I ordered their noodle soup, and it was absolutely perfect for a cold evening. It came out quickly, smelled amazing, and the flavor was outstanding — rich, comforting, and incredibly satisfying. Friendly service, great portions, and delicious food. I’ll definitely be back and highly recommend My Canh to anyone craving authentic, flavorful Vietnamese cuisine.

Welcomed in with care. The food was prepared in a timely manner and the recommendations from the server were pristine. The restaurant itself felt like a family run mom and pop shop and the vibe was comfy. They seem to organize some community events within it too! The food portion was a lot! Definitely worth the cost and a visit. Thank you for the hospitality.

James Ashwin

We had an amazing lunch at China Live, the dumplings were amazing but our favorite dish was the bbq pork and bok Choi on rice. I highly recommend visiting this place next time you’re in SF.

+1

Alyse Gray

Fantastic food and the best service in SF! We had a great experience at China Live for a NYE dinner. Our waiter was even better than the food—he was so genuine and gave us perfect recommendations. We tried a huge variety: the Sheng Jian Bao (pan-fried dumplings), Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), Crushed Cucumber Skins, Yangzhou Fried Rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Wok Seared Filet Mignon, and Sichuan Blistered Green Beans. The dumplings and the cucumber skins were absolute favorites, as was the Kung Pao chicken. The filet mignon was delicious, though the portion was a bit on the smaller side. Everything came out incredibly fast! We finished with Cindy’s pineapple walnut spice carrot cake and the Amaretto bread pudding, both of which were highlights of the night. Highly recommend!

+5

Hannah Koopman

This is my favorite Chinese spot in San Francisco. It’s trendy, so be sure to make a reservation. I love bringing friends here when they’re visiting. Sitting at the bar and watching the chefs prepare the dishes at the stations is such a fun experience. There are plenty of vegetarian options, too. It can get a little loud, so if you have a bigger group, ask for a table toward the back near their shop for a quieter experience. For smaller groups or just one friend, the bar seating is a blast. A must-visit spot!

+1

christopher chang

Came here for supper the other night . We always get the Peking duck , roast pork, and ginger onion crab. Food is always consistent and tasty. Lots of flavors going on . Service is always friendly and on point !

Olga Nemesh

China Live is absolutely outstanding! The food is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared — even my toddler loved it. The drinks are exceptional and the service is friendly and professional. Everything feels high-quality yet welcoming. One of the best dining experiences in San Francisco. Highly recommend!

+3

Becca Kearney

Anyone who wants to have one of the best meals of all time must come to China Live! My foodie family does not usually prefer Asian cuisine, however we rank this meal in our top 3 favorites of our lifetime! Let me tell China Live does not skimp on portions or quality! The only other place you can find dumplings this good is in China itself! The pork belly appetizer was perfectly cooked + crispy leaving my stomach pinning for more. The Mongolian beef absolutely melted in our mouths. We also enjoyed firecracker chicken, their award winning thin noodles and fried rice, but if you order one thing you must order the black sesame ice cream with mango shave ice. You are going to have to take my word for it. It should be illegal to go to China Live without ordering this heavenly dessert. China Live does not miss on the aesthetic either. They kept it simple and modern with touches of Chinese culture and vibrant floral features! Not only did they have helpful and friendly servers, but they had fantastic service that came out quick, family style, and nicely portioned. Out of many experiences we’ve had at top tier restaurants, I can tell you that this one may be my favorites of all time. I’m sure Chinatown has many other fantastic restaurant options but I promise you they will not get any better than this! I can’t think of a single piece of criticism for this restaurant. If I could I would give it a 6/5 stars! Take my advice and go to China live, you will thank me for the rest of your life!

