Hunan Home’s Restaurant: Reviews | restaurant info + video | full episode video
Name: Emily
Occupation: Senior Food and Wine Account Executive
Location: San Francisco
Favorite Restaurant: Hunan Home’s Restaurant
Reviewed Hunan Home’s Restaurant: Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Hunan Home’s is a Chinatown gem, featuring accessible Chinese food in a warm, friendly, casual environment. A family-owned and operated business; Hunan Home’s was established in 1983. As a Chinatown resident, this has been our neighborhood spot for close to two years. My boyfriend and I most recently dined on a busy weeknight and were lucky to be seated immediately. We were greeted with complimentary Jasmine tea—a nice touch for a cold Bay Area evening. We started with the Sizzling Rice Soup and Pot stickers. The soup is served tableside in a dramatic presentation, as crispy rice drops into the hot soup making a distinct sizzle noise—an ode to the dish’s name. The soup is filled with tender shrimp and chicken and lots of vegetables. The broth is perfectly clear, and was a delicious way to begin the meal. We enjoy all of their soups including their famous Hot and Sour and Wonton. The pot stickers are also served tableside, with a custom blend of rice wine vinegar, chili oil and soy sauce for dipping. They boasted a beautiful golden brown exterior, and were filled with a large portion of ground pork and vegetables. Next, we enjoyed their signature Orange Peel Chicken. Large chunks of perfectly fried chicken are covered in a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy sauce. Delicious and fragrant orange is apparent throughout the dish, which is served over a bed of tangy, pickled vegetables. We always order this dish whether we’re eating in or taking-out—it’s a must-have. We also enjoy their beef dishes including the Beef with String Beans, composed of tender beef in a savory sauce with crisp green beans. Finally, we were served the Mu Shu Pork, which is elegantly prepared tableside. Our server used large serving spoons to construct and serve our individual pancakes—a lovely touch. The pork was tender and the cabbage and mushroom mixture was perfectly shredded to create the perfect consistency for the pancake. The classic tangy, rich hoisin sauce and scallion was liberally wrapped in our pancakes making every bite as good as the last. The portions are large and we definitely took home our leftovers. I highly recommend this restaurant to both the gourmet and tourist alike. It’s consistently delicious and you won’t be disappointed.
Name: Scott
Occupation: Corporate Tax Consultant
Location: Sausalito
Favorite Restaurant: Radius Restaurant and Café
Reviewed Hunan Home’s Restaurant: Friday, February 10, 2013
Hunan Home’s is a Chinese restaurant tucked against the edge of Chinatown near Jackson Square. Getting there is typical for San Francisco with a number of parking garages or metered street parking nearby. With so many Chinese restaurants to choose from in the neighborhood, Hunan Home’s unfortunately does not stand out for its food or service. Almost across the board, all the dishes were over salted and lacked any depth of flavor. The lone standout was the hot & sour soup — though it alone would not bring me back to this below average restaurant. There are two primary seating areas — one on street level and one in a basement level. The basement level seating gives the feeling of a hotel banquet room which could be located in any city…so ambiance is definitely lacking. The food is inexpensive with many lunch options below $10. So if you’re looking for cheap, below average Chinese food Hunan Home’s is your place.
Name: Lyrics Born
Occupation: Rapper/Author/Producer/Songwriter
Location: Kensington
Favorite Restaurant: Guerilla Café
Reviewed Hunan Home’s Restaurant: Saturday, March 2, 2013