Dwayne “Cisco kid” Ohelo

House of Nanking is a true San Francisco classic. The food was excellent—full of bold, comforting flavors that clearly come from decades of experience in the kitchen. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared and well balanced. Blosome tea and deep fried pork rib was excellent and the fried rice! The service was great as well: attentive, friendly, and efficient without feeling rushed. Even though the restaurant itself isn’t very large, it more than makes up for it with its rich history and character. You can really feel the legacy of this place the moment you walk in. Overall, House of Nanking delivers outstanding food, warm service, and a timeless atmosphere that makes it well worth the visit.

John Heath Jr

★★★★★ 5-Star Review – House of Nanking, San Francisco, CA House of Nanking in San Francisco continues to live up to its legendary reputation. The flavors are bold, the portions are generous, and the service is fast even when the place is packed. The chow mein, fried rice, and sesame chicken were outstanding — fresh, perfectly seasoned, and cooked with that classic wok-fired taste you can’t find just anywhere. The sesame chicken was especially impressive: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and coated in a balanced sauce that wasn’t overly sweet. The chow mein and fried rice were both loaded with flavor and had that authentic texture that tells you they’re doing it right. If you’re in San Francisco and want real, memorable Chinese comfort food, House of Nanking is absolutely worth the stop. Highly recommended.

Chiara Rizza

I had dinner at this Chinese restaurant in San Francisco Chinatown, and it turned out to be a really nice experience. The food was flavorful and freshly prepared, with generous portions and a great variety of dishes to choose from. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the service was attentive without being rushed. Everything came out quickly, and the staff were friendly throughout the meal. Overall, it’s a great spot if you’re looking for tasty, authentic Chinese food in Sf

Rebecca Proscia

The food is amazing! Go...even if there's a line. If you like mustard get the Mogu...it's just so delicious...and gluten free! I've never had anything bad there but I love the house noodles, the spicy eggplant and my friend got the crispy pork belly bao and it was amazing! The atmosphere is not great and the tables and chairs are beat up but don't let that stop you.

Karl Whinnery

Wow. Hands down an incredible experience and gonna be top 3 if not top 1 Chinese food. Calling it food feels like an understatement. Family style dishes served pretty quick. This place can get crowded - and rightfully so. We ordered fried pork potstickers with peanut sauce and my god. That sauce. Make sure you get at least one dish with the peanut sauce. We made short work of the potstickers. Our friend said the tofu with peanut was incredible and she was correct. They cook the tofu to perfection. Best tofu ever. Ok, the beef short rib is to die for. It’s mouth watering and perfectly cooked. Very unique and you gotta try it. The Bok Choi was so tasty as well. The sesame chicken comes with delicious sweet potatoes. The sesame chicken rocks. I can’t believe how good it is. Every dish we had was like better than the last. This place is a MUST GO TO. Staff are friendly and clearly have been doing this a while. Very efficient too. Gonna have to go again and explore more dishes.

+4

Steven Straus

The lunch I had delivered to my residence from this restaurant was awesome. The sesame chicken and the chow main was finger licking good. I highly recommend this place because it is an excellent Chinese restaurant. I may stop by there in person sometime. I would love to give them 40 stars if that is an acceptable.

Ana

I had an amazing experience! We went there for lunch with colleagues and were unsure what to order. The staff were super accommodating and asked about any food allergies. Since none of us had any, they kindly brought out dishes one by one for us to try. The food was incredible! We got a variety of shrimp, pork, and chicken dishes, all of which were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend!

Bobby B

We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday. It was very busy, but we got a table inside. Chef Fang was onsite helping out with taking food orders and talking to guest. We ordered the house noodles, pork dumpling, steamed buns and egg dumplings (as seen on TV). We enjoyed our meal and even got a photo with Chef Fang.

