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    S & E Cafe

    3.3 (261 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated a few days ago

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    S & E CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - S & E Cafe

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    Spaghetti
    drew w.

    We had a birthday party and got the vip room. They had karaoke and the room was spacious and gave us the opportunity to be a bit loud. Food was delicious especially prime rib and the chicken wings. Paul the owner was nice

    Becky V.

    Big menu lots of items to pick from whether noodles, baked rice or spaghetti, or meats! Food- -Baked HK style pork chop over spaghetti wifh white sauce is pretty good! The cheese over the sauce is extra tasty -prime rib available on Saturdays, despite it being on the menu with no limitations written, you must call ahead to reserve. Not available when I went on Sunday and asked for it. Would come back to try -rib eye was ok, could have used more salt - tea is complimentary

    Steak
    Levi O.

    This place is uber San Franciscan. Awesome Cantonese and American staples. Owner is awesome and the price is fair. Also they have a really cool karaoke setup for all the uncles to jam out to their Hong Kong classics. I'd come for that alone!

    Onion ox tongue, ox tongue with tomato sauce, pork chop with meat sauce
    Elaine Y.

    Walked in at 5:40pm on a Saturday, should had been a tell tale sign. It's been at least a couple years since I've ate here so I wanted to reminisce. Big mistake on my part; the menu has been completely sparred down. Completely removed their soup options, and their drink menu is completely scaled down. Then I tried to order their prime rib special that they had posted on the wall. The waitress said it's actually not served until 6pm. Given it's only 15 mins away from this point, I told her I can wait. Then she replied saying they don't actually start preparing and cooking the prime ribs until 6 so it'll be awhile before it can be served, recommending me to order the filet minion instead. Sounded ridiculous to me as prime ribs can take awhile to cook up, if they don't fire it up now, they don't intend to actually serve until 8pm? Their flyers also dont show it's not served after 6pm. I end up ordering their onion ox tongue with spaghetti which also comes with a side of vegetables. The vegetables are the blend of frozen corn, peas and carrots, didn't even bother touching that. My husband tried all the dishes we ordered and he said everything is bland. I tend to eat things on the bland side so it tasted okay to me, just not great. Staff was friendly and courteous, just not the same from what it use to be. There's a few other HK style cafes nearby so the competition is too high for us to return. What a shame.

    Baked fish with spaghetti
    Sandra F.

    My friend and I had dinner there and I got the baked fish with spaghetti. There was a tv and few people there.

    Kenneth K.

    This place has great CantoHK cuisines; and exceptional prime rib and rib eye steaks. The steaks are super delicious & succulent. Amazing rack of lamb - cooked to perfection! Actually our family members liked the prime rib here at S&E Cafe more so than the House of.. something rather on Van Ness street!

    The tea is good
    Jacob C.

    Menu changed , not much Hk style food anymore ! No red bean icy drink 紅豆冰that made me feel disappointed! I ordered a seafood with scrambled eggs rice , some seafood on the plate was good cuz it had some shrimps and few scallops but sauce was bland ! Only 1 waitress works there for serval tables, sometime u have to wait for service! Service isn't good !

    Salted fish and chicken fried rice
    Tiffany W.

    Tasty Cantonese food spot on 19th and Taraval! We ordered the Hong Kong style rice rolls (delicious starter!), salt & pepper pork chops, dry beef chow fun, salted fish & chicken fried rice and chicken with butter melon for takeout. Everything was flavorful and everyone enjoyed the meal! Ordering was easy and server was friendly; the food was ready in good time. Additional tip--this restaurant can also make catering-type of orders for large groups of people.

    Rib eye steak with black pepper sauce. 10/10!
    Rosie W.

    4/5 for the rib eye steak. Don't come here for anything else. I'd much prefer cafe bakery for the rice and pasta dishes.

    Menu as of 10/31/20
    Amy T.

    Really want to love this place because the staff and owner are always so nice and food is pretty good but...just a couple things could be better. The Chinese borscht soup is my absolute favorite at HK cafes but they make it SO sweet here. Cut the sweetness down and it would've been perfect. It is a pity that meals here don't come as sets like in HK cafes that I'm used to. Soups and milk teas have to be ordered and charged separately. Their complimentary soup of the day is only available late in the afternoon "whenever it is ready." lol My go-to baked seafood rice has a GENEROUS amount and variety of seafood in it compared to other cafes: squid, shrimp, scallop, tilapia AND salmon. Two thumbs up. You can choose red or white sauce. Baked pork chop with red sauce and baked Portuguese chicken are both good as well. Comes with rice or spaghetti. I have to say the milk tea is only so-so, not as smooth as I would like despite that they use condensed milk as the sweetener. I was intrigued by the HK rice rolls as seen on TV. I like the sweet and peanut sauce but they're really just plain rice rolls. At least I can say I've tried it, right?

    menu 7/18/2022
    Jeff H.

