Yuet Lee Reviews

Very very good Chinese food authentic and just what we wanted. Good service too and a wonderful place in Chinatown.

No place like Yuet Lee. Chinese Seafood that is so good everytime. No matter what you order it's delicious!

Very traditional, old school chinese food- good, but not at all imaginative or to-die for.

Walk along bustling Stockton Street in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown with all the tantalising sights and smells of fresh fruit veg and fruit, some of which you cannot recognise, and you arrive at the above restaurant. The noise of the street does not diminish as you are seated in the clean, basic seating area and listen to the Chinese banter between the chefs and the waiters. The menu is the usual range, but the ingredients are incredibly fresh, and the courses of king prawns and rice and abalone with chicken and noodles were excellent. The wine list is either local Californian Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, and the beers are Tsing tao or Heineken, but that does not matter as they suit the food which is very authentic, tasty and inexpensive. Not sophisticated, but a welcome break and an insight into the real side of San Francisco.

Matt from city sightseeing recommended this place. We were not disappointed. Service was fast, food was good and plenty. We have the salt fish and chicken fired rice, half roast duck, chicken wings, won ton and chicken Noodle soup, 2 sprites all under 60 bucks....did I mention the good was tasty.

Was directed to Yuet Lee by a local at a bar. The salt and pepper calamari is absolutely delicious. Must try it. Not a fancy place but good food and reasonably priced.

Do not eat here, the food is slapped together in seconds. The Kung poa prawns are gross, plenty half sautéed veggies and shrimp (not prawns!) with half a bottle of teriyaki sauce poured over it! The shrimps still had the poop in them, no one even asked why we never ate our food, just gave us the check and expected us to pay! Which we did to avoid confrontation as the waiter already had an attitude. Urg, hate wasting my hard earned money on disgusting food!!!!

Eschew the common stuff. Order the steamed sea bass, salt and pepper crab, oysters with black bean sauce, pork with taro. The HK style egg noodles with bean sprouts and leeks. Then you’ll have a feast!!!

During my visit to SF, I was invited to Yuet Lee by my cousin for dinner. They said how the place was well reviewed and although the restaurant isn't about "flash and glamour", the food was very good and reminiscent of a casual sit down meal with the family. What we ordered wasn't extravagant, just some scrambled egg dishes, fried rice, and a few other things except for a steamed fish that was pricey but still very good. This was only one of many Chinese restaurants in SF and the only one I dined at while in town, but, as they say, if the place is busy and well patronized by the locals, it must be good.

We stumbled onto this place because it was right across from our hotel - Royal Pacific Hotel at the end of a long day. This place was VERY affordable, quick, nice and clean. Everything was delicious including the orange chicken, mango chicken, rice porridge and dumplings. Highly recommend!!

This is a place to go if you are looking for Cantonese food. Food ranges from porridge to specialty like crabs and lobsters cooked in special sauce. food is served fast and portion is generous. Do not expect very good service but they will attend to your need. Typical Hong Konger style if you know what i meant. Delicious and value for money. If you are traveling with young children, do expect to fold up your stroller.

We stopped in on a Friday night after wandering around Chinatown -- it was crowded, but not too much so. Connie wanted crab, and it was fresh -- the choice was $30, $38 or $50, and after she gave her choice, the server brought over a wiggling live crab for her approval. Her only complaint was that the way it was prepared -- stir fried in a ginger/onion sauce -- the crab was incredibly slimy and hard to get out of the shell. I got a pork dish that was a little spicy (as I wanted) and very filling. Seriously, between that and the two Tsingtao beers I ordered, I had a tough time walking back to Market Street! The atmosphere is a bit on the noisy side, and the kitchen is right there in your face -- if the prospect of someone chopping up a chicken in plain view isn't something you relish, find a table that faces the other way :-) Service is very good, we appreciated the recommendations of our server, and several other staff stopped by the table to see if we needed anything. There are two bathrooms, one downstairs, so it is not handicap accessible. Overall, a competent and pleasant, if not notable, restaurant.

Iconic hole in the wall. Great, late night Chinese food, fast service, cheap. Always seems to have something/someone interesting to gawk at.

I had the Shredded Chicken, Bbq Pork, Abalone with bean sprout noodle dish and it was great. Staff were lovely, service was quick. Restaurant is at a cross roads, so easy to find.

After a long day doing touristy things in San Francisco, we decided to cap it off in Chinatown. First restaurant we saw was Yuet Lee. Though not exactly eye candy from the outside, or on the inside, for that matter, we saw it was busy and Zagat rated - so we gave it a shot. The food was excellent. I had the seafood on rice, my wife had the crispy garlic and prawns on noodles. Both dishes were served piping hot and surprisingly fast. No complaints whatsoever and the service was friendly and attentive. The prices are reasonable. Highly recommended.

Stopped here on the way back to our hotel for a late meal and it was good and quick service. A lot of photos of celebrities on the wall that have eaten there. I got the chicken fried rice and it was yummy.

