I visited China Live, a modern dining destination in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown offering Chinese fare of different cooking styles and a gourmet marketplace.
The restaurant features a daily changing seasonal menu from eight different stations prepared with Western and Chinese techniques. The stations are open so you can watch the chefs at work.
China Live Menu
China Live’s menu reflects items of different Chinese culinary styles including Northern Style Dumplings, Cantonese Dim Sum, Chinese BBQ, and Taiwanese Noodle Soups.
What We Tried
We visited China Live for dinner and tried the following:
Sheng Jian Bao (5) $19
Basket of Fried Scallion Bread (5 pieces) $11
Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (XLB) Soup Dumplings $16. Featuring 18 folds and made with Kurobuta pork.
“Peking Duck” with Kumquat Glaze, Traditional Condiments in 5 Sesame Pockets $29
Char Siu BBQ Pork “Dutch Crunch” Baked Buns (3) $13
Hong Kong Wok-Fried Egg Noodles with Mushroom & Bok Choy $22
Chengdu Pock Mark Ma’s Mapo Tofu Claypot $21
Roasted Eggplant Claypot with Basil & Shallots $21
I would characterize China Live’s food as casual fare that is generally well-executed with authentic flavours.
The standouts for me were the hot and juicy Sheng Jian Bao with a crispy bottom and the Char Siu BBQ Pork bun with the sweet and savoury filling and tasty crust. The Egg Noodles with Mushroom & Bok Choy had good wok hei.
The BBQ Duck dish which they had named in quotes “Peking Duck” was a good side option at $29 when you want a taste of BBQ Duck without having a full order. It was nice that it came with condiments and sesame pockets.
China Live’s signature chili bean sauce also went well with the dishes.
The prices are a bit higher than a typical Chinese eatery that serves the same dishes but the atmosphere and vibe is more contemporary and the service is very good especially since they have a standard 20% service charge. Our bill was just over $200 total. Nice that they highlighted the service fee so that you don’t have to tip any more on the machine.
From the open kitchen I could see chefs at the wok and dim sum ladies that you would find at an average Chinese restaurant.
My favorite station to watch was the Stone Oven Roasted Duck station where you could see the chefs at work.
Interior & Vibe
I think their clientele would be mostly a Western audience looking for a modern eatery with a lively atmosphere and that serves casual authentic Chinese fare.
There was also a poster of the famous romantic drama Wong Kar-Wei Film featuring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. If you know, you know!
The elevators also paid homage to iconic Chinese singer and film actress from the 1940s Zhou Xuan.
The communal washroom had some vintage decor.
Marketplace
At the China Live Shop, guests can stock up on pantry items such as chili oil, duck fat popcorn, chili bean sauce as well as unique gifts and home decor items.
China Live is located at 644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA.
