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    Kam Lok Restaurant

    3.6 (191 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed 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.

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

    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

    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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    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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    San Tung

    San Tung

    4.1
    (8.8k reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    ordered: wings, green beans, black bean noodles, bok choy, honey walnut shrimp, and shrimp fried…read morerice. highlights: literally everything. im not a big fried rice but they put something in it that had me spinning the lazy susan often to get another spoonful. The black bean noodles and wings are always a hit (hot and fresh). service: they were fast at first and then getting the bill took a bit but you just have to flag them down. misc: we came in around 2pm on sat with a group of 15 and got seated really fast! maybe it was luck haha. they also have two bathrooms in the back. parking can be tough but i don't usually have to walk more than 10-15 mins.

    Had to come here to try their famous dry fried chicken wings! We came on the Fourth of July (a…read moreSaturday) a little before noon and we were luckily seated in around 5 mins! It's not too big inside so seems like it's always crowded with a line. Pretty tight and loud inside but service was decent despite how busy they were. Most of the food came out quickly but the potstickers came out when we were almost finished. -Original dry fried chicken wings (4/5): Crispy and juicy! Coated with a rich and savory sauce that had a very slight kick. Tasty and flavorful but didn't blow me away -Shrimp fried rice (3/5): Big portion but a little too moist and needed more flavor and wok hei taste -Potstickers (3/5): Huge, juicy and crispy. Stuffed with pork and cabbage filling but was kinda bland so I needed lots of soy sauce

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Garlic string beans
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    Four Kings 四大天王

    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2
    (452 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    Four Kings is a truly unique dining experience with a fun, lively atmosphere that feels like a Hong…read moreKong-style yakitori bar with a modern twist. We started with the escargot and milk bread, which was incredibly garlicky in the best way. The escargot itself had an almost mushroom-like texture, with subtle Asian influences, though it also reminded us of classic American garlic butter. Regardless, it was delicious and a great way to start the meal. The kumquat highball was probably our favorite drink of the night--refreshing, balanced, and full of bright citrus flavor. The oolong tea was good, although we've had better elsewhere. The Xinjiang lamb skewer was an interesting interpretation, almost like a flavorful meatball rather than a traditional skewer, but it worked well. Our favorite dish was the claypot rice with Chinese sausage and bacon. Every bite was packed with incredible flavor, and the combination of smoky, savory, and crispy textures made it an absolute standout. The special of the day, fried sole with fermented mustard greens, was also memorable. The fish itself was excellent, but the dish had two distinct personalities. The side coated in the sauce had deep, savory flavors that felt unmistakably Asian, while the top with the mustard greens had a surprisingly Western character--we even thought we detected dill. It was an unusual contrast, but an interesting one. The dessert was also an interesting take on the mango pudding - strawberry sorbet was a nice addition with the mango pudding with almond flakes and real strawberries. Overall, Four Kings delivers creative, memorable food in a vibrant setting. It's the kind of restaurant that takes familiar flavors in unexpected directions, and we're already looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.

    Getting a reservation here is nearly impossible so we decided to line up an hour before opening and…read moreended up first in the walk-in queue. Once they opened the doors we were seated immediately so the strategy paid off. The menu looked incredible across the board so we went in and tried almost everything. We ordered a ton for 2 people and had a lot to bring home. Here's the breakdown: Order these: Squab Liver Skewers: Rich and packed with flavor, a great way to start. I dont even like liver, but this was good! Typhoon Shelter Soft Shell Crab: Really well executed, would order again without hesitation. Salt and Pepper Tiger Prawns: Simple but done perfectly. Singaporean Chili Crab with Fried Milkbread: Delicious but one note here. The bread is a bit much and doesn't add a ton to the dish. This would be even better served over noodles to soak up all that chili crab sauce. HK Black Pepper Steak: So juicy and flavorful. One of the standouts of the night. XO Escargot with Milkbread: Another winner. Beef Chow Fun Noodles: Genuinely the best chow fun I've ever had. Do not skip this one. Mapo Spaghetti with Beef: A fun and unexpected combination that really works. Salt and pepper squid skewers: Packed with protein. Super flavorful! Yuzu Sake: The perfect drink pairing for this menu. Skip these: Chong Qing Fried Hawt Rabbit and Peruvian Chicken Fried Rice were the two misses of the night. Save your stomach space for everything else. The flavors here are exceptional and the service matched it perfectly. Will absolutely be back and already trying to figure out how to snag a reservation next time!