Very good! Wasn't sure when we walked by, but the food was great! Everything was surprisingly good. They have the menu outside so we knew what we could get. Try the chicken fried rice. The serving size was huge.

Well, I believe you have been to chinese restaurant, mostly a bit greasy inside the restaurant due the fact they are all cooking with high flame wok which will spread the fat into the air, so unless the restaurant is very big and have a separate kitchen area far away from the dining table, they will a bit greasy. This restaurant serve fresh & delicious seafood dishes, we tried Salt & Pepper Squid, Garlic Prawn, Beef crispy noodle, Peking sauce pork ribs and Porridge, and they are all fantastic. This restaurant currently on holiday from Feb.15 to end of Feb.2017. Lucky for us who arrived a day before their holiday.

We took our teenaged kids here who love calamari. We ordered the sautéed calamari and the salt and pepper calamari, as well as some chef special chow mien and Mongolian beef. It was too much food for the four of us. Our dinner arrived very quickly and was very delicious. Our waiter was very attentive and we did not have to ask for water refills or anything. It was a very good dining experience.

Every time I'm in San Francisco I make it a point to eat here. Authentic Hong Kong style at its best. Yuet Lee has been a family favorite for years! The food is awesome and the service is great!

I don’t see what the fuss is about here. The chicken and pork dishes were both fatty and soaked in mostly soy sauce. Plus 75 bucks for lunch for 2 is steep. Chinatown is big in SF. Keep walking.

Late night drunken Chinese food.

This a no-frills Chinatown eatery; would almost hesitate to call it a restaurant. But if you're in Chinatown and want mountains of really fresh food, you'll like Yuet Lee. Probably isn't the best restaurant in Chinatown, and the staff doesn't understand the fine points of service, but what the heck!, we loved it and would go back again.

Just had a meal with my family recently. I have not been to this place for awhile, but just wanted to come back to remember all the good times that I've had coming to this place before. I think my experience this time will be my last time here. As the prices has gone up dramatically, and the service has gotten much much worse. The food is still decent. There was a complaint about me, but I nice smiles and responded to their complaint. Afterwards, I have decided never to come back anymore. I am sure you can figure out what the complaint about me is.

Yuet Lee is located on the fringe of Chinatown at Broadway and Stockton Streets. Great for lunch as they have a diverse menu. I have beef stew won ton noodles!! Came with bok chou also along with tendons!!! oh so good!!!

The place is the quintessential Chinatown restaurant,the only English we heard was spoken to us. Food was very good, well seasoned. Definitely recommended.

Family dinner for 6. Great food, Fish was tasty, careful you don’t order too many dishes (like we did). Avoid the wine. Friendly place.

My friend was raving about this place from his last visit to the city and so we went there for lunch. It was DELICIOUS! We ordered the salt & pepper crab, which is a deep fried crab, the seafood chow mein, with crispy noodles and they were crispy pan fried noodles at that, and the salt & pepper pork chop spare ribs (these weren't ribs but pork chops), and everything was fantastic! I want to go back and try the menu's other offerings. It doesn't look like much from the outside but don't let the decor fool you: this place is A+ in the taste department.

The best greasy spoon Chinese Cafe in California. The owners, Tim and Sam have been making fabulous Chinese meals for three decades. The Spicy Salt and Pepper Squid is the best in the State of California and has been for the last 30 years. The San Francisco Chronicle said so back in 1980 and I say so today. Order the steamed oysters and get the combination mussels and clams in black bean sauce and you've got the very best meal in the world. If you need a soup, try the minced beef.

Everything we ate, seafood, or shellfish, was excellent, fresh, and very tasty. Everytime I come to San Francisco, I come to this restaurant. The service is always friendly, and prompt. The decor and furniture are certainly well used. Excellent food trumps all!

My family was wanting some Chinese food and decided some of the authentic stuff would be a great thing to try. When you walk in there is a fish tank signifying that it's made to order and the service was fast, but what we weren't prepared was the whopping portions, a family of four could order two entrees and everybody would have had enough to eat.

This place has character, and great food. By no means will it win any awards for decor, but if good prompt service and delicious food at fair prices is what you want this is your place.

After a day of walking, it was nice to sit down and a have hot meal. We enjoyed the soup noodle dishes - with a side order of braised tofu. yum!

Yuet Lee, located on the border of Chinatown and the Italian district in San Francisco, is one of the best Chinese eating places in the Bay Area. Because it is not a fancy-looking white-table cloth kind of place, it is frequently overlooked when critics rank local restaurants. All you need to know is that it is open well into the night, and attracts cooks and staff from other establishments who gather there after their shift is done. Sam, the owner, is a friendly man who loves to tell you what he has to offer, in addition to the specialties on the menu. I usually go for the seafood: pan fried flounder, garlic crab, steamed oysters, calamari. Any of these plus a dish of simple sautéed vegetables in ginger and garlic-spinach, Chinese broccoli or tender greens, and some steamed rice comprise my idea of heaven. Prices are reasonable, and even though the restaurant is relatively small, the layout is generously spaced, and diners don't feel constrained or trapped.

