Chinatown

Any review of Chinatown has to be split into two parts for two types of visitors: those who CAN speak Cantonese and/or are familiar with the culture and those who CAN’T speak Cantonese and/or are not familiar with the culture.

For those who CAN:

This is definitely one of those places you want to be able to say that you visited. The dim sum here is unique, in a different class from the type found in Southern California or Hong Kong. But don’t press your luck with other Chinese cuisines, as they are usually not as good. Pass up on all the tourist-y shops that peddle knick-knacks and souvenirs: what you’re here for is the FOOD and the AMBIENCE.

Places of note? Golden Gate (Kum Moon) Bakery. It offers some of the best Chinese baked goods to be found on the West Coast. Of particularly great quality are their egg tarts (dan tat), which are perfeclty flaky, never cold, and always delicious.

For those who CAN’T:

This might not necessarily be your cup of tea. It’ll be hard for you to navigate (despite it being mostly on Grant) and even harder to communicate with some of the locals. The problem that you’ll have is that there isn’t that much to do within the confines of Chinatown. Most of the stores there are either grocery stores for locals or restaurants, which will be difficult to enjoy without someone to guide your stomach through the murky waters of Chinese cuisine. If you’re brave and willing to be patient, go ahead. If not, then wait until you learn Cantonese or find someone willing to take you along.