Cantonese, Hunan, Szechuan, oh my! A primer on SF’s many styles of Chinese cuisine

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and given San Francisco’s outsize AAPI population, it’s a big deal here in the city.

One out of every three San Franciscans is of Asian descent, almost a quarter count themselves as a part of the Chinese diaspora and San Francisco Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in the country. All of this goes a long way in explaining why our city boasts such an extraordinarily diverse selection of Chinese cuisines.

As is the case with the culinary traditions of any large country, Chinese food can differ dramatically depending upon its region of origin. While Cantonese, Hunan and Szechuan—the most common styles of Chinese food found in San Francisco—certainly share things in common, they each have distinct flavor profiles.

However, these styles are not the only subgenres to be found here. Read on to learn more about the major categories of traditional Chinese cuisine and where to find them in San Francisco.

Starting in the 1800s, early Chinese immigrants from the greater Canton, Guangdong, region arrived in San Francisco, setting the bedrock for the development of American Chinese food. Nowadays, Chinese restaurants are practically everywhere in every business corridor in San Francisco, and among them, Cantonese cuisine is dominant.

Some Cantonese favorites include: dim sum, the “beautiful soup”(老火靚湯, soup simmered for hours), “bo zai faan”(煲仔飯, clay pot rice or “rice cooked with one’s son”) and “siu laap” (delectable roasted duck).

But if you want to impress your Cantonese friends, talk to them about “Wok Hei” (鑊氣, 锅气, the breath of the wok), which refers to the scent and taste of dishes cooked over the high heat.

Harbor Villa Restaurant 海港城 | Dimsum | 5238 Diamond Heights Blvd.
Jumbo Seafood 珍寶家廚 | Beautiful Soup | 1532 Noriega St. 
The Claypot House 煲仔王 | Clay Pot Rice | 1000 Clement St. 
Ming Kee Restaurant 明記燒臘 | Roasted Duck | 1548 Ocean Ave.

Many of China’s eight major cuisine variants are underrepresented here in America—even in San Francisco. But Szechuan and Hunan, two of the most popular styles of Chinese food in the United States, are famous for turning up the heat.

Szechuan cuisine is considered the top of Chinese cuisine with its numb spicy dishes and Hunan, a province bordering Guangdong can provide unforgettable spicy pan-fried pork and oily fish.

Z&Y 御食園 | 655 Jackson St.
Henry’s Hunan Restaurant 湖南小喫 | 1016 Bryant St.

Shanghainese food tickles a different part of the tongue than Szechuan and Hunan cuisine. Known for its many sugary sweet dishes, it is also deeply influenced by the regional Jiangsu and Zhejiang cultures—both of which have their own unique styles of cooking but aren’t commonly found in the US.

In case you don’t know, one of the most iconic figures of Chinese cuisine in America, Cecilia Chiang, is from Shanghai. She passed away during the pandemic at the age of 100.

Shanghai House Restaurant 家家福 | Shanghai Rice, Pig Knuckle w/ Brown Sauce | 3641 Balboa St.

Shandong, a northern coastal region of China, has one of the most historic and influential cuisines in the country. It is known for it’s emphasis on fresh seafood and unique cooking methods.

In San Francisco, the Shandong style of cooking is mostly associated with dumplings and you can find many great spots on the city’s west side.

Happy Family Gourmet Inc 山東水餃手拉麵 | 1042 Taraval St.

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant 老北京 | Hotpot | 3132 Vicente St.
Tang Bar 燙吧 | Malatang | 3251 20th Ave., 2nd Floor (Stonestown Galleria)
Qing Shu 青蔬麻辣燙 | Malatang | 816 Irving St.
Top SF BBQ | Northern Chinese BBQ | 2311 Clement St.