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The Empress by Boon, San Francisco, CA
Award-winning

The Empress by Boon

4.5
4.5
1376 Reviews
$50 and over
Chinese

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 17 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for scenic views
  • Fancy
  • Good for special occasions
Empress by Boon is San Francisco’s newest, must-visit epicurean destination, offering a seasonal menu in modern Cantonese gastronomy. Michelin-starred Chef Ho Chee Boon applies traditional techniques to fresh, local ingredients to produce distinctive contemporary dishes infused with Cantonese flavors.

The spacious restaurant occupies the former location of Chinatown’s celebrated Empress of China with striking city views. Reimagined by Chef Boon and team, the Empress was brought back to its former glory by embracing modern design elements while incorporating restored original features, creating a welcoming atmosphere that pays homage to the history of the beloved location.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Chinese
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (415) 757-0728
  • Website
    http://theempresssf.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Ho Chee Boon
  • Location
    838 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108-1738
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighbourhood
    Chinatown
  • Cross Street
    Clay Street
  • Parking details
    Public Parking available at Portsmouth Square Plaza Garage. Entrance at 733 Kearny Street.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Experiences

  • Empress by Boon Prix Fixe Menu

    US$118.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    We offer a prix fixe menu that showcases Chef Boon's focus on using only the freshest ingredients available, while offering unique taste combinations not seen in other Cantonese cooking. Our offerings change often to allow for a truly seasonal menu to be executed.

  • New Years Eve 2024

    US$168.00 per person

    Dec 31, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025
    Chef Boon is excited to create a celebratory menu to ring in the New Year! His international culinary expertise transforms any menu into a true epicurean experience. Chef Ho's traditional techniques combine fresh ingredients from local purveyors to produce dishes that are not only contemporary but have the essence of traditional Cantonese cuisine.

  • Lunar New Year Celebration

    US$168.00 per person

    Jan 28, 2025 - Feb 2, 2025
    Chef Boon is excited to create a celebratory menu to ring in the Year of the Snake! His international culinary expertise transforms any menu into a true epicurean experience. Chef Ho's traditional techniques combine fresh ingredients from local purveyors to produce dishes that are not only contemporary but have the essence of traditional Cantonese cuisine.

Menu

Prix Fixe Menu

  • Braised Dungeness Crab

    Kaluga caviar

    • California Prawn

      crispy seaweed, wasabi mustard

      • Vegetable Spring Roll

        Perigord winter truffle, cloud ear mushrooms, bean sprouts

        • Dim Sum

          Prawn and Pak Choi Dumpling, Kurobuta Pork Bun, Pumpkin Dumpling

          • Mapo Tofu

            roasted chicken breast

            • Steamed Alaskan Halibut

              rose wine, ginger sauce

              • Stir Fried Beef Tenderloin

                shishito peppers, cashews

                • Wok Tossed Lotus Root, Yam Bean, Asparagus

                  shimeji mushrooms, chu hou sauce

                  • Scallion Noodles

                    shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower

                    Last updated: December 19, 2024

                    What 1,376 people are saying

                    Overall ratings and reviews

                    Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

                    4.5
                    4.5 based on recent ratings
                    • 4.5Food
                    • 4.5Service
                    • 4.6Ambience
                    • 4Value

                    Noise • Moderate

                    Loved For

                    • San Francisco

                      Romantic

                    • San Francisco

                      Great for scenic views

                    Review summary

                    AI-generated from verified diner reviews
                    The Empress by Boon offers a modern take on Chinese cuisine in a beautifully renovated historic space. Diners praise the "amazing food," "great service," and "stunning views" of San Francisco. While some find it pricey, the "creative and delicious" dishes and "friendly staff" make it a memorable dining experience.

                    1,376 Reviews

                    1. Rhea

                      VIP

                      San Francisco

                      3 reviews

                      5.0

                      3 reviews

                      Dined 4 days ago

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 4
                      4. Ambience 5
                      Beautiful space, impeccable food and attentive service.

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                    2. Emily

                      San Francisco

                      4 reviews

                      5.0

                      4 reviews

                      Dined 7 days ago

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 5
                      Exceptional in every way - highly recommend and great value

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                    3. Lana

                      VIP

                      Denver

                      18 reviews

                      4.0

                      18 reviews

                      Dined 7 days ago

                      1. Overall 4
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 2
                      4. Ambience 4
                      Fantastic food and our server was great, but overall service was slow

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                    4. Lauren

                      Dallas

                      10 reviews

                      5.0

                      10 reviews

                      Dined on December 14, 2024

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 5
                      The chef’s tasting was the best I’ve had of the three visits. The dishes were full of high-quality seafood, poultry, and vegetables, very clean and delicate taste.

