They must not have recognized me. What other explanation can there be for being a Unilocaler who received good service here? Judging from the reviews, it appears that Unilocalers have problems with Mama J’s service levels. On a recent weekday night around 9 p.m. this place was packed with boisterous diners, me among them. There were two servers, each about whom I have no complaints, and even MaMa Ji herself stepped up to my table to ask how everything was. So service? They’ve got it covered, despite what one might read elsewhere on Unilocal. Food? They’ve got that covered too. I was prepared not to feel fondly about MaMa Ji’s after reading several non-rave reviews from shortly after they opened but I admit to being completely won over by my meal here. Whatever kinks they opened with appear to have been ironed out, as the crowd and the steamy good food attest to. An assortment of small dishes(spicy cucumbers [$ 5.95], crispy spring rolls [$ 4.75], excellent pork pot stickers [$ 4.75]) was followed by a fiery dish of Pickled Long Beans with Ground Pork($ 10.95). So fiery, in fact, that more rice was required just to get through it. MaMa Ji doesn’t lie; when the menu says this Sichuan cuisine is fiery take note. Fiery and good. An eating establishment in the Castro that’s alive and hopping on a weekday night? Good service? Really good food? I’m a Unilocaler and I experienced all of that at MaMa Ji’s. There’s probably better and cheaper versions of this food to be found elsewhere in the City but when this is where you are, this is the place to go. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. MaMa Ji, I’m certain I’ll be seeing you again.
El B.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
I loved the restaurant that was in this spot a few years back and wasnt all that happy when it became MamaJi’s. The first time I went here after the change, I had pretty mediocre dim sum as well as a bagel with lox left over from the old menu. It was bad. Years later(yesterday) I decided to give it another chance as it’s close to my house and I love Sichuan food. Enough time to work out the kinks, right? Right. Pretty good, in my ‘hood and many of the dishes are superb. Get the spicy cold noodles if you’re a Sichuan style food fan. It’s expensive, but a large portion and really good. The shimp/eggplant dim sum are also good, as are the Har Gow. I also like the pork rolls, but they were pretty pricey. Yummy if you’re splurging. Skip the xlbs(called Shanghai Dumplings here) No soup inside and the pork filling was mushy and bleh. I was also not a fan of the deep fried Meat Dumplings because they tasted like they had those icky dried shrimp inside(sooo not a fan of that strong fishy flavor.) Kid really liked those because she said the consistency was perfect, and she doesnt hate on the dried shrimp. She thought the dried shrimp flavor came from the oil they were fried in, but didnt matter where it came from for me… it was there and unwelcome. I looked at the regular dinner menu before I left, and I’ll go back to check it out; it looks good. Yes, there is definitely better dim sum to be had in SF, but not close to my house. I’m so glad I gave this place another chance.
Adam F.
Classificação do local: 3 Solon, OH
I found the food at Mama Ji’s to be really good at some points and underwhelming at others. The fried green beans and Kung Pao Tofu were both excellent, although the green beans were a little too expensive imo. I also tried the Spicy Cold Noodles and the Vegetarian Potstickers, both of which were average at best. The Spicy Cold Noodles were intensely, intensely spicy to the point of frying my tastebuds for any subsequent flavors. The biggest reason I had a lukewarm experience however mainly had to do with the service. The waiter screamed at me when I asked for water, barked at us in general, and acted frantic and abrupt throughout, even though we came on an otherwise quiet Sunday night. Definitely not rushing to get back here any time soon.
Leslie H.
Classificação do local: 4 Cupertino, CA
Surprisingly tasty dim sum, if a bit on the pricier side. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones to know of this place, because the wait on Sunday for lunch was about an hour! We ended up ordering a wide assortment, and I will say that pretty much everything was spot on. Of note were: shu mai(plump, moist, chock full of shrimp and shiitake mushrooms and pork goodness), shrimp dumplings with pea shoots(large in size), fried shrimp balls(these were the smallest I have ever seen, but fried perfectly and not oily at all!), garlic and ginger sauteed gai lan(tender and perfectly cooked, with a nicely light ginger sauce), haw gow(tasty with a lot of shrimp filling), beef chow fun(really good and not too salty or oily which often happens). I did not try the chive and shrimp dumplings or the xiao long bao, since I was stuffed, but my friends had no complaints. Nor did I try the dessert custard buns with condensed milk and egg, but they were appropriately oozy and hot upon arrival. The only dishes I didn’t think were up to snuff given the price were the shrimp in rice noodles with the soy sauce, because the rice noodles were SO mushy and fell apart at the touch. I also thought that the vegetarian egg rolls, while better than most, were still a bit boring. I wish that they would try for the Shanghai style egg rolls which have a much tastier filling, but I do understand that they are a restaurant that specializes in Szechuan-style cuisine. Service was speedy and responsive, especially for a Chinese restaurant. I think it’s pretty obvious that this is a family run establishment, as the serving staff was not formal at all. It helped that we could speak Mandarin. I would not hesitate to return to try some of the other dishes. Another vote in their favor in terms of authenticity? There were actually Chinese people waiting in line amongst the hipster SF crowd that you normally see when there is a wait outside a restaurant.
Thomas D.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
The Shanghai chicken with eggplant was excellent. I ordered«mild» and my nose still ran a bit! They have great Belgian beers – the Delirium Tremens was A-Ok! With an alcohol content of just over 7% –it helped wash down the spiciness of the dish. The Lucifer was over 8% alcohol. Too bad that they were $ 10 each – yikes! We sat in the window and started with the Shanghai seafood dumplings. After soaking the julienned ginger in a bit of vinegar, we dunked our dumplings in and enjoyed every bite. Great dim sim! The pork chow mein was excellent too. Kind of pricey. Friendly service but on the slow side. Dinner was just over $ 77.00.
Dian X.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Mama Ji tackles two separate Chinese cuisines, Sichuan and Cantonese(Dim Sum) to mixed success. It’s kinda as if you went to a restaurant serving southern style bbq and Maine lobster rolls/new england clam chowder. I grew up eating rice-based foods so given the choice at Mama Ji’s, I opt for Sichuan unless with friends who insist on dim sum. With the exception of one item, most of the dishes were solid but hardly the best Sichuan food I’ve had. Many of the reviewers have mentioned«bland». Chinese food typically is a bit salty, extra flavorful so that you can eat it with rice in an 1:1 ratio. At Mama Ji’s, it almost as if the rice/carb hating have demanded dishes that can be eaten without rice. The standout menu item for me is «Fried Pumpkin with Salty Duck Egg Yolks». A really interesting dish that I’ve had not seen anywhere else. At other Sichuan places, I’ve seen it done with corn or green beans.
Erin K.
Classificação do local: 5 Austin, TX
TLDR: Mom and Pop Chinese. Everything here is delicious. Especially the dim sum. On a quick layover in San Francisco, I was finally able to try the famous Mama Ji’s, recommended by my sister, who absolutely adores this place. Came here on a Monday around 11ish? And thankfully, guess no one likes Mondays because it wasn’t as packed as people have complained it to be YAY! It’s a very hole-in-the-wall place, and if I didn’t know of it, I’d pass by it without looking back. It’s pretty easy to miss(as someone who’s not from here), because it’s located in a neighborhood area. But let’s talk about the food. WOW. I have been disappointed multiple times by people overhyping restaurants but this place was amazing! We ordered the har gao(shrimp dumplings), pork and shrimp shumai, the soup dumplings(xiao long bao), Bang Bang chicken, and the fried pumpkin. Everything was so delicious, I can’t even begin to describe it, but I’ll try. Starting with the dim sum: har gao and shumai. I love both those things, and since they’re some of the basic dim sums, hard to go wrong. But the har gao was perfectly juicy and steaming hot. It was pretty packed to the brim with delicious shrimp and was really melts in your mouth good. The shumai taste was pretty average(obviously on the tastier side of average), but the texture was awesome. It’s topped with some kind of fish roe or something and it gives another dimension to the texture, which is really fun. I dedicate an entire paragraph to the xiao long bao(soup dumplings) because I LOVETHEM. I LOVETHEMTOTHEENDSOFTHEEARTHAND I WISH I COULDEATTHEMEVERYSINGLEDAYBUTUNFORTUNATELYITISNOTPOSSIBLE. But anyway, the way the XLB is served here is pretty interesting, because it’s not on top of the steam paper on inside of the bamboo/metal steamer like most XLB are. They come in their own cute little scalloped individual tin(almost like an egg tart tin). It’s 3 to a steamer, which isn’t that many, but HOLEECOW. It’s one of the best XLB I’ve ever had. Haven’t had Din Tai Fung, so sorry I don’t know, but this place is juicy and the piping hot soup inside is AMAZING. The only downside it that the XLB wrapper is a little bit thicker than I’m used to, but I can dig it. Doesn’t affect the wonderful taste at all. The Bang Bang chicken was WOW. I love love spicy food, and this totally hit the spot. Perfectly crunchy, and the garlic hits you(in a good way). Some of the best wings I’ve had. Wingstop and BWW, please step up your game(sorry, do you guys have this in California??) Then comes the fried pumpkin. At first, the name was not appealing to me at all – «fried pumpkin with salty duck egg yolks” – ??! What? Do not be repealed by the name! The pumpkin is sweet, and goes well with the saltiness of the egg yolk. The egg yolk gives yet another texture to the fried crispiness of the pumpkin with its soft powdery-ness. At first, the taste is a bit odd, but I found myself liking it more and more and kept eating until I wanted to pass out from food coma. Between 2 people, this was more than enough and we were really really full afterwards. We left with happy bellies. Can’t wait to visit again.
Steve D.
Classificação do local: 1 Carmel, CA
This restaurant is way off the regular Chinese restaurants locations… That is probably why not catering to Chinese clients… Sorry to say, also dar from the most qualified critics, Chinese clients… For SF, where there are huge amount of Chinese restaurants, quality wise is below average. They specialized in 2 type of Chinese food, Sichuan, which we order more common dish, chongqing chicken… Pretty bad tasting wise… Bland, very bland… Their second specialty is dim sum, quality wise is kind of average, maybe a little below. The real problem is the price, $ 6 for hargow, and shrimp rice wrap dish was $ 8… That is almost 2x the price of premium dim sum place, including Koi Palace and Dynasty… Bottom line, this is not a hidden gem, but ripping off locals who doesn’t know what real good Chinese food looks or taste like…
Norm G.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Best Hunan Chinese in San Francisco. Nothing fancy, a bit off the beaten path about 6 blocks off the Castro strip. Parking is difficult. The staff is friendly as can be and the food is fresh and spicy. Expect a wait at busy times. I have been 5 times now and keep going back. I have had the Shrimp, the Shanghai Dumplings, the Eggplant, the Green Beans, the Cumin Lamb. All really authentic, unique and very tasty. Portions are generous and reasonably priced. However, I was on one occasion disappointed with my order: whole fish. The spice level was high, but I can take it hot. However, the fish was so salty as to be inedible. They did not offer to get me something else. So only one disappointment in 5 visits, hence only 4 stars. For those who don’t stray far from Har Gow and Su Mai, you may not be impressed. They probably don’t make these everyday staples in house anyway. I don’t know why they call it a Dim Sum restaurant because there aren’t many Dim Sum items. Stick to the entrees they make in house.
Angela K.
Classificação do local: 2 San Francisco, CA
I had high expectations for this place after reading the reviews but I was just not impressed. The food was just okay and overpriced. The one item that I really didn’t like were the rice rolls — too much of the rice noodle and it was overcooked. We ordered a couple of other dim sum items like har gow and shiu mai which were good, not nothing special. The service here was also just so-so. The waitresses we not that attentive and it took a while to get the bill and our card back. I probably won’t be coming back, there are much better options elsewhere for less.
Alex T.
Classificação do local: 2 Berkeley, CA
Tried this place after recommendations from some friends and we were around the Castro anyways so, why not. After reading some reviews i was kind of excited to try the food here. Though i didn’t get to try all the meat dishes i wanted i tried enough to come with a verdict of the food here. My vegetarian friends and i ordered the mama ji’s country shrimp, kung pao tofu, shrimp and chives dumplings, chinese broccoli and fish fragrant tofu. The ingredients tasted really fresh and cooked well so the veggies it was cooked in was not soggy but still crunchy i.e. the celery in the country shrimp. Our favorite dish was the kung pao tofu(recommended for vegetarians) and the shrimp and chive dumplings. The mama ji’s special country shrimp, though well cooked was overly salty for my liking. Kung pao tofu was just perfect along with the shrimp and chive dumpings and i highly recommend these dishes if you come by. The fish fragrant tofu was our least favorite dish as the bamboo shoots over powered the dish and it had a kind of prune after taste to it. The chinese broccoli with garlic wasn’t as flavorful as we’d expected it to be and i wished they included hoisen sauce to go along with it. I later found out that this was a Szechuan place and wishes we ordered the soup instead maybe one day. All in all the food was cooked perfectly but the price they charged and the portion you get was definitely not worth it i mean the chinese broccoli alone was almost $ 10. The service, though great in the beginning they became inattentive once our food was served.
