Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Venus Cafe

    3.1 (233 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Venus Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Venus Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    VENUS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Venus Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    1/15/26
    Mike C.

    I'm not in the neighborhood much, especially weekdays around noon. A couple of errands and circumstances brought me here on a Thursday where I found a metered space on the corner of Clement and 8th Avenue. Standing on the corner, I looked in three directions in thinking of my lunch alternatives: burgers to the left, Thai place to the right. I actually walked right and learned that the place is closed Thursdays. That's how I came to have lunch here. Walking in, dining room was a little over 1/3rd full. There's no greeting area so it's a seat yourself format. The left side was mostly occupied so I found a two top in the back right for myself. The menu is quite large so there is a variety of HK western dishes as well as classic Cantonese food options. I opted for the iced lemon tea (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=EQTLO4xkdhznpCxEF7WOQQ) which came in an interesting container. I liked the generous portions of lemon and ice. For my meal, I tried the pork chop half & half (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=vZzNdpyYuLDgMBWv6nxsrw), half fried rice w/ red sauce and half spaghetti w/ bolognaise (sp) sauce; it came with a medium and small pork chop piece which were boneless; here is a photo after the noodle pull (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=sdqzthAwI-a9oQ1zNvvuoA). Initially, I enjoyed the flavors of this with the 'orange sauce' that covered the fried rice and pork chop being mildly sweet with a hint of melted cheese on top. The spaghetti sauce was on the sweeter side with small pieces of ground beef. My initial reaction was that everything was tasty. As I ate, it became more and more one note for me, not that this is bad. It just became a bit boring as I finished my food. The waitresses were okay as they were busy tending to incoming and departing customers. I finished my lemon tea and only drank about half of my complimentary mug of hot tea. There is a mix of neighbor seniors and people who work in the area (work card badges hanging from belt area). I rank the food 3 stars for this visit and bump my review a half star for the convenience and variety. The restaurant has multiple locations in San Jose and Newark. My 1st visit was actually in pointing a friend here on a weeknight evening in getting an order of porridge for his recovering mom. Definitely a convenient and handy food option for the neighborhood locals who seek a wide variety of food options.

    Back of the restaurant
    Ruby T.

    I came tonight with my family for a Wor-choy dinner. Ordered 5 dishes. Crispy fried flounder, braised tofu with veggies, half a cold Hainan Chicken, Chinese broccoli with Chinese sausages, salted fish with chicken fried rice. House soup was egg flower with corn. Everything came out fast, super tasty and the owner took our order and gave suggestions as he told us originally our choices were too spicy for our granddaughter. He was very child friendly and gave plastic silverware and plastic container with a top and straw to avoid any spills. Easy to order food and get the wor-choy 3 or 4 item special. It's reasonable, fast, efficient and good service! Authentic Chinese food. Enjoyed!

    1. Hainan Chicken and Rice
    Ying Z.

    Insanely nostalgic and I will return to experience the ambiance of a HK cha chaan teng in SF. Really extensive menu, perfect for anyone and any time of day. I came in on a Saturday for a quick lunch. Loved seeing all the Chinese locals in Richmond come enjoy a meal and sit and chat. Staff checked in on me a few times and were very accommodating. I enjoyed my hainan chicken lunch set. I will definitely return to try classic dishes that not many restaurants will offer like macaroni noodle soup or frog legs.

    Hunan chicken
    Helen L.

    When i look up yelp for Chinese food, this restaurant doesn't even come up! How weird. This is Hong Kong Chinese food. I've eaten here several times by myself. The brisket noodles and the spare rib bittermelon rice plate are my favorites. I came around 5:15 pm so not much people. Food came out fast. It's a nice peaceful calm place, not loud. TV is always playing with some kind of Chinese cooking show. Restroom was clean. This used to be a donut shop. They have 3 dishes for a special price. I never feel like there's any MSG in their food.

    Beef noodle
    Alayna K.

