by Julia Chen, Lani Conway & Ricky Rodriguez, February 23, 2024
Mouth-numbing wizardry via fiery flavors is going down at Z&Y in Chinatown. These Sichuan dishes demand your attention. Specialties include fish filet soaked in hot chili oil, mapo tofu with lip-tingling spice, and clay pots filled with chilis and an aquarium’s worth of shellfish. We never leave without that mapo tofu and a bowl of hot and sour soup. The snug space is málà heaven for anyone who loves a good mouth burn.
by Lisa B. Zimmerman February 20, 2024
This tiny spot in Chinatown is home to a chef who cooked for the consul general of San Francisco and his food is both refined and accessible. The tea-smoked duck is outstanding and the chicken skewers with lettuce delicious. The braised oxtail is heavenly and the choy prepared with chili-garlic sauce crunchy and savory. Executive chef Lijun Han has worked with two U.S. presidents and was the former executive chef at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.
by Kat Bein, February 9, 2024
Z&Y Restaurant is nestled right in the heart of this cultural haven, and the celebratory menu features dishes from the mind of Z&Y owner and executive chef Lijun Han. Feast on authentic Szechuan sliced pork with spicy garlic sauce, Szechuan style chicken, tea smoked duck, salt and pepper crab, fish filet with flaming chili oil and more.
by Margot Seeto February 8, 2024
Opened in 2008 by married couple Lijun Han and Michelle Zhang, Z & Y (the initials of Michelle’s last name and Chinese first name) quickly made itself a Chinatown staple, becoming a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in 2012 and retaining the endorsement every year since. It held a place in the SF Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants for years (the Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms) — but it’s not just critics who love Z & Y. Chef Han has cooked for a slew of Chinese presidents and foreign ministers. The restaurant has also been featured on KQED’s award-winning “Check, Please! Bay Area.”
by Jan Risher, February 2, 2024
Michelin-starred Z&Y Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown (my introduction to the dish)
by January 8, 2024
We knew we had to go for Chinese food in SF’s iconic Chinatown, knowing this wouldn’t be a huge feature of the rest of our trip. As Szechuan cuisine is a relative rarity in the UK, we decided to head down to the much-recommended spot Z&Y.
by Peter Hum November 30, 2023
I had excellent soup dumplings and beef rolls at Z & Y Restaurant, a Sichuanese eatery in Chinatown that has the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand designation for good quality and good value.
by Emily Appelbaum August 5, 2023
Packing for a family trip to the San Francisco Bay Area? Don’t forget your appetite. The Bay Area isn’t just a sightseer’s delight, it’s also a gastronomic wonderland.
by Liza B. Zimmerman, July 24, 2023
To get you started on your exploration of the City by the Bay’s historically significant Chinatown, here are three must-try restaurants that offer incredible cuisine and memorable dining experiences.
by Dianne de Guzman, Clair Lorell, and Paolo Bicchieri July 20, 2023
Michelin has updated its California guide for 2023, with a fresh round of stars and an updated list of Bib Gourmand selections, the designation for restaurants that offer “a three-course meal at a reasonable price.”
by Peter Neville-Hadley, July 18, 2023
San Francisco’s Chinatown remains one of the Californian city’s key attractions even to visitors from China, thanks to its blend of Chinese and American culture
by Chelsea Davis, May 17, 2023
To get you started on your exploration of the City by the Bay’s historically significant Chinatown, here are three must-try restaurants that offer incredible cuisine and memorable dining experiences.
by Megan Zhang, Julia Chen & Ricky Rodriguez May 8, 2022
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America, and it’s been a culturally important area since the enclave was established more than 150 years ago. In this energetic neighborhood, streets are lined with restaurants, bakeries, and cafes serving everything from juicy xiao long bao and hand-pulled noodles, to freshly baked pastries and other dishes that highlight the many different regions of China and its incredible diversity. Here are the 14 best spots in Chinatown.
by Ali Wunderman April 21, 2023
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America and the largest outside of Asia. Though it’s not the only SF neighborhood offering superior Chinese cuisine — we see you, Clement Street — it is a historically and culturally significant part of the city with incredible options for dim sum, noodles and more. Head to these restaurants to enjoy what Chinatown has to offer.