    S & E Cafe recently reopened for indoor dining about one month ago. Hooray! I'm happy to see we've turned a corner as they were closed for indoor dining for over two years. Regulars will notice there are slight changes to the menu. I had the runny egg seafood crispy noodles $17 and a ice milk tea $3.50. With fish pieces, runny egg, scallops and shrimps, this was great. The crispy noodles stayed crispy because the chef didn't put too much gravy. Good job everyone at S & E Cafe.

    the outside of the restaurant

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    Ask the Community - S & E Cafe

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    Wok Up

    Wok Up

    4.2
    (78 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Food 4.5/5 Ordered three dishes for two people and there…read morewere plenty to share. The beef wonton noodle soup was delicious and 10/10! The wontons are made with lots of shrimps and the beef was tender. We also ordered garlic string beans and caramelized spareribs with ube. The spareribs are a little hard to chew and the meat doesn't fall right off the bone. Overall, the dishes are on the lighter side and not as heavy flavored. Service 5/5 The staff are very friendly and attentive. Everything is made fresh to order and you can definitely taste the quality and effort the chef put in. Ambiance 5/5 The restaurant itself is bright and spacious and is versatile to be split into different party sizes.

    We "woked up" thinking we would be ordering baked pork chops over rice, HK milk tea, and other HK…read morecafe food finds. However, to our surprise upon entering, we were told that there's been a change in their menu. Now a 2 pager that you can find online that offers more lo mein, wonton noodles soup, and chicken wings. We were told they have a new chef and still adjusting the menu. We decided to give them a try anyways and the food wasn't bad! Portions were a good size. Service was nice and attentive which is always a plus for a neighborhood spot. It's nice to have another Asian option in this part of Ocean Avenue for whenever we have cravings of noodle dishes but hopefully, they will bring back some items from their menu.

    Photos
    Wok Up
    Wok Up
    Tomato sauce baked fish filet

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    Noriega Cafe

    Noriega Cafe

    3.9
    (185 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    New concept after months of remodeling. The prior chef retired and is now babysitting a…read moregranddaughter, the main waitress has moved on to a location down the street and the vibe is toward a younger crowd with desserts, drinks, teppan, udon, fusion appetizers, served by a younger inexperienced staff. The remodelled place has booths and accommodates around 30 diners. We ordered: - Thai Appetizer Plate consisting of Fish Cakes, Beef Skewers (overcooked), Sliced BBQ Pork Neck (very good), Caramelized Pineapple, Shrimp Chips, and two dipping sauces - Rose Honey Chicken Wings which were addictive and different - Teppanyaki Beef Rice which could use a little more of the seasoned butter flavoring but overall good - Mango Pomelo Sago Drink, ordered at 50% sweetness and still was too sweet. Needs more crushed ice at that sweetness level. Overall, service was spotty. There's a QR Code for ordering however they have hard copy menus which is easier to look at and order from. The waiters will take your order if you don't like QR Code ordering. Water and Tea service is inconsistent as we had to ask once but they came around to check more often after the first request. The restaurant also has cramped seating at the tables near the front window. Overall, life goes on, we miss the traditional well-made Cantonese homestyle food previously served, the nice waitress named Christina, while understanding that the restaurant business is very competitive in SF. We liked most of the items ordered and will likely be back to try other things. The service is still in a learning phase and we assume it will get better. As a follow-up, we dine at Christina's new gig down the street to get homestyle Cantonese food and to see her smile.

