Wanted to try this place because it was recommended on Michelin. Ratings were not so high so we were cautiously optimistic. We got there at 10:45 and Google said they open at 11:30. We asked the guy said sternly that they open at 11:30. We felt a little put off since they had the door open and they have this sign that says they “reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” which also was a little off putting. We walked around and came back at 11:15 and there were others waiting for the restaurant to open. A little surprised. We waited for them to open and they didn’t open a single minute before 11:30 which was really annoying. They could have let us sit down at least and let us browse the menu. We ordered the sour fish with numbing spice. The fish was cut thicker than we normally have it but the flavoring was amazing. The fish even though it was too thick was silky. Amazing. The soup is amazing. Not as spicy as our go to restaurant for this dish. Only place we drank the soup, it was that good. We also got the chef special clams in wine. Cooked just right. Very good as well. The cauliflower with preserved meat was served in a dish they put over some jelly flame. The flavoring is the best I’ve ever had of this dish. While we were waiting for our food, some other people got their dish and it smelled amazing. Even though we had ordered too much food we order that fried chicken dish also. Not as authentic since they breaded it and the authentic style is with no breading. The breading definitely made the dish not as good as it could be. All in all everything was above our expectation. We also ordered the pur er tea, was very good as well. Warning, the folks in front of us ordered two dishes and was shocked by the bill. Our criticism is that they should have looked at the prices before ordering. This place is expensive, but very good. Highly recommend trying at least once. Attitude could have been a little more friendly.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4

I recently visited Z&Y Restaurant after seeing some enticing Instagram videos, and while my experience was decent overall, I can only give it a three-star rating. The food was good, but I wasn't particularly impressed with my dish, and unfortunately, my appetizer was completely forgotten about. I ordered an appetizer, but to my disappointment, I finished my entire entree before the dumplings I had requested even arrived. It seemed like they had simply forgotten the order, but when I inquired about it, they tried to explain that the dumplings take an exceptionally long time to cook. As someone with a background in the restaurant industry, I appreciate honesty, and I would have preferred if they had admitted their mistake instead of shifting the blame to the kitchen. However, it's possible that their dumplings genuinely require an extended cooking time, although it does seem quite lengthy 50 to be exact. Moving on to my entree, it was satisfactory, but it didn't leave me feeling wowed. I received ten small pieces of fried chicken that were swimming in a bowl of dried chilis. While the dish had a decent flavor, it lacked that special something that would have made it truly outstanding. Despite my underwhelming experience, I am willing to give Z&Y Restaurant another chance in the future. I couldn't help but notice that the food served to the patrons around me looked quite tasty, which leads me to believe that perhaps I just made an unlucky choice with my order. Hopefully, on my next visit, I'll be able to try something that truly impresses me.

I've wanted to try this restaurant for a while in Chinatown and I've walked passed this restaurant at times when it was filled with people and the outdoor patio was full. We where in Chinatown looking to try a new spot and we noticed that Z&Y was not that busy for lunchtime on a Thursday we went inside. The dining area wasn't anything spectacular. The service was below average than I expected. The food was good but not anything that would made me feel it was worth the long lines to try. We sampled 3 dishes and while the first 2 dishes were delivered quickly the 3rd dish a simple fried rice was delivered to our table 20 minutes later after we already finished the 2 dishes. We wanted to leave and asked to takeout the rice. They serve room temperature water and they never bothered to stop by our table to ask if we needed anything. I'll never comeback to this place. There are other restaurants to try and others that I would come back to. Skip this overrated establishment.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 4
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 2

Food is good but you are paying a premium to eat here. We arrived at opening on Sunday and we were seated immediately. The food came at inconsistent intervals and on the longer side of what I typically experience at sit down Chinese restaurants. The fish in pickled mustard broth with tofu was my favorite. The fish was so fresh and flaky. The tea smoked duck is unique and one of the reasons why I came here. It was good to try and yummy, although personally I still prefer roast duck. The lamb dish was succulent, juicy, tender and mouth watering. The sweet sticky rice ball soup dessert is one of the best I've had at restaurants. It's a shareable dish and was a good amount for our party of 4. I recommend passing on the xiaolongbao and noodles. You can get tastier and less expensive equivalent elsewhere. Save your stomach and money for what they make well here!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Smoked Duck

