Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Chinese chicken salad is a California Chinese American plate of shredded chicken, romaine, fried wonton skins and a sesame-soy dressing, popularised through San Francisco.
The salad's modern shape came together at Trader Vic's, Madame Wu's in Santa Monica and Cecilia Chiang's The Mandarin in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square through the 1960s and 1970s. Chiang opened The Mandarin in 1968 and introduced San Franciscans to the regional cooking beyond Cantonese (Sichuan, Shanghai, Hunan); the salad as a composed plate of cool chicken with crisp aromatics was on her menu. It moved into chain kitchens (Wolfgang Puck's at LAX, P.F. Chang's nationally) by the 1990s, then back to the chef-driven rooms (Mister Jiu's serves a refined take). The dish is now closer to the city's Cal-Chinese vocabulary than to any single mainland origin.
2 editor picks for Chinese chicken salad in San Francisco, ranked by editorial score. All San Francisco signature dishes · Chinese chicken salad across every city.
Mister Jiu's in San Francisco is Brandon Jew's Cal-Chinese flagship in old Chinatown, holding a Michelin star and a separate cocktail bar worth a visit alone.
OrderThe whole roast Mongolian duck with house pancakes, ordered ahead.
TipSit in the upstairs bar Moongate Lounge and order from the full menu without committing to the tasting.
The Peking duck spinoff of Chinatown's Z & Y at 606 Jackson Street, with a 48-hour duck carved at the table and Beijing-style dim sum to go with it.
OrderHalf Peking duck carved at the table, with the duck bone and Napa cabbage soup.
TipOnly about 30 ducks go out a day, so reserve your duck when you book; closed Wednesdays.
Chinese chicken salad makes more sense with someone from San Francisco explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore the history-rich restaurant scene of North Beach in San Francisco on a curated, multi-course food tour. Enjoy appetizers, an entree, and a dessert as you disco...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover San Francisco on our Secret Food Tour! Explore North Beach & Chinatown with 5+ tastings, from dim sum to Pacific-fresh pizza, plus hidden history, culture, an...
Guided tour · 10 hours
Leave San Francisco behind to immerse yourself in the peace and quiet of the Muir Woods. Join this guided tour to visit Sausalito and Sonoma, then enjoy two wine tasti...
