When most people look for a good Chinese restaurant they normally either go by word of mouth from a family member, friend, or coworker. They may also take the time to browse through the third party review sites. Both of these will do just fine when trying to find the best Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. There is another way to find out where the best place to eat is.
Ask About the Chef
A Chinese restaurant is only as good as the chef or head cook. Take the time to research who is responsible for overseeing the food that comes out of the kitchen. Often times the name of the chef or head cook will be displayed in the restaurant or on any of their business listings. They may also be on display on the Chinese restaurant’s website if they have one.
Get the chef or head cook’s full name and then perform a little research. Find out where he or she had their culinary training. Also, find out how long the chef or head cook has been preparing the Chinese cuisines. Training is only half of the equation. They should also have extensive experience in preparing the different Chinese cuisines. If they have had extensive training in a successful restaurant, then they will most likely be able to prepare some of the best Chinese food.
Another way to check on the background of a chef or head cook is to look to see if the chef or head cook has ever received any awards for their Chinese cuisine. There are numerous organizations in the culinary world that evaluate restaurants some some that evaluate just Chinese restaurants. If they have been awarded as the best Chinese restaurant in San Francisco then chances are their food is probably pretty good.
Famous Patrons
One other way to judge a Chinese restaurant is to find out if any celebrities or dignitaries have ever visited the Chinese restaurant. Also check to see if the chef has ever served any of these celebrities and dignitaries himself or herself. Most of this information is public and easy to access. If the chef or head cook has served these people, then there is a pretty good chance that they are a well respected Chinese chef.
