In the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown is the twenty million dollar, 30,000-square-foot China Live Marketplace. Owned by world-renowned chef and restaurateur George Chen, the modern, multi-level marketplace, open from 11 am to 10 pm, is meant to be a hub for Chinese food and culture, housing a variety of shops, restaurants, and immersive experiences.
The glass entrance of China Live on 644 Broadway Street leads to the Oolong Cafe where pastries and loose leaf teas sourced straight from Taiwan and China are served. The unique options include “Frozen Peak” High Mountain Oolong Tea and Dragon Well Green Tea ($3.50-$6 a glass; $10-$15 a pot). According to China Live, Oolong Cafe is meant to “revive the traditions of Chinese tea drinking by highlighting quality and freshness.”
The entrance across the cafe leads to the Marketplace, a retail space for kitchenware, groceries, teas, spices, and other Asian cultural items. Many items being sold were created specifically for China Live and include unique porcelain and jewelry, with some pieces costing more than $500. The Marketplace was created to be “a very immersive, high-touch retail experience. I want people to learn about Chinese products at their core,” Chen said in an interview with Eater SF.
Both the Oolong Cafe and Marketplace lead to the Market Restaurant, which serves a variety of foods from dumplings ($12 – $18) to Peking duck ($15 to $22). As stated on China Live’s website, the restaurant’s unique cooking process merges “traditional Chinese and Western culinary equipment,” resulting in a blend of different, yet cohesive flavors. The menu is also unique in that “it changes daily. It’s hyper-seasonal,” Chen told CBS Bay Area reporter Julie Watts. This doesn’t mean sky-high prices though; the average person pays $31 for a full meal.
mom-and-pop shops.
photo by Jeremy Lum
Above the Market Restaurant lies the even more high-end and exclusive Eight Tables by George Chen, where, despite the restaurant’s name, there are actually nine tables. With a variety of multi-course tasting menus and a separate back alley entrance, Eight Tables caters to more wealthy San Franciscans. In one of his reviews, Forbes Food Critic John Mariani wrote that the restaurant “brings very refined high-end Chinese cuisine to San Francisco.” The waiters wear Ralph Lauren suits. There are three dining options; the cheapest is the seven-course menu with a cost of $175. The tasting menu will set you back $225 and the Chef’s Table menu costs $325. These prices are per person.
In addition to the retail space and restaurants, there are a variety of drinking spaces including Bar Central, a cold drinks bar, and the Gold Mountain Lounge. Bar Central has a variety of options, which are mainly Chinese beers and drinks. The cold drinks bar serves the standard scotch and whiskey but with some unique details for mixed drinks such as duck fat infusion. The Gold Mountain Lounge, a reference to the large restaurant China Live replaced, is an area for private dining and drinking as well.
Though China Live brings a more high-end perspective to Chinese food, Chen mentioned in a CBS interview that he “still expect[s] some of the Chinatown little old ladies to come in here and say [they] want that dish because [they] can’t get it anywhere else.” Chen does not only want to bring his take on Chinese food to the Chinatown community, he also wants to contest its common misconceptions. In an Eater interview, Chen explained that “[China Live is] trying to change perceptions that [chinese food is] not fresh.”
The detail put into the furniture and decorations of China Live is a testament to the expertise and meticulousness of Chen, an award-winning chef and the owner. The restaurant’s waiters wear uniforms designed by an award-winning costume designer. The dim lights throughout the 20,000 square foot building were strategized by the lighting advisor for eighteen Super Bowl halftime shows. Almost all tables and surfaces are made of reclaimed Chinese elm. The ceiling is adorned with Chinese characters and wood beams.
Since China Live’s opening, the feedback from food critics and the community has been mixed. In an article, San Francisco Chronicle writer Michael Bauer labeled China Live as “still a work in progress. While some combinations are best in class, others taste little better than what you’ll find at a dozen other restaurants in Chinatown.” The Infatuation food reviewer Will Kamensky gave China Live a 6.4 of out 10-star rating, explaining that “the multiple underwhelming dishes [at China Live] feel like the result of a general lack of focus across the entire restaurant.” He credited this with China Live’s attempt to cover all bases of the Chinese food experience.
There are positive reviews as well. In a description of the Peking duck in kumquat glaze, Bauer wrote, “the skin is as smooth as highly polished leather, with a thin layer of fat that melts and moistens the rich, intense meat.” Elite rated Yelp reviewer Letitia L. named China Live as “one of the best Chinese restaurants in San Francisco.” Another Yelp reviewer, Thai L., was “very impressed. Food quality was excellent. Service was great. Decor was modern and inviting.”
According to an Eater SF ranking of Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, China Live ($$) ranks thirteenth. Other Chinatown restaurants on the list include Sam Wo Restaurant ($), City View Restaurant ($$), R&G Lounge ($$), Mister Jiu’s ($$$), Z&Y Restaurant ($$), and Hunan Home’s Restaurant ($$). In comparison to other highly-ranked restaurants in Chinatown, China Live is competitively priced. In a separate survey ranking the best restaurants in Chinatown by San Francisco Travel, China Live ranked third, behind Begoni Bistro ($$) and Cathay House, which is temporarily closed.
China Live is high-end and competitively priced for its good-tasting food. There are some concerns about China Live tackling too many aspects of the Chinese food experience, but overall, the restaurant is a great addition to Chinatown.