It is famous because the president has been here. If you decide to come here, please have the right expectations about Chinese restaurant: slow service, crowded sittings, and loud talks. More important, this restaurant feature is the Sichuan cuisine so don’t complain that it is too hot for you. Anyway, it is one of the best hometown dishes I have had in the Bay Area or arguably in the whole States. The Mapo Tofu is a must-try since the chili oil is quite authentic and it goes with rice pretty well ( rice bowl is pricy although, $2.5 a bowl). The appetizer chili oil kidney is also very delicious if you are adventurous enough to try it. The raw Sichuan peppercorns chicken (藤椒鸡) was a little bit disappointing because it was not savory and the chicken tasted quite plain and flat. Overall, I think it is really good food and definitely will come back!

THEY DO NOT HONOR SAME-DAY ONLINE RESERVATIONS!! You can make online reservations through Yelp but when my friends and I showed up, they said they would not honor same-day reservations—even after getting an email confirmation and notification reminders, so what is the point of offering that? We still had to put our name on the waitlist—for a Monday night, it was packed and lots of people waiting outside. Food was okay—some dishes were good, some were just mediocre. Our top dishes were the Creamy Prawns with Honey Walnuts, Chicken with Explosive Chili Peppers and the Dungeness Crab with Salty Egg Yolk! The restaurant is small, and not very clean—the bathrooms are downstairs and are super dirty.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50

Out of all the restaurants I dined at during my vacation to SF, Z & Y is the one that I cannot stop thinking about. We ate the chicken with explosive chili peppers, tan tan noodles, and spicy dumplings. My favorite was whichever one I ate last. I have nothing I can critique about any of these dishes outside of the fact that I'm not eating them right this second. If you have never experienced Sichuan chilis or peppercorns and want to, you should definitely run, not walk, to experience them here. Z & Y is completely deserving of its Michelin Bib Gourmand status. Whether you live in SF or are visiting, you should 10/10 make a stop here. It is worth the hype. Edit: No other Szechuan I've had has come close to this meal.

A popular Sichuan restaurant that serves hot spicy food. I got there just in time to get the last table available. It was completely full and a waiting line formed outside. The service was efficient, the food was terrific, and the prices were reasonable. But the total bill ended up almost 1/3 higher after 16% tips were added to the bill automatically, plus 4% SF Employer Mandates and 8.625% sales tax. Well, it’s the norm now for almost every restaurant. I ordered: 4*Bean Jello in Red Chili Sauce 川北涼粉: spicy and good. 5*Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage w/ Chili Pepper 鐵板手撕包菜: crunchy and tasty, you can’t cook better cabbage than this. I was pleasantly surprised.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50

This restaurant has delicious food! Even though we had beef, chow mein and egg fried rice, my favorite was the tea cooked duck. It was SO juicy! I loved it all. THE TEA COOKED DUCK IS A MUST HAVE!!!! I had their in house sake too and it was also good served warm! There service could use a little work, but they had issues with english and I don't blame them. The restaurant is in the middle of China Town. We came here 10+ years ago, and they were great then. They are great now. I look forward to coming again in the future.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Smoked Duck

Heard great things about Z&Y so stopped in with friends while visiting SF! Waited about 30 minutes for dinner on a busy Saturday night. Staff is friendly and helpful with the menu, food comes out quickly once ordered. The best soup dumplings I’ve had in a long time, very rich and great texture. The mala fish was fantastic as well as the Mongolian beef and green beans. You really can’t go wrong with the menu! Filling and a good price per person when shared. Definitely recommend.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Mongolian Beef, Dumplings

