SAN FRANCISCO — From the moment you arrive in Chinatown, your senses come alive. You see it. You smell it.
You can't wait to taste it.
"In our Chinatown, you can find delicious Malaysian food, Indonesian food, Korean food", said Pearl River Mart owner Joanne Kwong. "You can find steak and burgers as well.
The food has always drawn people here but picking a favorite restaurant in Chinatown is impossible.
"It's like asking your children which is your favorite kid," said Wellington Chen.
Sadly, the pandemic crushed the restaurant industry in Chinatown.
"Last summer and fall we lost legacy businesses. And by legacy, I mean restaurants and stores that had been in Chinatown for 40 years, 50 years," said cookbook author Grace Young.
The restaurants that are still open are survivors. They are hoping the millions of tourists that stayed away because of COVID-19 will come back. During our visit, we heard a lot about one food.
"Dim Sum for sure, which is a Cantonese specialty," said Kwong. "It's really a delicious meal."
"The word Dim means to touch, and Sum is your heart," said Young.
"I love Dim Sum," said Livia Kao. "They all look so yummy and so warm."
"They are piping hot because it's on a steamrolling cart so every dish is hot," said Chen.
"And then when you eat them they should have different aromas, textures, flavors," said Young. "You should eat little things that delight you."
Peking duck is so popular in Chinatown. They are hung in store windows and chefs will slice off delicious bites at your table.
"I love the roast duck. So, you can put a little of the scallion ginger on top," said Young.
And, did we mention the noodles?
The importance of noodles. It's kind of like the importance of air, water and shelter. It's so Chinese," said Kwong.
The noodle options are endless.
"I love noodles. I can eat noodles every day," said Kao.
After all, they are part of the Chinese culture.
"Noodles are very important in China because they symbolize longevity," said Young.
Some of the most popular restaurants feature hand-pulled noodles.
"It's a beautiful thing that they just start with this mound of dough," said Young.
Chefs start to pull the dough into multiple strings and slam them on the table.
"It's like this long of a thousand strings shaking at the same time," said Kao.
"It's like a magic act," said Young.
Many of the restaurants in Chinatown have open tables. They are hoping you will visit this historic neighborhood soon.
They are ready to satisfy every one of your senses with some of the world's most incredible food.
"There's nothing like a Chinatown," said Kwong.
The "Spirit of China" series highlights the culture of Chinese-Americans across the United States. Learn about the people, the history and the challenges of Chinatowns in Chicago, New York and San Francisco while the world focuses on the Winter Olympics in Beijing.