Four Kings

A lot of reviews have focused on the nostalgia - this isn't necessarily the most technically-impressive meal in San Francisco (though there's quite a bit of impressive skill in that kitchen, and there are some wonderful decisions that elevate dishes far beyond what they should be). But the setting, the conviviality, the casual wait staff that still knows how to make you feel at home, it's working all so well that you just want to sit back and enjoy the 1980s/90s Cantopop blaring through the speakers. I walked in while Beyond was playing - it had been years since I heard them, and it just took me back to living in Hong Kong and getting lost and finding good food in strange places.I don't know what memories they'll unlock in you, but you'll feel something. And if not, the food is still great. Highlights for me included the spectacular claypot rice with sausage and bacon, the mapo spaghetti, and the lamb skewer. The quail was fine, with a Peking-duck-like flavor - but it wasn't necessarily for me. I enjoyed looking around and seeing what else people were getting, and it all looked great - like maybe this is a restaurant I want to go back to, even though reservations are nightmarish (later reservations are easier).

There's a lot to love here so I will try to get to each thing. TLDR: great food, great servers, great people, great atmosphere.On a whim, visiting Chinatown, a quick google search for some chow fun led me to four kings. On the approach I joined a line forming at 530pm for a 600pm opening. People showing up at 530pm knew the lore. You cannot be seated into this restaurant unless you made reservations 3 weeks in advance and chances are they book up before you wake. BUT, if you line up before opening, 10 lucky ones get seated before the reservations roll in. With that said, my fiance and I counted the line in front of us, we were number 11 and 12. Finally 6pm rolls around and the whole line was pumped to share the excitement of being turned away temporarily with the promise of a seat in the next 30 mins to an hour. BOOM, the first 10 people get their seats and we go on a wait list. 30 mins no biggie. They were kind enough to send us a text while we browsed nearby souvenir shops. Finally being summoned, we were greeted by the kind hostess that lead us to our seats. There were all kind of exotic solid fusion items on the menu. We went with the steak chow fun, the pea shoots and spicey cabbage. All solid and delicious flavors. The staff was very cordial and our water glasses were never empty. Every interaction was warm and made me happy to be there. You know that feeling when you think the stripper is actually into you? Like it's convincing? No? Never been to a strip club before? Well now is your chance. Jkjk. The interactions are wholesome. You feel the love. The great food, warm staff and vibing with the others in line made this a beautiful evening. I would do it again.

I finally got a reservation for one at Four Kings and I was ecstatic. I came on a Sunday night and sat at the bar. I ordered the a Choy salad, salt and pepper squid skewers, lamb skewer, popcorn chicken and one of their specials - half a pound of peel and eat sweet shrimp. It was definitely worth the wait and the hype. The food was great and on point. They started me with some cucumber and peanuts and the food came up relatively quickly. My favorite was definitely the sweet shrimp. I was eating with my hands and I was in my happy place. Service was fast and good. The restaurant is small and can get really loud. I really love being seated around the counter. With tax and tip, this was around $85, which is about average for dinner in SF. Highly recommended!!!

We heard of Four Kings from Tik Tok and got a reservation on a Sunday night at 10pm. Unfortunately, their squabs and clay pot rice were sold out by then. Here are my ratings for each dish:Tomato rice with pork chop 7/10 - As someone who grew up eating this dish, I love the amount of cheese in it. The sauce is a bit on the sour side to my liking.Mapo spaghetti 7/10 - This is a creative spicy dish. A bit dry in our opinion.Huckleberry silken tofu 7/10 - Definitely did not expect huckleberry to mix so well with tofu. The tofu texture could be smoother.Escargot with milk bread 8.5/10 - Absolutely loved how the milk bread was crispy and warm and how it pairs so well with the sauce. Fish fragrance eggplants 9.5/10 - Best dish of the night, I've never had eggplants with such a strong fish fragrance. Loved the char on them. The dishes came out pretty quick and we could tell our server was rushing since it is the end of the day. Their roasted peanuts are amazing!! This is a nice spot to chat with your friends and listen to some classic cantonese pop.