The taste is good, but most reviews are overrated. The price is too high for what they serve. I ordered chicken with explosive chili pepper and boiled fish. As you can see from my picture, the main role of these two dishes are chili pepper, just very little chicken and fish. And these two costs nearly 65 dollars! Not need to mention how long you need to wait outside in freezing wind to sit and wait for another half an hour to get dishes on your table. The service is also average, but you need to pay mandatory 16% tips for party of 2 or 20% tips for party of 4.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100

Menu is a bit limited (no egg rolls or fried rice). Let them know ahead of time the level of spiciness of your food. This was one recommendation from our hotel. We wish we would have looked at the menu ahead of time, we would have chosen differently. The food was fine, we just would have preferred more choices.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 3
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Kung Pao Chicken
Vegetarian options
Not a large selection of VEGAN or vegetarian options. Dumplings, spring rolls, etc all have pork and or egg.

This is real Szecguan food and it's spicy but not TOO spicy. The quality of the food is top notch. So delicious. The Shanghai dumplings are among the best I ever had, served with the black vinegar and ginger they should come with. The smoked Tea Duck may be even tastier than the best Peking Duck. It's also served with pancakes , duck sauce and scallions like Peking Duck. Too many other delicious dishes to mention. The snow pea sprouts with garlic were actually water spinach which I like 10 times better than snow pea sprouts.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Out with Blaster Strongate and his little stab Koo Ling, and here's the lowdown, we wanted pizza but Koo Ling wanted Chinese, and not just any Chinese restaurant, she wanted to go to Z&Y Restaurant. So, we had to go across town, but I'll tell you it was sure worth it. The food was amazing! My first time here, but not my last that's for sure. My little slippery slide, Woo Bang Lee Lee has been trying to get me to take her here for a year or so but we always go to other places, but from now on when we want Chinese food we're coming to Z&Y Restaurant! 5 stars all day long. ☆☆☆☆☆

The food here is really good! Go here for lunch (as we did) as the queues for dinner are huge (we tried to get in the night before hand and ended at a nearby restaurant…..as I was so hungry and the wait was huge). The spicy Sichuan dumplings are delish! Hot, spicy, mouth numbing goodness. Best I’ve had (better than my travels to Asia). The Kung Pao chicken was great, the duck rolls are great and the pork/cabbage dumplings were good. I highly recommend….especially for lunch as you will get a table immediately.
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3

This place was so good and worth the wait. I had never really been exposed to real Szechuan cooking and I was so pleased. I will likely try and come here again next time I'm in San Francisco. If you haven't had this style of cooking before, the peppercorns have an effect on your tongue and create a pleasant sensation and often change or influence the way things taste. There are a lot of options in the area. I would say you're always good asking a friend or local if that sounds too adventurous. I'm sure they have other things on the menu.

Poisonous food alert!! Scam tips alert!b I ordered the beef tail stew tonight, and the carrot in it is rotten and already turned black. I showed to the server, and it just shrugged his shoulder, said nothing. When checking the bill, they apply 18% of tips automatically, which is shameless and in fact illegal. No restaurant is allowed to charge tips forcefully. The food poisonous and service is non-existent.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 1
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1

The food here was fantastic - one dish is easily enough for two people. I had the kung pao and the spice and flavor was perfect. Would definitely order it again. Quite noisy with tables very close together (had to ask the neighboring table to move the chair so I could move). Service was quick, not intrusive but would have hoped they could have provided recommendations which were not forthcoming when asked. Would visit again just for the quality of the food.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3

Absolutely amazing!! The food was delicious, the service was speedy and efficient. The fried chicken in the Chicken with Explosive Chili Pepper was perfect and perhaps the best fried chicken I’ve ever had: crispy but moist and flavorful. The Spicy Beef in Mini Flaming Pot was delicious as well. Every appetizer and entree we had was great. Highly Recommended!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Features
Dine in: Yes
Outdoor seating: Yes

