OMG, the food here is so delicious that I forgot to take the photo before it is gone 🤣. We so enjoyed the Peking ducks of 5 sesame pockets that we ordered another one! This place is nice and beautifully decorated. The dinner time is very crowded and busy. Well, it’s a little pricey but considering this is downtown San Francisco, it’s reasonable. In addition, be aware that there’s 20% service charges in the bill before taxes which is not the greatest but it saved me money because I planned to tip more. 😂

Maybe me and my wife are spoiled by the good quality and flavors of NYC Chinatown restaurants. This place is fancy and well decorated but the food is not what we were expecting. 2-3 times the price of NYC. Small plates that you end up hungry at the end, and the flavor is lacking. We ordered Peking duck and it looked like it was a malnourished duck, although it tasted good. The other items we ordered were just OK.

Really delicious food and friendly staff! I just wish the selection of dumplings was bigger but I will certainly return here. If you want a table, make sure to get a reservation. Otherwise you may have to sit at the counter like we did, which was totally fine by us. The ambiance is also very beautiful and the restaurant itself is very clean and neat. Recommended 100%!

Fantastic experience at China Live! The server was incredibly helpful with their extensive recommendations. Although the exterior is unassuming, inside you're greeted with a lively, bustling atmosphere and chic decor. We adored every bite, especially the soup dumplings, and even had delicious leftovers for the next day. A must-visit spot in SF for an exceptional and joyful dining experience!

The food was amazing and we liked the variety. There are vegetarian and vegan options which was highly appreciated. My partner loved the Peking duck with Kumquat glaze pockets in the bbq section and would highly recommend it. The waiter was super helpful and attentive. The place has a great decoration and we loved looking at the open kitchen while the staff was working.

Such a great find! A coworker recommended visiting China Live and it did not disappoint! We ordered the Char Siu BBQ Pork "Dutch Crunch" Baked Buns, which are seriously addicting. Also try the jasmine tea. Hard to beat!

Food is AMAZING!!! That being said the service is so-so. Our waiter was super nice, bit he was stretched thin, and the bar service was backed up; we got our drinks after the 3rd round of dumplings, so ordered a second round immediately, which arrived just when we wanted them to. :-D definitely a fun time, and I recommend for the fooooood!

This place is POPPIN! Julius was our server and he was very attentive and answered our questions about the menu. His menu suggestions that we went with were, unfortunately, not amazing. Kind of bland and no wow factor. The crab spring rolls and dessert were amazing and our bottle of wine was icing on the cake! I would def go again to try the rest of the menu.

The interior is amazing. The food looks good. The ingredients are good and the textures are great. The issue is the taste. Maybe it’s supposed to be fusion or something but nothing tasted like our expectations. Things were either too sweet or bland or something. They seem to be doing well, so good for them.

Everything was amazing. The food was all good. The only downside I can say is deciding what you want to eat! The fried rice and noodles could use more seasoning by default, but I can’t fault that as the soy sauce, ginger vinegar, and spicy sauce is there to season to taste and are all delicious. If you only order a couple of things get the pork dumplings and mango dessert. The dessert has shaved mango ice on top of a sesame ice cream, and little pops of fruit gel sprinkled on top with chocolate crunch.

Came here with some friends who were repeat customers, so we had the benefit of knowing their favorite dishes and what was worth trying. With that said, this was a fantastic experience. Our hostess/waiter was very enthusiastic and warm, which was a great way to start the evening. For drinks I had the Lotus Pond ($15, excellent), while others in my group were satisfied with their Shanghai Rose ($15) and Tropical Break ($10, non-alcoholic). The Fried Scallion Bread ($11, five pieces) was the perfect starter to go with the beverages, leading us into the Impossible Sichuan dumplings ($22, ten pieces, very good), butter garlic noodles ($11, good), Dan Dan noodles ($16, fine but unremarkable), roasted eggplant ($21, excellent), corn riblets ($18, enjoyable even though I'm not a corn person), and the tofu medley ($22). Notable was the fact that everything was excellently seasoned, and I was never left wanting for any sauce to add flavor. To finish we had the sesame soft serve with mango shaved ice ($12.50), which was quite a large portion and one of the best desserts I've ever had. In all, we were very pleased with the speed and warmth of the service, the ambience, and the quality and variety of the food (especially as a vegetarian group).

