Hong Kong Lounge II
Annie Ho owned the large, bustling Hong Kong Lounge but left six years ago to open Hong Kong Lounge II. With only 68 seats, she is better able to control what comes out of the kitchen. Her Cantonese food is pristine and true to its origins, yet Ho knows how to market her food to California diners. Dim sum is also offered at night under the heading of “Asian tapas.” Here diners will find all the favorites, including steamed shrimp and chive dumplings, sui mai, Shanghai soup dumplings and mixed chicken and pork in lettuce cups. Hong Kong style incorporates many Cantonese specialties and influences from China and Southeast Asia, reflecting Hong Kong’s place as an international port. That broad view also leads to such dishes as filet mignon with teriyaki sauce and salt and pepper rex sole. — Michael Bauer
If you go: 3300 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, (415) 6688802, www.hongkong lounge2.com. Dim sum and dinner daily.
What to order: Shanghai Dumplings; Glazed Coffee Pork Ribs; Winter Melon Soup (two day advance notice required); Whole Abalone With Pea Shoots; Sautéed Chinese Lettuce; Imperial Peking Duck; Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab; Steamed Surf Clams; Waygu Beef With Bok Choy
Hunan Cuisine
With tufted violet banquettes adorned with rhinestones and a ceiling of spun-silver globes fitted with purple and blue bulbs, this dining room is like a Vegas nightclub gone wrong. But don’t let that dissuade you from the restaurant’s Hunan specialties and attentive service. The large menu offers traditional dishes alongside old-school American Chinese ones, northern Chinese grilled skewers and more creative specialties not easily found elsewhere. The restaurant is known for its Chairman Mao’s Braised Pork Belly, chunks of the pork sporting a thick layer of fat, gently cooked and served in a two-headed dragon bowl. Sweet Ribs With Sticky Rice are steamed with a mound of glutinous rice that soaks up every drop of rich juice. Tea Leaf Prawns come shell-on and smothered in fried green tea leaves, as crisp as potato chips, which lend a delicious astringency. Winter melon, the staple of many soups, can be enjoyed stirfried in a thick, loamy sauce. — Carolyn Jung
If you go: 6004 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, (510) 6871222, www.hunancuisine fremont.com. Lunch, dinner and late night daily.
What to order: Chairman Mao’s Braised Pork Belly, Sweet Ribs With Sticky Rice, Tea Leaf Prawns, Hot Bean Sauce Whole Fish, Steam Cured Mixed Meat, Chopped Chili Bullfrog, Stir-Fry Winter Melon