    The food was decent and this is a casual spot for dinner. The vermicelli (pan fried) with seafood was 6.5/10 -- it was too saucy but here was a lot of seafood. The beef noodle soup was all tendon and I was wanting more meat. The broth was decent. The chicken with rice was also pretty standard. Our food took a while to come out but we came with a big party! They give nice service

    Hot milk tea
    Amy T.

    3-3.5 stars depending on the day. The staff are generally friendly here especially the male staff who is always here. Our go-to's are the baked seafood rice and baked spaghetti with meat sauce. They do have specials here that comes with free milk tea but these two items are not one of them. I always get hot milk tea here with condensed milk which is generally always good. If you never had baked spaghetti with meat sauce in a Hongkong cafe, it is a sweeter sauce than the acidic red sauce that you may have had at Italian restaurants. Unfortunately it does not come with a ton of meat sauce. Baked seafood rice has a medley of seafood (shrimp, fish, squid, imitation crab) in this thin creamy sauce and just a ton of egg fried rice under. It tasted a little funny the last time I was here, there are definitely other cafes that make this dish better.

    Mongolian Beef Rice Plate (ala carte)
    Merry K.

    Did not have any expectation when my parents said their Mongolian Beef is the best. How good can MongolianBeef is? Theirs was really good! Nice wok char taste, tender slices of meat. Come and get it!

    Pork ribs
    Meiyi Y.

    I came here for lunch twice and took advantage of the 3 dishes combo promotion. My favorite was the Hainan chicken. The green onion and ginger sauce that came on the side with the dish was delicious. All the dishes have the standard flavor you would expect at most HK cafes. The staff was friendly and all the food were served quickly after ordering. The cafe wasn't too busy for weekend lunches with several open tables when we arrived. Great place for casual meals!

    Beef Brisket Lo-Mein
    Mike L.

    Given how there's absolutely no shortage of Chinese restaurants and eateries in the Richmond District, I've always found it curious how there haven't really been any HK cafes that have managed to stick around here. In years past, a few have sprouted up, but none of them managed to stick around for very long and I'm not really sure if D&A down the street really counts (they have some HK cafe types of offerings, but feel more like a Chinese restaurant). So, in that vein, it's awesome that Venus Cafe has survived not only since my first visit here when they first opened, but through the craziness of the pandemic as well! Like so many other HK cafes out there, like Venus Cafe has a semi-diner sort of feel to it and an extensive menu of dishes to pick from. However, in this case, the menu isn't just extensive - it is EXTENSIVE. In total, there are roughly 200 dishes to choose from covering a wide swath of options - appetizers, soups, salad, sandwiches, egg dishes, fried rice, rice plates, curry, noodle soups, chow mein, lo mein, porridge, stews, stir-fried plates, sizzling platters, a variety of baked dishes, and so much more. A number of dishes also appear in their list of all-day specials, which includes soup and coffee milk tea, but I'm not sure if the portion you get for those is smaller since you're getting other things with it. -- PORK CHOP CUTLET, FRIED EGG, CHEESE LO-MEIN...$14.95 Not exactly your typical sort of HK Cafe dish, but this wasn't too shabby...partly because it reminded me of what I used to make in college! Although I didn't love the ramen (it felt more wet than cheesy), the pork chop was great (crispy and moist), and I loved the runny fried egg. -- BEEF BRISKET LO-MEIN...$14.95 The portion wasn't as big as I would've hoped, but that's because I thought this was actually pretty good! There was a fair amount of beef, especially relative to the amount of noodles, and the broth was surprisingly flavorful (not very salty nor oily). -- HAINAN CHICKEN WITH RICE (and a HK Milk Tea)...$15.50 Not sure how to rate this one - the first couple of times we got this, this was really good. The chicken was tender, delicious, and meaty and the rice was so flavorful. However, more recently, there seemed to be less chicken, which wasn't as meaty, and the rice was yellow/vibrant in color or taste. -- SHRIMP & RUNNY EGG GRAVY CHOW FUN...$14.50 For or better worse, this was pretty standard. While the sauce needed a bit of a kick (some XO sauce would've been perfect), everything else about this was perfect fine - soft flat noodles, a nice sweetness to the shrimp, and a generous amount of egg gravy. -- BRAISED BEEF BRISKET RICE PLATE...$13.95 Considering this is the second beef stew dish I've had here, you could say it's one of the things we like here. There's a good ratio of fatty/tendon pieces to chunks of meat and the gravy has a nice thickness/richness to it. -- BAKED PORKCHOP WITH CURRY SAUCE Served Over Rice...$14.95 I'm a little conflicted on this one. The dish is smaller than others I've had at other places and the color of the curry sauce had a weird look/color to it. That said, the taste of the sauce was fine and, though I wish the top was cheesier, I liked the porkchop was very juicy. -- POPCORN CHICKEN...$8.95 Somewhat surprisingly, this wasn't too shabby. The chicken itself was moist and I liked how this came with onions and peppers. I wish the batter had been a little crispier, though, and had a bit more seasoning/white pepper sprinkled on it. -- WONTON NOODLE SOUP...$11.95 I used to see a lot of folks get this and I can see why...sort of. It's not the best I've had, but it's solid, especially on a cold night in the Richmond. The noodles had a nice bite, the wontons were plump, and the broth was decent, but the size of the bowl feels a little light compared to what you can get elsewhere. To be honest, if I had written this after my first couple of visits here, there's a chance this would've been four stars. However, whether it be due to them not being as good these days or having tried more things (or both), Venus Cafe feels a whole lot closer to decent than great. As much as I liked the beef stew, just about everything else I've had has been a little up and down. All in all, it's great to have a HK cafe to fall back on this side of the city, but I can't say I would go out of my way to come back again in the future when there are definitely better alternatives out there.