    It took them 45 mins to prepare my takeout food when the restaurant wasn't super busy when I…read moreordered. There was 0 system in place and everyone was super disorganized. We were told the wait was going to be 30 mins for dine in so we decided to do take out. Then after we ordered takeout another group came in and the waiter sat them down. They were the same group size as us as well. The lack of efficiency at this place is a definite no for me and will not be coming back.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Teppan beef rice $15
    Teppan beef rice $15
    Pistachio matcha $7

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    Pistachio matcha $7
    Noodle Stop

    Noodle Stop

    4.0
    (224 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Grab-and-go

    Came here to warm up with some hot soup after a cold round of golf. Everyone wanted something hot…read moreto eat. This is in our neighborhood Sunset District but have never tried Noodle Stop. It is a nice casual restaurant. Menu is very extensive and took us awhile to go through all the choices. They have a Monday-Friday before 2:30 pm special combo which includes 1 hot drink. Many noodle options to choose from too. The ambiance is typical no thrills but clean. Customer service was good and they put tables together for the 7 of us. They kept refilling our hot tea too. It was not crowded as it was a little late for lunch and they never rushed us out either. I only took pictures of my order of Combo C4 Minced Pork with Rice Noodle and A1 Hong Kong Style Won Ton Noodle Soup. I took a picture of the dish next to me, but not sure exactly what it was on the menu, but she said it was good. Everyone ordered the small portions since it was so late for lunch but everything came out piping hot and it was enough to fill you up. They sell their homemade hot sauce and we got to try some served with our order. It's is definitely very HOT! Overall food was good, service was good, prices are decent. We all enjoyed the food and just might be back again since the menu is so extensive.

    Neighborhood restaurant serving comfort Cantonese somewhat fast food. Has weekday lunch specials…read more We had the: - Combo C: Fish Jook with Chinese Fried Doughnut. $2 off regular hour prices. Had better fish (has skin) and tastier Jook elsewhere. Dip the doughnut in the Jook / Porridge for contrast, crunchy doughnut and smooth soupy Jook. - Combo D:! Beef Stew Rice Roll with Milk Tea, also $2 lower than during regular hours. Not much stew but braised meat was nice and soft. - Beef Curry over Noodles, spicy... Restaurant is a version of Cantonese fast food. Also has desserts. Old school 60s ambiance, blue collar vibe with inexpensive food. Not the highest in quality but good for the price.

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    Noodle Stop
    B4 Stewed Beef Brisket with rice noodles
    B4 Stewed Beef Brisket with rice noodles
    Salt and Pepper Fried Tofu

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    Ming Kee Restaurant

    Ming Kee Restaurant

    4.0
    (265 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Ming Kee Restaurant was on my bookmark after seeing a Instagram post on cheap eats, although I was…read moreexpecting Ming Kee to be at San Fran's Chinatown. It wasn't, after circling around for parking, we finally found a spot in residential and walked to MK. The line were line, busy out the door, but staff tends to get it moving, once I got to the front, the lady takes your order and gives you a ticket. The menu is not posted on the board, it only has roasted meat prices. The menu is really simple, a no frill place just for simple roasted meats and rice plate lunch. I got the combo of shoyu chicken & roast duck ($15.) I remember the video I saw was for $10. cheap eats for lunch specials, but I think that prices is no more. Everything moved pretty quick after I got my ticket. & the verdict, Love how the color of the chicken and duck, the combo plate was great portion, more than enough for the 2, the shoyu chicken and roast duck was pretty tasty, meaty, tender served on rice and veggies, which was Chinese Cabbage ( Won Bok) which I love, they went great together. I LOVED the ginger garlic sauce, luckily I got 2 extra ( @.50) on side. This sauce is bomb, way better than what I had back on Oahu. I need more of this sauce & They take credit cards here! No dine in, simply just take out!

    Food is affordable and delicious…read more However, staff is rude and service is absolutely terrible. Do not order for a party here - they charge you $3 each for the physical trays which should come with the order... (otherwise, how do you take the food with you?) The place is very busy, and definitely feels like they want you in and out. The restaurant is pretty dingy as well and you definitely don't feel welcomed.

    Photos
    Inside
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    Duck over rice
    Duck over rice
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    Fung Wong

    Fung Wong

    3.3
    (236 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I forgot to get pictures. Just like a lot of the other restaurants in SF, they tried to put as many…read moretables as they could inside, so they are close together. But the seating didn't matter. What mattered is that their food is delicious. Holy cow. My family likes to go out for Chinese food and Dim Sum and this is our new place. They don't really have Dim Sum here, primarily Chinese food, but it is phenomenal. Everything we got was so tasty. They only reason that I can think for lower reviews is how crowded it gets inside as well as it can be hard to find a server when you need one. That doesn't bother me so much though purely because the food was just that good.

