Chef Jia’s – Chinese Restaurant Review

Favorite Chinese Restaurants

There are literally hundreds of Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. Most are family–or relative–owned and operated, and provide good to excellent food, at low prices.

Here is one of my favorites: Two can eat well at dinner, family-style, by choosing one appetizer or soup (a bowl is a starter for up to 4), and one entree per person. Often, the entrees are so large that one appetizer or soup and two entrees are enough for three persons. This keeps the price under $10 per person. With the special lunch the price is under $5 per person.

Chef Jia’s
925 Kearny St (Broadway/Pacific), 398-1626.

Hunan & Mandarin cuisine. Situated right next to the famous House of Nanking, in a much smaller place (28 seats), this restaurant is often neglected when House of Nanking is brimming full. This is because of Nanking’s reputation and Jia’s low profile.

I would sooner go to Chef Jia’s than Nanking, since the food is excellent, the locale is more attractive, and the prices cheaper, especially for lunch. Jia was a Gold Award Winner in 1983, 1984, & 1985 at the Chinese Cuisine Competition of the S.F. Fair & Exposition. Many dishes are his own creations.

They take only cash, no cards.

Lunch Special, 11:30am-4pm, 7 days, $4.80, includes hot & sour soup, rice, tea, and choice of 30 entrees, e.g., lemon chicken, deep-fried sesame chicken, prawns with broccoli, spicy fresh garlic beef, vegetables with bean cake, spicy pork with string beans, honey chili eggplant, lemon prawns, Szechuan-style fish filet.

The a la carte menu is extensive. Here are some examples:

Appetizers and soups, e.g., curried crab puffs (6) $3.95, fried eggplant $4.60, hot & sour soup (specialty) $2.95, large bowl, chowder with shrimp & crab $3.95 bowl.

Fowl, beef, pork – spicy fresh garlic chicken $5.75, spicy orange-peel chicken $5.75, 5-spices duck $7.95, mu shu pork $6.50, curry beef $5.95, sweet & sour pork $5.50.

Rice, chow mein, e.g., chow mein with vegetables, chicken, beef, or pork $3.95, Jia’s Special Fried Rice with prawns, chicken, & beef $4.50.

Vegetables (12 dishes), e.g., eggplant with yam $5.25, sizzling vegetable platter $5.95, black mushrooms with tender greens.

Drinks, Soft drinks $1.10, beers (including imported) $2.75, red or white wine $2.75 glass. Tea is free.