The culinary buzz around Chinatown's latest eatery, Four Kings, is heating up, with the San Francisco Chronicle touting the spot as the city's most exciting restaurant opening in recent memory. Run by chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long, alums of the celebrated Mister Jiu's, the restaurant spins a modern take on Cantonese cuisine infused with hints from France, Japan, and the heartland of America.

Four Kings' playful energy is matched by its rich menu selections, with the San Francisco Examiner highlighting the establishment's desire to rejuvenate the historical Chinatown area. Co-owner Mike Long expressed a personal connection to the place, noting the opportunity to share the Chinese food he grew up with. The inventive menu includes XO escargot, mapo spaghetti, and pork chop rice with tomato egg—an homage to classic Hong Kong cha chaan tengs.

Despite being a fresh face on Commercial Street, this establishment isn't entirely new to the food scene. According to Eater San Francisco, Four Kings first became a popular pop-up. Its permanent settling in Chinatown solidifies Ho and Long's vision to serve dishes they recall fondly from their childhood, now with the added flair of a wok and an open kitchen that pop-up venues couldn’t accommodate.

A glance at The Infatuation's review shows that Four Kings is already a Chinatown hotspot, where diners can enjoy crisply aged squab and stir-fried beef chow fun that stands out. The venue's atmosphere is integral to its charm, with decorations that pay homage to '90s and early 2000s Hong Kong pop culture. This gives diners a taste of the past while indulging in their meals.

Meanwhile, SFist reported on the restaurant's pre-opening stages, detailing the founding partners' backgrounds and shared culinary philosophies. Li, a key partner at Four Kings, shared the group's desire to create an izakaya-like atmosphere with Chinese cuisine at the forefront. This ambitious endeavor has led to the restaurant striving for inclusion on year-end "best of" lists just months after its inauguration in March.