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    Kam Lok Restaurant

    3.6 (191 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

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    KAM LOK RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Kam Lok Restaurant

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    Shrimp and vegetables over rice
    Su O.

    I LOVE old-skool Chinese places as it reminds me of home. This one is a Chinatown staple, where locals, and older folks always come back and I am so mentally satisfied that we tried. Being in a basement of a building, it is nothing fancy with a few round tables of different sizes (which i love) and some tables for two. Service was great, and the server speaks English which was very unassuming. They have a few vegetarian/no-meat dishes and vegetable stir-fry dishes which was very helpful. Most of the lunch options are around $10. GOLD! We had Szechuan tofu over rice which is spicy but as someone with a high-spice tolerance, it was just mild to me. (They could make it extra spicy). It is a comfort meal, satisfying, and filling enough. NOT HUGE PORTIONS FOR $10 but it was comfortable for lunch. Shrimp with vegetable over rice was a classic thing. Anyway, we will always go back if we don't want to spend a ton for something like this. Plus side, they take cards.

    Lobster- delicious
    Vivian H.

    After a really amazing Chinatown history tour given by a local who is very well known, we were all pretty hungry and our tour leader suggested this place. Kam Lok means "Gold Happy," and you'll definitely leave this place happy but leave with less gold than you walked in, but a full and satiated belly. This place is definitely a hole in the wall and as for ambiance, well it doesn't have any. We sat at one of the back tables and had a very large group, probably 15 people. The food here was excellent and I got to try dishes I have never had before. I also enjoyed the bitter melon dish as I don't get to eat this often. There was a meat pie dish that was excellent and where my family is from, we have something similar but just a tad different. Overall, this place makes really good food, come for the food but go elsewhere for ambiance. I'd definitely come back again just for the meat pie kind of dish.

    Photo 1: Montage of images from Kam Lok Restaurant
    Ed U.

    This casual subterranean spot is as old school as it gets in Chinatown, and it's really easy to miss on Washington Street unless you're looking for it in particular. I wasn't, but out of curiosity, I walked down the steps anyway to see the restaurant quite empty with the staff just chatting with each other. I think they were surprised to see me since the banquet tables signaled to me they target large groups. There was a robust selection of traditional Cantonese dishes in their menu, and some of the higher than normal prices likely reflected banquet size portions. Logically I probably should've gone with the $14 Sautéed Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce or the $12 BBQ Pork Wonton Noodle Soup. However, the dish that drew my attention was the Steamed Chicken with Mustard Greens, a half chicken that would cost me a somewhat exorbitant $23 (Photo 9). I bit, and what arrived was a rather huge platter of steamed poultry surrounded by a forest of bok choy, all of it lacquered in a coating of sesame oil and accompanied by a small dish of minced garlic sauce. It was decent enough, and I was surprised how much of a dent I made. I might come back to try one of their house specials like their egg drop soup with deep-fried wontons, but I'll probably need to bring my own hungry batallion. FOOD - 3 stars...steamed fine, big portion with a big price to match AMBIANCE - 3 stars.. an aged banquet basement SERVICE - 3.5 stars...fast enough given I was the only customer TOTAL - 3 stars...targeted to large groups with big appetites RELATED - Exploring SF's Chinatown? Here's my collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2WoF1Z2

    Fish
    Steven S.

    The food I had delivered to my restaurant was great. The wonton soup with beef chunks was like butter in my mouth and the fish dish I had was incredible. I highly recommend this place if you are in Chinatown San Francisco. Next time I will go to that restaurant in person to eat there in person. The service and the ambience of the place was great from what I've read in other reviews. I give them 5 stars

    The best Chineese Food in San Francisco China Town! Great people! I love them. Thank you so much.

    Lou L.

