Sunday, November 11, 2012

Chinatown - San Francisco, CA

Welcome to North America's largest Chinatown!  If you've been to any other Chinatown in the US, you'd think nothing of it but this area is actually quite massive.  We've never seen such a large collection of Chinese restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and knick-knack shops in one area.  That's saying a lot because we're from Vancouver, which has the second largest Chinatown in North America but the one here in San Francisco just blows it out of the water.  
Li Po - legendary drinking hole and home of the deadliest Mai Tai
Yuet Lee Seafood Restaurant - great late night place after a night of drinking.  There's plenty of other places to eat as well, ranging from HK cafe food to your typical/safe sweet and sour pork with rice.
Peking Bazaar - it can't get anymore Chinese looking than this!  This is just one of many knick knack shops in the area, selling everything from slippers to swords
This chain of jewellery stores is everywhere in HK so it only makes sense they'd have an outlet here as well.
The hustle and bustle of the grocery stores - just tons and tons of people scurrying in and around trying to buy various produce, seafood and take-out dishes.  After a long days work, it just seems more reasonable to buy a container full of ready-to-eat food and all you gotta do is cook some rice!
Dim sum and bakeries are everywhere!  Although Chinatowns have generally been a dirty area, the smell of the bakeries still permeate through the air.  Gotta get me some buns before we go...
Fantastic looking buildings around every corner - I just love that these places still have that Chinese architecture that our Chinatown has long since demolished save for a single gate.
We recommend dropping the guidebooks and give yourself an hour or two to wander the streets in Chinatown.  Just walk around, pick up a key chain or bronze dragon, browse the millions of items swathed in Chinese fabric and just walk into any restaurant with a menu that entices you.  Grab a few buns from one of the bakeries to go and then head off to your next destination.  You can't go wrong!  Have fun enjoying Chinatown!

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