Mission Chinese Food — Restaurant in San Francisco

It's really easy to find this place because there's always a sea of people waiting to get in. Add in its reputation, and I think my expectations were set a bit too high. My dinner here wasn't exactly the best.

When I saw the Tea-Smoked Eel in the menu, my eyes immediately lit up because I love tea-smoked duck. I was really expecting the same kind of big smoky pow that you would get from the duck. The rolls themselves were alright - a bit sweet and salty. What really let me down was the eel. They didn't taste a bit smoky to me at all. I still think that there's potential in this dish. The smokiness would've complemented the sweet and salty flavors in addition to the pork. It would've also provided a nice contrast to the fresh flavor of the greens. Without the smoke, the dish didn't really tie together.

I was also really excited to try the Ma Po Tofu. After hearing all the buzz, it seemed like this was MCF's signature dish. It definitely had a decent kick to it, and the bean sauce was thick and rich. However, the bright citrus notes and tingly numbing sensation you'd get from Szechuan peppercorns were absent. That's a big deal. When I eat Szechuan food, I don't even pay too much attention to the spiciness. The defining feature is the presence of the numb feeling in your mouth. In the end, the Ma Po Tofu wasn't really interesting without the citrus flavors and numbing peppercorns.

The Salt Cod Fried Rice was another dish that looked good on paper. I'm guessing it's suppose to be a play on Chinese salted fish and chicken fried rice (ham yu gai lup chow fan). I thought the fried rice in general was pretty bland and lacked wok hei. The mackerel confit tasted fine, but it didn't hold up when paired with the rice. The fish wasn't flavorful enough to properly season another component. There's not enough Chinese sausage to really help either. I think something more potent, like bacalhau, would work better in the fusion fried rice.

The price isn't too high, but I think for the wait, I'd rather go to Z&Y for...

I'm not sure what is more shocking: that it took me so long to eat here or that it actually lived up to expectations.

Three friends and I got there a minute or two before they opened at 5pm on a weekend and joined a small group of people waiting. Another guest helpfully pointed out the clipboard hanging and I put my name down surprised to see how many names seemed to be in front of me, but many of them turned out to be leftovers from the night before and we easily made it into the first seating. There wasn't much on the menu that I would have refused to try but somehow we managed to select the perfect range of flavors from the spicy tofu to the smokey thrice-cooked bacon (with the most interesting little dumpling type noodles) to the sweet beef cheeks in orange sauce. The servers are concentrating on keeping this hotspot flowing so while they are not the most attentive they are working in your best interest. The hole in the wall decor is amusing. We were done by about 6:30 and most of the other first seating tables were turning over right around then as well so I almost thought that would be a good time to arrive if you couldn't be there at opening... but there was already a huge crowd outside! So if you want to avoid a long wait I highly recommend having a late breakfast or a light lunch and then being there right at 5:00.

Note for Mission locals: I recently ordered delivery from them and while it didn't quite compare to the meal I had in the restaurant it certainly blows other Chinese takeout away. We ordered online at 6pm on a Friday and were promised our food by 7:15, oof! But we were in luck that night because our food actually arrived...

Had been to the Brooklyn sprouting of this spot and had a real fun time so wanted to check out the SF spot.

Absolutely delish, and fresh feeling! Fully stuffed myself but still felt even and light despite the heavy flavors.

Started with the vinegar peanuts and smashed cucumbers, the vinegary sauce in the peanuts was definitely a highlight, ended up dipping the cucumbers in the peanut’s sauce, great combo. Cucumber base was a bit more oily than I would want but still tastes great!

Mongolian Beans were spicy but pleasant, had a fun crunch to it and packed with flavor.

Tiki Pork Belly might have been the best combo of crunch on the outside mixed with fatty goodness on the inside, my partner and I both agreed it was the best pork belly we had ever had. Was skeptical about all the sweetness surrounding it esp with the cherries but it was subtle and added a lot.

Lamb Dumplings might have been our fav, felt like the most complex flavor and was a fun fusiony Mediterranean-East Asian crossover, almost reminded me of Nepalese momo’s ?? The fennel laden tzatziki-like sauce mixed with a soy based sauce ?? Heaven!

The chilled Thai peanut noodles were so fresh and the sauce proportions evened everything out beautifully. Fresh fresh fresh. We actually sent back the Sichuan Carbonara and switched it out with the chilled noodles. Highly recommend steering clear of the Sichuan Carbonara, tasted watery and bland overall and also had elements of soap?? (Don’t think the soap flavor was the sichuan peppercorn because I love that stuff) keeping it at 5 stars because the switch out to the chilled noodles was incredible.

100% will...