    Excellent chinese food at a decent price. Good sized portions. The salt bake chicken is nice and juicy, not dry at all. Twice cook pork has great flavor and not too salty. Pork was not overly fatty. The salt and pepper fried pork chop was nice and crispy. Not overly fried. It could use a little bit of more salt and pepper. Friendly service. Kinda of a hole in the wall place. Well actually hole in the ground. You gotta go down a few stairs to the restaurant. It's not fancy dining, so don't go in with your nose in the air. But would definitely recommend trying.

    Menu
    Allena C.

    This is old school Chinese food! My bf has been to this restaurant years ago, while growing up near Chinatown. So it was a trip down memory lane and nostalgic for him! Kam Lok is not ground level and located downstairs. There may be a few tourists that might take a chance and check this place out but more than likely, people who live in Chinatown come here to chow down! It's a no frills, hole in the wall restaurant. Don't expect great ambiance, service, or spotless silverware. That's typical in Chinatown! You come hungry, expect to pay lower prices and go away satisfied. Well, that's how it went for us. We ordered shrimp with scrambled eggs over rice noodles, garlic yam leaves, and beef stew with curry sauce on crispy Hong Kong style noodles. After ordering, she gave us the house soup and a pot of tea. Nowadays, you pay for these things but here, it's complimentary. The food came out quickly and piping HOT! You get a decent amount of food and may need to bring leftovers home unless you wanna stuff yourself silly! Just might be our new go-to resto in Chinatown!

    Outside
    Jeff H.

    Kam Lok is a classic SF Chinatown basement style restaurant. I've eaten here in the past and didn't post a review. Tonight, I had the runny egg shrimp chow fun $12. This was delicious with ample wok flavor. This dish can be challenging to make because chow fun and egg are kind of plain. That gravy has to be good. Their menu is limited if you are ordering fried rice, noodles and etc. It is more family style dishes orientated with only one page for rice and noodles. Not on the menu is crispy Hong Kong style noodles, which I love. If you ask, they will make it for you. So, don't rely too much on the written menu. Service was excellent.

    Menu
    Pamela L.

    This is a Cantonese restaurant that is in a basement - no windows. Basement restaurants once housed prostitution, gambling, and opium dens. Its entrance was hidden from the sidewalk via a steep, dark, narrow stairwell either with and without a gate. There are about 3 of these basement restaurants in SF Chinatown. All of these 'no frill" basement restaurants serve Cantonese food; nothing fusion - "soul" Chinese food. Service is quick and efficient. The waitress checked in frequently and made sure our tea pots were filled Portions are ample and ingredients are fresh. They can cook any dish that isn't on the menu. I ordered my two favorites from my childhood (1960) that most restaurants never heard of a stuffed boneless duck ($50) and stuffed boneless chicken ($50). None of these restaurants cook it alike. At Kam Lok, the stuffed boneless duck is filled with taro and Chinese vegetables like gingko nuts, lotus roots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, jujubes, etc. It comes sliced with brown gravy. (Other restaurants fill theirs with barley, rice, etc. Each restaurant has their on take on it. Either way, it's good.) The stuffed boneless chicken is deep fried filled with sticky rice, Chinese sausage, Chinese bacon, dried shrimps. and Chinese mushrooms. (Note: These two dishes are prepared with onions and parsley. Since I don't eat these ingredients, I asked that it be omitted.) I ordered a whole steam fish with ginger, soya sauce, oil and green onions. (Even though I don't eat green onions, you need to have green onions to give the fish more flavor. The green onions are easily be taken off once the dish is on the table.) NOTE: These two dished have to be ordered 2 days in advance.

    Ordered Honey Walnut Shrimps yesterday. When I picked it up, the server charged me $22, but the menu here says $16.95 only. She said it is one portion including tax. The portion is too small (12 medium sized shrimps) and expensive comparing others in this area. So disappointed and will never come back!

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    2 years ago

    Everything is really good. I really like their mopu tofu because it has that spicy ness that really kicks in and still taste good

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    Page 1 of 5

    Kam Lok Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kam Lok Restaurant

    Do they still offer river snails in black bean sauce?