Steven Straus

The Chinese food I had delivered to my address was some of the best Chinese food I ever had. The chicken dish with peanuts 🥜 both looked and tasted so amazing. It was like heaven in my mouth 👄. I highly recommend people stop by this restaurant if they are ever in china town San Francisco. I garentee you will never be disappointed. I give them 5 stars ⭐️ all around

J Pro

Highly recommended by my Chinese co-workers, this restaurant is a hidden gem. To me, the experience felt like Chinese tapas — an impressive variety of small, authentic dishes that let you sample so many flavors. The trendy, vibrant atmosphere adds to the charm, making it a great spot for both casual meals and special nights out. There’s also a small shop inside where you can browse unique souvenirs — from specialty foods to beautifully crafted decorative pieces. And if you’re there for dinner, make sure to head upstairs to the bar — a stylish space with an excellent selection of whiskeys and other drinks. A great place to wrap up your evening.

+1

Danice M

We were going to eat lunch yesterday Sunday and found the restaurant was not open till 4 p.m. We will be back another day. The fun part is they have so many cool things to offer like Duck Fat popcorn- teas, cooking cookbooks and more. We were in there for a while. Love the friend staff super awesome.

+4

Cory Anderson

HIGHLY recommend! Really great food with a great variety. The tea is really delicious, one of my favorites I’ve tried. For vegetarians, there’s plenty of veg (eg green beans), the tofu medley is good, and the impossible dumplings are a must try!

Ben Matthews

Great service and buzzy atmosphere. We asked for a quieter area and they were able to quickly sort this. Food was excellent. Bao are a classic. Pork ribs were the highlight. But the crispy duck was a let down - lacked taste and the sesame bread was too hard for my taste. Overall though, completely worth a visit.

Mudasser Zaheer (MAZ)

China Live is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was fantastic, and the service was top-notch. We started with the dim sum appetizer, which was incredible – each bite was bursting with flavor. The scallion bread was another highlight, perfectly crispy and delicious. For our main dishes, we tried the chicken curry and the sauash, both of which were outstanding. Every dish was expertly prepared and full of flavor. China Live truly provides a memorable and delightful dining experience. Highly recommend!

+2

Glenn Reynolds

Three of us had dinner with a reservation. This is a large commercial venue with linen napkin table service. They have divided the seating up by zones so it feels a little more intimate (until you go to use the restroom and realize just how big the place is). The good news is that they can take singles at the bar and large parties at big tables. The menu is a check the box paper disposable so while its not as personal the server did check in about our choices. The food came out in a reasonable time given how large and how busy they were. The atmosphere is very modern and up beat with lots of young people and several open kitchen stations with staff working on a specialty. Fun to watch. Our food was very good and well prepared. As a modern upscale Chinese restaurant they hit that mark very well. The menu is large. We enjoyed both classic dishes and California fusion.

+5

I love the food here, so innovative, delicious and high quality. It's like someone took all your favorite traditional Chinese dishes and spun them with a twist with wagyu and premium ingredients and …

I love the food here, so innovative, delicious and high quality. It's like someone took all your favorite traditional Chinese dishes and spun them with a twist with wagyu and premium ingredients an…

My boyfriend and I came here randomly and were super impressed. The service and atmosphere here were amazing! Our waiter was very kind and accommodating as well as the kitchen staff that gave us a …

My boyfriend and I came here randomly and were super impressed. The service and atmosphere here were amazing! Our waiter was very kind and accommodating as well as the kitchen staff that gave u…

I came back. Hayden is still the man hope you gave him that raise he deserves it. 10/10 service he pours a mean glass of wine. dungeness crab spring rolls are the dogs bollocks - dirty Mike and…

I came back. Hayden is still the man hope you gave him that raise he deserves it. 10/10 service he pours a mean glass of wine. Dungeness crab spring rolls are the dogs bollocks - dirty Mike and the…

I came back. Hayden is still the man hope you gave him that raise he deserves it. 10/10 service he pours a mean glass of wine. Dungeness crab spring rolls are the dogs bollocks - dirty Mike and the…

Been anxiously waiting to try their impossible dumplings. Best impossible plant based meat creation by far! Savory well made perfect little dumplings in their special chili sauce. It's called the…

The food I had delivered to me from this restaurant was finger licking delicious and was excellently prepared. The chicken dish with peanuts really hit the spot. The garlic noodles were also amaz…

Very interesting place with good food, a unique setting and rather relaxed servers. Sone of the dishes like soup dumplings and fried rice with pork are outstanding with others not so Much so. Serv…