    13. Fish Fillet with White Sauce and a fried egg on top
    Kevin C.

    I came here on a friend's recommendation that Venus Cafe does really good baked dishes over fried rice. That's exactly what I came for, but unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. I ordered the fish fillet with white sauce over fried rice and added a fried egg on top. The only good part of the dish? The fried egg. I've had my fair share of Hong Kong-style baked dishes over spaghetti or fried rice, and this one completely missed the mark. The white sauce tasted like watered-down Campbell's cream soup with bits of corn, and the fried rice was hard, poorly made, and completely flavorless. I only ate the single fish fillet that came in the sauce and the egg--after that, I couldn't bring myself to finish the rest. If it weren't for the big jar of hot oil on the table, I don't think I would've even made it that far. The prices are fair for the area, and parking is metered but free after 6 PM. The vibes inside were nostalgic--classic aunties with attitude, which reminded me of those old-school Chinatown spots where the food is so good that service doesn't even matter. But here, the food didn't hold up its end. At least my dish came out piping hot, and I got some hot tea. I also liked the background TV playing Cantonese news, which added to the homey feel. If I ever come back, I'll definitely be skipping the baked dishes.

    Kit C.

    Came here for breakfast. Strange that they only serve breakfast for an hour, 10 am to 11 am. Food was decent but too long to come out which is the opposite of how a real Hong Kong style cafe is. Service was ok.

    Chicken with green beans in black pepper sauce
    Karina S.

    Came here with a large group of around 8 and they were able to accommodate us immediately on a Sunday afternoon! Was in the mood for something lighter, so I got the chicken with green beans in black pepper sauce. Really enjoyed the flavor and textures of this dish, but I do wish there had been a bit more chicken. I tasted some of the baked dishes here as well and thought the pork cutlet was delicious! Interested in ordering one of these my next visit. I also really enjoyed the milk tea here, the tea flavor was very prominent and it was not too sweet.