    I don't think that is in the menu at this restaurant

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    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2
    (466 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    I've had this spot bookmarked for ages now and my boyfriend was able to snag a birthday…read morereservation!! Unless you're a party of 1, I highly, highly, recommend a reservation. While we were waiting for our table, we saw 2-3 couples get turned away. The restaurant is small, but the interior is well-decorated. It pays homage to HK posters, music, and culture. They offer two complimentary small bites of smashed cucumber and peanuts. - XO Escargot: a must order, the dish only comes with 6 pieces but it's so worth it. The sauce is garlicky, buttery, and each bite with the milk bread is so good. The bread also has a crispy outer layer while the inside is super soft. - Eggplant: at first, we thought the dish was good, but the pieces on the bottom that soaks up all the sauce makes the eggplant full of umami flavor. This paired so good with rice. - Mapo Tofu Spaghetti: just as you imagine, but very yummy. I wish there was more of a numbing spice personally! - Black Pepper Steak: The steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare and the sauce was very yummy. This dish did not blow me away like some of the others but was still good nonetheless. I really wished we could have try the Singapore Chili Crab, but that would have been too much food. Our server was also fantastic and so kind, I wish I caught her name. Will def be back!

    Want to thank my friend for managing to get reservations for this place even it was at 10 PM at…read morenight! We came here May 2025 and ready to eat. Service was excellent. Nostalgic interior with posters of Canto celebrities on the walls and Chinese pop music playing in the background, but not to point where it was drowning out conversation. We had the fried rabbit (limited quantities), green beans, the claypot with Chinese sausage and bacon, the chili crisp pig head, escargot with XO sauce and milkbread, the fish fragrant eggplant (aptly named), the fried squab, the HK black pepper steak, and the abalone special over vermicelli. For dessert, we had the mango pudding, red bean shaved ice with culde de leche , and the huckleberry silken tofu. Like I said, we came hungry. We did struggle to figure out how to go about splitting the abalone over vermicelli amongst our group since everything was piled on a small abalone shell and not enough abalone to go around for everyone. The HK black pepper steak was very good and cooked perfectly medium rare, but wasn't a fan of the raw onions that accompanied it. Everything else was scrumptious! My parents would most definitely gawk at how much we spent on our meal, but I think overall it was worthwhile and I'm glad we got to try it.

    Photos
    View of kitchen
    View of kitchen
    Sichuan cabbage
    Sichuan cabbage
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    Fish fragrant eggplant
    606

    606

    4.6
    (615 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Takes reservations

    Traditional Chinese cuisine meets modern atmosphere! Being Chinese, I have a higher standard for…read morewhat Chinese dishes can and should be. (That sounded really snobby, I apologize ) Dim sum is comfort food for me, and 606 knocks it out of the park! Cha siu bao (Bbq pork bun) has a light, fluffy bun and the pork is in the sweet spot between sweet and savory. The siu mai and the shrimp dumplings were very traditionally seasoned and delicious! Mongolian beef was excellent with a subtle kick to it, I didn't expect. Sesame balls and custard buns were nice sweet treats to wrap up the meal. Restaurant was bright, clean, and air conditioned. Some dim sum restaurants can be a little humid and stuffy. IYKYK Owners were very nice and willing to answer any questions we had. 5 star experience!!!

