New Lun Ting Cafe

If you’re reluctant to test your luck with a restaurant in Chinatown, rest asured that this place is a safe bet to please. Many options on the menu, very friendly (talkative) staff, and great central location. They only take cash, but there’s an ATM next door.

Great potstickers. Family joint with excellent service! We needed a quick jolt and this place a perfect. Very affordable and right in the heart of china town.

Came in for breakfast today hoping to have some pancakes and eggs. Unfortunately they didn’t have pancakes. Didn’t really like how the waitress had to ask if I needed a menu. Also didn’t like how I didn’t get the breakfast menu and the menus were kind of sticky. I asked for hot water –there was a black speck in it and the water was oily…
the waitress didn’t ask me how I would like my eggs until later on.
Order was pretty quick. Did not like the sausages. I asked for well done eggs but didn’t expect them to be that over cooked. They didn’t have ketchup out. The ketchup tasted really off. For the toast they didn’t have bread options like whole wheat so they just gave me white. It was pretty cheap but I think it’s for the cheap quality.

Surprisingly I have never heard of this place until I did some Unilocal research on cheap eats in SF Chinatown. The place is definitely small and cozy, almost like someone’s kitchen. Do not expect to be greatly welcomed at New Lun Ting Café. There was only one server running the entire place, but she was extremely nice and had a sense of humor.
There were complimentary vegetable soup (tasted very homemade) and individual pan fried potsticker for each patron which I thought was cute.
My group ordered a variety of dishes including their Roast Pork w/​Gravy, Minced Beef with Fried Egg, Oxtail in Curry Sauce, and Beef with String Beans. The Roast Pork w/​Gravy was pretty to look at, but unfortunately lacked any flavor for something so vibrantly colored. I had the Oxtail which I thought was pretty good although there weren’t that many pieces. It was also kinda chewy…
With tax and tip, it averaged to be about ~$ 10/​person which isn’t bad at all. The food is definitely catered towards an American palette, but it was cool to try out one of the older establishments in SF Chinatown.

My wife and I were strolling through Chinatown and trying to figure out which restaurant to eat at. We stumbled across the New Lun Ting Café. I had chicken curry and my wife had black pepper chicken. I loved the favor of both dishes. My wife liked the curry dish better.
You get soup and tea with every meal. Both were delicious. The place is small but cozy. They don’t tell you up front, but it’s cash only. No credit cards. Just FYI if you plan on eating here. I would definitely come back here!

Really disappointed with my second visit to this place. Lady suspiciously spoke to me and my boyfriend in English and pushed the roast pork on us (I already know this is their signature dish). Got that and the prime rib. Prime rib was way overcooked, not good at all. Roast pork was decent and well worth the $ 8, but nothing to write home about. Mainly disappointed with the customer service, she didn’t give us the potsticker even though we’d asked, and wouldn’t give us a normal plastic bag for our leftovers.

Located in the heart of the bustling SF chinatown, New Lun Ting Café is a common stop if you’re yearning for cantonese rice plates. With the sitting area no bigger than a large living room, it can fill up with people pretty quickly.
I ordered the chinese brisket rice dish that came out with a fried dumpling and a small bowl of vegetable soup to my surprise. The rice plate itself was decently sized, not overwhelming, but good enough to reach your limit. The brisket was nicely cooked with tendons and authentic amount of fat. I wouldn’t say it was the best but I came out happily satisfied.
Sat next to a regular patron named ‘Robert’ who was known by first name basis by the chinese waitress. He ordered the pork chop plate that did look a lot better than the brisket plate. Later on, i figured out this place is known for the pork chop plate. Perhaps I will try it out next time im around!

3.5 stars. I was craving Beef Chow Fun, so my friend and I decided to stop by this place and give it a try. I’ve had much better Chinese food, but I thought the service was particularly good. The waitress was very attentive (poor woman was working the entire floor by herself) and the food service was timely. She brought us bittermelon soup to start our meal… which was a nice thought but totally caught me off-​guard. HORRID VEGETABLE!
As for the actual food, the Beef Chow Fun was disappointing. It lacked flavor and had more bean sprouts than noodles. There was also something off about the noodles. Too starchy or something. And the beef was undercooked. The waitress recommended their most popular dish, Roast Pork. The pork was tender and delicious, though I could not identify what exactly was in the orange gravy. Served with rice and a side of steamed cabbage, this dish was filling.
Our meal concluded with another bowl of soup. This time it was sweet and had pumpkin or some other squash. Overall decent place if you are looking for cheap and quick Chinese food. Definitely not the cleanest place though, notably their dirty hundred-​year-​old plastic wrapped menus that I probably contracted some virus from. Just average.

Time: 1:15pm/83°F sunny
Purpose: East bay contact Victor G suggested, I try a curry dish at this joint. Curry subject came up when I commented on one of his review and he suggested NLTC.
Ambiance: This place is all original old school functions, but a bit worn out. Basic and simple everything. It starts with four high back family booth, couple of tables in middle sits about a dozen and a 4 – 5 person counter seater. Traditional Chinese red/​gold scrolls along with special notices plaster throughout the place. Open kitchen with back of prep station facing outside. Furthest left corner to entrance/​exit is the makeshift counter with a tabletop mini fridge. Place is stuffy with kitchen in the open. There are no music or television just the clanging noise of wok and dishes. To put place in perspective. Ever watch a movie with American diner scene? Usually the lady waitress knows everyone by name that enter place? Jokes around with the regulars on her way to take your order. That’s what you’ll see and encounter here only Chinese style.
Staff: Two asian ladies one of them speaks slangs and crack jokes. The other one seems ESL proficient, but didn’t let it bother me. I just simply point out on menu of listed dish. After receiving dish, I was check on once, but I didn’t mind at all, because its common around here.
Cleanliness: Grade C, the place look icky all around as tabletop had smudges. Clock on wall had thick layer of dust on top. Plastic sleeve with menu insert were faded and wearing out. Self serve condiments had sticky film on bottle.
Eats/​Drinks: Curry stew over rice $ 7.95 comes with soup choice of coffee, tea or HK style milk tea. Went with the latter. Dish came with full bowl of white rice, blanched napa cabbage, and curry beef stew. Right there and then, I knew it was legit. Real curry have this dull golden yellowing with deep hue look not fluorescent glowing. Not only color, but your lips should feel somewhat sticking. Beef was so tender stringy fiber tears apart with so little effort. It wasn’t all fat attached, I would say 87% lean and 13% fat. Can’t expect to eat dish like this all lean as, I needed some sinew tendon fatty pieces too. Rice were cook perfectly that I spoon curry sauce saturating each grain. When all done only 4 – 5 grains of rice and little curry was seen. Lip smacking good. A square piece of complimentary jello is brought to you without asking. That took care of my fortune cookie situation.
Main Features: Lamb stew with bean curd over rice, rib eye roast rice, under $ 4 hamburger.
Products/​Services: Soup, salad, over rice, chow fun/​mein noodle, stir fried noodle, appetizer, rice noodle, custom dish, daily special, breakfast item serve all day, afternoon special, hamburger, fries, wings, pie, dessert.
Punch Lines: Old school, kitschy décor, zippy service, complimentary dessert/​soup, American/​Asian offering, most common dishes under $ 8, casual and delicious, can’t go wrong, high back booth, more than adequate, kept its standards, satisfactory, no fortune cookie.
Tradeoffs: Use to offer plenty of American eats and beyond now, its main focus are simple asian dishes.
Final Thought: NLTC is one of those places that has kept its standards for decades. Here’s what you’ll expect at NLTC. You’ll get prompt service in the beginning. Once your food arrive you’ll be check on once. The employees keep to themselves at all time. The next time you say something is for the bill. They do thank you politely not balking out on you. Thanks to Victor G low budget with authentic eats here prevail.

If you ever find yourself wandering around San Francisco’s Chinatown, you’ve gotta drop by this place for a quick bite. It’s a local dive that dole’s out some pretty tasty rice plate combo’s. For under eight bucks, the most popular dish by far above the rest is their Roast Pork with Gravy served over rice. This portion loved delight comes with a good dose of steamed cabbage or you can sub this with sweet corn. You can also ask to have the gravy on the side or extra gravy for that matter. Every loving bite of this happiness is tender and juicy. The gravy puts it all together for that «yum and I’m definitely coming back» factor!
It’s usually crowded by lunch time so grab a table a bit ahead like 11’ish to avoid a wait or a shared table seating scenario if you’re a picky seater. There’s nothing fancy about this joint. It’s just a plain old simple reasonably cheap good eatin’.
When seated, a personal sized bowl of complimentary house soup is served right before your meal. They also have Tea, Coffee and Soda’s for your gastronomic pleasure. You can dine in or go take-​out.
You’ll walk out of this place with a big smile no doubt, well unless you have to walk up a steep hill right after. Get ready to loosen up your belt a notch or two for this wonderful experience…

Yumz nomz. Big portions and affordable. Thanks to my coworker who told me about this place. I mean I always pass by it but ignored it for years until now. My mom always wanted to try but she said too many old single dudes in there so she never tried.
Anyways…
We ordered to-​go. Roasted pork x2 oxtail and curry sauce, scrambled eggs with bbq pork, minced beef (w/​cooked egg — probably taste better raw) and grilled salmon (pescatarian mom). Lemon teas x3 and a coffee for about $ 56. Not bad if I may say so myself… 5 entrees, 4 drinks.
The hubz liked the scramble eggs bbqpork more than roasted pork (due to his roast pork was fattier) but nonetheless he approves so yay. I love the minced beef over rice (brings back my childhood memories in HK). I also tried the curry sauce, also very nomz. The roasted pork came with cabbages which kind of balances out the flavorful dish. The salmon with black pepper sauce on the side ($ 1 more). Mother said the black pepper sauce had a strong soysauce flavor/​aroma so she wasn’t too crazy about it but she did kill the salmon steak alone. Overall, we will come again.

Kinda feels like a greasy American diner, but serving Chinese food to a primarily Chinatown clientele. Super value for San Francisco with the main dish, tea, soup and dessert costing $ 8.65 with tax. The food is teetering on the 3-​to-​4 star border, but the old school uniqueness is worth pushing it into 4-​star territory.
Clam Chowder: Came with the meal. Small bowl. A bit bland. Some cubes of potatoes and a piece or two of clam.
Roast Pork Chop w/​Oxtail Gravy: The main draw, judging by what everyone else at the restaurant was eating and by the fact that it’s also known as «Pork Chop House». A milder form of the red roast pork you can find hanging in Chinatown. Not very red at all, but had some of the same spices. Very thick cut of the whole pork chop. Lean in some places and fatty in others. Had a tasty orange-​colored oxtail gravy over way more white rice than I can imagine eating. I was offered cabbage or corn as a veggie so I went with corn. Kinda like the frozen or canned kind. Meaty and filling.
Red Jello: I was amazed to find a restaurant serving this non-​ironically and without alcohol infused. Was a throwback to school lunches. What you’d expect. Thankfully it tasted just like jello and didn’t absorb any funky fridge flavors.

We’ve been here a few times over the years. A real dive, if you’re worried about the public health ratings, it’s not the place for you. The worse thing in the place isn’t the old booths, formica tables, or dining counter where all the bachelors come to eat lunch and peer over the dining room. It’s walking pass the crowded, tiny kitchen to the back and making a left turn down the stairs to the basement to the bathroom. It’s like a secret torture room with one of those wooden door booths where the unisex toilet is inside. Outside is the sink. While you’re taking a pee, the person (man or woman or transgender) can stand outside the door and hear you tinkle. No privacy here, nor signs to remind the workers to wash their hands before returning to work… think about that.
The food here is decently priced as specials of the day is about $ 8. Hubby had the oxtail stew with bean curd over rice. The oxtails (6 small pieces) were tender and the meat fell off the bone. Came with cabbage. Another customer ordered another oxtail dish on the menu without the bean curd and hers came with huge chunks of carrots, no cabbage.
The dish was tasty and I should’ve ordered it. I got the chicken curry over rice. Huge amts of veggies — carrots, onions, zucchini. The curry sauce was OK but the chicken didn’t have the texture of chicken. Hard to describe, sort of mushy, as if it was fake chicken. Tea or coffee came with our meals as well as a bowl of homemade bean soup. Next time, oxtail for me.
It’s the kind of place where decades before, single working men who lived in single residence occupancy dwellings without kitchens would come to eat, and probably still do. But, now I see families, couples, single middle aged men and working men who come pick up their takeout orders.

I categorize this place as drunk food. Came here for the first time to get the famous roast pork and gravy over rice.
The roast pork is spot on. No crispy skin FYI but the meat is juicy and tender. The gravy is ok. Not a lot of taste in it if you ask me but adds a nice layer of substance to the dish. The corn on the side is odd for me but not unwelcome. Overall, I wasn’t crazy about this dish but I would definitely have it again. It’s very much comfort food and would be SO awesome if you were drunk. This would hit the spot like no other. If they were open late, I’d totally go there for some late night munchies. The rest of the menu seems to be a mix of classic Chinese favorites plus some Americanized stuff.
The place is for sure hole in the wall and that’s appreciated because if I wanna enjoy a rice plate, I don’t to feel like I gotta wear a button up. I can just come in, sit on a stool and just eat.
If you’re looking for something cheap and satisfying then I do recommend coming here.

Total local joint — love the vibe and a no frills place like this café.
The waitress Connie is the sweetest lady you’ll meet and loves to chat up the customers — new and regulars.
The food is a mix of americanized and more traditional chinese. I love family run places — it feels like eating at your aunt’s kitchen. If they have the ingredients — you can order something off menu. Connie suggested the roast pork — which was very good. I wanted noodle soup so they made a roast pork noodle soup for me. Plenty of veggies and roast pork — all for about $ 7 — they give you complimentary tea and soup and a piece of jello for dessert.
Our tea was refilled frequently and the staff didn’t rush us out even after we finished our dinner and paid. There was good amount of locals chatting up with the staff. Very neighborly vibe and great place to grab dinner in the area.

«Good hole-​in-​the-​wall in SF’s Chinatown»
Saw positive reviews on Unilocal,so tried this last Saturday. I confess I did a double-​take after approaching the run-​down building and paper menus plastered to the windows, but I’m glad I went in to eat.
Service was excellent. I was immediately welcomed and offered to sit in a more comfortable seat away from the door where I parked myself initially. She even let me plug my phone in by the cash register to recharge it. I had the chicken with vegetables, and was offered complimentary soup and a wonton (which had pork, so I declined it). The soup was mild but fine.
My dish was out in maybe 10 minutes, and was clearly made fresh. Unlike so much American Chinese food, it wasn’t overwhelmed with soy sauce, but instead tasted much more like dishes I had in China itself. Tasty (not «amazing» but certainly «good») and a very large portion– so much so that I turned down ice cream elsewhere hours later. And the dish was less than $ 10 including tax.
Others eating there all seemed like regulars.
I also appreciated the early opening time (10:30am, unlike many places around the area with 11:30am or noon).
Overall, I’d go back. A-​OK.

A super local café in Chinatown. The interior decorations including tables and chairs, and kitchen style, reminds me of some HK style cafes in Hong Kong back in the very, very, very old days (well I learnt that from TV drama anyway). All the customers during that Saturday night when I was there seemed to be eating at this place a lot and thus they seemed to know the staff very well.
Speaking of the waitresses, even though this restaurant looks so old, they are actually the most professional ones I have seen among other Chinatown restaurants. Friendly attitude, quick service, and you don’t need to speak Chinese to order because they speak fluent English too.
The menu is super simple though.
Ox Tail with Bean Curd: B++.
It took longer time for them to cook this dish than what I expected. However I could instantly tell it was freshly made because of the 鑊氣 (like a steam of flavor from a frying pan… something like that). Taste is not bad too, the sauce was quite authentic.
Only complaint is the price vs portion. This dish costs $ 8.95+tax. In lots of other cafes I have been to I could have got 1.5x the portion of that with this price and I would be full. Not this time, and this is a minus.
Anyway, if you are going for quality, authentic (but nothing fancy) HK café style food I would recommend coming here and give it a try.

ROAST PORK GRAVY OVER RICE! YUMMM! That’s all you need to know!
Located in the heart of SF chinatown, this hole in the wall Chinese restaurant liike many of it’s neighboring competitors aren’t appealing at first.
If you don’t want to dine in, then order take out. But you must try their roast pork gravy over rice. It’s a generous portion and enough for 2. The roast pork is tender and rips apart with the fork. The gravy isn’t too salty and overpowering. It comes with a mountain of rice and some corn on the side. You also get a complimentary soup.
Price is cheap, I mean real cheap for what you pay. $ 7 – 8 per dish.
I definitely want to come back and try some of their other dishes like the oxtail and prime rib.

I absolutely love it here! The food is great and the waitress is so nice. It’s hard to come around Asian places that execute great service.
Being from Sacramento, we don’t have a lot of places that make food like New Lun Ting Café. Every Asian place in Sacramento serves similar items and this here was something new.
I would definitely recommend this place to others.

My first visit rocked 5 stars, however the second only scored 1 star. One reason: almost got stabbed by the careless server.
Here’s the story: I love New Lun Ting, I love Minced Beef Over Rice with Raw Egg, the most heavenly dish ever among all the Chinese restaurant. This place is a hit of miss, the sign is hard to notice, the space is limited but would still fit groups. Old furnitures and friendly servers made me come back for it, of course, Minced Beef Over Rice with Raw Egg was part of the reason. I couldn’t wait to get the dish I love. We asked the server for an extra knife, the server handed to us, with the hand toward to me and she turned her head to the customer behind her — which led the knife in. my. face.
Literally got stabbed, right? I was lucky that I was paying attention to her action, otherwise I won’t be able to finish this review, well, at least for now. Then what? Nothing happened. No apologies. It was just another busy day at the restaurant. Oops sorry, never coming back again even New Lun Ting got the best Minced Beef Over Rice with Raw Egg in the city, but I think I can get over with that.