Obviously exceptional authentic Cantonese deliciousness. The menu is huge... Too many choices for people have FoMo. The service is amazing. The family size portions are perfect for sharing. It's a little crowded and not plush inside, but if you care more about food over ambience you will love z&y.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Hot and Sour Soup

This one was a pleasant discovery. Good food, loved the flavours. There was a 15-20 mins wait for lunch on a Saturday afternoon however the wait was worth it. A perfect place for people who love spicy food. The dumplings are a must try here.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 4
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Hot and Sour Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Dan Dan Noodles, Dumplings

The 辣子鸡 and 担担面 blew me away it was so good. I was eating the peppers straight, along with the dish since they were airy and crispy. Some of the generic dishes ordered from our party seemed less impressive yet still above average, but if you get more authentic sichuan chongqing dishes it will be amazing
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

We went in Feb and was really impressed by the spicy fish dish. So we went again. Oh, that was disappointing. Still decent Szechuan food, but I wouldn't bring friends here again for sure. May drop in when we are around and won't wait for this in the future if there is a long wait.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 3
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 3

Ordered Tantan noodles, chicken with chilli explosion and fish fillet with chilli oil. The spice level is not too high as we initially anticipated. Tan tan noddles was our favorite. For the other chicken dish, we found the quantity of chicken was very less for the cost(30$). The fish in the fillet had skin on top of it which was not to our liking.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4

The decor is traditional, the service is great, the food is under expectation, the mandatory charging is beyond what it provides. They are so customized for people cannot eat spicy food, aka most of non-Chinese customers, nothing bad about it since PF Chang is among most successful brand in the US.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$100+

Can't say enough about this place. Everything that we ordered was superb - from the soup to the dumplings, noodles, duck and even the complimentary dessert. Indoor seating is limited but they have outdoor tables as well. Service was superb.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

This was our first time there and the food was excellent. The service was a bit slow. The atmosphere was authentic. It's a good representative of San Francisco Chinatown.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Steamed Pork Dumplings xlb

Authentic Chinese restaurant located very conveniently. The dan dan noodles were amazingly numbing to eat. There is always a huge waiting. Obama also did visit this restaurant. Its a Michelin Guide Recommended restaurant. The food was very tasty. We had outdoor seating near the heaters. Would definitely visit again and recommend this place.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to try on.. the food is awesome delicious. Services, taste, location, ambience.. 5*/5. Fast, clean, great atmosphere got indoor and outdoor seating arrangement..
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Best restaurant in the city for authentic sichuan flavor. The head chef is also the owner and the wife runs the front of house. Quality control is definitely up there. Service can be a little better but, its understandable because of how busy they get!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100

The food here is amazing. I would say it's about $30/plate. There isn't much seating. I would imagine there is usually a wait to get a seat. The service is unusual. The staff is very friendly. They bring dishes as they are ready. We ordered 3 dishes and they each came out at different times. It was good though! More

Food was great. Loved the spice, flavors were awesome. The orange chicken was crispy but not greasy. Service was quick and staff were attentive. Worth the wait and very fairly priced.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

This place is delicious! We ordered the Fried Rice with Black Truffle, Clam and Tofu Soup, Crispy Garlic Flavor Shrimp, Tea Smoked Duck, and Chicken with Explosive Pepper. Every dish was flavorful and satisfying. The portion to share with family of 4 big eaters were sufficient. We will definitely return for more!

the stir fried cabbage with chili peppers is truly amazing. everything here is great, but this cabbage is really exceptional. you’re probably thinking, “it’s just cabbage,” but you’re wrong. it’s phenomenal. every time i come here i try different things, but i always get the cabbage, and you should too. More

Good Chinese restaurant, the chicken was super delicious! Even Barack Obama went there, so a warm recommendation. The atmosphere isn’t so nice but the food is yum.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3

loved my experience here! the food was absolutely amazing. the price was a little bit high for my liking but overall a great time.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes

Tasty food, a little bit salty. It’s better to go early, because there’s always a long queue. We arrived at 5:40, waited half an hour. We ordered Kou shui ji (Salive chicken), la zi ji (Spicy chicken), instant booled spicy hot pot. The food is fresh and the seasoning is authentic.