We came here without reservation on a Friday night at 5:30pm and there was a line outside already. We were seated at 6:00pm when the restaurant opened.Service was attentive and friendly. Food was average at most and overpriced. We ordered:1. Fried squab: cooked to perfect medium with the pink center. I was turned off by the toes that were still attached to the squab.2. Chinese sausage and bacon clay pot: the sausage was way too fat and tasteless. The crispy rice was stuck on the clay pot as the clay pot was not pre-greased. Definitely a clay pot below par.3. Pea shoots with garlic: super old and chewy. Not sure if it was because the veggie was not in season . Also, the veggie was strangely seasoned with vinegar. Unconventional.4. Ginger and scallion cold chicken: this dish is not bad and is different from expectation because it was $15 for 3 slices of chicken spam. Taste fine but surely is pricey.5. Salted egg squash croquettes: this is the best dish of all. Fried balls with salted egg lava mixed with squash inside.This is a one-timer experience given the hype. But don't think we will come back. The food quality is not worth the price.

Finally got to check out Four Kings! Conveniently located a block from the Portsmouth garage, it's just around the corner from R&G. Space is small with wooden tables and chairs. 90s cantopop and posters all over definitely makes for a nostalgic meal for those who grew up in that era. Sit sets the tone for the basic Cantonese dishes ate as kids but with a twist. Fresh and good quality ingredients elevate each dish. Claypot rice with chinese sausage and baconSalt and pepper squidFried smoked squabChili crisp pig headSalted egg squash croquetteHK black pepper steakGarlic pea shoots

Wow! This place was taaaaasty. :) I booked a reservation 3 weeks ahead of time, right at midnight. They are quick to book, the only times I saw were 6:15 and after 9:30! A lot of people will try to walk in at opening. For example, I heard someone waiting for a walk-in table of two at 6:15 needing to wait 1 hr and 45 minutes. They stayed! The place is pretty cute and cozy. It gets fully packed and we were almost shoulder to shoulder on the counter. Not too bad though! The food was amazing. Everyone starts with peanuts and cucumbers. When you come, take a look at the specials menu and try to order fast - they run out of items quickly. We want to come back to be able to try more items! Our ranking was: 1. Squab2. Scallop vermicelli3. Eggplant 4. Clay pot

Good Cantonese inspired food, long line without a reservation. We went at around 8pm on a weekend. The wait was long, we waited for around 1.5 hours to get seated. The food was good. We got the tomato and eggs fried pork chop rice and the mapo spaghetti. My favorite dish was the tomato and eggs fried pork chop. It felt very nostalgic. The surprising factor is that there's cheese inside. The cheese was a great addition to the dish. The mapo spaghetti was decent but innovative. Is it worth the 1.5 hours wait? In my opinion, probably not. I would go back again with a reservation or when the wait is less than 20 mins!

Yes, it is that good!Yes, the food is super tasty and fresh. Yes, they have plenty of alcoholic choices. Yes, it's worth it.

Loved my recent visit to Four Kings. The restaurant is tucked away in a little spot on Commercial St. in San Francisco's Chinatown. It has the cozy casual vibe of a Japanese izakaya, but they serve Chinese food, of course. We were able to score some last minute prime time resies at the counter via Visa. Of course, since it was our first time there, we ordered half the menu:-salted egg squash croquettes: these were delicious! hot, umami, creamy.- xo escargot with milkbread: good to try, but id skip next time- fish fragrant eggplant: prob my favorite dish of the night. this was so good!- mapo spaghetti: honestly, was kind of disappointed by this dish. i think the peppercorns were a bit too strong for my liking. - lamb skewers: good- squab skewers: hearts & gizzards. these were tasty. - salt & pepper squid skewers: these were my fav of all the skewers- popcorn chicken: these were really good, but the name is misleading as these are not "popcorn" at all, and more like chicken karaage. the coating was nice and crunchy. Overall, excellent meal, good vibes, friendly & quick service. Highly recommend making a reservation and sitting at the counter. Can't wait to come back!