(Have you seen that movie? It’s so awful).
Back in November, I traveled to the City by the Bay – San Francisco - for the very first time. To put it simply, words cannot express just how captivated I was by the city and its unique mixture of culture. One of these cultures - a very dominant one of the Bay Area, and one that I proudly happen to be a part of – is the Chinese culture; you can only imagine just how ecstatic I was when we first arrived at “the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.”
Upon crossing under a traffic bridge near the upper-boundary of Chinatown, almost immediately I felt as though I had stepped into an entirely different country. The signs; the smells; the people – a familiar and nostalgic sensation flooded my mind. After all, I had spent four years of my life living in part of the largest Chinatown in the world (Hong Kong).
Now, I won’t say visiting Chinatown was the very top highlight of the trip, but it was definitely one of them. If you love authentic (or Americanized) Chinese food, cheaply-made “Chinese” souvenirs, and being surrounded by people who are almost all tourists, then you must not pass up a chance to spend a few hours roaming this neighborhood. (If you don’t love any of that, you should still go).
When you’re there, don’t spend too much time in the giant stores that sell 99-cent folding paper fans and 99-dollar “designer” purses - at least not without first filling your belly with some authentic Chinese/Cantonese food. Might I recommend the New King Tin Restaurant on Washington Street? They offer more than an array of popular Chinese dishes for a very decent price. I got a personal favorite – egg noodles in wonton soup – while the others ordered a tomato-beef stir-fry and a platter of chicken and duck on rice. All of it was absolutely delectable. (Get the chicken and duck on rice – it is always accompanied by the heavenly “ginger sauce” for your taste buds to savor).
Chinatown on a Friday morning. New King Tin Restaurant can be seen in the distance. November 25, 2011.
After eating, exploring we went. We walked up and down the streets that constituted the oriental district and admired century-old architecture; window-shopped; wandered into a neighborhood park; people-watched; and indulged in a nice, tall glass of boba milk tea.
Chinatown patrons stop outside a magazine shop to read the latest headlines. November 25, 2011.
Bundles of Chinese sausage hang-dry in a shop.
Chinese steamed BBQ pork and custard buns (yum) and other baked good are displayed in a Chinatown bakery window.
A typical sight at any authentic Chinese eatery - fresh roasted chicken and duck are displayed in restaurant windows as a traditional way to attract customers. This is the same chicken and duck served as mentioned above. November 25, 2011. (Sorry - I promise that's the last food photo I have, haha)!
Just a neat perspective of a Chinatown street. Look at all the signs!
The Chinatown Gate in San Francisco, November 25, 2011.
Red is considered the luckiest color in the Chinese culture. Its use is very apparent in this photo of a Chinatown street.
Within a few hours, we had basically seen the entire area that is known as Chinatown; we walked a ton without taking too much time to rest. Add that to the variation in elevation (hills) and an unfit pair of legs, and you get one very tired girl. But was it worth the walk? Considering I got to partially relive four years of my life in three hours, I would definitely say: “Hell yes, it was.” (Just remember to walk a few miles on the treadmill before you go)!
(I’m aware that this post did not describe an ounce of “big trouble” as one might gather from the title… Read about how a Chinese local scolded me, here – now that was real trouble)!
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