San Tung -- San Francisco, CA

San Tung is a classic San Francisco institution, attracting crowds of loyal customers on any given day of the week....their dry fried chicken wings and dumplings are the stuff of legend, and rightfully so. Located on busy Irving Street in the Inner Sunset, it may seem like your average Chinese restaurant at first glance, but the throngs of people waiting outside serves as a constant tribute to its fame and popularity.

At San Tung, THE absolute must-try dish is the original dry fried chicken wings. Found on every table (I kid you not), these chicken wings are battered and deep-fried, then doused in a delectable ginger/garlic/chili sweet sauce. For the sake of good table manners, you may initially find yourself using forks for these, but after a few bites you will be tempted to start digging in with your fingers!

The potstickers are equally scrumptious....stuffed with a seasoned pork and cabbage mixture, they are both mouthwatering and filling. For some vegetables in your meal, the garlicky dry sauteed string beans do the trick, while the honey walnut prawns provide a honey and buttery complement. Aside from the aforementioned dishes, their black bean sauce noodles and various soups are also tasty and worth a try.

Original dry fried chicken wings ($9.50)

Potstickers ($7)

Dry sauteed string beans ($8)

Honey walnut prawns ($14)

Complementary kimchi....salty and spicy, great for refreshing the palate

Brace yourself for a long wait....I once waited almost 2 hours before being seated. As with the rest of San Francisco, parking may be a slight issue....it's all street parking and unless you're lucky to score a spot in front of the restaurant (like I did once!), you may have to walk just a bit. Which may be a good thing, after all that food....

San Tung Chinese Restaurant 

1031 Irving Street

San Francisco, CA 94122

Map

415 242 0828

Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sun 11:00AM-9:30PM

Closed Wed

santungrestaurant.com