Orchids Cafe — Restaurant in San Francisco

We had our Christmas lunch last year at this charming neighborhood Chinese restaurant and left feeling both full and happy. The owner greeted us warmly, and his attentive care throughout the meal made it feel like we were dining at a friend's place rather than just a restaurant. It's rare to find service this genuine and welcoming these days, and it set the tone for a wonderful dining experience.

The food was the real star, offering that comforting, nostalgic HK café vibe. We started with the salted egg yolk calamari--a dish that completely won us over. The calamari was cut into thick, satisfying pieces, coated with rich salted duck egg yolk, and packed with umami. Every bite had the perfect balance of flavor and texture, making it a standout.

The shredded Hainan chicken was another highlight. Tossed with cilantro and sesame, the chicken was moist and flavorful, with just the right touch of freshness and nuttiness. The fish with bok choy was simple yet perfectly executed, featuring tender fish complemented by the crisp, vibrant bite of baby bok choy.

We also enjoyed the stir-fry seafood chow fun, which had a generous helping of seafood and that delightful "wok hey" flavor in the rice noodles. One small detail we really appreciated was the option to order a side of fried rice without committing to a full plate--an excellent touch for those who want variety without going overboard.

To top it all off, the milk tea was a treat. It had the kind of creamy richness and smooth flavor that reminded us of classic HK tea shops. Paired with the reasonable prices and the owner's genuine hospitality, this meal felt like a real gift.

We're so glad to have this restaurant in the neighborhood and can't wait to come back regularly to enjoy more meals and support such a wonderful...

This is my first time back to Orchids Cafe since they re-opened for indoor dining a year and a half ago. For the longest time, I saw they were only opened for take-out when I drove by. The food here is delicious with authentic HK flavors. My iced milked tea was very good. They are now added to my rotation of restaurants to eat at for lunch. (Usually I go to 21 Taste House, Chase Luck, Dots, Fate Tea House, GoGo 7, Jojo's or Pakwan.) Today, I only had 30 mins for lunch because of the loading parking meter limit and opted for the curry pork chop spaghetti instead of the longer prep time baked pork chop spaghetti (takes 20 mins.) To my surprise, pork chopS came out. On the menu, it only listed a singular "pork chop." What a pleasant surprise! That and they were huge. The chef did a great job. They put the curry on the side so that the crunchy tonkatsu don't get soft. The breading on the pork chops were on point. Service was excellent as there was only one other party dining during lunch. Great job everyone at Orchids Cafe. I felt at home with the soft Cantonese music playing in...

Went in shortly after opening on a Friday. Chilly late April day, place was empty but a very steady stream of pick up orders. My partner and I were on the verge of crashing out, tired of our week's move from Cayuga Terrace to here in Ingleside (a move is a move regardless of distance, ha). Similar story to others, we wanted our food quick so we opted for the curry plates instead of the baked food. We ordered a pork chop curry and the beef brisket curry, both over spaghetti. We were contemplating of powering it through the meal to go home and make some mocha pot coffee or to visit a shop nearby for our caffeine fix. To our surprise, Kevin comes from the kitchen like a super hero with a pair of large mugs of HK tea, on the house. The food was incredible, sadly I don't have any pictures as we didn't wait to clean our plates. The pork chops (the order came with 2) were truly something special and we'll be ordering that every time, and rotate the other entree as we try out the menu. Kevin's hospitalality was truly memorable, will be back...