Lunar New Year Celebrations: 2 San Francisco Chinatown restaurants
Lunar New Year: a look at 2 SF Chinatown restaurants focusing on family and food
KTVU visits two San Francisco Chinatown family -owned restaurants during Lunar New Year celebrations. This is the most important holiday for the Chinese and Vietnamese communities as they focus on family and food.
SAN FRANCISCO -
The Bay Area's Chinese and Vietnamese communities are celebrating Lunar New Year.
KTVU is highlighting two restaurants in San Francisco Chinatown that have been family-owned for generations.
Both are a testament to resiliency and pride in preserving cultural heritage through food.
606 on Broadway in San Francisco Chinatown is a re-invention of New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant that has been here since 1989, 36 years ago.
It serves Hong Kong-style Chinese food.
Theresa Lau, the owners' daughter, took over a year ago, reopening the restaurant for the first time after her parents closed it during the pandemic.
"Being so proud of what my parents were able to achieve on their own, building it from the ground up," said Theresa.
Theresa's husband, Eugene, is helping her carry on the family legacy.
He said one specialty is called Simon's garlic chicken, a dish named after his uncle who made it at his restaurant in Modesto.
It's lightly battered chicken in a special sauce that Eugene ate as a boy.
Staples such as beef chow fun, made with fresh, flat rice noodles, are a source of pride.
"This is the absolute dish where you test "wok hai," which is the dragon's breath of the wok," said Eugene.
He's referring to the unique smoky flavor that comes from cooking it in a wok.
"The beef chow is delicious. It's a personal favorite of mine. I've been eating it since i was a girl here in Chinatown," said Amber.
Delicious, as was another specialty: the salt and pepper fish filet.
It's crispy, light, and not greasy.
"You're basically slamming the water into the ball of tea," said Eugene's brother, Alvin, who brews the hand-crafted Hong Kong-style milk tea that is an integral part of the restaurant.
He said his father used to make milk tea for the family.
Dad is an immigrant from Hong Kong,
The beverage is a reminder of his struggle to balance work and family.
Alvin became emotional when talking about his father.
"My dad just said if I could turn back the hands of time and spend more time with you, I would, but I couldn't," he said.
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The brothers said another source of inspiration was their grandfather, who also owned a restaurant in Chinatown.
"This restaurant is really a place to put everything in here from our childhood," said Eugene.
The owners said their restaurant is about serving the community and making customers feel at home the minute they walk through those doors.
"I just find that the food is really fresh and a little bit different from your normal Cantonese cooking," said customer Steven Owyang, who has been a regular at both 606 and New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant.
"Just a few blocks away is Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant on Columbus Avenue.
It started in 1982, more than 40 years ago.
It serves traditional dishes.
Inmy Chi took over the restaurant from her aunt in 2017.
"Love food. Love people. Love the people around it. Love to hear the wok going," Chi said.
She uses her heart as a guide to how she runs the restaurant.
Chi proudly displays the many dishes that are popular.
She says Pho, beef noodle soup is a bestseller.
Sai makes them the way Amber prefers, wrapped in rice paper.
She said it's light and crispy and Chi added that they are gluten-free.
Sai's original location was on Washington Street.
After almost four decades in business, Chi was forced to find a new home when the property owner did not want to renew the lease.
Undaunted, Chi and her family found the current location nearby.
In a show of resiliency, they renovated the new place largely with their own hands in just three months.
"Everybody came together to put this place together," said Chi.
In honor of Lunar New Year or what the Vietnamese refer to as "Tet," Chi's mom makes "banh tet."
It's sticky rice with mung beans and pork belly.
It's eaten during the holiday.
Sai's Restaurant has been at this location less than two years, but the menu's the same, the staff's the same and so are the customers.
"Just liking the style of food and the quality of food. Would always come back. I'll never stop coming here," customer Kenneth Clews said he's been eating at Sai's since it was in its original location.
Stanley Tsan has served Sai's customers since 1984.
"I don't know anything else. All I know is make sure my customers walk out of here happy and make sure things go well." said Tsan who is the son of the original owner.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU