A perennial favorite in Chinatown!
Sam Wo
813 Washington St (Grant/Stockton) 415 982-0596
11am–3am, closed Sunday.
The Sam Wo Chinese restaurant has been around for over 100 years (sic), and is an all-time favorite with San Franciscans. It stays open until 3am six days of the week.
I listed Sam Wo in the first edition of my book San Francisco on a Shoestring in 1982, and in the nine editions that followed.
In 1982 their charismatic waiter, Edsel Ford Wong, dominated the scene. He used to scan the diners and then tell them what to do, e.g., set the table with cutlery, how to sit, and what to order. Alas, he is no longer around, but the solid menu of Chinese food is, at knockdown prices.
Every visitor to the City should eat here at least once. Most will become repeaters.
Note: cash only, no checks or credit cards.
The restaurant covers three floors of a very narrow building. The preparation of the food and the cooking are done on the ground floor, in view of the diners.
Large bowls of won ton (ravioli), a specialty, are usually visible. The diners pass through a narrow corridor to ascend the two floors above, where they dine. The food is sent up to the diners on a dumb-waiter. All dishes are ample in size.
Appetizers include fried spring rolls (3) $2,50, fried shrimp $4.50, chicken salad $4.50, deluxe raw-fish salad $7.75.
Soups include wonton soup with BBQ pork $3.50, won ton soup with choice of beef, shrimp, duck, or chicken $3.50, rice noodle soup with beef or chicken $2.75, thick rice soup with beef, chicken, or pork $2.50-3.50, with steelhead fish $4.75, with shrimp $3.50. All soups are large bowls, enough as a starter for four or five persons.
Fried noodles or rice noodles include fried noodle house chow mein with bean sprouts and beef or pork $4.25, chow mein with duck $4.75, with mixed vegetables $4.25. Fried rice noodles with chicken, beef, or pork $4.25, with mixed vegetables $4.25. Rice plates with chicken or beef and broccoli $4.50, with shrimp and tender greens $4.75, curry chicken $4.25.
Fried rice with shrimp, duck, beef, or chicken $3.00.
Shrimp dishes with choice of broccoli, tender greens, or corn, all $5.75.
Pork, chicken, or beef dishes include sweet and sour pork $4.50, beef with tender greens $5.25, beef stew $4.25, Kung Pao chicken (hot) $5.25, sweet and sour chicken $5.25.
Vegetable dishes include Chinese greens or broccoli with oyster sauce $3.75. ma po tofu $4.00.
Beverages, dessert. Tea comes with the meal. They serve soft drinks, but no beer or wine. Chinese doughnut (specialty) 60 cents.
Sam Wo reviewed 7/1/03 by Louis Madison
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