Jingxi Z.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
I basically grew up eating dim sum, about half my diet was probably shrimp dumplings and shrimp rice rolls, and I’m happy to say that this place serves dim sum that’s just as good as any hole-in-the-wall shop in Chinatown or Sunset! We came early afternoon on a Saturday and there was a huge line of people waiting. Took about 30 minutes but after we were seated, the food came out pretty fast! While the prices are definitely a lot higher than what I’m used to(almost $ 5 for 3 shrimp dumplings?!), the dim sum was sooooooo good. Everything was so authentic, and so fresh it tasted like it was all freshly made :) Here’s what we ordered: Shrimp dumplings: Must get! These are top tier dumplings and I’ve definitely sampled a good number of these in SF Shrimp dumplings with pea sprouts: I saw on Unilocal that these were good so instead of getting two orders of shrimp dumplings, we got one of these instead but definitely not as tasty as the normal shrimp dumplings. Would just stick to the shrimp dumplings. Shrimp Rice Rolls: So good! The sauce is everything and the rice rolls are so soft. Cold Spicy Noodles: Once again, the noodles tasted so fresh I swear they must make the all the dough for the dumplings/noodles in house. The taste is definitely legit Szechuan-style but pretty spicy. Eggplant-stuffed with shrimp: This was sooooo flavorful, definitely get this. I don’t even really like eggplant but this was so good! Overall, a little pricey, but it’s definitely top-quality authentic dimsum/Szechuan food. Dim sum craving satisfied!
Victoria T.
Classificação do local: 4 Missoula, MT
A favorite neighborhood restaurant, for us it’s walking distance so we frequently pop in for dim sum or the spicy cold noodle craving. We love the service and how quaint Mama Ji’s feels like your sitting among family having a good meal. Shanghai Dumplings, Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant, Crispy Spring Rolls and Dry Fried Green Beans are our favorites. The Spicy Cold Noodles were my favorite, now see how I said«were». We came here last night and ordered our favorites just like normal. Out came dim sum and followed with the Spicy Cold Noodles, right off the bat I noticed they were completely different. Usually it’s a gorgeous bed of thick egg noodles that’s mixed table side. This dish was just a blob of tiny string noodles mushed together in a ball that the server couldn’t even mix. Not appetizing looking at all. This dish use to be gorgeous and now it’s just a mess. Not to mention it did not taste the same, we actually sent it back because of how bad it was. And I never send anything back no matter how much I detest something so that just gives you an idea of how much they messed up this dish. So apparently they changed the recipe that day and now will be using the little noodles drenched and mushed in sauce. I am so sad over this change. I love this place and supporting the staff at Mama Ji’s but some changes aren’t always good ones, especially when it’s a dish that kept us coming back.
Nei N.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
A couple Sundays ago, my friends and I wanted to get dim sum, but the usual Richmond spots were overflowing with people. We decided to come here since we had to get one of our friends from the Castro anyway. I wasn’t sure how to feel about a restaurant with Szechuan food and Dim Sum under the same roof. That’s weird. It’s like having mushroom risotto and chicken tikka masala on the same menu. I like to think of myself as a pretty open minded person so I mean, why not? Ha Gow — They were plump and filled with nicely cooked shrimp. The shrimp stuffing was underseasoned and needed more young bamboo though. Also, the skins were too tough. Most Bay Area Dim Sum places make ha gow skins too delicate, but MaMa Ji’s fall on the other side of the spectrum. Siu Mai — Not enough shrimp or shiitake. The flavor is mostly dominated by the ground pork so it could use some more balance. XLB — Plump and juicy. The skin wasn’t too thick, and there was a good amount of broth inside. Some more ginger and green onions would help, but these weren’t bad at all. Pan Fried Radish Cake — These tasted pretty good. There was a good amount of radish, dried shrimp, and Chinese sausage mixed in. The thing that bothered me was that they didn’t seem pan fried enough. They came out piping hot, but there was zero browning on the top and bottom. I’m not sure how to explain that. Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf — The rice was stuffed with a good combination of pork, shiitake, and dried shrimp. I like having some Chinese sausage in there, but it’s not crucial. One thing that stood out to me was that there was a plain egg yolk inside. Usually when there’s an egg yolk inside the rice, you’re supposed to use salted egg yolk as a flavoring agent. A plain egg yolk doesn’t really add much to the rice. I don’t even like sticky rice with the egg yolk, but if there’s one inside, it should be salt brined. Fried Shrimp Balls — These were probably the best thing we had here. Thin, crispy waves of batter on the outside with juicy, tender shrimp paste on the inside. There’s not much to complain about. We also ordered a Szechuan dish just for the heck of it. I’m a big fan of Szechuan style garlic pork belly, but the one at MaMa Ji’s wasn’t all that great. The pork wasn’t very tender, and the sauce wasn’t that flavorful. I could taste the highlighting flavors of garlic and Szechuan peppercorns, but it didn’t have a strong base. Maybe it needed more soy sauce or stronger stock, but I think there are better versions elsewhere. Little Sichuan in San Mateo and Z&Y in Chinatown make great garlic pork belly and Szechuan food in general. Given the location, it’s hard to expect MaMa Ji’s to compete with more established restaurants in other parts of the city. For a place that stands out by offering this kind of food in the Castro, it’s fine.
