San Francisco, CA
The New Generation Taking the Helm at San Francisco’s Legacy Chinese Restaurants
San Francisco’s Chinatown may be an iconic tourist attraction, but for many Chinese Americans in the Bay Area it’s also a cultural hub anchored by generations-old small businesses and classic Chinese restaurants.
Most were started by new immigrants in an effort to survive and provide for their children while giving them a chance at a better future. There was generally no expectation of passing them down to their kids. But a new trend has emerged post-pandemic.
After decades of working hard for that “better life,” second-generation Chinese Americans are leaving their professional careers and instead finding fulfillment in taking over what their parents started. Legacy Chinatown eateries like Hing Lung Meat Company, R&G Lounge, New Sun Hong Kong, and House of Nanking have gotten a new lease on life, proving that change can indeed be good.
Some of the dishes at 606(Eugene Lau)
Eugene Lau has owned the San Francisco restaurant 606 (606 Broadway) since 2023, taking over New Sun Hong Kong, the hub for classic Cantonese dishes his in-laws had operated since 1989. Having worked as a tech professional for years, the toll running a small business took on them during the pandemic, as well as their impending retirement, made Eugene think about making a change.
“Most Chinese parents would say they opened a restaurant to make ends meet,” Lau says. “They don’t necessarily want the same life for their kids because it’s tough to make a living. But I think they could tell I had an interest in it. When having family meals at the restaurant, I would always make sure the customers were doing okay and even get up and help serve or bus tables, clean dishes, take orders. It kind of developed from there.”
The pandemic, when Chinatown became a ghost town, spurred Eric and Simon Cheung to return to the family business, too. Hing Lung Meat Company, which their father had owned since the 1990s, was known for authentic Cantonese roasted meats like char siu (roast pork), soy sauce chicken, and classic roast duck (not to be mistaken for Peking/Beijing duck). To help it survive, the brothers launched Go Duck Yourself, an offshoot of Hing Lung Meat Company that focused solely on online and takeout orders.
Go Duck Yourself took off, but when problems arose with HLMC’s aging storefront, the Cheungs eventually decided to close the original location. Eric and Simon then opened their sit-down restaurant Go Duck Yourself in Bernal Heights (439 Cortland Ave.) in 2024, followed by their takeout counter Quack House in Lower Nob Hill (927 Post St.) last year.
Some of the dishes at Go Duck Yourself(Courtesy of Hing Lung Co/Go Duck Yourself)
Though they’re carrying on their dad’s history of well-crafted roast meats, the brothers aren’t doing things exactly the same way.
“We definitely have not altered the recipes,” says Eric. “We try to stay as traditional and classic as possible. But we only use high-end spices and quality artisan meats. And our equipment is more high-tech than it used to be. Back then my dad used to go only by feel, but I like to use my temperature probes to get it just right. I’m very particular about the temperature the meat is cooked at so it comes out as juicy as possible.”
Although noticeable changes have been made since Lau took over, 606’s food has also stayed true to the former restaurant.
“We curated our menu so that many of New Sun Hong Kong’s popular items didn’t change, but we tweaked the recipes in a way that improved the texture or flavor and added some new dishes,” Lau explains. “We’re doing things differently than my in-laws did. But at the core of it, we’re still a family restaurant with a commitment to the community. It’s a reboot.”
606 is the reboot of New Sun Hong Kong(Courtesy of 606)
So why leave the tech world to run a small restaurant? “It’d be sad to see our culture and traditions die,” says Lau. “That’s one of the main reasons why we do this. I really wanted to continue my family’s legacy, and I’m thankful I have the opportunity to do it.”
Though Eric Cheung’s pride in the food he makes fuels his passion, he never expected to carry on the family business either.
”I’m surprised there are so many second-generation adults taking over the family business, and I think it’s great! It’s sad to see something that helped raise you, that you grew up with, go away,” he says. “We have a good setup here. It’s always been my dream to own a restaurant, I just didn’t think it would be essentially my parents’ restaurant.”
SAN FRANCISCO – The children in one of San Francisco’s most historically challenged neighborhoods now have a new playground to call their own. The park has undergone its first major overhaul since it was opened in 1995, and is now officially kid approved.
Revitalized family-friendly space
What we know:
The children of San Francisco’s Tenderloin welcomed visitors to the newly renovated Tenderloin Children’s’ Playground. Upgrades include a new basketball court, new mini-soccer field just in time for the World Cup, and a new climbing structure that will thrill a new generation of kids.
