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Good dim sum chinatown9/17/2023 He also brought out hot premium tea called Da Hong Pao. He first offered us Hong Kong milk tea, sharing that the restaurant uses different recipes for the hot versus iced versions. I asked Chui to select dumplings he thought Hang Ah does well or differently from other places. “This is the only dim sum parlor in Chinatown with air flow,” he pointed out - something I actually hadn’t noticed before. It was just him and two kitchen staffers during shelter-in-place, sitting at separate tables with the windows and doors wide open, fulfilling takeout orders. Chui let go of the majority of his 25-member staff in 2020, though he has since hired some back. The restaurant is also still in pandemic recovery. The dining room inside Hang Ah Tea Room, in San Francisco's Chinatown, on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Most customers intentionally seek out Hang Ah, rather than stumbling upon it.ĭuring my late afternoon visit, a few large tourist families, indicated by their shorts, steadily filed in and out, as did smaller parties of Chinese American locals. (Charles Russo/SFGATE)ĭespite the restaurant’s historical significance, its alleyway location means a lack of foot traffic. (Charles Russo/SFGATE) Some of the Dim Sum and chili at Hang Ah Tea Room. Some of the Dim Sum and chili at Hang Ah Tea Room. Over time, Chui and Lai increased the hours to seven days a week, hired more staff and nearly doubled the menu items from 25 to 40. Back then, Hang Ah was only open a few days a week, with one server. Before officially taking over, Chui sat in the restaurant every day for six months, observing what patrons ate and the flow of business. Only five families had run Hang Ah since its opening, and it was important to preserve its spirit. Charles Russo/SFGATEĬhui had a compelling connection to Hang Ah: He discovered that his distant relatives were owners of the restaurant in the 1950s. SFGATE dumpling columnist Margot Seeto gets started on a large spread of offerings at Hang Ah Tea Room, in San Francisco's Chinatown, on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. When the opportunity arose to take over from the previous owners, who had run the place since the 1970s, the stipulation was that Chui and Lai could not change anything. That was the extent of his restaurant experience before taking over Hang Ah with college friend Billy Lai in 2014. He immigrated to San Francisco from Hong Kong about 35 years ago, attending Mission High School while working a lunch counter gig. On a late weekday afternoon, Chui, 49, had plenty to say regarding the restaurant’s history and present-day operations. I’m happy to accept that answer on behalf of San Francisco. Charles Russo/SFGATEĮrgo, Hang Ah still holds its title. Hang Ah Tea Room co-owner Frank Chui, pictured in front of his storied Dim Sum restaurant, which dates back to 1920 at its location at 1 Pagoda Place, in San Francisco's Chinatown. While Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York City also opened that year, current Hang Ah co-owner Frank Chui, who said he met with Nom Wah’s owner, asserted that Nom Wah isn’t strictly a dim sum house. Hang Ah Tea Room - the name translates to fragrance in Cantonese - first opened in 1920 as the U.S.’s first dim sum parlor. There may not be tablecloths, but there is a curated mix of vintage Chinatown and San Francisco memorabilia, with photo collages of Miss Chinatown contestants, and posters for Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films in the lobby. Inside the dining room, red vinyl-upholstered chairs and dark wooden tables sit atop cream tiles. The restaurant belies its historic status with its casual, homey atmosphere. You won’t be able to miss it: There’s a huge sign painted on the side of the first building that lines the corridor, with a giant arrow pointing at the entrance. To find Hang Ah, follow the signage along a small alleyway called Pagoda Place. Charles Russo/SFGATE Look for the giant arrow But the restaurant, a legacy business that is more than a century old, has plenty to offer for locals and tourists alike.Ī spread of various dumplings and other fare at Hang Ah Tea Room, in San Francisco's Chinatown, on Wednesday July 20, 2022.
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