Cynthia X.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
Wasn’t a huge fan. The line was long, the space is small and the food was mediocre. We came for dimsum, which should have been a warning sign — a Szechuan restaurant serving dimsum? Dimsum is a traditionally Cantonese food and should not be spicy at all. The best thing was probably the spicy cold noodles — which makes sense, because it’s szechuanese, but even that was a bit strange, using egg noodles, more typical of Cantonese cuisine.
Aria S.
Classificação do local: 4 Los Altos, CA
Was craving dim sum and it was perfect because I was in SF, it was the weekend before Chinese NY, and this place was half a mile away! There was no wait and the food came out pretty quick as is the case with all asian places. We ordered the veggie pot stickers, spring rolls, vegetable clay pot, and kung pao tofu. All were delish! The clay pot had some really good mushrooms and the kung pao tofu was crispy and soft in all the right places. Spice level was high, just like we requested. They have beer/wine with a pretty good assortment of both. Neither are really that cheap though. I just got a blue moon because it was $ 5 since the other stuff, both bottle/draft was more like $ 7 – 10. Food prices were normal. entrees $ 10 – 13 and potsticker/dumplings $ 5ish. Not super cheap like you might get in Chinatown but definitely affordable. The server was a very. ya know. we were in the Castro ;) He was exuberant and fun. Only weird thing was that he was hovering over me when I was signing the check/writing his tip down.
Andrea D.
Classificação do local: 3 Harvard, MA
I’m pretty torn about what to score this place. On the whole, they’re just okay. They’ve changed their menu a lot over the last 6 months(at least it seems that way) and while some of the food is good, some dishes are seriously bland. Let’s go back to my first visit here… I walked over from my Airbnb and was pretty new to dim sum — not to mention San Francisco. I still hadn’t been to Chinatown(or Inner/Outer Sunset & Richmond) and the Castro was really something to see. It’s safe to say the coolness of the neighborhood might have made me think it was better than it was. Among the good food that time were shrimp and shanghai dumplings, fried rice, and some sort of chicken dish. My friend and I left super full and really happy. The second time eating-in was totally underwhelming. There was a super long wait, the service took FOREVER because they«forgot» our order, and then the food was really meh. The bean paste noodles — not good at all. Dunno why people are stoked about them. Finally, I’ve gotten takeout a few times. This has been fine. It’s just nice to have someone cook for you though. The food is good, it’s served hot, they’re pretty quick and it’s all reasonably priced, but I’m just no longer impressed with the flavors. If you’re looking for dim sum and for some reason you can’t travel anywhere else in the city, go, but would I recommend this place as a go-to spot? Nah. Other notes… – It’s a bit cramped – If you order food to go they ask you to wait outside – Shanghai dumplings are really good – they serve beer/wine – they are conveniently located just a few short blocks from the heart of the Castro
Mandy L.
Classificação do local: 1 Sacramento, CA
What is with the hype? My friend and I left with numb tongues and runny noses because our dishes had an obsessive amount of Szechuan Chili. Mapo Tofu: Look at the photo attached. Spoonfuls of Szechuan chili oil… It has a somewhat bitter flavor and numbs your lips/tongue. Definitely a negative when overused. Triple C chicken: Crumbs of fried batter and chicken. Batter is leaking with oil. Chicken is dry and tough. Other than Szechuan chili flavor, it is very bland with no seasoning. Potstickers: I am shocked that they’re somewhat known for their dumplings/potstickers. The skin is thick and doughy. Outsides were extremely oily. Low pork filling ratio. Worst potsticker I’ve ever had. And 5 $ for 3 pieces? They seem to have cool imported beers but price is steep for 11 $ a glass. Thanks but no thanks, Mama Ji.
Elena N.
