best chinese korean restaurant in town i came here since when I was kid same recipe same Owners delicious food never disappointed

Went there during the Fillmore Festival at around 11:30. Was surprised there weren't more customers. I first started eating at this place around 1990 and have at times stopped going once I moved out of the city. I try to go at least once a year. Have always enjoyed their clams, dried fried chicken, jia jiang mian, and seafood noodle soup. Clams were still plentiful, plump, and very fresh. Noodle were still good. The owner recommended I try the Jjamppong and tubot. The jjamppong like their other noodles were good but the standout was the turbot: steamed to perfection, fresh, and tasty. I can't compare it to other fish but it was soft, smooth, and buttery. I have seen the owner before cooking in the kitchen but it looks now father time has caught up and he is thoroughly enjoying helping out in the front. He was talkative and pleasant to talk to. read more

This place was really good. I found it through yelp. After being at the Japan town mall waiting for my family to finish shopping, I wanted Chinese food that was further away. So I found this place and we walked in with few customers. We ordered a soup, and were about to order something else when the server/cook suggested we order the meal for 3. He let us substitute the white rice for fried rice and cashew chicken for lemon chicken that we wanted. Boy was it a real treat. We added a chicken chow mein and we weren't disappointed. All in all, we came out stuffed with leftovers, and great service to boot. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time which was surprising, how great the food and service were. Come here and you won't regret it! read more

Forgot to post the photo of the clams. It was delicious. Also, heard that BTS visited just days before us. Apparently, the sister restaurant in Korea is also popular. read more

San Wang Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I enjoyed the Chinese-Korean dishes we tried. I think I heard one of the server ladies speak both languages to different customers. I liked the jjajangmyeon/"noodles with plum sauce." It came with at least four shrimp which surprised me since I've mostly tried pork versions before. The dry-fried chicken wings were tossed with a ton of stir-fried mushrooms, green onions, and garlic. They included kimchi and pickled radish slices with the wings which were a nice tart counterpoint to the sweet flavored wings. I wouldn't expect the wings to be like the wings from another famous place fyi. Sam Wang is a nice option in Japantown that appears to be locally owned. read more

San Wang Restaurant - dry fried chicken wings, all flats, cones with a lot of mushrooms and garlic. kimchi and pickled radishes are also included. - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

San Wang Rest, San Francisco 2026 Feb 9 (4.29 of 5) This restaurant wasn't on our radar, but we're glad we stopped and ate here. The food is excellent to okay, but the service is first rate. Once seated, we were offered a couple of complimentary dishes - kimchi and soup. Their food is decent and their service is great. Every table has white linen, even for lunch hour crowd. The price is awesome - the lunch menu includes a starter, a soup, and a hot pot of tea. (4.75 of 5) Kimchi: This complimentary dish is an excellent start before our lunch order. The delicious taste of tangy, savory, spicy, and sour, together with a complex, pungent, and, crunchy profile is the perfect start before our lunch selection. Its fermented cabbage has a strong, aromatic notes of garlic, ginger, and chili powder, which marries perfectly with our set lunch. (4.5 of 5) Soup: The soup of the day is a mild clear soup with bits of prawns and vegetables. This is lovely when paired with the boisterous kimchi. (4 of 5) Our orders from their Lunch Special: Vegetable Deluxe: A great selection of vegetables, though they're mostly semi-done to near raw. The wontons were really good though. (3 of 5) Broccoli Chicken: The chicken pieces are tender and the broccoli in this dish is cooked well. (4.5 of 5) Braised Tofu: This is my top dish. It's flavour-packed in a savoury, aromatic sauce. The tender, chewy texture acts like a sponge, absorbing the deeply flavourful sauce. Superb! (5 of 5) read more

See all

I've been coming to San Wang since I was a child. The Scallops in Garlic Sauce and Dried Fried Anything are always amazing!!! Now, it's a new treat for my children to visit here! They are always so kind and the food is great! It's my childhood comfort food! read more

Yummy Chinese Korean restaurant in Japantown. I recommend the more Korean influenced dishes like jajang noodles. The dry fried green beans are also very good. Other Chinese dishes are also good but higher prices compared to other regular Chinese restaurants. They have good priced lunch specials Monday-Friday. The setting here is really good for large groups as they have the round tables and circle around to make sharing easy. They also give complimentary hot tea, kimchi, and yellow radishes! Don't miss this hidden gem in Japantown to try Chinese Korean food! I saw a picture that Jung Ho Lee from SF Giants was here! read more