Absolutely beautiful food. The taste of the spicy dumplings were outta this world delicious
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Kung Pao Chicken, Dumplings

I’d give it four stars but the food was too good. The service was slow and I think that they forgot about me come time to pay. I had the house cold noodles and spicy dumplings. The spice was lip tingling deliciousness…
Food: 5
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5

Very popular place and hard to catch a table. Line exists to enter. The better way is to use a reservation . We took Wonton soup and Beef pancake and Tea-Smoked Sliced Duck. Mostly dishes are spicy. Listed above dishes are not . Very delicious and strongly recommended.

The cuisine is remarkably authentic and served quite decently. Caution: if you're not a fan of spicy dishes, choose your order wisely.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 4
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3

The food was very good. We had the mapo tofu, one with and one without pork. Loved how savory and spicy these dishes are. Staff is somewhat ok, but the guy who handled the payment almost threw my credit card at me after swiping it and was quite rude in general. More

Z&Y is next-level great. Go during off hours to snag a table without waiting too long. I went with two others around 2pm on a Saturday and only had to wait 15 mins. Service was quick and food was incredible. The best Szechuan in SF! Highly recommend.

Food was very authentic and fresh. Services were good. Clean enough as a Chinese restaurant in China town. We really enjoyed it and will be back next time. Non need to order a rice which is $3.50 a bowl but Save your space for delicious food.

Nice place to eat when in Chinatown. The overall food quality is good and the food is according the menu (hot means hot). The service was cordial although waiting time is a bit longer than expected. Feel free to go without worries. Enjoy!

Insane waitress chased me outside over tip. Very racist restaurant, which is ironic for a chinese restaurant. The waiters were smiling and nice to white customers but rude to chinese customers. They charge ridiculous money for white rice

This is one of the “famous” Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, at least on paper. We went there with mixed experience. When the waitress put bowls and spoons on table, I spotted the greasy stains on a spoon in fact on two spoons. She

If you like spicy food and are seeking the sensation known as paresthesia, then this is the place to go in the area. We waited 20 minutes for a table and service was fast, friendly, and attentive. We ordered the spicy octopus, but the

Hands down best sichuan food in town. Very numbing! And the fish was amazing I feel restaurants often get sichuan food wrong from not enough numbing spice, but they actually get it! Worth the Michelin recommendation …

Very good Chinese food! The crab, the duck, beef with green onion, etc everything was delicious.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

Worth the wait. Had the “grilled fish w/ house spicy sauce” and it was one of the best I ever had. The dish on the left is called shredded potatoes.
Service
Dine in
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Been to many Sichuan restaurants and I must say this is the best one! Super flavorful boiled beef, numbing tendon, and clam with basil. I will definitely come back next time I visit San Francisco. More

Definitely pricey but awesome Chinese sichuan food. We got the beef rolls, green beans, and the beef slices in red sauce, would definitely recommend! There was a short wait (10min) on the weekend More

Wow! What a place. We had the explosive chicken and some vegetable egg rolls, it was amazing! Never tasted anything like it. Thank you!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Was recommended this place by my niece who lives in SFO. I realized later that it is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant... And the other claim to Fame is that Pres. Obama ate here!

Tantan noodles ⭐⭐⭐ - it was a good flavor but didn't have the peanut taste I was looking for - it needed more protein or vegetables for me

Obama went here lol The food was pretty decent, but the serving size was a bit small
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Great food, great ambiance. Service was also excellent. I recommend this place.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Great food. Could be a little crowded. Seems like they want you to leave fast because there are many people waiting. Staff is nice.

Be prepared to wait on line ! Food: Looking at the menu literally, made me want to order everything but since