Yuet Lee's is at the eastern end of Chinatown and is probably the best Chinese restaurant I've ever had the pleasure of eating in. The signature Salt and Pepper squid and black bean clams were fantastic, the service, atmosphere and all other dishes faultless. If you eat at no other restaurant in Chinatown or indeed San Francisco make it Yuet Lee.

We tried this as recommended by our concierge. We were very very pleased with the Mango Chicken and Clams in pepper sauce. After eating at the local tourist traps and over paying for many meals, this was a nice change. The inside could use some updating, the server watches you eat from afar, and they do try to indicate they've given you a 15% discount, when really they haven't, yes, we would eat there again! It was that good.

Had a high expectation since im an Avery chinese food eater, but was little bit disappointing. One of their recomendations was salt and pepper squid... hey i can prepare that at home.... or clams hmmm suppose lot of famous people went to eat but.... ill keep trying to find better places.

We came across this unassuming restaurant by chance on our second day in San Francisco. We ended up eating there often because the food was so tasty. You might walk past because of its run down appearance - outside and in - but if you are looking for good Chinese food at a very reasonable price this is the place. The staff were helpful in helping us choose from the extensive menu, and the food came quickly. It is a busy restaurant used by locals and tourists.

Small corner unique Chinese Delight. I love their thin noodle BarBQ Pork Chow Mein. Just luscious. Couple this with Salt & Pepper Calamari and you have a taste delight.

I found the food a little overrated. My noodles came with alot of noodles but not much soup to it. The squab was not as crispy or tasty and a lil tough. Service was not bad.

25 years ago the San Francisco Chronicle declared the Spicy Salt Calamari at Yuet Lee the best Calamari in San Francisco. That's against all restaurants, American, Japanese and even the Italians. A quarter century later it is still the best. Tim R.I.P. your brother Sam is carrying on the tradition.

late nite yum yum.

Good food, particularly their salt and pepper squid. :D

Yes, there are the pictures of Sam Choy mugging with the owner, plus all the glowing reviews on the wall. And yes, it is a classic joint, open till 3am, and they get the food out in about 2 minutes. Plus their seasonal Dungeness crab is a 'must' have'. Ditto their clams and salt and pepper calamari. But really, with 4000 restaurants competing, they should up their game for this century. The lighting level is a bit higher than a football stadium, the cuisine is really mired in 1960's Cantonese. It was suspiciously empty at 7 pm, while two doors away, another eatery was packed with ethnic Chinese. That's a big hint. The service was quick but completely without any friendliness or attentiveness, other than to haul away empty plates. We found the value to be very good, and the food serviceable overall, but coming from Vancouver with some top Chinese cuisine, we were hoping for even better, and got less than hoped for....

Riding a cable car through Chinatown and looking for a good place to eat. A local could see my wife and I were struggling to find a place for lunch. He recommended Yuet Lee and man was he spot on. The crispy garlic prawn Lo Mein was awesome

Realised this was in a draft folder for way too long. Anyway here goes. Was there for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the clams cooked in black bean sauce. The claypot tofu was passable.

Deeelish - open late!

Wandering around Chinatown, looking for a good restaurant, we stopped for a drink at Joe's Place. Bartender recommended Yuet Lee Seafood Restaurant. How lucky for us!!! We live in Honolulu where there are many good Chinese restaurants, but Yuet Lee was a stand-out! We ordered beef chow fun and crispy pork chops (menu said this was a chef's specialty). Both dishes were outstanding, and servings were so generous that we had enough for two meals. Our server was friendly, and service was speedy. We will definitely return.

I am a Big Fan of Yuet Lee and enjoyed many of their dishes for many decades. However, I have never tried their Spicy Salt Shrimp with heads. This past weekend I did. Wow! The best I've ever had. Not sure how they do it, but every part of that darn shrimp is delicious. The shell, the head and the body is simply fabulous. If I were having a last supper it would be clams and mussels in black bean sauce, spicy salt squid, spicy salt shrimp and steamed oysters with green onions and black bean. I'd ask the owner Sam to prepare it. Man that is some good eating.

I had lunch here one day and was definitely not disappointed! My favorite thing was the garlic asparagus.

Everything we ordered was very good. I would highly recommend the salt and pepper spare ribs and the salt and pepper squid. We also had the fried shrimp , fried rice with salted fish. The food came out so fast. We would definitely go back again.

We were fortunate to be taken to dinner by a friend. First visit to SF and China town so would have been lost without guidance. But I can honestly say it was best food ever. All freshly cooked, good choice. Frequented by lots of locals, always a good sign, and some celebrities. Plenty of food so good to share or at least some to take home for after. Reasonably priced. If I am honest from the outside did not look much and decor was basic but food was exceptional.

late-nite goodness the black bean sauce giant clams and seafood wor won tons are my favorites

We found it searching for the best salt & pepper squid, and it was truly delicious: light, tasty, cooked just right. But we were also impressed by the sturgeon low mein: thin slices of sturgeon abundantly spread among light noodles, veggies and sauce. A delightful lunch!