A delectable Chinese-Korean fusion restaurant located in Japantown! I'm so mad I didn't decide to try this restaurant before as I have passed by it so many times. The interior is clean and simple, and the staff are kind and welcoming. It got busy, so there was times we had to get their attention, but when they did they were patient and quick to help which I greatly appreciated. Now on to the food, everything was absolutely delicious! The vegetarian egg rolls were simple and crispy, perfect way to start the meal! The chicken chow mein was savory. The dry fried chicken was crispy, slightly spicy, had bits of mushroom, and everything was covered in garlic. My absolute favorite would have to be the San Wang clam for sure, I can tell I'll be dreaming of this dish. The clam is plump, and the sauce is thick and pairs perfectly with it. There's little piece of jalapeño giving it a little kick, and some green bell pepper for some crunch. I also ordered some Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce which was yummy as well, just forgot to snap a pick. I really recommend this restaurant for a filling and amazing meal!!! read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem! I wish I'd discovered it sooner. The servers were so kind and welcoming, and the food was absolutely incredible. The dry fried green beans, black bean noodles, and sweet and sour pork were highlights. read more

Last minute dinner here on a Saturday night. The inside is really roomy and cute! We were seated quickly after arriving -- menus and plates were already ready at the table. This restaurant is run by the cutest family (or friends!) of older Asian folks. It really feels like I'm at my grandparent's place for food. Ordered dry fried chicken and chicken chow mein after being recommended those dishes by our server. After ordering, we were provided some banchan -- kimchi and pickled daikon. Not joking that their rendition of kimchi might be my favorite that I've had at any restaurant! When I asked for a refill, the older gentleman server literally gave me some to take home! Food came out relatively quickly after ordering, pretty large portion! To be honest, nothing was extraordinary about the food here, but it did taste good, no complaints here! I do wish the chow mein had more umami flavor, so I scooped some of the garlic and seasoning from our chicken and mixed it with the noodles and it was a lot better! The chow mein had a lot of quality ingredients that you wouldn't find at other restaurants: woodear mushroom, snow peas and bok choy! Chicken was good, juicy and had good flavor. Overall a pleasant experience here-- food was alright but it felt very cozy and like I was visiting family! All the grandmas and grandpas here are also the cutest and I enjoyed interacting with them! read more

See all

This unassuming and humble restaurant has been a staple of Japan Town's restaurant scene for over 40 years! I've been coming here since I was seven years old, and the food is great quality, with generous portions. My favorites are their dry fried chicken, sweet and sour pork, and their Mongolian beef. The flavors are authentic and flavorful. It's a family run and owned business; they definitely make the effort to have you come back! read more

San Wang Restaurant - Jung Hoo Lee was recently in there to dine! - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

There aren't many places in SF you can find jajangmyeon (or zhajiangmian in Chinese) but San Wang is one of them! I also love their complimentary kimchi. They have great service and have a pretty good takeout business. They've been in Jtown for decades--my mom used to come here when she lived and worked in SF, and now I come here! It's homey, cozy, and great for eating family-style. read more

Twenty years ago, we went to San Wang Restaurant when I was little and we went there for dinner in two weeks. I ordered San Wang Clams and we ordered the braised green beans and the San Wang Soup Noodles. I saw goldfish when we are on our way out. San Wang Restaurant is a Mandarin cuisine in Japantown, San Francisco. read more

Chinese northern cuisine. Healthy, fresh ingredients. Fast service. Friendly staff. Clean restaurant. Menus are in Chinese English and Korean. Price is still somewhat reasonable in this economy. The flavor is not what I would consider authentic Chinese food but it tastes good and healthy. Give it a try. read more

See all

We went for an early dinner and it was pretty empty but started to fill up as soon as dinner hour started in earnest. It has kind of a classic no-frills vibe I had come to be familiar with at a Chinese restaurant. The staff were super kind and happy to share the history of the restaurant and behind some of its recipes. It was a wet day, so we went for soups (janpong and beef soup noodles) which really hit the spot. They were both very tasty and very generous portions, I'd like to return and try their other menu items. read more

San Wang Restaurant - Janpong and beef soup noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I finally stopped here during the cherry blossom festival. They were selling a lunch box for 15 bucks. It had the most delicious rice, chow mein, dumplings, eggrolls, and chicken wings. Let me say it was the MOST incredible meal I've had. It was so good that we stopped by on our way home and got yet another lunch box. I cant wait to come back and try some more food. read more

Korean presidents came here for the Zhajiangmian. Best and most authentic Shandong-style Zhajiangmian！ The noodles are perfectly chewy, and the savory sauce is rich, flavorful, and packed with authentic taste. Every bite reminds me of the traditional flavors of Shandong. Heard that 2 presidents went there for their noodle. Come here to eat every weekend. The only thing to complain is they close on Wed，hate it! read more

