{"id":180151,"date":"2026-02-16T14:22:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/180151\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:22:12","slug":"an-insiders-guide-to-chinatowns-hidden-gem-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/180151\/","title":{"rendered":"An insider\u2019s guide to Chinatown\u2019s hidden-gem restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cynthia Huie remembers when Chinatown wasn\u2019t the place for block parties (opens in new tab)<\/a>, DJ sets (opens in new tab)<\/a>, or night markets<\/a> where thousands filled the neighborhood\u2019s historic, narrow streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That time was only a few years ago. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of change since my sister Jennifer and I opened On Waverly (opens in new tab)<\/a> in 2023,\u201d Huie says. Dropped into the hood\u2019s mix of legacy businesses, the sisters\u2019 colorful gift shop is stocked with Chinese cookbooks, AAPI fiction, pantry items from local businesses like Mama Teav\u2019s chile crisp, and \u201cToisan United\u201d stickers. <\/p>\n

A year ago, Huie also took over a funky former dentist\u2019s office upstairs from the shop and added wallpaper in an oversize floral print and mismatched vintage furniture. She introduced the stylish space as The Clubhouse (opens in new tab)<\/a>, which has hosted Rotary Club mahjong nights and dumpling-making classes. <\/p>\n

\"\"Huie in On Waverly\u2019s clubhouse. | Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard<\/p>\n

Huie\u2019s On Waverly compound has not only become one of Chinatown\u2019s coolest additions but is creating space for young Asian Americans to infuse new life into an aging community, all while celebrating their own identities. \u201cGrowing up Chinese American, I had an interior life and an exterior life,\u201d Huie says. \u201cIt was like I wasn\u2019t Chinese enough or not American enough. But now, as an adult, I get to live both freely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Huie was raised in Fremont, her family shopped in Oakland\u2019s Chinatown, where her grandfather and great-grandfather ran a chop suey house. Her grandfather was the one who cooked the family dinners. \u201cHe made very Chinese American dishes. I\u2019m super ABC,\u201d she laughs about being \u201cAmerican-born Chinese.\u201d \u201cI like tomato-beef with scrambled egg.\u201d <\/p>\n

So while she\u2019s happy to witness Mister Jiu\u2019s get glowing reviews from The NY Times (opens in new tab)<\/a>, she is also a big fan of supporting off-the-radar mom-and-pop restaurants \u2014 many of which serve the kind of Chinese American comfort food she grew up with.<\/p>\n

From restaurants to bakeries, these are the spots that make Huie feel at home.<\/p>\n

Where to eat in Chinatown, according to a neighborhood insider\"TriangularJoong come in many flavors at iCafe. | Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard\"AThe bakery calls them \u201cChinese tamales.\u201d | Source: Poppy Lynch for The StandardiCafe<\/p>\n

Located across the street from On Waverly, this long-standing bakery with everything from pork floss buns to coconut cocktail buns also specializes in joong, also known as zongzi \u2014 or, in the restaurant\u2019s cross-cultural parlance, Chinese tamales ($6.50 each). Most feature sticky rice filled with fatty Kurobuta pork (Huie\u2019s favorite) or red bean paste, tied up in bamboo leaves. But there are untraditional options made with oats, quinoa, and millet. \u201cMy grandmother used to make these at home \u2014 it was never something you bought,\u201d Huie says. \u201cBeing able to buy them is unusual, and really special.\u201d 133 Waverly Pl.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rice Roll ExpressHuie adds peanut sauce to her rice noodles at Rice Roll Express. | Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard<\/p>\n

This popular, no-frills counter-service spot that opened in 2024 is Huie\u2019s go-to for a quick lunch. A pescatarian, she orders the shrimp-and-egg rice roll ($8), a tangle of thin, wide noodles tossed with corn and cilantro \u2014 which, when ready, is announced over an airport-level loudspeaker. From the condiment selection, she adds both sweet soy with jalape\u00f1os and peanut sauce. \u201cThat\u2019s the move,\u201d she says. 1131 Stockton St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wycen Foods\"AWycen Foods specializes in lap cheong. | Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard<\/p>\n

Huie didn\u2019t know that the parents of B. Patisserie\u2019s celebrated pastry chef Belinda Leong<\/a> have long owned this famous lap cheong store, hung with an assortment of the skinny, hard, dried sausages. (But, in a small-world moment, Huie\u2019s family does know Leong\u2019s uncle, because he is their dentist.) \u201cI don\u2019t eat any other brand than Wycen\u2019s,\u201d she says. She prefers the classic pork ($12.30) and the duck liver ($12.50). As a self-described \u201csuper basic cook,\u201d Huie recommends throwing the sausages into a pot of rice with frozen corn. \u201cFor years, that was my kids\u2019 breakfast.\u201d 862 Clay St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New Hollywood\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huie discovered this Chinese American bakery and diner through her friend Pat Nishimoto, who is part of the celebrated senior burlesque troupe the Grant Avenue Follies. While the back of the restaurant has a counter that sells treats like egg tarts and Swiss rolls, the front offers almost 100 dishes ranging from sandwiches to wonton soup. \u201cOne day, Pat brought me some leftover chow fun with fish and bitter melon [$14] from here,\u201d Huie says. \u201cAs a kid, I wouldn\u2019t eat bitter melon. But I was like, \u2018This is delicious.\u2019 It was a real coming-of-age moment for me \u2014 and it was just a couple of months ago!\u201d 652 Pacific Ave.<\/p>\n

Moongate Lounge<\/p>\n

The authors who do readings at On Waverly often head to Moongate Lounge (opens in new tab)<\/a> afterward for a drink. Featuring six seasonal and six signature cocktails ($20), the lunar-themed listening lounge located above Michelin-starred Mister Jiu\u2019s, led by chef Brandon Jew, also has a variety of rotating low-ABV options. \u201cAs your night progresses, you can make good drinking choices accordingly,\u201d she says. \u201cAlso \u2014 I love Brandon\u2019s shrimp chips. Whenever there\u2019s a chip in sight, nothing else matters.\u201d 28 Waverly Pl.<\/p>\n

New Lun Ting Cafe\"ANew Lun Ting Cafe is also known as the Pork Chop House. | Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard<\/p>\n

Also known as the Pork Chop House, this old-school Chinese American spot, complete with special to-go meals for seniors, leans into hearty dishes like rib-eye roast ($25), which comes with pot stickers, soup, hot tea, and rice. \u201cI love bringing people here, because it gives you a sense of what Chinatown was when I was young,\u201d Huie says. She orders the roast pork ($13.95) with gravy and rice. \u201cIt\u2019s, like, the most serious comfort food.\u201d 670 Jackson St.<\/p>\n