Overpriced for undersized dishes, Guaranteed full wallet in half filled stomach out. Poor quality ingredients put together by an untrained cook.

I've been going here since I was a kid...maybe 5 years old? I'm 42 now. This place defines Chinese food for me. When you walk in you'll find live fish and lobsters in the tanks to the left. Walk in a little further and you'll find pictures of celebrities hanging from the wall. Jackie Chan, Nicholas Cage, some Food Network folks. Service is quick and attentive. I usually get the Peking Spareribs (sort of a sweet and sour pork of sorts) or the Won Ton Noodle Soup with BBQ Pork. Both dishes are amazing. It's been awhile since I've ordered anything else there, but the Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles is brilliant. It's a hole-in-the-wall type place, so don't expect anything fancy, but to me, this place is the best!

I ate here as a recommendation from a friend. I expected excellent quality seafood. The waitress told me they only had limited seafood as in shrimp and scallops. The regular menu items were not very exciting nor where the portions or presentation. I show them pictures of the food my friend had. They told me that's from the special menu you have to know and plan ahead. I don't plan to return .

This was our first meal in San Francisco and it was a great value. The food was tasty and inexpensive. I had a mango chicken dish and the house special wonton soup and my husband had a beef dish. Very tasty!

Hi, the welcome is bad comparing to other chinese restaurants in that same area. The price is higher than the quality offered, comparing to other restaurants on the same street. Definitely, if you are a tourist, spend an additional time on looking for another place to eat.

Restaurant has a unique, bright, but dated atmosphere. Waitresses were rolling fresh won tons at a table right next to us, very interesting to watch. Between four of us we had one dish of sauteed flounder filet that included veggies and one of chicken lo mein and we still had leftovers. Prices were consistent with quantities. Very delicious, very fresh! Go here for an authentic Chinatown restaurant experience.

Just plain bad. We were really looking forward to a good Chinese meal in SF having had great meals in the past. We had three entrees, all poor. We live in a city with mediocre Chinese food but it is better than this. Poor service also. Stay away.

Avoid at all costs as the waiter plucked his prices from thin air and didn't give us any change. The chicken was sloppy and wet and the beef was chewy and rubbery. We also got splashed by one of the cat fish when they got it out of the tank as our table was directly next to it. I don't know it has got so many good reviews.

If you are used to American Chinese, you may not like this. It is much too much like food I have had in China outside Beijing. The fried rice was good, but everything else was not to our liking. Pork ribs were hacked and unrecognizable as ribs. Duck was nothing but fat and skin and tasted only of 5 spice Chinese seasoning. My 3 grandsons and I left and went straight to another restaurant for more dinner. Add to this the poor decor and hot next to the kitchen atmosphere for ambience. I will say food was only prepared when ordered and vegetables were fresh. If you like authentic Chinese food, you may like this.

We had the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, the salted egg soup and the chicken chow mein. Loved it and the server provided great recommendations :)

We knew we had to stop for chow fun and oysters in Black bean sauce plus won ton soup! Always our favorite in San Francisco. It did not disappoint! Can’t wait to go again

Yuet Lee serves great Chinese food, maybe some of the best in San Francisco. Definitely order the Salt and Pepper Squid and the Chow Mein. Most all the seafood options are delicious. Sometimes the service can be slow, but the wait is always worth it when the food comes. Definitely worth trying if you havent before.

The restaurant was recommended by the owner of the convenience store down the street. The look of the restaurant was such that we might have passed it up without someone telling us about it. Good shrimp dish and mango chicken. My wife and I liked the meal and warmed to the kitschy atmosphere. A steady flow of locals and tourists at 7 PM on a Saturday night. Nothing fancy here; just good Chinese food.

Me and my friend went there based on reviews but must say this time we should have trust our feelings and do not stop there. The restaurant does not look nice but this is not a problem; the problem is that it is dirty and food is not good at all (the only dish I could finish was the Pork sweet & sour and as you can see below we ordered quite a lot of stuff. Negative from all point of views. Here below what we ordered: Pork sweet & sour, Plum sauce, Chef's special, Noodle soup, Seafood noodles, Clams and black, Bean sauce, Salt&pepper squid and two beers (total $ 80). PLUS: none MINUS: bad food dirty not cheap for what you get

This is one of the most legitimate experiences in San Francisco. Great food, peculiar decoration that makes you feel part of the old days in the city. Really worth it. Great crab, flounder and veggies!

This restaurant serves typical Chinise dishes. You can find things on the menu, which you can hardly find somewhere else. We were satisfied withe the quality of the food. The prices were moderate and we got good value for money. On our next San Francisco trip, we come again.

Great when drinking, a little expensive

The food here is very authentic Canton food. The restaurant might not be decorated and the decor doesn't seem like it has been changed in decades but the food is awesome. When I come here I usually get the salted pepper squid, chicken with ginger and scallion and a vegetable dish.