    Minced beef with egg over rice
    Spike P.

    You're looking at minced beef with egg over rice. Where's the beef, I asked the waitress? She said the little dots were the beef. Another waitress walked up and said that's the way we cook this dish

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy T.
    223
    557
    1595

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Arthur N.
    0
    229
    39

    1 month ago

    This place is pretty solid. Most of the items I had here were pretty good. Not crazy expensive either

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nan W.
    0
    133
    97

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of CJ M.
    52
    30
    31

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Soo S.
    23
    31
    1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of SY C.
    227
    197
    447

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Great local Cantonese style Chinese food. Down home cooking for those in the Richmond

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna N.
    174
    266
    1088

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Three items with soup $43. It was so good. It was quick. Family friendly business. We will go back.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Venus Cafe

    Do you have a separate room that sits 10 people we want to have a meeting over dinner?.

    No they don't.

    What time do they open?

    10am every day

    What are the hours now?

    Kitchen last call is at 7:30pm. Dining room shuts down at 8pm.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Four Kings 四大天王 - sichuan cabbage

    Four Kings 四大天王

    4.2(432 reviews)
    3.5 miChinatown
    $$$

    I managed to get a reservation at 7:45pm on a Friday. We were seated after a little wait at a…read morebar/counter. We ordered the kumquat umeshu highball and the lemon oolong highball and really enjoyed, quite refreshing. We ended up getting the small squab, lamb skewer, Mapo spaghetti, and eggplant. I liked that they had a small squab option which was perfect for two people. The meal started with complimentary cucumbers and peanuts snacks perfect paired with a drink. Everything was delicious but if I pick a favorite, I think it would be the eggplant. The lamb was very tender and flavorful. It's a small restaurant so I would probably only come with 2-4 people. I think you can walk in but the wait seemed quite long so I'd try to get a res. I wish it was easier to get one or I'd be back more often :)

    Came ~10 minutes before dinner window opening time on a Saturday evening and was luckily the last…read moreparty to be seated in the first round. Ambiance and service were 10/10. Servers were friendly and accommodating. Food came quickly and dishes had beautiful presentation. We shared the chili crisp pig head, clay pot rice with Chinese sausage and bacon, scallop vermicelli, and XO escargot with milk bread. I enjoyed the free bites of roasted peanuts and smashed cucumbers. Chili crisp pig head was good but got a little too oily immediately. The slices were really thin and there were a bunch of good textures from the chili crisp and the veggies but was a little heavy due to sitting in plate of oil. Clay pot rice didn't stand out to me that much, the tong ho on top helped cut the heaviness at first but there were only ~5 leaves so it ended up being a little too saucy and heavy. I also would've appreciated more toppings in the clay pot rice and rice also didn't get scorched despite leaving it there for most of the meal. Scallop vermicelli wasn't bad, but definitely felt overpriced for essentially 1 piece of scallop and 3-5 bites of vermicelli. Last, the XO escargot with milk bread was unique but also ultimately too oily. The escargot sat in a pool of oil/butter/fats which got a bit too much too. I will say the flavor was definitely there though and the texture of escargot was good. The milk bread was great, smelled fresh and sweet with a soft crunch. Overall I think it was a fun experience to dine here and no regrets, but none of the dishes stood out to me too much in particular to where I'd be running back.