    After a lovely visit to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, we found ourselves hungry on the…read moredrive home and craving some comforting Hong Kong style Chinese food. We happened upon a small restaurant on Noriega Street with only a 3.3 star rating and about 233 reviews. To be honest, we were hesitant at first, but decided to give it a try. What a pleasant surprise! We ordered a bowl of roasted duck wonton noodle soup and a half Hainan chicken. Both dishes were absolutely delicious, the broth was flavorful, the wontons were satisfying, and the Hainan chicken was tender and well-seasoned. The service was friendly, attentive, and remarkably quick. As an added bonus, we received two complimentary glasses of lemon tea during their happy hour (3 PM-5 PM), which was a thoughtful touch. The restaurant was bustling with customers, a good sign that the locals know something the ratings don't seem to reflect. The portions were generous, the prices were very reasonable, and we left happy and impressed. We're still wondering how this place has only a 3.3-star rating, because our experience was far better than expected. We will definitely be back.

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    Pork wonton noodle soup breakfast
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    Hon’s Wun-Tun House

    Hon’s Wun-Tun House

    3.5
    (147 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Come for: wontons and green scallion pancake…read more Know that: parking can be tough on weekends. I'm so happy Hon's made it out to the sunset. No longer have to brave Chinatown traffic for their wontons and green scallion pancake! It's definitely one of the most comforting bowls of soup in the city with tons of flavor. Get the one with char siu (bbq pork). Overall, this is a wonderful almost hole in the wall like spot. Service is fast and direct. Cleaner than most comparable places would be. Definitely check them out if you're craving a bowl of homey wonton soup.

    Here's the updated version with that stronger "please get ahead of this" message added:…read more I really like the food at Hon's Wun-Tun House, which makes this review especially disappointing to write. As a parent of children with serious nut allergies, it was heartbreaking to realize that we could not safely eat here. After waiting a long time for a table and then waiting again because they were busy, we asked about nut allergy safety before placing our order. Unfortunately, the staff did not seem trained or confident about allergy handling. They mentioned the possibility of peanut oil and ultimately suggested that we should not eat there because they could not be sure. I do appreciate the honesty, because with allergies, uncertainty is not safe. But it was still very disappointing to have to leave after all that waiting, especially from a place whose food we actually enjoy. I really hope Hon's sees this review and puts in the work to clearly identify what is safe and not safe to eat on their menu for people with food allergies. This is not their first location, and I am sure they get allergy questions multiple times a day. The staff should be properly trained to answer these questions with confidence, instead of leaving customers and families guessing. Allergies are becoming more common, especially among children, and restaurants that can clearly answer allergy questions, train staff, and identify ingredients will make families feel safer and more welcome. I hope they get ahead of this sooner rather than later, because it would allow more customers--not fewer--to enjoy their food.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Beef tendon won tun noodle soup.
    Beef tendon won tun noodle soup.
    Shrimp with Pork and Chives Dumplings

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    Smile House Cafe

    Smile House Cafe

    3.1
    (859 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$
    Casual dining
    Catering service

    Food- Can't go wrong with the sizzling beef with rice. I do eat here with often but this reminded…read moreme to write a review. Service- excellent, host was attentive, quick and gave us extra ketchup and water. ambiance- its a bit noisy, tvs around, and tables are clean.

    Came here on Sunday for lunch and it filled up very quickly…read more There was a sign up sheet by the entrance for customers to sign in and waitlist. The menu was quite extensive and showed illustrations of the food. We ordered the following: Fried Egg Pudding $10.95 - It came piping hot and crunchy on the outside. This seemed more like a dessert, especially when it was accompanied by a plate of condensed milk dipping sauce. Baked Ox Tongue with curry cheese $17.95 - This had 4 -5 pieces of very tender tongue. However, it was overwhelmed with cheese and not enough of the curry sauce. Baked Fish Fillet with Cheese Cream sauce $15.95 - This was delicious. The fish was fried in one piece and then covered with corn, mushrooms and cheese sauce. Baked Pork Chop with Tomato sauce $15.95 - The tomato sauce really complemented the baked pork chop which was topped with melted cheddar cheese. This was decent and as expected. Staff were very quick, efficient and informative, when responding to our food questions. Overall, a great local family eatery with decent food and HK cafe vibes.

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    Seafood pasta with creamy tom yum sauce
    Seafood pasta with creamy tom yum sauce
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    Puff pastry soup

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    Puff pastry soup

    S & E Cafe - chinese - Updated July 2026

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