We were wandering blindly around Chinatown with no knowledge of where to go (had no wifi) and took a chance on this one and it was great. All 4 dishes we had were very good, and the Tsingtao beer was good too. To top it off the bill was only $89 for 4 dishes plus drinks. We left happy with a full tummy.

It’s very stark with bright strip lighting. The dining room has a slight air of chaos about it but underneath really warm, friendly staff who really care. I was dining solo asked for clay pot recommendation. Served oyster and pork. Huge slices of ginger, lots of spring onion and oysters much bigger than the European varieties I’m used to. Couple of beers and service came to $35 so good value. Great dinner but maybe not for a romantic evening.

best chinese seafood - open late

Excellent, fast service. Plenty of choice. Good portion sizes for 2 teenaged boys. Not a plush restaurant but a very good meal.

It is no big surprise that many internationally well known chefs have eaten at Yuet Lee. The place is rather small, with just a few tables, but the food and the service are excellent. The dishes are traditional Chinese cuisine, prepared at the moment. The restaurant is in old Chinatown, not in the tourist area, and it is well worth the visit.

We pushed through Fishermans Wharf , cable car ride and the Golden Gate to save lunch-ish for Chinatown, though no specific restaurant. While wandering, I caught sight of their “top 10 restaurants” and figured we’d go there, though I doubted the claim. I was surprised pleasantly! Fast service, fabulous food, good price! I’d eat there again in a heartbeat.

We were looking for something quick and tasty and wandered in to Yuet Lee. The food was really great, large portions, great flavors and the service was fast and efficient. Even the wine was drinkable. Great value for money. We will be back.

We enjoyed our dinner here. We had their specialty dish, salt and pepper squid, along with vegetable chow main, sautéed greens and fried rice. The service was fast and the food was well cooked: not greasy, no red pepper to provide false "flavor." You can't go wrong here.

This chinese restaurant has the same simple look as any other chinese restaurant you can find at San Francisco´s chinatown, but it´s food is worth the visit. Don´t expect anything fancy or luxurious but "open your heart" for the flavour of it´s dishes. Noodles, Fried Rice, Sweet and sour pork....everything was very good.

I grew up in Asia and recently moved to SFO. This restaurant is recommended by one of the old lady doing business in Chinatown for 25 years. I tried the "salty fish and chicken tofu clay pot" and absolutely love it. The ambiance is not very fancy but who cares, as long as the food is good. A lot of Hmong Kong movie stars had been here, Jackie Chen and Eric TSANG Chi-Wa! I'll definitely come back and try other dish!

Yuet Lee is a back street kind of restaurant, cheap and charming but with incredibly fresh seafood. Chose my catfish and it was cooked in minutes. Free internet - copy the code written in marker on the wall LOL Staff are cheerful but busy, an elderly woman came in after us, she looked quite poor, the staff asked us if we'd mind letting her get a table before us. We would have offered anyway but were touched the staff showed this kind of humanity to a homeless looking lady. It made the meal even tastier!

Was recommended to visit this place for their lobster noodles. Good recommendation! 2-pound Lobster @usd68 plus usd8 for the crispy noodles. We ordered other dishes too but don't bother. They all tasted the same... and they all tasted Super salty!

the potstickers!!!

Best Chinese in SF. Love this place. They are really good at cooking seafood. I'm gong there tonight.

Try the Chicken Chow Mein. Large servings. Fresh food. We will eat here again. Everyone left full and happy.

the foods very tasty, I recommend all the foods specially pork chop very yummy👍👍, Yang chow fried rice 👍 and crispy noodles👍. Location nearby chinatown at the corner broadway st. Highly recommended this restaurant 👍👍

I have been going here for decades. I love Chinese food and Yuet Lee is the best I've eaten in New York or San Francisco's Chinatown .The won ton soup is superb as is their dry fried squid. Their specialty is seafood, with live fish, crab and lobsters in a tank. Don't let the green exterior or the sparse decor, turn you away. Anyone I've ever taken here wants to go back. Enjoy!

It's late and most places in the city are closed. You don't want fast food. You want Chinese! I've been coming to Yuet Lee for years and again this month. Tasty, easy and reasonable! Try it!

Chicken fried rice possibly the worst I have had in my 54 years on this planet. The chicken, if it was chicken, was not cooked and avoided by myself and my wife. We also had a beef curry which was slightly better but the beef had a weird texture that almost seemed pre-chewed. Needless to say we didn’t eat much of the meal and made a hasty exit. On a positive note the tap water was ok considering it came from what looked a cattle trough. As you can guess highly not recommended.nom nom!!

Overpriced, and the waitress asked for her tip, which we were gonna give her. We were shocked that someone would ask for there tip.

This place is good. Check it out. Apps, soup, entrees, rice. Fun times. No fancy table clothes but don't let that impact the decision to eat here.

