| When you think of San Francisco's Chinatown, the | | | | Another longtime resident is the Chinatown |
| first thing you think of is its reputation as the | | | | Restaurant, opened in 1919. The Chinatown |
| oldest and largest Chinatown in North America. | | | | Restaurant is famous for serving both traditional |
| You might also think of the fact that it is the | | | | Chinese dishes and Mongolian cuisine. It is famous |
| largest Chinese community outside of China itself. | | | | for its dim sum, fin soup, and steamed fish dishes. |
| Yet you probably wouldn't immediately think of it | | | | Famous visitors such as Leonardo DiCaprio are |
| as the home to some of the best San Francisco | | | | frequently spotted here. |
| restaurants, which it absolutely is! | | | | While many of the San Francisco restaurants in |
| San Francisco's Chinatown sprung to life in the | | | | Chinatown are traditional Chinese eateries, the |
| mid-1800s as a colony within the young western | | | | area hosts some of the hottest club spots in the |
| city for Chinese immigrants. Many of these | | | | city. One of the most famous nightlife spots is |
| immigrants were drawn to the United States for | | | | the Blind Tiger, located on Broadway, which |
| the proliferation of work available at the time, | | | | provides a fun and fresh dance atmosphere |
| particularly on the budding railroad system. The | | | | melded seamlessly with an Eastern flair. Grant |
| areas around the San Francisco neighborhoods of | | | | Avenue is home to the Buddha Cocktail Lounge, |
| Telegraph Hill and North Beach became a home | | | | which features reasonably priced drinks and food |
| away from home for the city's considerable | | | | along with a massive Buddha statue located |
| Chinese population, who designed buildings and | | | | behind the bar. And of course Red's Place, the |
| decorated the streets in the traditional styles of | | | | oldest bar in Chinatown, is a must visit for those |
| their native country. Over the decades, the | | | | who want to sip a true piece of San Francisco |
| emphasis on maintaining cultural roots through | | | | history. |
| architecture, Chinese businesses, and traditional | | | | Whether you are looking for traditional Chinese |
| Chinese parades and festivals has helped keep the | | | | cuisine, an exotic club atmosphere, or just a little |
| area a vibrant, unique, and exciting part of the | | | | bit of General Tso's chicken as you take in the |
| city at large. | | | | sights of the city, you will find the best of San |
| As Chinatown developed over the years, so did | | | | Francisco restaurants in the intoxicating |
| its reputation of being a home to some of the | | | | neighborhood of Chinatown. Yet as you stop in |
| finest cultural exhibits and endeavors - both | | | | for your meal, remember that the neighborhood |
| Chinese and America - such as literature, film, art, | | | | is a vibrant, historically-charged locale that has |
| music, and of course cuisine. Many of the | | | | much more to offer than just exquisite cuisine. Be |
| traditional Chinese restaurants located in the area | | | | sure to stop and take in the grandeur of the |
| are as old as Chinatown itself, including some | | | | famous Chinatown Gate, or the other worldliness |
| landmark San Francisco restaurants like the Far | | | | of Waverly Place, or Buddha's Universal Church, |
| East Cafe. The Far East Cafe that stands today | | | | the largest Buddhist church in the United States. |
| was built in 1920 to replace the original restaurant | | | | You will feel completely transferred away from |
| that was compromised in the famous quake of | | | | the American Pacific Coast to the intriguing, |
| 1906. One of the most popular culinary | | | | striking, and foreign world of the Far East, yet be |
| destinations in Chinatown, this restaurant serves | | | | able to be home by dinner. Now who's ready for |
| traditional Szechuan and Cantonese dishes. | | | | some authentic dumplings? |