Empress by Boon - San Francisco, California

Venus Zhang

It was my birthday dinner. Not gonna lie when our Uber arrived in Chinatown, I was initially a bit disappointed. As someone born and raised in China, I usually have 0 expectations for Chinese food in SF. However, Empress by Boon completely won me over (or maybe my boyfriend impressed me ;)). It was without a doubt the best meal I’ve had in SF! The stunning view of the city and the gorgeous ambiance only added to the experience. Every dish we ordered was incredible, with beautiful presentation and rich flavors. From the fish shaped shrimp dumplings to the slow braised pork and the innovative Peking duck, even the simple stir fried vegetables were exceptional. I had a wonderful evening there and left thoroughly impressed, grateful and happy!

John Rushforth

Atmosphere is great because of the views and generally the space is very well appointed with a modern contemporary feel. The cocktails were really, really great!

The music should be lower, it's tough to hear conversations across the table and forget trying to hear the servers whisper the details about the dish they just placed in front of you.

The food started off well, the first three dishes were tasty, reaching course four and beyond, it went downhill. Bland noodles (honestly they tasted like plastic to me). The chicken was white cubes of tasteless moist meat. The duck (that you pay extra for) was fatty and left a film on our tongues. The food in an everyday Chinese restaurant is much better.

One nice and friendly server called Natalie (Nat). The rest of the service was slow and not engaged. Big gaps in anyone checking on us, a lack of eye contact when they did, I tried several times to get a drink after my empty glass had been swiped away. About ten minutes later I took a walk to the bar and asked for a drink there, it ended up being quicker and much friendlier.

We paid $450+ for two of us to experience some poor to mediocre food, bad service and loud music. A one time visit is enough.

Matt Pang

Got the prix fixe which was a 6 course meal. Everything was good. It’s on the 6th floor so you get these amazing night views of the city. I thought the lobster was an interesting take. Had like this tangy spicy sauce that usually goes on chicken wings. The egg roll wrapped this thing that usually is in a seafood soup and was topped with caviar. The drink menu is extensive. Pricey but it would be good for special event, birthdays, anniversaries.

Ethan Guinn

This is an absolutely fantastic place to eat. Should easily have a Michelin star. The food is incredible, I really didn't want to leave any on a single plate. I could have licked the plate if it wasnt a fancy place 😉

Beautiful Inside and beautiful view. All the food was gorgeous but tasted amazing. The dumplings in a hot sour soup variant were just the best I've ever had. The cocktails were amazing. The service was so attentive and nice. The view is stunning. And bathrooms clean and well stocked with amenities. Please please please go here.

Lisa Huang

I really enjoyed the aesthetics and service here. And while the food was good, I don’t think it could justify the high prices.

In the prefix menu,I felt like most of the items were more aesthetically pleasing than elevated or creative in taste. My favourites were the wasabi prawn appetizers and the pork rib with watermelon. Everything else really felt like something you can get at a mid-tier Chinese restaurant. The duck (which is an extra $48 for just ten small pieces) was good but not what I’d expect for the price.

Overall, worth trying once but definitely not worth it to come back.

Hilary Andrews

I recently dined at Empress by Boon in San Francisco. The ambiance is chic and modern, offering a stunning view of the city and Coit Tower that adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the meal.

I’m not sure if there’s an option other than a tasting menu — but I didn’t love all of the courses. I am not a fan of eel and the eel tofu was simply too fishy.

The highlight was the mocktail and the main course which featured a really nice assortment of food plus crispy duck skin (for an up-charge). That was super tasty.

The service was attentive although we only were offered one drink the entire dinner. The staff were knowledgeable about the ingredients in the dishes.

While the prices are on the higher side, I was not that empressed. I wouldn’t recommend it — you can get better Cantonese food for way less elsewhere.

Stephanie Lovell

The meal was comprised of five courses with multiple components. The first four courses were individually plated while the last course was served family-style.

The steamed shrimp and squid dumpling course was my favourite both for the visual delight and for the wonderful hot and sour broth that the dumplings came in.

My second favourite was the Half Moon Bay Snapper with bean curd skin and soy. I have a long love for bean curd skin and the snapper was cooked perfectly.

The family-style course was comprised of roasted crispy chicken, wok tossed peanut sprouts, Dungeness crab and scallop sticky rice, and a roasted duck supplement.

Every course was filled with flavour and delicious with incredible views of SF.

Joe Muller

Food and views of the city were amazing. We ended up spending 3 hours at the restaurant and didn't feel rushed at any point during dinner.

Removed a star because of how expensive it was for the set dinner and the wine pairing (~$450).