+4

keith k

I have lived in San Francisco my whole life but never experienced House of Nanking! I was invited to dinner by two of my friends and it did not disappoint. A few things that surprised me— 1) lines forms pretty quick but there are plenty of seats indoors and out in a park-let. 2) The prices are an absolute steal especially with inflation so high! I was shocked. 3) The food is pretty damn good, and quite authentic. 4) The service is straight forward with the right balance of welcoming. We ordered the duck and roast pork baos which tasted so good. The Sizzling Rice soup had nice and tender pieces of chicken while feeling comforting in the cool evening San Francisco Autumn weather. The sesame noodles were ok in my opinion. The steak cubes with bok choy definitely stood out… flavorful and balanced with the veggies. The Sesame Chicken also stood out to me— 37 year tradition was one of my favorites! Crispy, sweet, with a touch of spice. I really enjoyed my experience at House of Nanking. As a life-long resident, I cannot believe it took me this long to discover it. Affordable and authentic— I definitely recommend it!

+1

Hannah Thompson

We ate good at Nanking! We were seated immediately around noon on a Saturday which pleasantly surprised me. The inside is a bit crammed with boxes of beer everywhere and the chairs are uncomfortable. We would have preferred to sit outside but we were sort of rushed in. We ordered the sesame chicken, chicken fried rice, and chili oil wontons. Everything was delicious and came out within 15 minutes. Don’t expect super friendly personable interactions, but do expect good food. I’d come back!

Breanne Spencer

One of the best meals we had in San Francisco! We went for an earlier dinner around 5:30 and did not have to wait for a table. The owner asked us if we were hungry and if we had any dietary restrictions, then brought out recommended plates for us. Everything was delicious and came very promptly. We were in and out quickly but expected this and still very much enjoyed the experience.

Get the Chef Special / Chef recommended dishes.....the food just keeps coming and never disappoints.

Food and services was excellent. We order scallion pancakes for appetizer and it has a curry sauce. We order the fish soup and it was very tasty. We also got the sizzling fried rice! Too good! We…

Food and services was excellent. We order scallion pancakes for appetizer and it has a curry sauce. We order the fish soup and it was very tasty. We also got the sizzling fried rice! Too good! We c…

Food is extremely delicious!! Sesame chicken, short ribs, and fried rice were simply spectacular. A must, if you are in Chinatown

Food is extremely delicious!! Sesame chicken, short ribs, and fried rice were simply spectacular. A must, if you are in Chinatown

Went back for the second time and this place doesn't disappoint! This time we got the tofu buns and the egg pillows which were huge highlights. The service was quick, there was a line out the door …

I've been wanting to try House of Nanking but it seems like every time I go, there's a long wait so I recently ordered delivery for dinner and got the Sizzling rice soup and Chili Oil Tossed Pork…

OMG, so good! We took our server’s recommendations. She was spot on. We enjoyed all of it! The prices were reasonable as well.

OMG, so good! We took our server’s recommendations. She was spot on. We enjoyed all of it! The prices were reasonable as well.

Our tour guide recommended going to House of Nanking as an authentic experience in Chinatown. When we arrived there was a pretty big line but we waited anyway. People were in and out of the restaur…

Fist time back in 7 years. The food is still great but the service is mediocre. No wait times which is a positive. Try the sesame chicken. It is outstanding.

Fist time back in 7 years. The food is still great but the service is mediocre. no wait times which is a positive. Try the sesame chicken. It is outstanding.

We ate here on a Sunday evening. We stood in line outside to wait for a seating. The line moved quickly. When seated, the chef/owner came to our table himself. He offered to cook our meal himself. …

Great food. Big queue for tables but it moved quickly. Good service and the owner was going round checking everyone was happy. Sesame chicken was a highlight.

Top place to eat in China town, great food at good prices, large portions of very tasty food. A great experience had by the family, check it out if in San Fran.

Locals tend to rag on House of Nanking as a tourist trap, but as a Bay Area resident I still found myself really enjoying the food here. Yes, the service is a bit gimmicky in its effort to be curt and non-accommodating. But the food comes fast and there are some home runs on the menu, including most importantly the MOGU BEEF. It is, in a word, toothsome. The beef is tender yet crispy, and the mustard cuts the heaviness of the fry with a vinegary bite. It’s sooo good!!

