China Live, the 20,000 square foot food emporium opened its door sometime last year by Master Chef George Chen. It was dubbed the “Eataly of Chinese Food.” Having been to the real Eataly in Florence and absolutely love their concept, Darren and I finally had a chance to go check out the Chinese version! It is in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown on Broadway. When you first walk in, you will see the upper level of the Retail Marketplace with all sorts of products ranging from rice bowls, chopsticks, dishwares, candles and other items for the home. The hostess will also greet you and bring you to your table if you are dining there.
Then you walk down the stairs and see the main shopping area with even more household products – cookware (rice cooker, pressure cooker), cookbooks and condiments…etc. Further in, you will finally see the Market Restaurant and Bar. We went in the middle of the week for a late lunch so we just walked in without a reservation, but if you plan to go during busy weekday lunch hours or on the weekends, we highly recommend you make a reservation.
We sat at a table by the dim sum bar at the back of the restaurant. All the ladies were busy steaming and preparing all the hot dim sum dishes.
The interior decor has an industrial feel to it with lots of concrete flooring and ceiling (with Chinese characters), paired with nice wood furniture that warms up the place.
When we visited, it happened to be the last day of the San Francisco Restaurant Week and we tried out their special menu which included an appetizer, a main course and a drink (tea or beer) – Darren opted for the beer! We selected the Shanghai thick noodles which is always my favorite!
We also selected the 6-piece Xiao Long Bao, which was very tasty. I love these bite-size ones, they were perfect.
And we added the 4-piece shrimp and scallops Siu Mai dumplings. They were $14, the most expensive Siu Mai I have ever had!
Absolutely love the decor of this place…
Their in-house China Live brand sauces and condiments… with the special menu we ordered, it also included a bottle of chili sauce!
They even have a barbeque meat section (enclosed by glass) at the restaurant facing the bar:
We walked around the shop after lunch…
Tons of fine tea on the shelves:
And high-end cooking sauces and wines:
Horoscope bar soaps:
It was definitely a nice marketplace and restaurant if you don’t mind spending a little more!
644 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 788-8188
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