Very interesting place with good food, a unique setting and rather relaxed servers. Sone of the dishes like soup dumplings and fried rice with pork are outstanding with others not so M…

Very interesting place with good food, a unique setting and rather relaxed servers. Sone of the dishes like soup dumplings and fried rice with pork are outstanding with others not so Much so. …

Very interesting place with good food, a unique setting and rather relaxed servers. Sone of the dishes like soup dumplings and fried rice with pork are outstanding with others not so Much so. Se…

Amazing food. #97 out of 5000 reviews. It's massive in here along with a market. Food is cooked fresh we had the bruslle sprouts dim some and a big fat chow mein. We'll worth a visit if ever in san f…

Amazing food. #97 out of 5000 reviews. It's massive in here along with a market. food is cooked fresh we had the bruslle sprouts dim some and a big fat chow mein. We'll worth a visit if ever in s…

This restaurant had great reviews on Open Table so we booked! We were not disappointed. Our waitperson gave us the best service was the best we received in our 2.5 week visit to the US - friendly…

What not to like! Vibrant cheerful restaurant! Super friendly and helpful staff! And the food selection is to die for… In a city like San Francisco with so many restaurants its quite rare to go bac…

If you are on the search for some fresh and delicious Chinese food, you have found it here. Restaurant was so clean, and the food was the best!

We stopped in and was the best dinner thus far on our trip the food was excellent , amazing ambiance and amazing service

The food is great. The service is acceptable. The staff seem to be always chattering in a language I can't understand, which means it's like going on an expensive vacation in Vietnam. It's a taste of the culture, but without that early 1970s angst of no support for that war. It's a refreshing break from the big box joints. Not everyone wants to risk this. I don't understand and get confused at times.

Service was great! Food was good. The wonton soup was okay.

NEW OWNERS continuing on with new attitude.. service & food is definitely up a notch or more! Posted on their menu “We use organic food ingredients and 100% non-toxic cleaning product, GLIM Super Alkaline Water” 2 favorites remains on the menu .. BUN BO HUE CRAB Soup with thick noods & $9.99 BanhMi

Great down and dirty Vietnamese on the edge of San Francisco’s Chinatown. The aesthetic is rough however the food is great, well priced and popular with locals. We arrived at just around 11pm and the place was alive and clearly popular. Food was tasty and a great find if you’re a seafood lover.

Melissa Eisner

Fun spot to go with a group and sample all the fun food options on the menu. I loved the soup dumplings and the bao, oh and the green beans were great too! It can get a bit noisy, in case you’re looking for something quiet this is not your spot. Come here and get your hipster vibe on!

+1

WisteriaStarlight

It’s a good Chinese restaurant, wonderful bathrooms and nice staff. Have vegan options. I just didn’t really like most of the meat, it was a bit fatty.

Johnny L.

Everything is a give and take right? Great settings and service but Food is geared toward Westerner, hence expect 90% authenticity. For example, the Siu Yuk is crispy but not the authentic type of crispy that u expect. Flavor of the meat is well done though!

+5

Great service, great food...But to hear from our server that requesting Bad Bunny music was "against the new manager's philosophy of being more inclusive", was severely disappointing. It's a shame gi…

Great service, great food...But to hear from our server that requesting Bad Bunny music was "against the new manager's philosophy of being more inclusive", was severely disappointing. It's a shame …

Great service, great food...But to hear from our server that requesting Bad Bunny music was "against the new manager's philosophy of being more inclusive", was severely disappointing. It's a shame …

Great service, great food...But to hear from our server that requesting Bad Bunny music was "against the new manager's philosophy of being more inclusive", was severely disappointing. It's a sham…

China Live is a restaurant and marketplace offering Chinese cuisine in a refined setting at the edge of San Francisco's Chinatown. To start, we had the Chrysanthemum Ten Ingredient Salad, a refreshin…

The food and service were top notch. The atmosphere was noisy, crowded, and modern. 3.5 stars \n\nWe dined on the first floor in a room with a large party of 15 right behind us. I noticed that most…