Such a wonderful meal that I went back later that week. I recommend sitting at the dim sum bar to watch them cook the dim sum! My favorites were the Char Siu BBQ Pork " Dutch Crunch" Baked Buns and the Dungeness Crab & Shrimp Spring Handrolls. We enjoyed everything we tried

Quite an amazing venue on Broadway. The vibe, the decor and overall ambiance is really good. I had really good seats at the main kitchen counter, overlooking a fantastic kitchen. Unfortunately personally though I don’t think the food kept up with my expectations. The food lacked flavors, even the noodles were a bit over cooked. I added salt and chili sauce to help but still overall it lacked flavors. Being SF I know prices are high, but this was higher than I expected at the standard of dishes i received. My bill shows an already added 20% service charge as well as tax at the end, so I pay tax on the service charge too. The sesame ice cream with mango shaved ice was the highlight and saving grace of this dining experience. It was excellent, otherwise this would have been a 2 star review.

China Live lives up to the hype. Like others said in previous reviews it gets loud, especially if you’re seated by the open kitchen. But the food is banging, every entree and appetizer is a great experience. We ended up going with the shrimp, filet mignon, and a few apps. The beef on the steak melted in my mouth with each bite. Another standout was the garlic noodles, probably some of the best I’ve had in the city. It’s the perfect compliment for your main dish. Definitely check out China live, it’s well worth all the accolades.

It's a go to spot for anyone who enjoys Chinese food. It's upscale family style Chinese dining. The restaurant is well done and setup. Nothing is bad on the menu but I love their chicken dumplings in chilli broth, noodles and the Peking duck buns. They make the buns in front of you in a behind the glass . Kyle Ryan the manager of the restaurant is incredible and makes sure food and service are both on point. Another great thing is they can seat large groups and they cater to all dietary restrictions making it a superb place for celebrations.

I was told I had to try this restaurant while I was in San Francisco. The review is really a 3.5 star but you know that is not allowed😬. I’m a soup dumpling aficionado so had to give them a try. First, the flavor was incredible, unfortunately not much soup in the dumplings and that disappointed. I also tried the Dan Dan noodles, they had some lingering heat so prepare yourself. If you are nearby give this place a try.

Food is great! Love the drink~ open kitchen is amazing - can see how things are getting cooked and prepared. One complaint me and my family had: it’s soooo loud… our heads hurt after dinner here…

The food was decent after I received the right entree. The service was good and attentive. However, it was a busy night and we were seated by an open door when the temperature was in the low 60s. I was a bit cold and wanting to leave soon after the smell of cigarette and marijuana smoke wafted in. Also, the open door cooled our food more quickly than we were eating it, and we didn’t want cold food.

Awesome food with a nice twist of your typical Chinese. We stop by late on a weekday without res, but was able to snag a couple seats at the bar without wait. Bartender Tim was great, he provided good and friendly service even he was busy making drinks nonstop. Thanks for the great experience. Will def b back whenever we visit SF.

I came here during the week for dinner. My group was a walk-in, but they were able to seat us indoors. To me, it seemed like the target audience for this restaurant was tourists because of the staff I interacted with and the menu pricing. I had a negative initial impression after seeing Sheng Jian Bao priced at $19 for 5 buns. The atmosphere was very upscale as well. I ordered the char siu, roast pork, Dan Dan noodles, Yangzhou fried rice and fried scallion bread. Although I was expecting Americanized Chinese food, to their credit, the char siu and roast pork were very enjoyable and the other items were decent. Overall, this place isn’t bad if you don’t mind the prices and are looking to treat yourself - though I’m sure that the mom & pop restaurants in the area could use the support and offer good food as well.

Service, food and atmosphere were all 5 stars. But, if you come here you MUST order the sesame soft serve with mango shave ice. We were all so full from dinner but had no trouble inhaling this dessert. We would come back just for this! Everything was quite wonderful and we would not hesitate to return!

One of my favorite spots to visit when in SF. I just like how the layout is design and always have a good experience. We came here for a quick snack that consisted of the Sheng Jian Bao (pan fried buns), Yangzhou Fried Rice, and mapu Tofu. The food is consistently well prepared and always tasty. The service is pretty quick and attentive. I haven't had a bad meal here yet.

My second time here m, the food is delicious as usually. But the service has dropped and is not adequate for the pricing. We got served food but no plates or cutlery, which we had to pick up our self lol. Drinks were taking 20+ min to get. But hey, all restaurants struggle finding people.

5/5 vibes. 3/5 menu. The pork buns were not juicy, and a bit wet at the intersection of filling and fluffy wrapper. The Peking duck was pricy for just 5 pieces, a bit on the sweeter side too. The tofu stir-fry was quite saucy, personally not a fan but the mala from Sichuan peppercorn was nice. Overall not bad for fusion Chinese American food in SF, nothing special but still good.

Berkeley Location: serving spoilt fried rice, oily dumplings and uninspired blistered green beans. Pictures are more impressive than the dishes. 2 stars for their SJB and dipping sauce. Suspect SF location is better than East Bay.

New concept Chinese cuisine. Sometimes Old Fashion ( with duck fat) is a good drink.