessert afterwards! read more

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Really enjoyed this spot a lot more then I expected! Modern and gorgeous space with a terrific view. My initial concern was that with the prix fixe wouldn't include enough of a portion size that would leave our entire group full, but the amount of food we were served ended up being the perfect amount. There was three of us and I believe adding the peking duck is a must to have enough food to leave happy for a group of four or less. Service was outstanding! Staff was professional and explained every dish we were being served. We had the Prix Fixe menu served during October 23'. The highlights for me from this menu were the crispy lobster roll which was an absolutely delicious bite. The steamed shrimp and squid dumplings were adorable in their presentations and my favorite course of the night! The squab breast was great and the peking duck is a must add-on (for an additional charge). The abalone was served stunningly, but I wasn't too much a fan of it. The texture was a little chewy and not for me. The entrees were served family style and were all delicious and filling, but none of the three blew me away. Definitely a great choice for a celebration or intimate dinner! read more

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Swanky interior and gorgeous views makes for a great date night spot. There is a prix-fixe menu and we chose to add on the crispy skin duck, which was the highlight dish of the evening. Note: prix-fixe does not include dessert. The pacing of dishes was a little spotty with several inordinately long pauses between service. The duck soup with goji berry, peach gum and fish maw was flavorful and delicious and we found the California Prawn with wasabi and the black cod to be stand out dishes. The uni and tofu dish was served in a warm dish but the tofu and uni were cold and unappetizing. Overall, we had a good experience and it's worth checking out just for the atmosphere...and those views! read more

Such a romantic restaurant - perfect for a special occasion! I loved the vibes of this restaurant. To enter, you have to go up to the 6th floor of an elevator. We got seated in a booth that had a perfect view of the city. The ambiance was super cozy and romantic - I loved it! The pre fixed menu was delicious, a good amount of food, and not too expensive. We had 9 items total! Each dish was a fancy spin on classic dim sum / Cantonese dishes. My favorite was the squid donut and XLB. The squid donut was a Chinese donut with fresh squid. The XLB was the best I've had- the soup was so rich and fatty and the dough was so chewy and perfect. read more

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I'm a native SF girl and what I enjoyed about this restaurant is that it gave the nostalgic Chinatown restaurant vibes. Some of my fondest memories include driving into Chinatown with my family to enjoy a meal. When you enter you are greeted by the host and they direct you to the elevator. This is one of the prettiest restaurants I've ever been to, classic and timeless decor with views of Chinatown and Coit Tower. We were seated in the lounge. They have a prix fixe menu which is what we got. What I liked the most were the starters (crispy squid doughtnut and scallop caviar roll) and the desserts (coconut sago and black sesame cremeux). Overall impressed with my experience here. Would come back to enjoy this amazing food. read more

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The first time we went to this restaurant it was a 5 so we decided to go back even though it is quite expensive. The second time was so very disappointing. The quail was dry and nearly inedible, the dumplings in the shape of a koi were tasteless, and the last chicken dish while tasty was something I could make at home. When we remarked on our disappointment nothing was offered as compensation and they seemed uninterested in our feedback. For a restaurant that claims to have a Michelin star chef we expected the quality to be consistent. We won't go back. read more

My girlfriends and I celebrated two birthdays last night for dinner. We finally checked off empress by boon off the list of places to dine. A pre fixe menu of $98 and the option of wine pairing and supplemental is at additional. Two of the girls tried the wine pairing and they enjoyed some of the glasses of wine. We did at the duck to our dinner. The duck was not impressive as I thought it would be. I did enjoy the first 3 dishes that came out before our family style dinning at the end. I went in with an open mind and see what Empress by Boon had offer. From hearing great reviews and social media hype... it started off great and then fizzled out. I did enjoy the individual dishes such as the crispy squid doughnut, crispy taro, and scallop and caviar roll. Those three small dishes were the highlight of my night. LOL XLB had a lot of soup and tender meat inside, but wished the dough was a little bit more softer. The soft shell crab with a nice addition with the mango salsa. I was not a fan of the red snapper and curry sauce. The sauce was a little bit citrusy for my liking. Family style: Xo noodle with shrimp, bean sprouts and mushrooms. This was tasty and enjoyed the flavors of the xo sauce. Eggplant and ground pork was a good too. It reminded me of a home cooked dish. Roasted chicken with fried garlic was a disappointment. The chicken was all white meat and it didn't have a wow factor. I wished they would've incorporated some dark meat pieces. Side note: after packing the chicken to go- the other side of the table had all the dark meat pieces. WTH! Why didn't the servers say something or chef 50/50 the pieces of white and dark. Overall my experience was the ambiance of the restaurant and being with my gf's. The views were beautiful and seeing the skyline of SF. I wished they would've sat us with a window view rather than in the back. There isn't anything that wow'd me to come back anytime soon. I heard they change their menu monthly. So maybe you'll get something tastier. You can be the judge of your future experience there. read more

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