This place has a cool ambiance and their drinks are STRONG, especially the old fashioned. I was impressed. \n\nWe ordered some green bean, soup dumplings, fried dumplings, and Chinese broccoli. I d…

This place has a cool ambiance and their drinks are STRONG, especially the old fashioned. I was impressed. \n\nWe ordered some green bean, soup dumplings, fried dumplings, and Chinese broccol…

It was good but kinda pricy, eggrolls were great, drinks were great, service was great, ambiance reminds me of Eataly! Excited for them to open a spinoff location in Santana row valley fair area bu…

Good food and Mike was a great server, nice wholesome guy. The Taiwanese beef noodles were a hit and the chicken was pretty good too. Probably better bang for your buck options in China town tho

This is a large and lively restaurant in Chinatown. The menu is extensive and varied, the food is quite good, and so too was my cocktail. Service was first rate, friendly and helpful.

Modern setting light, clean and buzzing. Good service with honest opinion that we had ordered on the generous side. The food was excellent as described and so tasty. Visited on a Tuesday and it was…

Modern setting light, clean and buzzing. Good service with honest opinion that we had ordered on the generous side. The food was excellent as described and so tasty. Visited on a Tuesday and it was…

Food was food and some authentic Chinese food. The restaurant is loud with music and noise, does not recommend for any meetings. Good menu and good taste

Slow service. Restaurant was extremely busy and we were dumped at the bar without anyone explaining the menu to us and how the concept of ChinaLive worked. waited ages on the food and when it came …

A mix of a market and a restaurant, it is a great place to try Chinese food. The dumplings and the duck are really good. Do not forget to buy the fortune cookies with chocolate.

Our Hotel staff recommended China Live for great Chinese food. Ordered ahead over the phone and grabbed an Uber. Extensive wait to pick up the Kung Pao chicken and dumplings. Back at the hotel we d…

Our Hotel staff recommended China Live for great Chinese food. Ordered ahead over the phone and grabbed an Uber. Extensive wait to pick up the Kung Pao chicken and dumplings. Back at the hotel we d…

In the heart of China town is this trendy restaurant….The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere the food and the service very good !

We had a Chow Mein special, grilled shrimp & beef bun and Vietnamese spring rolls. The quality of the food was good, but the portion size was quite small especially the Chow Mein came only with a very small portion of noodles and also bun dish was on the smaller side. Given that both dishes costs $17 each I was expecting at least a normal portion size. The interior looks worn out and in a need for an update. They also charge a surcharge for credit cards which was neither mentioned on the menu nor by the waiter. The service was okay expect that the waiter refused to close the door even though it was quite windy and cold outside. The waiter also tried to push me repeatedly to give 20% tip which was a bit annoying.

Zoë Friedman

China Live is a fun spot for authentic Chinese food in the heart of Chinatown, with several gluten-free options safe for Celiac. My friends (from China) ordered several dishes and said they were delicious and authentic. My waiter was knowledgeable about the gluten-free options available to me. I ordered the green papaya salad and the chicken lettuce cups. Both dishes were extremely flavorful, albeit overly salty. Portions were large enough for sharing and plated nicely. Overall, I was happy to have gluten-free options, as China Alive is one of the few restaurants in which I felt safe eating in Chinatown. The ambience is inviting, fun, and friendly. It’s quiet enough to hear the people at your table while also hearing chatter and laughter at other tables. I recommend making reservations in advance to avoid a wait.

Wilson Tsang

TLDR: decent food but for the price, it feels a bit too expensive for what we got. The roast pork was my favorite part, having nice and crunchy skin without being too crispy. The pork wasn’t too fatty as well. The pecking duck was a miss for me, the thick breading overpowered the duck. The fried bao I wish there was more soup inside. The short rib was good though it was a bit too charred. All in all, most of the food was decent but with the price being higher than other spots, I expected more

+1

Wolf Fivousix

This place looks very chic and modern. But the food didn't really go above your average Chinese joint. Came by for a late lunch, place was pretty empty and the service was uninterested in our business at best. Maybe I came by in a bad day? Maybe I had a bad server? Your guess is as good as mine, but given you can't turn a corner in Chinatown without bumping into a restaurant or a dim sum spot, I can't say I will give this place another try.

