Kay Cheung - Chinese, San Francisco

Best: Deep Fried Shrimp wrapped in Tofu Skin

615 Jackson St, San Francisco CA 94133
(415) 989-6838
Parking: limited street parking, pay parking lot a few blocks away

Last Visited: December 12, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Kay Cheung is a crowded restaurant with a lot of clientele. Enter the establishment and it looks littered with round and rectangular tables all throughout the room with little space in between, leaving it with a bit of a chaotic feel. The seating is often shared by multiple parties at individual tables.

The walls are light colored with wood panel from half of the wall to the floor. There are multiple glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and along the walls are fans that have gathered a bit of dust. The front windows stream in a lot of light, and there is track lighting in the front. The walls are decorated with Chinese wall hangings, and two large red banners hang, one on each side wall, with the specials available. Three dishes available for $15 – an incredible value, but all of the dishes are written in Chinese, so if you can’t read, you’re out of luck.

The attraction at Kay Cheung is most definitely the price. The dim sum plates below were each about two dollars. Specialty dishes are available for a slightly higher price. Not every dish was superb, but they are definitely worth the price or are superb values. Each dim sum dish is only two dollars. Kitchen specialties are three dollars. Unbelievably inexpensive prices. Some of the food quality is superior to its higher priced competition, and it’s still only three dollars. Items below are $2 each.

- Beef balls (3) – Three beef balls mixed with cilantro are placed on top of a small bean curd. Good. The beef balls are soft and tender and slightly fluffy.

- Pork dumpling (4) – A pork mixture is stuffed inside a wrapper. The flavoring was nice and the mixture was the right consistency without being too dense. Good.

- Stuffed tofu (2) – Two tofu triangles are stuffed with shrimp paste and deep fried. The outer skin of the tofu was a bit soggy, but the overall flavor was good. The temperature of the dish was room temperature which probably meant it had been sitting out a bit, contributing to its softer texture.

- Deep fried Taro Dumplings (3) – Three deep fried taro dumplings are stuffed with minced pork. The dumplings had been sitting until they cooled to room temperature. This left the filling a bit cool, so some of its flavor had been lost. Otherwise, texture was good.

- Deep fried Shrimp Wrapped in Tofu Skin (3) – Whole salad shrimp mixed with celery pieces, waterchestnuts, cilantro, and bamboo shoots are wrapped inside a tofu skin and deep fried until puffy and lightly golden. The tofu skin is crispy and the quantity of shrimp mix is ample. It’s a delicious delight with the softness of shrimp and the crunchiness of the celery and waterchestnuts. The flavor is great. Think of a big puffy egg roll with shrimp inside. Not every place can make this well, and most places don’t have as much filling as Kay Cheung. Excellent. Five stars.

- Deep fried Sesame balls (3) – Deep fried rice balls are rolled in sesame and filled with lotus paste. The outside texture is slightly crispy while remaining soft which you bite into the shell. The lotus paste is warm and gooey without being too sweet. Excellent. Item below is $3 each (specialty dish).

- Beef stew with turnip. Beef and turnip are cut into small pieces and stewed until tender. The turnip is so tender that it just melts in your mouth. The beef gives the whole stew very rich flavor and the sauce is just ever so thick. The whole dish is served in a medium sized glass bowl. Perfect over rice. Very good.

Service varies. As the restaurant gets busier, it’s hard to get the attention of the wait staff. The hustle and bustle of all the people around is definitely felt in the air. Kay Cheung caters to a local crowd, so it helps if you’re flexible enough to share a table with people that you don’t know. Otherwise, you may be waiting a long time for seats. Also, it’s not the place to go if you’re looking for ambiance. There is little space in the waiting area, so move quickly or step aside.

The restrooms are located downstairs. It’s a bit messy with broken down boxes used as floor coverings. There is also often paper strewn within the stalls. You may also find that the place feels very ‘do it yourself’. During lunch, there isn’t a menu, so look for people bringing the food around. They may not stop at your table, so be ready to flag them down. The same is true about asking what they offer. They might bring it by, but if you don’t react, they’ll quickly move on. I also didn’t hear much English, so just be aware of that when you walk in. There is a really friendly guy that carries the kitchen specialties. You’ll recognize him by his constant smiling – what a great attitude. Most of the other people carrying dim sum are woman, so you should be able to tell the pricing based on who is carrying it.

The food is average and above average depending on what you get. During my most recent visit, I made a special request for dim sum that I hadn’t seen come out yet, and though there was a wait for it, they made it especially for us, so I appreciated their going the extra mile. Several other tables also experienced the same kindness. For Chinatown, Kay Cheung is one of the best. If you’re looking for a great deal, this is the place to go.