Out of 3 dishes that we ordered: peking spareribs, wonton soup, braised tofu, only peking spareribs that was good. Braised tofu was ok. Wonton soup was tasteless and the wonton has no meat. Mostly thick wonton skin. Service was not good but it's chinatown, so it's expected. What made it worse is when the server told us that you must give minimum 15% tips when we asked for our check. Should have put the sign that 15% tips is compulsory so customer do not feel being ripped off. Not worth it at all. Lots of good chinese restaurant in san francisco with better food and service. Better go somewhere else.

My friend and I were stuck due to a 5 plus hour delay on an incoming flight. We decided to head for China town to find somewhere to eat. Neither of us were familiar with the area, but we parked in the Northbeach parking garage ($3 /hr) and wander until a place caught our fancy. This place of course stood out because of it's bright colors.but what really drew us in was the crowd of locals eating there. They were not wrong. The fresh fish is amazing! Bar none one of the best Cantonese restaurants I've ever tried. Bottom line- we'll be back!

I used to love this restaurant. On my last (and it will truly be my last) visit, the food and service had to be about as bad as I have ever encountered. Overcooked greens in gummy sauce, and a suspicious after taste of MSG lingered in my mouth. Cheap plastic mismatched dishes, surly service, and truly awful food. Even the tea is served in a tall plastic glass. Yuet Lee was once a wonderful restaurant, and written up in every guidebook. Unfortunately, it is still listed in guidebooks, and on our last visit the restaurant had several groups of camera toting tourists, armed with their guide books, looking for good Chinese food. What a shame that they had to waste one of their San Francisco meals on Yuet Lee, especially when the city has so many wonderful restaurants.

good food but didn't equal the crazy raves my friends gave it and inexpensive but not dirt cheap - was $50 plus tip for three people

We were searching for Chinese food in San Francisco, and found this Yuet Lee Seafood Restaurant. The 1st impression was not at all good, as it is worn out and need refurbishment, but this is Chinatown. Nevertheless, it was clean and look hygiene enough. Whatever short comings of the restaurant setting was forgotten by the sumptuous dishes. We had a great meal, and the price is very reasonable.

A party of 4 adults sharing three dishes. Quick service. Good quality food. Remember you are in SF and all food and drink prices potentially will be higher.

Don't know what all the fussy eaters and tippers are on about. What you see is what you get, solid food served hot, tasty and quickly. Minimal device, maximum efficiency. Haters gonna' hate, aters gonna ate.

We entered there attracted by the sign saying that it was one of the ten best Chinese restaurants of San Francisco but if the meals are fine, they are not fantastic. The Chef's chowmein is tasty but it is not the experience of a lifetime. I have been in plenty of places where the chow mein was to the least of the same quality. The Salt and Pepper Squid is very good but give part of the credit to the salt and pepper combination. The service was efficient without being friendly and the plates were generous. So we enjoy our meals but I am pretty sure that we could find few more interesting options in the Chinatown area.

Alas I was only hungry after hours. Mediocre food and service. I am told the fresh seafood is fine but it was too late to wait for all that.

Let’s face it, most places have a 45 minute waiting list to get in! We were seated immediately, ordered three beers and dinner and it arrived within 10 min.! Surprising and it was all good. Loved this little place. Friendly and accommodating.. Good sized portions and the filet was tender and seasoned perfectly. Highly recommend...

For many years Yuet Lee has had a reputation among many as one of San Francisco's finest Cantonese restaurants, and over the years I've eaten there many times. But it has been 3 or 4 years since my last visit, and I did read some negative reviews on Tripadvisor (though one complained that it was too authentic - too much like Chinese food in China - which I thought was an odd complaint). The truth is that it is authentic; having eaten in China, this is Chinese food prepared as it might be in Guangzhou. The chow mein noodles are crisp and delicately flavored, and the prawns are fresh and flavorful. Most importantly, the chow mein is not swimming in an overload of over-thickened sauce. It is very lightly sauced. The chicken with mango is a specialty, sweet but with contrast from some thick scallions. Service was efficient, food delivered quickly to the table, and fairly priced - dinner for two with beer was $30. I continue to feel that Yuet Lee is one of San Francisco's finest Cantonese restaurants.

This iconic restaurant has been around for over 30 years. Same place and same menu, not the same price obviously. They made it easy for us, pictures of the dish and also a section on the menu called “famous dishes” including their salt and pepper squid 16$, pork chop peking style (salt and pepper or smothered in sweet sauce), fish fillet in black bean sauce with asparagus, etc. Crab and whole fish steamed are market price which can cost up to 60$. Service is very good and you get your food fast! Beware they charge 2.50$ pp for rice. I have never had to pay 10$ for plain white rice in any Chinese restaurant I had been to except this one. I guess this is San Fran.

This small restaurant gives you an authentic SF Chinatown experience. Great tasting food, reasonably priced, a varied menu. We love the salt and peppered calamari, our favorite item on the menu. Open late for a meal. Takes credit cards now. Delightful staff who are willing to please if you order the wrong thing due to taste or allergies. It is our go too place in Chinatown. .