+1

The ambience was very nice, the soup dumplings were pretty good. I got an oolong tea, that was really good. The overall service was fairly good, I came when it was pretty busy so the server in di…

This review is about China Live takeout through SF2Bay. overpriced, several dishes so bad we didn't even finish (crispy chicken dry, charred broccoli tasted off).

This review is about China Live takeout through SF2Bay. Overpriced, several dishes so bad we didn't even finish (crispy chicken dry, charred broccoli tasted off).

Nice ambiance, good food\n\nFairly pricey. I'd say it's worth it except,\n\n25% automatic gratuity is egregiously immoral. Add to the food price if you want to include it.

Decent meal! Glad I was able to try this place out. Had reservations and was easy to make. Food was good, but didn't wow me for the price. It's a nice addition to Chinatown, and a fun place for tou…

We had a nice meal here. As a couple We were told to have 3 or 4 dishes so we ordered the pork belly, dim sum, chicken and a veggie rice dish. The waitress who was very friendly and good company …

This placed used to be the IT place for crab noodle soup. Some would say, legendary even... back in the day. Sadly, in September 2025, we got the noodle soup with the crab and it was clear the crab was not fresh. Wife said, don't bother eating it and we tossed our crab to the side. I tried the pork blood, and even that tasted a bit off. This place went from #1 for this, to worst we've had in a while. There was a grand opening banner outside. We should have known. Our second dish, the crispy noodle wasn't too bad. The noodles were indeed crispy which met half the requirements. It wasn't great, but wasn't bad otherwise. Sadly, we will not be coming back.

Tables weren’t clean. They should disclose the credit card surcharge upfront. The “extra large” pho was actually the size of a regular pho at most places. Also, if you want the 10% SF resident discount, make sure to bring an ID with your current address. For reference, my final bill for a $16.xx something dish came out to about $21.something after adding a 15% tip, the credit card surcharge, and then applying the 10% discount.

Fair reviews Based on my Experiences

We don’t mind paying premium prices — *as long as the food delivers*. Unfortunately, this place didn't. Overpriced and Overhyped – Lacking in Execution (San Francisco). The portions were marketed as *family-style*, but they were noticeably small. For a group of adults, it felt like we were stretching every dish. When you’re charging premium rates, the food needs to be both satisfying and well-executed — and it missed the mark on both. The soup dumplings were the biggest letdown. The wrappers were thick and overly chewy, making them tough to eat. And the broth inside? Scalding hot — it actually burned my tongue. That’s a basic mistake and shows a lack of attention in the kitchen. Most of the other dishes were just okay — nothing memorable, nothing that justified the price. Everything looked nice, but lacked real depth in flavor. Style over substance. Dessert was forgettable and felt more like a photo op than a dessert worth savoring. The overall vibe felt heavily branded and a bit cold. It’s clear there’s been a lot of investment in design and marketing, but not nearly enough in the food itself. It felt more like a concept built for social media than a restaurant built for diners who care about quality. We’re glad we tried it once, but we won’t be back. In a city like San Francisco — full of incredible food — there are too many places that *do* deliver premium experiences with care, creativity, and real value.

+2

food served as and when it was ready but that meant 2, people got their food and 4 were waiting for at least 10 minutes. Disappointing

Food served as and when it was ready but that meant 2, people got their food and 4 were waiting for at least 10 minutes. Disappointing

I ordered pork, Chicken, Beef Subgum Shanghai Fat Noodles, paid over $40 for this one dish. There are two tiny coin sized pieces of cabbage, a limp ovrcooked green bean and a tiny sliver of (pr…

Crab noodle soup, it’s so disappointed. I used to love this place for crab noodle soup. Food now doesn’t taste as good as before. We asked for crab meat no shell, they said yes then brought out 4 bowls and said sorry they are out of the crab meat without shell. Each bowl is $20 so not worth it. Never come back.