Classificação do local: 2 San Francisco, CA
I don’t go outside of the Avenues much when I’m craving dim sum. When I saw Mama Ji’s on Caviar, the roommate and I decided to order lunch delivery on Sunday, October 11th. We placed our order around 12:15pm and it arrived a little over an hour later. Prices below are what I paid through Caviar. Looking at their online menu, I believe the prices are the same. *Shumai: pork shrimp shumai($ 4.75) *Shanghai dumplings: contains pork($ 4.75) *Har gow shrimp dumplings: shrimp dumpling($ 5.75) *Pan fried pot sticker: pork w/ground up shrimp($ 4.75) *Dry bean curd skin roll: contains shrimp and pork($ 4.75) *Steamed spareribs with black bean sauce($ 4.75) *Sweet rice with shrimp sausage and egg wrapped in lotus leaf($ 5.75) *Handmade pull rice roll: shrimp rice roll($ 8) Overall, the dim sum was average. I enjoyed the ha gow the most as the shrimp were plump and tender. But half the shrimp fell out of their wrappers due to the take out container. They should have used plastic or something slippery instead of paper containers, so the dim sum didn’t stick to the boxes. My least favorite was the lo mai gai(sweet rice wrapped in lotus leaf). It was super bland and the rice wasn’t cooked enough so it wasn’t really sticky. And at $ 8, the ha cheong(shrimp rice roll) was grossly overpriced. I’m glad I didn’t go out of my way to the Castro to try Mama Ji’s as I don’t think it would have been worth it. I’ll just stick close to home for my dim sum fix.
Josh Giosue D.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
So this morning I decided to try a new dim sum place. I opened the books and mama ji’s came up. I came in and it’s definitely not your typical Chinese dim sum place, they have Belgian beer on draft which is awesome however I missed having the free hot tea that is usually serve at dim sum. I went ahead and ordered the meat dumplings, which was absolutely amazing, I also got the pea wrap with meat. Up until this point everything was definitely 5 stars(even though the price was a little steep). I ended with the egg lava bun and it was not what I was expecting, the yolk wasn’t runny, you could taste the sugar granules within the yolk, and the yolk was like a warm lump. The shanghai dumplings seem like the thing to get here which I’ll have to try. Hopefully it was just a bad order of the lava bun.
Uli B.
Classificação do local: 4 Mill Valley, Vereinigte Staaten
Das Castro mag zwar weltbekannt für seine Schwulenbewegung sein, aber es nicht bekannt für gutes Essen und erst recht nicht für gute chinesische Küche. Bis vor kurzem war es hier so wie mit chinesischen Restaurants in vielen deutschen Städten: es gibt sie zwar, aber was dort angeboten wird ist nicht wirklich authentisch und oft an den biederen Geschmack des Ottonormalverbrauchers angepasst. Seit einer Weile aber nun gibt es Mama Jii’s und sie scheint mit ihrem Restaurant andere Seiten aufzufahren. Nachdem wir bereits von mehreren Leute über diese neue«Chinesische Revolution» im Castro gehört hatten, blieb uns wohl nichts anderes übrig, als auch daran teilzunehmen… und so verabredeten wir uns mit einer Freundin hier zum Essen.(Da sie fast-Vegetarierin ist — sie isst ein wenig Fisch — kann man bei chinesischen Restaurants eigentlich nichts falsch machen.) Der Abend war ein voller Erfolg — nicht zuletzt Dank des netten Personals und des richtig guten Essens. Unsere Kellnerin war wirklich super nett und hat sich Zeit genommen, uns durch die Karte zu führen. Sie sprach sowohl fließend English, als auch Mandarin, was bei den Gästen chinesischer Abstammung immer gut ankommt, die Karte ist auch zweisprachig. Und hier ist was wir schlussendlich bestellten: Pancake Special(empfehlenswert) Har Gow Shrimp Dumplings(ok) Vegetarian Dumplings(nicht so toll) Stir Fried Pea Leaves Garlic(sollte man auf jeden Fall probieren) Fish Fragrant Tofu(ein absolutes Muss, ist aber sehr scharf) Salt-Baked Shrimp with Thai Chi(sehr lecker — aber scharf) Brown Rice(man denkt ja auch an die Gesundheit) Red bea Bun(als Dessert — sehr empfehlenswert) Ulkigerweise gibt’s bei Mama Jii’s kein chinesisches Bier, dafür aber haben sie eine große Auswahl an belgischen Bieren. Ein kühles, helles Blondes gefällig?