Comfortable yet tight communal outdoor seating, a few delicious off the menu items like shrimp dumplings. But their lovely chili oil totally made the difference and spiced up my Sizzling Table side Shrimp Fried Rice. Just wish it had more veggies in it. The only down side, was their restroom wasn't available it was broke or being repaired. We had to go else where to find a restroom to use.

Dylan Li

Very good American Chinese food. We waited about 20min for a table for 5 at 1pm on a Sunday. We had the sesame chicken, honey apple beef, and spicy pork belly, with a few bowls of white rice. All the dishes were well-made; definitely a level above most American Chinese food I've had. The dishes were flavourful, with a distinct sweetness that you find in this kind of food. I quite liked the honey apple beef as the beef was tender, apples were slightly crisp and soft, and the honey flavour complemented it well. Only complaints were the portion of meat was small and the service was a bit slow. Could be worth a try if you have time to wait

My best friend loves this place and so does Keanu Reeves (Lot of his pics with the owners flashed all over the restaurant).\n\nWe opted for a vegetarian meal here and selected "owners special prepara…

Been there before Covid and came back in fall of 2025 food taste change I don't know how it change but not the same. Serving sizes got cuter but price went up. Most of the dishes we ordered are too…

Super fast service and really good food! Our favorites were the ribs and the sesame chicken! Everything was great though you can't go wrong. Such a staple in the city.

Super fast service and really good food! Our favorites were the ribs and the sesame chicken! Everything was great though you can't go wrong. Such a staple in the city.

Good food. Although I don't appreciate being asked for 'more' tip. I would have tipped more if it was a full service restaurant, but this is a dumpling shop. Very rude to ask that question.

No funny business this was fire. Our group of 7 was sat pretty quickly and the food came out even quicker. Cozy table and bustling atmosphere. All the dumplings were great, I loved the scallion pan…

We ordered it as a big group order at work. We were missing all sodas and steam dumplings. So a co worker missed her whole order. \n\nI got their honey walnut chicken and the chicken was so dried…

Extremely rude waitstaff. Attempted upselling. Average food. overpriced. Small portions. Tourist trap. Many better options in Chinatown

one of my favorite chinese food places in the city! love the bustling, authentic atmosphere and the food is great. my only complaint is the seating is extremely cramped indoors to the point where i…

Locals tend to rag on House of Nanking as a tourist trap, but as a Bay Area resident I still found myself really enjoying the food here. Yes, the service is a bit gimmicky in its effort to be curt …

Yes, the space is small, the tables are crowded, and staff are harried but efficient when the evening meal rush is in full swing, but the food is tasty, the prices are reasonable, and the restauran…

Don't be surprised if there's a line/wait to get in. The food is quite good, very enjoyable. The service was a bit rough. We asked for things we didn't get. There was a wine on the menu, but not available (they don't have many, so I'd of preferred if it was lined off the menu, or we were told beforehand it wasn't available). I wasn't given a menu to choose another drink and the staff were pushy in suggesting 1 particular drink. The staff yell questions at you. It isn't a good feeling. It's tough getting staff attention. I get "hustle"/ lunch rush environments, but this had elements of too little staff, too much work. As a patron, it felt stressful. Even though the food is great, it's not a place to chill and have a relaxing meal. We were here Valentine's Day afternoon. We had the Eggplant and Sweet Potato (great eye appeal and tasted delicious), Apple Chicken (it is not basic, it's comfort food), Sizzling Beef, delicious; Chili Oil Pork Wontons and Pork Confit Eggrolls got us started. I do like the business signage. Visible inside and out there are mentions of the business being seen in Matrix 4 and pictures with Keanu Reeves. Seating is "family style". While we had our own table, we were sandwiches between a party of 2 to the left and a party of 3 to our right. You'll be elbow close to a stranger, if that's not for you, you can decide accordingly. I DID see at least one table on its own. You go up to the counter to pay. Check in with the line, because it intersects with the bathroom line, so you don't wait for one thing, when you want the other.