Azzam Alameri, the District 5 youth commissioner, grew up just blocks from Tenderloin Children’s Playground and he remembers the outdated old park.
“It’s a drastic difference. Before, it was very desolate. It was very dark,” said Alameri.
Now he said the kids would have a destination. “I can relate to these kid,” Alamaeri said. “This place is like their safe spot. Their parents can drop them off and have not too many worries about the neighborhood and have them be kids, you know.”
The park reopened earlier than anticipated following a $3.8 million public private partnership. Sarah Madland from San Francisco Recreation and Parks said: “For more than three decades, Tenderloin Rec has not received a full renovation. But, with the support of our park partners, today we are celebrating this completely reimagined space.”
Upgrade ‘long overdue’
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood said the upgrade was long overdue. “This is a neighborhood with 3,500 hundred kids and it deserves to see the same love as the rest of the city does as well.”
The park drew fans big and small, including Mayor Daniel Lurie. “I want to be brief because I want to go up there,” he said, pointing to the top of the slide.
The new park brought out the kid in Mayor Lurie who couldn’t resist a quick climb into the structure, and a slide to the bottom. The mayor says this park is only the beginning. “This community deserves all of this and so much more and so, this is just a start.”
What’s next:
Until now, the park was only available Monday through Friday, but now it will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to welcome as many kids as the park can hold.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A ferry carrying passengers collided with Pier 31 while docking Sunday evening, breaking multiple windows and leaving some riders shaken.
Video of the incident shows the vessel striking the pier, with several passengers saying the impact knocked people off their feet and turned a scenic trip into a frightening experience.
“He’s like, ‘Mom, I thought this was going to be the best day, but this is just the worst day ever,’” said Olivia RiosAcuña, describing her young son’s reaction. She said she booked the City Cruises tour because of her son’s love of boats. The family spent much of the day on the deck before heading downstairs as the ferry prepared to dock.
“Next thing I know, I just heard a really loud noise and the whole boat shook,” she said.
MORE: Several injured after boats collide during Contra Costa Co. high school fishing competition
RiosAcuña said the vessel struck the pier multiple times, shattering windows and causing panic among passengers. One woman tumbled down a staircase during the incident, she said.
“I was terrified. I was like, what on earth is going on? And then I was like, okay, who on earth is driving this boat?” she said.
Genesis Alcocer, another passenger, said she did not immediately realize the extent of the damage but feared the worst.
“For me, I was like, oh my god, we’re gonna sink. I’m not the best swimmer,” Alcocer said.
MORE: Rescue teams search for 27 missing after a passenger boat sinks in eastern Indonesia
She said crew members did not initially communicate what was happening.
“The people that worked there were not making a big deal about it, but you could tell in their face that they were panicking,” she said.
Daniel Aburto, who was also on board, questioned the crew’s experience.
“Is it your first day? That was my thought. Like, this is your first day. There’s no way, there’s no way,” he said.
MORE: Possible boat explosion in Miami sends several to the hospital: Fire officials
Passengers said they were kept on board for about 20 minutes before being directed to exit the ferry. RiosAcuña said she was surprised by the tone of a staff member as they disembarked.
“This guy’s like, ‘Have a great day. You guys sure had an exciting entry,’ or something like that,” she said. “I was like, exciting? More like traumatic. My kid’s still crying.”
RiosAcuña, Alcocer and Aburto said they do not plan to take another City Cruises trip anytime soon.
No injuries were reported.
Alcatraz City Cruises provided a statement to ABC7:
On Sunday evening, an Alcatraz City Cruises vessel was involved in a docking incident upon return to Pier 31. There are no currently reported injuries, and an investigation of the incident will be conducted to determine it cause. Any impacts to service will be provided as additional information becomes available.
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
-
Technology4 minutes agoDid the Pope use AI to write about the dangers of AI?
-
World10 minutes agoMother, boyfriend allegedly abandoned blindfolded young sons in remote forest as part of ‘game’: reports
-
Politics16 minutes agoTexas MAGA battle ends with Middleton victory as Chip Roy falls short in AG Race
-
Health22 minutes agoOzempic-style drugs linked to major slowdown in cancer spread, new study finds
-
Sports28 minutes agoThunder push Spurs to brink with dominant Game 5 win as Wembanyama posts series-low 20 points
-
Technology34 minutes agoFTC reveals where spam calls hit hardest
-
Business40 minutes agoDonald E. Newhouse, newspaper publisher and heir to media empire, dies at 96
-
Entertainment46 minutes agoKevin Hart addresses Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke: ‘What do you want me to do? Drag him off?’