San Wang Restaurant - Two South Korean presidents have eaten here. - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I went here many times in the past and posted photos, but it never wrote a review. This was my first exposure to Korean Chinese food back 6-7 years ago and the person I was with knew his culture well and wanted to let his friends know about this cuisine. We did family style to try all the interesting flavors. Everything that ordered was excellent with the unique black bean noodle. You can always ask server what are the traditional Korean dishes and they will let you know. From 8 years ago, we had complementary Kim Chee. Then we ordered rice sizzling soup which was really good with seafood in it. There were 4 sizes to pick from. I was thoroughly entertained to see the rice actually sizzling in soup. The refreshing dish where the presentation was pretty like a Burmese tea salad dish, was called "Pork with two skins". This was one of the most expensive dish on menu, but definitely worth it. The fried chicken wings was crispy, tender and the last dish I can't recall may have been beef with green onions and mushrooms? But everyone enjoyed it nevertheless. You have to know what are the traditional dishes that is unique to the culture. San Wang Restaurant is a long-standing, family-run establishment in San Francisco's Japantown that specializes in Korean-Chinese cuisine. There are not too many places that serves this unique type of cuisine. It serves authentic dishes using distinct Korean-Chinese flavors and techniques. The restaurant has been operating for decades, providing a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere with a diverse menu and classic Korean side dishes (banchan) such as kimchi. Their signature dishes are jajangmyeon (black bean paste noodles), jjampong (spicy seafood noodle soup), dry-fried chicken, and sweet and sour beef (tangsuyuk). Now that I am writing this, I need to go back to eat here again! lol read more

See all

We had dinner here on Saturday when visiting family. The restaurant located in Japan Town so it is good place to walk around after dinner. We arrived around 6:30pm and got seated right away with no wait for 5 adults and 2 children. The food came out fast, tasty and very reasonable prices. Their items are Chinese/Korean fusion types. Parking is tight in this area. read more

See all

An iconic Chinese/Chinese-Korean restaurant in the heart of Japantown! I've been coming here for years! So many favorites here! I've recently picked up Yang Jang Pee (seafood and pork saute with Chinese mustard sauce) and sautéed beef with green beans. Both were very good! They packed up some cannonball cabbage kimchi and yellow pickled daikon. Will continue to come back! read more

You know that restaurant that you have been to many years ago, but for some reason you haven't been back? And then when you visit again and wonder why you haven't been because it was so good. This is that restaurant for us. We revisited recently because we couldn't get into another restaurant nearby that had this ridiculously long line outside. My hubby (who doesn't like lines (queuing up)) suggested trying this restaurant instead and Wow, food was so good! We came back again shortly after that visit just to make sure and we still love it. Love their Jajangmyeon (aka Ja Jiang Mien and also known as fried noodles with plum sauce here). Delicious! We prefer the regular way vs. sautéed. Their noodles are hand-pulled and fresh which is probably why it's so good. The pork with chives was also delectable and fragrant. The black sauce anything (we prefer prawns) are always a hit. After hearing so much rave about their dry fried chicken, we ordered that and it was good--garlicky, slightly spicy & crunchy! We also got broccoli chicken and that was good too. This is a Northern style Chinese restaurant with friendly service and casual ambiance. Located on Post between Buchanan and Laguna. Steps away from Japantown's Peace Pagoda. read more

See all

Amazing food and service. Ordered the jajang and tangsuyuk. It's becoming more and more rare to find a restaurant that make their noodles by hand. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Great spot - black bean noodles, amazing kimchi, shrimp - all so good. And owner is very kind, and they were accommodating for large group

A beloved establishment that has proudly preserved its traditional flavors for 48 years, staying true to its roots while offering the same authentic taste locals have cherished for generations. read more

See all

I had the dry fried shrimp and it wasn't that good. The shrimp were fried well but had no seasoning at all. The sauce that it's tossed in was very light so it wasn't enoughto even coat the white rice. I added sweet and sour sauce and soy sauce to make it flavorful. It helped although the sweet and sour sauce was watery and it too had no flavor. The vegetable soup had no taste but after adding soy sauce and hot sauce it was better. Not a place of choice for me. read more

San Wang Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

San Wang is one of Japantown's oldest and finest restaurants. While some might find it ironic to eat Chinese food while in Japantown, it's one of the best places you could choose for a meal while visiting the neighborhood. The ambience is warm and family friendly and great for big groups. The staff are incredible and lovely individuals that care very much about the patrons. If you need a break while traversing Japantown, take a seat at San Wang and enjoy the lunch menu if you can. The Sweet and Sour Shrimp is my favorite! If you're a local to the neighborhood like me and craving Chinese food, this is the best option. Try to catch them during lunch time! Everything is tasty and the staff are incredible! read more

