Amber Lee's Chinatown: A culinary experience in photos

SAN FRANCISCO - Amber Lee's Chinatown shares memories of the food our reporter grew up with as a San Francisco native. Amber was born at Chinese Hospital in Chinatown, so the subject here is very dear to her. KTVU is airing four special segments each week throughout the month of May for Asian American Pacific Islander Month. Plus, catch a special half-hour segment on Memorial Day with extra bonus footage. Here's another look behind the scenes of our culinary tour in images.

Lai Hong Lounge: In the kitchen 

Located at 1416 Powell Street, this Chinese restaurant is slightly off the beaten path for Chinatown. They are known for their innovative take on some traditional dishes. We went for dim sum and toured this very busy kitchen. This is a family-owned business with brother-sister duo, Tiffany and Leon Zhou, in charge as the managers and owners. Their father is the chef. His signature baked pork bao, a creation they started making in 2008, is incredibly delicious. 

Fun fact: The literal translation is dim = bit and sum = heart. Think of it as a piece of my heart. Or the chef's heart as the case may be.

Seafood freshness is everything

Lai Hong Lounge prides itself on the freshness of its seafood. Here's a glimpse at how one of their black cod fish dishes is made from the beginning to the final product. 

Fun fact: When Amber Lee was a young girl, she would have an allergic reaction to eating shrimp. The seafood would irritate her eyes and they would swell up. Her grandfather, whom she loved very much, would not stand for this. He said she could not be allergic to shrimp since this was such a staple of the Chinese diet. "Keep eating it," he'd tell her. Amber says that and traditional medicine worked. She is no longer allergic to shrimp! 

The dishes and presentation

The dishes are colorful and packed with phenomenal flavors. Amber noticed how the modern farm-to-table movement in the U.S. was something Chinese culture had been doing all along! Here's a look at some of what we saw coming out from the kitchen. It was quite impressive. These spreads are no joke. 

Leon Zhou made sure to get us some extra baked pork buns, since we enjoyed them so much. He also told one of our crew members that we had to try their version of Peking duck. Yes, the skin was crispy. Underneath the skin, texture wise, it almost felt like eating a spare rib. The pan-fried turnip cake, made with house-made XO sauce, also packed a flavorful punch and was cooked to perfection. It is made with dried shrimp and scallops. 

Making a Mango cake at AA Bakery & Cafe 

AA Bakery & Cafe owner Henry Chan made a mango cake right before our eyes. He is a skilled baker who demonstrates attention to detail. This is one of the shop's more popular desserts. One thing we learned is that in Chinese culture, it is preferred to have desserts that are light. Chan mentioned how oftentimes and traditionally, Chinese customers perceive American desserts as too heavy. That's why at Chinese weddings and parties, you will often see fruit-based cakes and desserts. 

"Chinese Tamales": one of Amber Lee's favorites

"Chinese tamales" (Amber Lee's nickname for this food, as she did grow up in the Mission District) is something Amber remembers her grandmother making growing up. This is the House of Dim Sum version of what they list on their menu as 'salted pork & egg sticky rice'. We took one home, re-steamed it and dove right in! Here's a look at how to deconstruct this dish for consumption. 

Unwrap the leaf by cutting the string and look how when you cut into the rice layer, the meat begins to pour out. You can see a bit of lap cheong, that's Amber's favorite – Chinese sausage. 

Fun fact: Amber likes this sausage so much, she once named her wiener dog Lap Cheong!  

House of Dim Sum is located at 735 Jackson St. in San Francisco Chinatown. This is a great takeout place to get dim sum on the go. 

A 167-year-old business, Chinese dynasty

That's not a typo. Mow Lee Shing Kee & Co. has been in business since 1856. Lien Lee is the sixth generation owner of this business that is every bit as much a trip through time as its longevity suggests. It's quite an operation. When you walk in, one of the first things you will see is the stunning display of cured meats. Flayed ducks adorn the wall, almost decorative against the mint-green tile. The back-room operation is something to behold. Workers sit on stools and soak the assorted meats in large vats of wine. Then they're put in an equally impressive drying oven before being hung to air dry. This is where you can get your supply of lap cheong. Many of the customers we saw coming in were getting goods to ship to New York City and Los Angeles. 

Mow Lee Shing Kee & Co. is located at 774 Commercial St. in San Francisco Chinatown. 

Hing Lung Company, aka, "Go Duck Yourself"

We loved our time at Hing Lung Company located at 1261 Stockton Street. Again, this is on the far north end of Chinatown, so it's a little off the beaten path. 

This is the type of place you could pass hundreds of times as a San Francisco resident and not even know of the treasures within. But you must step foot inside. Good thing we had Amber as our tour guide. 

This experience was true testament to bridging the past to the present, and looking toward the future. Brothers and business co-owners Eric and Simon Cheung took over their father's business. While they are helping preserve the neighborhood, its character and culture, they are also on social media. They have a trendy butcher paper menu written in English and Cantonese and a sassy sign in the window reads ‘Go Duck Yourself.' 

Hing Lung Co. is officially recognized as a legacy business with the San Francisco Small Business Commission. The business got its start in 1977. 

Don't be afraid to go inside and try new things. The barbecue pork and duck is phenomenal. Simon told us he must have ruined 50 entire hogs before he got his process down to a science. 

Fun Fact: This brother duo is planning a brick and mortar expansion in SF's Bernal Heights neighborhood and the name of it? You guessed it, ‘Go Duck Yourself.' Looking forward to the company's continued growth! 

All photos by Andre Torrez