    Photos
    Four Kings 四大天王 - View of kitchen

    View of kitchen

    Four Kings 四大天王 - Sichuan cabbage

    Sichuan cabbage

    Four Kings 四大天王 - Creamy potato salad with tofu dressing

    See all

    Creamy potato salad with tofu dressing

    Hon's Wun-Tun House - Wonton Noodle Soup | ig: whaevaeats

    Hon's Wun-Tun House

    4.1(667 reviews)
    3.4 miChinatown
    $$

    With plenty of restaurants trying to get you thru the door in Chinatown, I was so happy to try out…read moreHon's Wun-Tun House! There will be a little bit of a wait if you come at lunchtime, but the changing of tables is so quick, it's worth the wait. My table got many items to try out, including a number of dumplings and main dishes. We have no complaints! The servers were on top of their game, and every time a menu item was brought out, they would cross it out at the table, to ensure all our food was brought out. Each dish came out piping hot (especially the dumpling and wontons), and my favorite main dish was definitely the Braised Seafood + Tofu in Clay Pot. Pair that with some rice and your set. This place was such a vibe! Totally recommend; all our food came out quick --- everything was made-to-order, and they got nothing wrong. 10 out of 10!

    Memorial weekend Saturday - got walking in that day, I asked the person who sat us if any of the…read morenoodle dishes had soy (they all have soy), she asked if I was gluten-free and I said no, allergy to soy so I will get something else. This person who took our order asked if there were any allergies, I said soy and her eyes lit up while she calming asked, 'soy-sauce', and I list soysauce and all the soy things that fall in that umbrella. I order my item, the chicken wings and item to share: the pan-fried dumplings, while my partner ordered one of the noodle soups. She comes back later and points out that the noodle soup has soy - much apperciated because people sometimes share, etc. And I said it was just for my partner. -- The chicken wings were plump, crispy, the first two were 'heathly', didn't taste the salt, and the rest were packed with flavor. If you're looking for consistency there is a #1 spot in Chinatown for chicken wings which I will not disclose in this review. But, otherwise, for flavor - I like it here. My partner said he didn't find the ones here oily but I said the bottom ones were a little and I did enjoy it. The panfried dumplings - the meat was succulent and delicious, I didn't think there was enough soup, these ones are smaller than other places, but the meat is massive. They were good, not my favorite ever, but I think the meat was the best hands-down anywhere. - It was very busy with perhaps locals and tourists. The table on our left were these two white men in the architeture field - super vulgar and sexist talking about people they don't like, it would defintely be an HR red flag. And then to the corner on the right, there was this little family who hadn't had soup dumplings before - the grown kids ate with their hands and the parents with forks (I love to see people trying new things), I didn't see all of this going on but I asked my partner who kept looking over.. Yes, my partner was judging you but kudos to trying new things however it is. - For large parties - you'll have to wait awhile. QR waitlist kiosk thing in at the front. ** I truly apperciate food safety and staff being attentive which makes patrons more confident and are able to make more safely informed decisions when ordering.

    Photos
    Hon's Wun-Tun House - Come here to sign in. Then sit until they call you.

    Come here to sign in. Then sit until they call you.

    Hon's Wun-Tun House - Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot

    Braised Tofu + Seafood in Clay Pot

    Hon's Wun-Tun House - E3 柱侯牛腩雲吞麵 Beef Brisket Wonton Noodle Soup | $14.95

    See all

    E3 柱侯牛腩雲吞麵 Beef Brisket Wonton Noodle Soup | $14.95

    Cheung Hing Restaurant - Roast duck $34/duck.  Additional $0.50 for plum sauce. Decent taste and meaty... but not amazing like it used to be.

    Cheung Hing Restaurant

    3.8(821 reviews)
    2.4 miOuter Sunset
    $$

    Came to pick up food to bring home. Our usual order can comprise of roast duck, roast pork, BBQ…read morepork, soy sauce chicken, and/or duck feet. When ordering the BBQ pork (char siu), I always ask for a leaner portion since I prefer it without too much fat. There wasn't much of a line this time--decades ago and even pre-pandemic, there was almost always a long wait during their busier times like during lunch and dinner hours. A relative of mine used to work here over 30 years ago, and I remember how nonstop and demanding it was. It was hardly a slow or relaxed environment. They also suggested adding mochi to my order. I passed this time, but I'll give it a try on my next visit. These days, there's a lot more competition along the Noriega corridor, which may explain the change in crowds. Still, it's nice to come back for the familiar Cantonese foods I grew up with and love.

