Welcome back to Good Taste, a mindful eating menu in the Bay Area. We finally checked out Four Kings (710 Commercial St., SF), the acclaimed pop-up cafe with a Cantopop soundtrack that opened a permanent cafe in Chinatown in March. It’s not easy to get in, but we’ve got a few tips to help you out—and some suggestions for what to order once you’re there.
What to order
Because the place is small and the wide variety of small plates encourages repeat visits, it’s still difficult to reserve a table, but it’s not impossible. New seats open up every night at midnight for three weeks in advance, and prime-time seats are gone within minutes. After a few weeks of only occasionally reserving a table for two at 9pm or later, my boyfriend set the alarm for a few minutes before midnight one Friday so we could make a 6pm reservation.
Come early
The restaurant opens at 6pm Thursday through Monday, and if you arrive an hour early, you may have a good chance of getting a no-reservation table. Once the doors open, they give out a no-reservation table for every reserved table. This strategy works best for small parties, as most of the seating inside is for two and there are single seats at the bar.
… or arrive really late
If you like to eat late or have snacks and drinks without indulging in a big meal, Four Kings is open until 11pm five nights a week. After 9pm, your chances of getting a table without booking increase.
Ask for the window seat
If the table for two built right into the front window is free, ask if you can sit there. It’s fun to sit side by side with the other person in your party. The table is deep enough to provide more than enough room for any large or small dishes you order. The light is great for photos if you’re an early riser and like to document your meals. And it’s an interesting seat from which to observe what’s happening outside, or not.
What should I order?
Roasted peanuts and smashed cucumber are offered complimentary with every meal, and everything is designed to share. After months of studying the menu and considering house recommendations, we decided to focus on the standing offer rather than the super-tantalizing daily specials. We ordered a smooth steamed tricolor egg (with tomato, centennial egg and salted duck egg), water spinach cooked in shrimp paste, a pair of pumpkin croquettes rained with strips of salted egg, rich scallop vermicelli in a scallop shell, XO snails with milk bread, a fat and juicy Xinjiang lamb skewer with the perfect portion for two. There was only room for dessert because it was light: a snow pile of shaved red bean ice and a fish-shaped mango pudding served with strawberry sorbet.
Four Kings is the kind of place where, as soon as you eat, you want to know when you’ll be back. I’d like to come back anytime to try more royal dishes, including mapo spaghetti, black bean mussels, rice with pork chop and tomato egg, and claypot rice with Chinese sausage and bacon.
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