by Kyrie Sismaet May 31, 2023
San Francisco’s food scene is, well, huge! To obtain a full understanding of all of the cuisine, eateries, food trends, and neighborhoods that define the city, we’re taking you through its ABC’s.
by In Viaggio March 27, 2023
Anello di congiunzione tra oriente e occidente, negli ultimi due secoli la California ha assimilato popolazioni, culture ed etnie provenienti da Europa, America Latina e nazioni dell’estremo Oriente. Dalla prospettiva culinaria, i risultati dei flussi migratori hanno creato le precondizioni ideali verso l’eclettica e colorata offerta gastronomica del Golden State, che trova a sua volta riscontro nell’indirizzario Guida Michelin California
by Paolo Bicchieri March 23, 2023
“Spicy” means lots of things to lots of people these days. Sure, it’s a term for hot takes and cancellable moves online, but it’s also a way of eating that adds a bit more pep to your meals. One can trot around the globe, dipping their toes into everything from capsicum to peppercorn to jalapeño to ajilo, but in San Francisco, there are a ton of ways to try out all these various iterations of spice, as this list caters more toward that which is traditionally described as “hot.”
by Amy Copperman Feb 8, 2023
San Francisco’s Chinatown attracts more tourists each year than the Golden Gate Bridge, but that doesn’t mean the neighborhood lacks locally loved haunts. In fact, some of the best restaurants in Chinatown are loved by locals and visitors alike because they are just that.
by Kat Bein, Kyrie Sismaet January 20, 2023
He who controls the spice controls the universe, and in culinary terms, that crown goes to the Sichuan region of China. These flavor masters have been cooking up mouth-tingling taste sensations for centuries, and we here in the Bay Area are blessed to have some truly authentic takes.
by Lauren Saria, Dianne de Guzman, and Paolo Bicchieri Oct 28, 2022
The colors popping off of chef Lijun Han’s plated ode to vegetables at Jackson Avenue’s Z&Y Restaurant testify to the dish’s freshness: the three varieties of peppers were served lightly fried with enough cloves of garlic to make a TikToker blush.
by Kyrie Sismaet, April 14, 2022
San Francisco sits proudly at the intersection of significant Chinese history and passionate environmentalism, and the city’s own Z & Y Restaurant aims to celebrate this.
Located at 655 Jackson St in the heart of Chinatown, the award-winning Z &Y offers deliciously fresh and exquisitely refined vegetarian and vegan Chinese cuisine…
by Lauren Sloss May 5, 2022
A category that deserves many thousands of words and ample praise, San Francisco’s dumpling scene is strong. How to tackle it like a pro? Sample made-to-order dumplings at Yuanbao Jiaozi on Irving Street, followed by the juicy, lamb-filled Westlake Dumplings at Old Mandarin Islamic on Vicente. Cruise out to Shanghai Dumpling King for Pan-Fried Pork Buns, and stop by Bini’s Kitchen for outstanding Lamb and Turkey Momos. Oh, and don’t forget Dumpling Time’s marvelous creations, including a Tom Yum-inspired soup dumpling. Or Z&Y Restaurant’s spicy dumplings…
by Chelsea Davis March 25, 2022
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Chinatown is Z & Y Restaurant, the city’s award-winning and dignitary destination for authentic Szechuan cuisine prepared by Chef and Owner, Lijun Han. Dining at Z & Y Restaurant is an experience to remember…
by Becky Duffett April 22, 2020
Z & Y Restaurant is still offering delivery from Chinatown. Those who insist on mild can load up on potstickers and tan noodles, while more adventurous eaters can have the scallion pancakes and chicken with explosive chiles all to themselves…
by Ellen Fort, May 28, 2019
This year’s list includes three Sacramento restaurants: Canon, Frank Fat’s, and Mother. San Francisco’s two newbies are both Chinese restaurants: Harborview, the Embarcadero dim sum restaurant from the R&G Lounge team, and Z & Y Bistro, the spinoff of relentlessly popular Z & Y restaurant…
by Check, Please! Bay Area April 25, 2019
This week, we begin at Z & Y Restaurant, one of the hottest Sichuan restaurants in San Francisco, known for catering to tourists, locals, presidents, and foreign ministers alike…
by The Bold Italic Editors December 21, 2018
Recognized by some very famous people (ahem, former President Barack Obama), this restaurant is ready to make your Christmas dinner one for the books…
by Jonathan Kauffman January 23, 2018
In the hands of Xumin Liu, a long-spouted copper teakettle becomes a rapier, a whip, a copper-colored wash of light. Three lunches a week, Liu travels from table to table at Z & Y Restaurant, swirling the kettle around his head in intricate circles and letting it pirouette in the air…
by Jay Cheshes 2016
The country’s oldest Chinatown is stirring up a culinary revival, with modern riffs on traditional fare, hidden cocktail dens and the city’s best dim sum…
by Michael Bauer 2016
After eight years in business, owner Li Jun Han, who worked for two Chinese presidents and also owns Chili House in the Richmond District, has developed a devoted following.