    We came on Thursday and got the roasted pork and pig tongue. My mom really liked the roasted pork,…read morethe skin was crispy and the meat was super tender. The pig tongue, however, wasn't really her thing and didn't have much flavor. We also tried the coconut mochi ($3.80 for 3). It was pretty good, with black sesame, peanuts, and sugar inside. They also have ginger pig feet and pork belly, which we might try next time. Overall, solid spot if you're here for roasted pork!

    Photos
    Cheung Hing Restaurant
    Cheung Hing Restaurant - C B.B.Q. Pork

    C B.B.Q. Pork

    Cheung Hing Restaurant - Outside! We got our duck!

    See all

    Outside! We got our duck!

    Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant - Sweet & Sour pork

    Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant

    3.9(1.2k reviews)
    3.4 miChinatown
    $$

    Surprisingly delicious. Randomly saw people going into this place and so glad we gave it a chance…read more It is a SMALL upstairs restaurant. Fried Rice - DELICIOUS!! Usually don't prefer this is but the fried rice here is ELITE. White rice - Perfect. The usual. Walnut Shrimp - Crunchy. Delicious! Perfectly balanced and the walnuts were yummy. Sweet & Sour pork - good. Too mushy for me but the flavor was good. Mongolian Beef - delicious. Flavorful. Chow Mein - PERFECTION! Spring rolls - Doughy. Yummy. Tea - Delicious They were FULL but the service was great. Clean. Quick. And kind, which must be a usual since they were kind although busy. 10/10 recommend

    stumbled upon this after ma's and a few other spots were packed on a monday at 12pm. cozy, intimate…read moreinterior after you go up a flight of stairs, server was welcoming, and got seated/served tea quickly. did get busier and small parties were being seated together. i ordered my clay pot and it came out in under 5 minutes, i was so surprised. #35, chicken clay pot with mushroom and chinese sausage (7/10): came out sizzling and with rice on the side. chicken was plentiful and cooked great. wish there was more chinese sausage and i loved the onion. sauce wasn't too oily or salty and is a little sweet. usually i don't like ginger but it cut through the sauce well. was not expecting to like it this much! their clay pot was great for the price ($12.50), the workers were very nice, and it was just so homey in there for me. would definitely come back for clay pots and try their deluxe specials.

    Photos
    Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant
    Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant - Mongolian Beef

    Mongolian Beef

    Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant - Egg Fried Rice

    See all

    Egg Fried Rice

    Yongzi Ji Restaurant - Beverages, dessert, appetizers

    Yongzi Ji Restaurant

    4.5(61 reviews)
    3.3 miMission

    Stopped by Yongzi Ji for an early Saturday breakfast right when they open at 11:30 am. The place…read morewas still quiet, so we were seated immediately. We ordered : - Braised beef wonton noodle soup : noodles had that perfect springy bite, the broth was light , well seasoned & comforting. The braised beef was melt in your mouth tender, and the wontons were fresh, plump, and juicy. Everything was on point. - Fish porridge : I appreciate that the congee is not too soupy/ watered down. It was hearty and fish was delicately cooked just right, not dry or rubbery like some places. - Curry fish balls with pork rind : Good side dish, nicely seasoned with a spicy kick which we loved. Parking was relatively easy, there's metered spots across the street. Service was fast & efficient, the aunty who served us was super friendly and on top of everything. The interior is clean and comfy with a chill, welcoming vibe. Definitely planning to return, especially for another bowl of that beef noodle soup!

    Came here with my boyfriend and it was a great chill date spot!…read more Good: - The value of the family dinner is insane - we got the Hong Kong style and it came with like 5 different dishes - I liked the eggroll, very crispy and came with a super tasty sauce - The fried rice was really good - We ended up with so much food we had another meal to bring home - and for less than $20 each! - Service was incredibly fast and also they were very nice Bad: - It's a bit hectic inside since it gets busy! Overall, it was such a good deal and the staff were really efficient and nice and would come back!