This place came recommended to me as an amazing Chinese spot, but perhaps that led to high expectations that were difficult to meet given I found this spot to be mid at best. \n\nWe were seated outsi…

After watching their show on the food network, we were determined to make a trip out to try the restaurant. The food is definitely worth the hype but the overall experience was not great. Service…

I want to love this place but the Sizzling rice soup description said nothing about milk. Milk is all I could taste in the broth, yet the description says nothing to that effect. i've been lactos…

Our fried rice was burned and the sesame chicken + "melt in your mouth" pork belly was very dry :(

A grubby grimey place with boxes everywhere and doesn’t look the cleanest inside. Staff were fairly friendly but only certain staff can take a drinks order, and only certain staff can take a food o…

I have had better food at Panda Express. Inedible pork cutlet and the gooey sweet chicken you find at any drive in. Skip it

I have had better food at Panda Express. Inedible pork cutlet and the gooey sweet chicken you find at any drive in. Skip it

One of the strangest dining experiences I’ve ever had. The restaurant ( and toilets!) were full of boxes and ingredients and looked like they need a good clean. Elderly waitress was wearing a body…

The restaurant is cramped and tables surrounded by boxes of drinks etc. It was like eating in a warehouse. My friend pulled the table out to let me through and said there was lots of chewing gum st…

I sadly came with higher expectations than were delivered while in Business in San Fran. I ordered a beer and glass of water to start with. The beer was tepid no glass was offered. I then ord…

Daniel H

TLDR: 3 cubes a beef in an unrecognizable fusion dish with awful service with small bowl of rice for $30. I wouldn’t classify this as Chinese, nor Americanized Chinese. It was more like Chinese inspired fusion. I am shocked it has such high ratings. It was recommended to me and I had my concerns when arriving but decided to give it a try. The first waitress was nice but the old lady was awful. Within five minutes of getting the menu I was asked three times to order and despite multiple empty tables I felt rushed. I asked for recommendations and she was instant on Mogu Beef. What is Mogu beef? Still trying to figure out what Mogu sauce is, an overly sweet mustardy/mayo sauce. There were 3 cubes of beef, shiitake and cauliflower. This and a small bowl of rice for $30. It wasn’t the worst I have eaten in my life, the veggies and mushrooms were fresh. But this was a big miss.

Perhaps overhyped due to Keanu. Perhaps Keanu is just a simple man. Yuck to mediocre Chinese food at best. The bowls and utensils were not properly cleaned.\n\nOrdered 2 entrees and didn't even bothe…

Perhaps overhyped due to Keanu. Perhaps Keanu is just a simple man. Yuck to mediocre chinese food at best. The bowls and utensils were not properly cleaned.\n\nOrdered 2 entrees and didn't even b…

Seated us outside & forgot about us lol! \n\nSat there for about an hour for our food.\n\nForgot two of our items and still made us pay full price (plus tip). \n\nOverall rude staff & didn't even a…

It's super Dirty not sanitary at all. I went to the restroom after waiting in the line for like 5 minutes I catched a glim on of the kitchen and the way they store their food it's so disgusting the…

You see the long queue, the shabby and crowded interiors, the incredibly rude service, the high turnover, and you think, the food must be really amazing in this place, but it’s not, it’s standard tou…

You see the long queue, the shabby and crowded interiors, the incredibly rude service, the high turnover, and you think, the food must be really amazing in this place, but it’s not, it’s standard t…

You see the long queue, the shabby and crowded interiors, the incredibly rude service, the high turnover, and you think, the food must be really amazing in this place, but it’s not, it’s standard t…

I'm a local San Franciscan and when I found myself in Chinatown decided to see what the hype was about. What I found was a filthy tourist trap with the absolute worst service. The staff was bitte…

I live local and used to come here 30 years ago when the food was good. We tried it today to see if it was still good. It’s not. Restaurant was dirty and grimy. food was phoned in and panders…

N. N.

Very disappointed. Ordered beef dumplings, house noodles with chicken and sesame chicken. The dumplings tasted stale. The sesame chicken had under cooked potatoes and over fried chicken. The noodles were not fully cooked and stuck together.