The least hot take in San Francisco dining: Four Kings is a good restaurant! The pop-up turned Chinatown destination from chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long, and respective partners Millie Boonkokua and Lucy Li, was Eater San Francisco’s Restaurant of the Year in 2024. In 2026, the Canto comfort food wunderkind is maybe better than ever.
Neighborhood izakaya meets Chef’s Table-ish montage. Service moves fast — the kitchen staff are in view — but the atmosphere is still, somehow, accessible. Maybe it’s the bevy of polaroids on the wall or the posters of pop stars and movies.
Odds of a successful walk-in are slim to not going to happen. That said, if you are a party of one or two, coming in either right at open or quite late (the kitchen stays open until 11 p.m.) you might get lucky.