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                    5. Wellington

                      Washington DC

                      1 review

                      4.0

                      1 review

                      Dined on December 14, 2024

                      1. Overall 4
                      2. Food 3
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 4
                      As a standard restaurant I give it 4 stars but at the level Empress by the Boon is at, I’d say we were very underwhelmed and only felt like 2-3 out of the 9 dishes lived up to exquisite standard. 3.5 Stars. Service was wonderful and waiter recommended the best drinks. All I have to say is that we were expecting more for $450 meal.

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                    6. Cliff

                      San Francisco

                      97 reviews

                      5.0

                      97 reviews

                      Dined on December 14, 2024

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 4
                      4. Ambience 5
                      This restaurant serves consistently fine foods and wine!

                      Is this helpful?

                    7. OpenTable Diner

                      VIP

                      Atlanta Metro

                      3 reviews

                      1.0

                      3 reviews

                      Dined on December 14, 2024

                      1. Overall 1
                      2. Food 1
                      3. Service 3
                      4. Ambience 2
                      Locals don’t recommend this place for a reason. Arrived at 5:15pm and was walked past a moderately empty restaurant to a dimly lit back room with no guests facing the register. When asked to be moved to the main restaurant, we were informed that only guests who had made reservations 4-6 weeks in advance were allowed to sit there. Empress by Boon promotes the main restaurant everywhere, Instagram, TikTok and even here on OpenTable. And the only options for tables on OpenTable are standard and lounge. Nowhere on OpenTable does it say that only reservations booked at least a month in advance have access to the restaurant promoted online. The host for the evening claimed to have found us open seating in the main room after we expressed our disappointment in our seating and prepared to leave. We should have taken this opportunity to leave!! The food was subpar and the uni turned our stomachs. If you can’t sit in the main area in the DAYTIME to enjoy the aesthetics, LEAVE! That is what you’re paying for. Don’t go for the food experience and the ambience because one of them is sure to be lacking. Definitely not worth $120+ per person.

                      2 people found this helpful

                    8. Lisa

                      San Francisco

                      28 reviews

                      5.0

                      28 reviews

                      Dined on December 13, 2024

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 5
                      We had an outstanding dinner at The Empress! Starting in the lovely bar with creative cocktails a delicious rosemary infused gin with black current, so refreshing! The menu had 9 items included in the 5 course dinner. It started with a rich duck soup, followed by a prawn roll and scallop caviar roll that were light and delicious. We loved the dumplings, lobster and tofu. Last course was black cod, stir fried veggies with chicken and scallion noodles. More than enough food! All with impeccable service and a view of Coit tower, light up red for the holidays. Dessert was extra but worth it. Chef Boon stopped by our table to say hello and see if we enjoyed everything. We highly recommended it.

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                    9. Jon

                      VIP

                      San Francisco

                      70 reviews

                      5.0

                      70 reviews

                      Dined on December 6, 2024

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 5
                      Every dish was exceptional. We were so pleased we went with the wine pairing option, which enhanced the experience. Our server, Natalie was outstanding. We look forward to returning.

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                    10. Carlos

                      Tahoe

                      7 reviews

                      5.0

                      7 reviews

                      Dined on December 3, 2024

                      1. Overall 5
                      2. Food 5
                      3. Service 5
                      4. Ambience 4
                      Great value for the experience: what a hidden hem in San Francisco. Just go have a drink and you’ll fall in love with the views high on top of Chinatown! Very classy

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                    FAQs

                    The Empress by Boon is rated 4.5 stars by 1376 OpenTable diners.

                    Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

                    Make a reservation

                    2 people
                    7:00 p.m.
                    Booked 17 times today
                    Experiences are available.
                    Google Map for The Empress by Boon

                    838 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94108-1738

                    Dining areas

                    Additional information

                    • Award-winning
                      1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
                    • Cross Street
                      Clay Street
                    • Neighbourhood
                      Chinatown
                    • Hours of Operation
                      Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
                    • Price
                      $50 and over
                    • Cuisines
                      Chinese
                    • Dining style
                      Fine Dining
                    • Dress code
                      Business Casual
                    • Parking details
                      Public Parking available at Portsmouth Square Plaza Garage. Entrance at 733 Kearny Street.
                    • Payment Options
                      AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
                    • Executive Chef
                      Ho Chee Boon
                    • Additional
                      Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

                    Featured in

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