Lunch at San Wang today was delicious. I like the kimchi and pickled daikon appetizers. I came with my parents and we ordered chicken wings, dumplings, and Jia Jang Mien. All the dishes were tasty, and there was friendly service. Looking forward to coming back. read more

See all

Was glad to see this restaurant still here in Jtown. OG Bay Area Koreans grew up eating here and the old Kum Sung (Golden City) on Irving for Chinese Korean food (IYKYK). Ordered the Jajangmyeon and Saeu Tangseyeok and both were delicious. I also love the Chinese style kimchi which brings back memories for me. If you like San Tung style Chinese, you'll like it here. Highly recommend to visit. read more

My dad has been coming to this restaurant for decades and I tried it for the first time this weekend and will definitely be back! First off, the service was very friendly and hospitable. Second, the food was all very delicious. The green beans were our favorite dish. The boiled dumplings were also really solid. Overall, a really good spot for unique Chinese/korean food at a very reasonable price for the portion sizes! read more

San Wang Restaurant - Seafood Soup Noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

So happy we finally were able to find a good jajang noodle place in the city. The service was amazing. Personally think their noodles are better than San Tungs. We also go a side of their jam pong soup and dry fried chicken which were both good! The only thing was their walnut shrimp we wished would be more sweet. Overall great service and very comforting meal. read more

My family has been coming here for as long as I can remember. This was our family go to when people visited SF from the Philippines, etc. It always made the list in terms of when we would play tourist guide. It also became a family favorite for birthdays and christenings, etc. Our most recent visit was to celebrate the life of one of our family's matriarchs whose 10-year death anniversary was yesterday. It seemed fitting to come to this restaurant after a visit to the cemetery. We actually think she or her father may have found this restaurant. So yes, truly fitting. We had our usual dry fried chicken wings, hunan beef, combination chow mein, honey walnut prawns, salt & pepper ribs and this time we also added the jjajangmyeon. Since there were 11 of us we just ordered 2 of everything. Quality of food hasn't faltered over the years. Portion is still what we remembered and plentiful. Customer service is always hospitable. We will ALWAYS come back to this place. It's nostalgic, delicious and just feels like home. read more

Best Shrimp I've ever eaten rice plates was delicious too. The place is clean and has incredible service. If you're looking for a place to eat come here!! read more

San Wang Restaurant - Mongolian Beef - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

The food was grate. The lady that took are order was really nice/ telling us the deals. She gave us free rice. The servers were vary accommodating. Even the cook came out to greet us read more

San Wang Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

We came here because they had the one dish we were craving, which was jjajjangmyeun. So we made the trek to San Francisco's Jtown to get a taste of this dish. They surely didn't disappoint. We also got their jjangpong...their spicy seafood soup. To my surprise my personal favorite was their fried chicken rice dish. It had the perfect crisp to a deep tender chicken bite. The best kicker was that we found out the owner is from the same hometown as my dad in Masan, South Korea. Once they got talking, there was no stopping them. They chatted for what it seemed to be hours. The food was perfect in every way. read more

I went after church with group. The selection and portions of food was great. They had a variety of selctions to choose from, which was nice. read more

San Wang Restaurant - Walnut shrimp, eggplant, chicken wings, fried rice, green beans, etc. - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really solid Korean-Chinese spot with flavorful dishes and the kindest service. Everything we ordered was tasty. Nothing overly fancy, just good flavors and generous portions. The owners are absolute sweethearts and make you feel right at home, which honestly makes the whole experience even better. The vibe is relaxed and casual so a good hangout spot. read more

San Wang has a long time presence and reputation as an excellent restaurant in the Japan Town area of SF. It is the unique style of Chinese and Korean food with Korean style sweet and sour pork (tang soo yuk) and black bean on hand pulled noodles (jiajang mein). Both were outstanding and we also had the steam fish with sweet soy and green onions. Outstanding meal and extremely welcoming staff. The chef stopped by to say hello and Mr Young was our personable server who made us feel like we were visiting home. Five stars!! read more

I thought that San Wang did a couple things very well and others just ok. The clams rank in the exceptional menu items - these were HUGE clams that were very tender and doused in a silky sauce. The walnut shrimp were also a very generous portion and a great balance of crisp and sweet. On to the not so good - The vegetables weren't anything to write home about. The water we got seems kind of dirty. We came for the lunch special but none of the dishes that we wanted were included in the special pricing. I give all the stars to the clams and shrimp , I would come back just to eat this again! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. read more

See all

I love going to San Wang whenever I'm in Japantown. If you have a big party who likes to share food family style, this restaurant is the perfect place to go. I can't remember all the names of the dishes we ordered but my favorite were the chicken wings, shrimp, and green beans. read more

See all