Dinner for 2 with a beer and 2 jasmine teas for $70 Visually uninspiring and looking like a shop from outside you might be tempted to avoid this place but don't. The food was excellent value, large portions and we ordered too much. Be aware when ordering a soup - it's a bowl with 5/6 portions. When we arrived the restaurant was really busy with a group of about 15 and there are only 4 staff, 2 in the kitchen aided by the other 2 who are also servers. Attracting their attention wasnt easy but service was efficient. We ordered soup, fried gyoza, chicken chow mein and beef with Chinese greens. Unfortunately our server didn't speak good English and didn't ask about allergies and although the menu didn't mention garlic, the beef was covered in big pieces so my wife couldn't eat it. Be aware. As a result of the number of people in the restaurant everything was slightly chaotic, they took our gyoza off the bill because they thought we didn't get it and despite my protestations that not only had I received it but eaten it and enjoyed it they just didn't understand me. I left an extra big tip to cover it. Despite the language barrier the staff were happy and polite and the atmosphere was loud and enjoyable. I would definitely come back.

I knew the previous owner and it was really good before. Now it's just OK. Not bad, just ok. The service was fine, price's reasonable, but the food was not up to their normal standards. Portion sizes were the norm, but a little on the greasy side. I will still go there, but as a secondary choice.

Sometimes travelers get caught up in the new restaurants and the latest foodie fads. It's nice to balance the new with the old and Yuet Lee has the old covered. The interior is exactly the same as it was 20 years ago - old style even back then - but who is looking at the decor at 2:00 am. Yes, this is the bewitching hour at Yuet Lee - this is your late night dining destination. We had our flight cancelled and so we got in to SF very late and very hungry. Off we went to Yuet Lee and the menu of many pages. They have something for everyone. We bypassed the heavier dishes in favour of the tofu soup - a light broth with excellent tofu and veggies and the steamed catfish with black bean sauce. I wouldn't make this my dinner destination but it is fantastic late night eating and - people watching.

The waitress named Ah San was so nice and friendly. After hearing my relatives used to live in the vicinity, she chatted with us like old friends. On a particularly blustery night we turned up, she added the most marvelous Chinese pork bone soup to our order, free of charge. Subsequently, whenever we turned up, she gave us a different soup of the day,free, all of them excellent, having been simmered for hours in the traditional way. I do not need to write about the excellent seafood - they have been well reviewed in other sites and food magazines! If you want to eat authentic Cantonese food, do not bother to go to those in the tourist part of Chinatown. Come to Yuet Lee. And definitely do not bother with those that serve fortune cookies at the end of the meal.

We enjoyed sampling a few entrees and soup for lunch in Chinatown. It was a simple yet delicious meal on our trip and we all enjoyed the experience.

My buddy told me Anthony Bourdain ate here in one of his Layover series so we got to give it a try. I am Chinese and have been eating Chinese food all my life, so I think know a little on what good Chinese dishes taste like. Well, all I say is this place serves some excellent dishes. We had black bean clams, bass with asparagus, and deep fried pigeon. All plates were tasty and good portioned. The pigeon requires skills to cook it to perfection - cooked inside, crispy skin and juicy meat, and the chef here did just that. Highly recommended. Btw, no decor to speak of, just concentrate on the foods. lol

I Think is very Asian Original

Fantastic! Like Heaven in my mouth.

Dive-y set up, very fast service (from the ladies was ok. The male server is alittle gruff though) but prices higher than usual for portions in similar looking places. Bill is not itemized and tip is not calculated for you but strongly suggested by servers when you pay. Single stall bathroom. They have lots of celebrity endorsement photos on the wall and entrance. Probably could spend some money made on cleanliness and staff wages so they might look happier. Decent quality food flavors.

Voted "one of the best Ten seafood restaurants in SFC" Personally "It could just be the BEST! with best Value for money! I am going again Sat. It's now in my Contacts in my iPhone. I was told about it by a friend, and i was so surprised at the quality of the food and speed of servic. Had dumpling soup absolutely best first choice. For $6.00 WOW. Pipping hot and the best I have ever had even in Hong Kong or China where I have been. Then we had FiletFlounder with beans $14.95. soft and flaky and tasty with a little ginger. Yummy!! 1/2 Duck perfectly cooked and crispy skin. Crispy noodles with calamari cooked to perfection. One of the best Asian restaurants with easy parking in SFC. Don't be fooled by "Seafood" in name. They do curries & meat & vegetable dishes too. Wine. Nah! But try some other drinks I might on Sat.

The freshest chinese food at really great prices. Its where te locals eat.

These crabs were definitely one of the highlights during our stay in San Francisco! Perfectly seasoned and differently prepared as if you had them at Fisherman’s Wharf. A must when in Chinatown....