    I'm dissappointed to write this review even after sleeping on it…read more My wife and I have gotten take out from 606 in the past and the style is a modern twist on Cantonese food. From the previous times we had take out I was satisfied. I really enjoyed their salted fish and chicken fried rice because the salted fish had a good amount of flavor. My college buddies were visiting and we all decided to grab dinner - we had a party of 6 including a baby. I recommended 606 because of how much I liked their dishes. It was pretty busy on a Friday evening around 6:30pm. It did take a while for our dishes to come out but I didn't mind that considering I was catching up with old friends. We ordered the green onion pancake, salt and pepper tofu/green beans, salt pepper pork chop, salt pepper chicken wings, salted fish/chicken fried rice, beef chow fun, simon's garlic chicken, and salt pepper fish. We were eating family style and it took about 20 mins or so before our first dish came. The first dish was the beef chow fun. I have to say, all of the dishes were SMALL! Going to a typical Chinese restaurant and eating family style, I expected big portions and leaving the restaurant stuffed and satisfied - I personally had none of this, I left hungry and not satisfied, I was contemplating getting a pizza or burrito nearby. The green onion crepes/pancakes we're small and not good - I had frozen options from Asian grocery stores that had more texture. The salt and pepper porkchops were small too! When I think of salt and pepper porkchops, I think of big and juicy porkchops with a crunch to them. The tofu/green beans order was basically all tofu - where the heck did all the green beans go! The PRICING on these dishes were expensive too - considering we were in Chinatown, similar Chinese restaurants in the area would have definitely fit my needs. Throughout our meal, our dishes came out randomly - we had ordered salt and pepper wings and they have completely forgotten about them even after reminding them we were missing the order. I decided to cancel it. The owner was nice enough gift us sesame seed balls for dessert and the salt pepper wings (the reason why I didn't leave a 1 star review). Honestly, the food and dining experience put a damper on my reunion with my close college friends and in the moment, I didn't put much thought into it but looking back the meal was underwhelming and I left VERY disappointed. Being an SF native, the dining experience feels touristy. I personally will not be coming back in person to dine or take out. There are plenty of other options available in Chinatown that offer more food and at a more affordable price.

    Photos
    606
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    Harborview Restaurant & Bar

    Harborview Restaurant & Bar

    4.0
    (1.9k reviews)
    0.6 mi
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    Harborview serves premium food and their dim sum are seemed to order; always fresh and super tasty…read more I've been here numerous times for yum cha (dim sum bunch) before, and trying their HH (Happy Hour) for the first time today.. and it was just simply excellent!!! The quality dim sum that we've come to expect.. plus two delightful bonuses: Excellent Margarita and their OMG - so Tasty and Addicting Tofu Fries!! YUM yim yummmmy!! Service is excellent and their wait staff checked on us every now and then, and everyone is always friendly and helpful. Nicely located in EC4; the restaurants is always super clean and comfy for hanging out. Their balcony seating also very nice, weather permitting. Bonus: they also validate parking, at (I think ) $6 off your parking rate at the Embarcadero's. Great good + Great service! Recommended!!!

    Very nice restaurant, and quite a deal! With the amazing view of the Ferry Building and the bay and…read morethe elegant, yet pretty chill, atmosphere, I was expecting an exorbitant bill. My husband and I had an entree each and dumplings, as well as a drink each, and the bill was low considering the amount we had. We did have a reservation. It seems difficult to get a table without one. For our appetizer, we ordered the vegetarian mushroom dumplings. I am not usually a fan of mushrooms (I find the mushy texture unappetizing), but they cooked them perfectly crispy, and they were delicious. I was surprised to have the dumplings served with no sauce to accompany them, however, and did not get a chance to request any. I had the mapo tofu (vegetarian), and it was a decently large serving. It was delicious, and the sauce was perfectly seasoned. Their green onions were my favorite part. My husband got the Peking duck, and I had to steal one of the buns it came with--it was so soft. The food came out pretty quickly, and the staff was attentive overall. I had one slightly awkward interaction with a waiter who seemed a little impatient when I confused myself while ordering, but otherwise the service was great. For drinks, we had an espresso martini and a lychee martini, and they were delicious. Do beware that there is an automatic 18% gratuity added to every check. This is less than I usually tip, so it did not negatively impact my experience. It's a great spot to bring friends or for date nights. I will be returning!

    Photos
    Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut
    Black Sesame Mochi with Grated Peanut
    Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!
    Enjoy dining or Happy Hour on our spacious patio!
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    Kam Lok Restaurant - chinese - Updated August 2026

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