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

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    Palette Tea House

    Palette Tea House

    4.1
    (2k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Speaks Mandarin

    A beautiful Michelin-recognized tea house experience with amazing service, flavorful food, and a…read morereally unique atmosphere. Stopped by Palette Tea House with The Kid after FoodieLand thinking we were just coming for tea... and ended up having a full experience. We sat at the communal high-top table in the center of the restaurant, which has a small pond built into it with little goldfish and even a tiny rubber duck sitting on the rock formation -- such a cute detail and definitely adds to the ambiance. Our server Ken was fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. He recommended the Iron Goddess tea, which ended up being excellent. The Kid ordered the Milk Aroma Oolong, which surprisingly tasted almost like milk tea even though it's just brewed tea. Each tea comes with its own kettle, and Ken even came back to refill the hot water for us. For food, we ordered the Wagyu Beef Fried Rice, which was a huge portion and easily shareable. Very flavorful and well prepared. We also tried the Sichuan Seafood Dumplings and the Iberico Pork Dumplings, both of which were delicious. One order is definitely enough to share. The dumplings come with several dipping sauces including soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, hot mustard, and a cilantro-based sauce that had a slightly sweet, horseradish-like flavor that really stood out. Service throughout the meal was amazing. Even without a reservation, we were seated immediately. As a Michelin-recognized restaurant for 2025, it definitely felt like a special treat and lived up to the experience.

    Out to a new place for dinner with family…read more Palette Tea House Server - Westley, was so good in helping us pick the best dishes and drinks. Jordan Chardonnay, 2022 Russian River CA Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Alexander Valley, CA Fort Point Villager IPA Dinner Chinese Olive Fried Rice Cumin Spicy Lamb "Longevity" Noodle Palette Soup Dumpling "XLB" Sampler (5 Pieces) Chicken Soup Dumpling "XLB" (3 Pieces) Black Swan Tara Puff (2 Pieces) Lotus Wrap Abaline Sticky Rice Wok Fried Gai LAN and Shitake Mushroom Desert Steamed Custard Dumpling Durian Custard Bao Wow, I could not say which one was my favorite dish. Every dish was great. In addition to the deserts. The deco was real nice and colorful. The had Peking Ducks all set for roasting on display. Must visit.

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    Palette Tea House
    Palette Tea House
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    Hon's Wun-Tun House

    Hon's Wun-Tun House

    4.1
    (683 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    It really feels like being in Hong Kong when I visit this place. The brusque but efficient…read moreservice, the noise, and of course the food. It's pretty good and authentic. A really busy place so be prepared to wait for your table, Sometimes they have to cut off the line at night so they can close off their business, so don't cut it close! Recommendations to order: Yin Yan (M2) - a Hong Kong special of milk tea mixed with coffee. Nothing get more HKish than this. Wonton Noodles (E1) - this is Cantonese style wonton, with really thin wrappers, along with thin egg noodles that has a firm and toothsome texture. Curry Beef with Rice (G12) - Just like back in Hong Kong! The beef tendon in there is so melty good! You can order the curry beef with noodles too but rice is better to soak up all the curry sauce. Hokkien Fried Rice (G10) - a luscious gravy on top of a fried rice filled with seafood and meat. You'll lick the bowl clean Rice Rolls (B) - their rice rolls are pretty solid too, smooth and slurpy. Just do yourself a flavor, don't order the Xiao Lung Bao Soup Dumplings here. It's not Cantonese, and there are definitely better places to get them. So just focus on Cantonese food here, that's what they excel at.

    Finally made it to Hon's Wun-Tun House in Chinatown. This is their 2nd location. The original is on…read moreKearny. The interior is modern. The restaurant is cozy but has space. It can accommodate a couple of large parties of 8+ people. Two separate unisex restrooms. Corn & Mushroom with Chicken Dumplings: delicate Dumplings filled with chicken, corn, & mushrooms (4/5). Served with dipping sauce. The dumplings were flavorful. Signature Wun-ton Noodle Soup: delicate shrimp and pork Dumplings and thin noodles in light broth (4/5). The broth had the lightest hint of dried scallops to me. Support your local business.

    Photos
    Interior, there's more seating behind that partition.
    Interior, there's more seating behind that partition.
    Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot
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    Kam Lok Restaurant - chinese - Updated July 2026

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