Desperate to eat saw the menus outside and gave it a try. It’s as described previously not fancy but busy with fast service. So much to choose from. Beef chow mien plentiful and tasty but also helped by some soy sauce and chilli paste provided. Prawn rice with eggs creamy sauce just so much nice prawns but not if you like your eggs well done . We didn’t mind. 1 beer 1 coke $35 Would return and be a bit more adventurous

Highly rated in Zagat, this Chinese seafood establishment is a disappointment--no appetizers, overpriced seafood, rice is extra @ $3/bowl; $6 for take-out!; agressive, hostile service. Another side of San Francisco, I suppose.

A group of 4 of us arrived in San Francisco late and ventured to Chinatown for a late dinner. This is a well known place in Chinatown and although it is in a sketchy part of town it's delicious. Just remember that everything on the menu is separate so if you want chicken, vegetables, and rice for instance you have to order them each separately. For two of us it was $65 and that included a couple beers for my husband. We would definitely recommend and return!!!

Came here for lunch - very good service, really nice food, large portions. Satay pork was excellent.

I've been coming to Yuet Lee for 30 years and it continues to be my Go-To Chinese restaurant in the United States. Make sure the owner Sam is cooking and you willl have an outstanding meal.

First of all, this is a very unpretentious restaurant. The lighting is way too bright. But the food - oh, Sam can cook. I love the salt and pepper calamari, and the won ton soup - which is great, because the broth is the best in the city. It's open until really really late - I've never had a bad meal.

They have a fresh water tank w/ lotsa seafood. The portions are small but the flavor is very good. The other good thing is that they stay open late on the weekend, which is helpful after a night out on the town.

We went this week after an 8:45pm movie, so got there at 11:30pm. We usually go to another late night spot, but there was an awesome parking spot and we were starved. It was our first time there. We were starved and dead sober. We noticed for a late night spot and a total dive the menu prices were jacked up, the average cheap Chinese dive dish was $15.00. We're not talking about cloth napkins here or even a restaurant that closes their front door so the wind blows in while you eat. This is a dive. The waiter pressured us into upgrading our orders: You know, we're cool with that actually, if we think it's worth while. We check the prices and we said, hey if we can't finish it we'll have leftovers. No probs. Also, it's like tourism charity. We ended up with what we matched the menu price with what we ordered to about $48.00. The bill was $85.00 before tip. We went back and matched everything and couldn't figure out the discrepancy. The receipt is written in Chinese, but one of us reads Chinese. We figured the extra cash was service charge. It was a good night and why make a stink. We paid our bill but the waitress (who didn't wait on us) came over and complained about our tip. Called the waiter that waited on us and had him ask us why we weren't more generous with our tip. The cook came out. Huge stink. The waiter said "if you don't give us more tip you take your things and leave now". Well, there you have. Go if you want a late night drama. My sense is they're used to after party people not checking their bill and getting scammed. Check your bill and if you want a drama bring your camera. ps - food was a dive joint, not one of those hidden gems. Service tired. Wear your jacket as or sit in the back underneath the loud TV.

Yuet Lee has been a Chinatown staple forever and was once quite popular. I’ve not been in a few years and may not return. This past visit the food was OK, but the service was nonexistent. In the old days Yuet Lee was full and there was often a line out onto Stockton. Last Friday it was just half full. The staff had little to do, and did less. The food was actually quite good and the price was acceptable, but Chinatown is full of restaurants meeting that low standard.

Was told to come here by our Inn on Union Square hotel owner Wayne. Not the most attractive place, but the food was worth the walk. All the dishes we had were great, Would go back again,

We visited and had three dishes - the salt and pepper squid was excellent, however the duck was extremely fatty and the chicken Kung Po contained some very fatty meat and was in a bland gravy sauce with no trace of the advertised chilli. Because of the mixed nature of quality felt very expensive but others seemed to be enjoying their food. It would seem we picked incorrectly from the menu!

Cheap eats after hours.

If you are more interested in food than atmosphere, this is your place. I learned long ago that the best chinese food is not in China Town. Yuet Lee Seafood is a few blocks from the tourist area and is more of an authentic Cantonese eatery. You will see locals and tourists alike eating here. Great value, quick service and a huge menu. Sam Yu has owned Yuet Lee for 33 years, operating out of the same location. Be adventurous and try something you have never had before. Check out the "10 famous dishes" you will see on a poster taped to the door as you go in. Can't miss with any of those.

pepper n salt squid here I come!

When it's one o'clock am and nobody is awake but u hungry for some late night Chinese food ask the cab driver where all cab drivers go to eat late night Chinese food here in San Fran its yuet Lee!! Food reasonably priced .. food tasty and delivered fast !! Definitely settled the craving !!!

We went for a late night snack Chinese food as recommended by my boss, loved the BBQ pork and Duck. Something to add to your itinerary if visiting California

This is the first time the whole family have been to SF and as we are staying around the corner we thought Chinese for our first meal. The staff were efficient but curt (not unusual in a Chinese establishment). The food was fresh, very tasty and cheap. We can recommend the pepper and salt roasted fresh squid.

Really fast to be served (too fast maybe?) Good seafood FOrget about the rest (decoration, service,...)