    Photos
    Yongzi Ji Restaurant
    Yongzi Ji Restaurant
    Yongzi Ji Restaurant

    See all

    HK Lounge Bistro - Half duck order

    HK Lounge Bistro

    4.2(297 reviews)
    3.2 miSoMa
    $$

    Excellent dim sum spot!! Yes, it's definitely pricey, but everything from the food to the service…read moreand ambiance was fantastic. We ordered 8 items and everything was top quality, but my favorites were: - Ribeye XO "Dan Dan" mein with sesame sauce - Berkshire pork Shanghai soup dumplings (XLB) - Crispy shrimp & meat tofu skin roll It's a small restaurant and was super busy when we went around 11:40am on a Sunday, but luckily we were seated immediately when we walked in. Service was very friendly and efficient. Our server also helped refill our teapot with hot water when we finished the first pot. I really enjoyed the meal here and will definitely be back to try the dinner menu next time!

    TL;DR: Pretty small, amazing service (new plates for everything), food comes out fast but…read morecomparable to other dim sum places in SF. Went here with my girlfriends to celebrate a wonderful dim sum dinner for AAPI month! We had heard about this place because it is a Michelin recognized restaurant and while we live closer to Chinatown figured it was worth heading down to SOMA. It was good, but like similar reviews say, pretty shocked with how comparable it tasted to some other dim sum places in the city. Imperial Peking Duck - 10/10! XLB - 11/10 just for the presentation! The waiter serves you the first one :) House Pan Fried noodles - 8/10, not the best but still tasty. We also had the egg cake for dessert and we've never had that before so it was nice to try something new. Would come back if I was in the area but since I'm close to Chinatown, can find places there too.

    Photos
    HK Lounge Bistro
    HK Lounge Bistro - Rib eye chow fun (best chow fun ever?) possibly. so delicious

    Rib eye chow fun (best chow fun ever?) possibly. so delicious

    HK Lounge Bistro - Shanghai dumpling

    See all

    Shanghai dumpling

    Good Mong Kok Bakery - Fried Meat Dumpling ($3.50 for 3)

    Good Mong Kok Bakery

    4.1(3.8k reviews)
    3.3 miChinatown
    $

    30 person line, on Memorial Day. 1 hour for us to get inside and order. Food is served immediately…read moreover the counter. Waiting in the line is an experience in itself, if you have a group, time will go by faster because you can yap. An hour was a dread. But 30 minutes do fly. There's a grocery store next door to snack on/explore if you have a group member that'd you want to send in there. If you don't know what to get, there's a sign outside the door when you hit the front of the line that lists the top menu items. We got an order (each) of the shrimp, chive dumplings. And the baked pork buns were absolutely worth the wait. Don't be afraid to get one too many, as you can take it home and reheat. And by the way, we arrived during lunch time. The line was half the size around 2p.

    A regular trek to the city was in order where a stop to China Town on the list. We do something…read moreunusual when in China Town, we go to several food establishments and purchase a couple of pork buns to compare with others. It's been a fun family tradition for years. Today we visited Good Ming Kok Bakery. The shop is small and crowded with cookware and patrons. The order board is on the wall with corresponding numbers to make it go quicker. It's a walk in, order and walk out establishment. Be prepared...there is a line. The ladies working are not personable and act as if they are doing us a favor. Very stern faced. (Service 1/5) The buns (5/5) were very tasty, light and full of meat. Definitely will keep this one on our radar when the kids come for a visit.

    Photos
    Good Mong Kok Bakery
    Good Mong Kok Bakery - Baked Char siu bun and Seasame balls

    Baked Char siu bun and Seasame balls

    Good Mong Kok Bakery - Scallion pancake

    See all

    Scallion pancake

    Venus Cafe - hkcafe - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...