by Patricia Chang April 15, 2016
For my first proper dinner in San Francisco’s Chinatown, I headed to Z & Y Restaurant where living legend Cecilia Chiang took the wheel and ordered for a table of friends from San Francisco and New York City. Some standouts from our order, which I never would have found on my own: The couple’s delight, a chilled dish of beef…
by Michael Bauer April 4, 2016
After digging into the mound of dried chiles and finding the nuggets of fried chicken it felt like I was on a treasure hunt. Every time I thought I had dug out the last morsel, I discovered another. It was like the best-fried chicken I’d ever had, but with a spirited buzz from the dried pods.
by Michael Bauer April 1, 2016
I stopped by the Chinatown restaurant. It was during that visit that I became acquainted with the chicken with explosive chile pepper ($13.95), where nuggets of golden fried dark meat are buried like treasures in hundreds of dried red chiles. It was one of the best fried chicken dishes I’ve had, with the bonus of a bold buzz at the end.
by Luke Tsai March 30, 2015
Even though this southwestern province is notorious for the sweat-inducing fire of many of its well-known dishes, its cuisine’s signature ingredient isn’t the chili pepper but the Szechuan peppercorn (hua jiao), a citrusy, tongue-numbing spice that creates a deliciously addictive effect called ma la, or numbing heat. The best Szechuan meals are balanced and nuanced, with prominent vinegary and garlicky flavors.
by Jonathan Kauffman March 30, 2015
The next time your best friend pretends she’s not dieting but is “cleansing” her body of “toxins” with a little bout of self-starvation, one-up her by embarking on an “internal sweat lodge,” otherwise known as Z&Y’s fish with flaming chile oil.
Inside Scoop by Michael Bauer March 19, 2015
Every tourist seems to want to go to a restaurant in Chinatown, and the best I’ve found is this modest place in the heart of the neighborhood. You can get some standards, including whole steamed fish and several clay pot dishes, but the spicy dishes star – chicken in a mountain of dried red peppers; spicy fish in flaming chile oil;
and ma po tofu.
by Bonnie Carroll March 9, 2015
It’s nearly impossible to know which one to choose, but during our afternoon jaunt we opted to skip the place and just wandered into a place that looked authentic and inviting called Z & Y Restaurant. It was not until I was leaving that I saw the many Zagat ratings on the front door, and this was a good thing because despite the fact that I love food with heat, and had spent time in Thailand last year eating more green curry than anyone could believe possible, I was amazed by the super heat in the food served at Z & Y Restaurant.
Inside Scoop by Paolo Lucchesi October 15, 2014
There are 13 new Bib Gourmand selections this year: Anchor Oyster Bar, China Village, Chino, Coqueta, Grace’s Table, Great China, Hong Kong Lounge II, Iyasare, Kin Khao, Michel Bistro, The Farmer & The Fox, Yuzuki, and Z & Y.
by Dan Rosenbaum August 21, 2014
If spice is your game, then you need to put your name on the waiting list here. Home to the spiciest food in the neighborhood and to the mouth-numbing chicken, their dishes will be leaving you in tears (which is a good thing). Most Popular Dishes: Chicken with explosive chili pepper, spicy numbing beef tendon.
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