Musings of a Solo Diner: Four Kings (San Francisco, CA)
Because food culture-keeping is my ish.
You know the saying, “2nd place is 1st place loser?”
Yeah, Four Kings just proved that that’s a damn lie.
Recently rated #2 on the SF Chronicle’s 2025 list of the Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area, with accolades from Eater SF, California’s Michelin Guide, and recognition as a Best New Restaurant semi-finalist for a 2025 James Beard Award, besides cooking, all Four Kings has been doing is winning. Cue Khaled.
But I can’t eat those awards. I thugged it out in the reservation system for a month before snagging a spot, and pulling up into an alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown where they’re located (a place I totally am not spending enough time), I was excited to finally be having my own experience.
I wasn’t solo this time, and was accompanied by a food industry friend; at 7:30 on a Wednesday evening, the place was buzzing with business with no sign of slowing down, reservation holders and walk-ups alike hovering near the front door waiting for their turn. We were seated at the counter side by side in front of walls covered in Polaroids of guests enjoying meals and good times (including a pic of my dining companion from a prior trip she’d made). The counter was raised enough where I couldn’t fully see into the inner workings of the kitchen (bummer!), but low enough that I could see the hanging rack of squabs poised to become some lucky person’s dinner. More on that in a minute.
What I love about the menu at Four Kings is that in the land of fusion, they are standing ten toes down on the culture of Cantonese cuisine. At first glance, the menu was full of things I’d been meaning to get around to eating but just hadn’t yet, and though my travels to Asia have been relegated to the Southeast (Singapore and Thailand so far), I immediately felt I was in for authenticity on a plate. I also loved the number of options starring vegetables as the main attraction. Shout out to the Roasted Peanuts and Smashed Cucumbers that are Four King’s version of the pre-meal freebie. I was blown away by the layered but simple flavors of both. If the freebies were this good, what would the menu hold? We dove in and covered a good amount of ground, with some things she’d had before and some things that were new to both of us. We ordered:
Squab Skewers: This was on the evening’s special menu; ribbons of squab skin fan-folded and skewered and either fried or broiled to crispy perfection (I’m not sure on the preparation). I’m on poultry skin this summer. Chicken, and now add squab to my hit list. Turkeys, beware.
Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage and Bacon: I haven’t had claypot rice since Le Cheval left Oakland. This dish came topped with an egg yolk and thin rounds of Chinese sausage, with its slightly sweet meaty flavor along with pieces of bacon, with the hot rice and its expected crispy bottom below.
Fried Squab: Ths was new to me. Larger than a quail but definitely smaller than the ducks you typically see hanging in the windows of Chinese restaurants, it arrived to the table (head intact), a beautifully deep brown lacquered color (a relief, since in its hanging state it was redbone), the crisped feet dangling delightfully off the edge of the plate. It was served to medium doneness with a slightly pink inside (ok for squab) and quartered, so we could dig in easily. It also came with a serving of a Mala spice mix; our server recommended we sprinkle each bite with it. We complied. I’d never had this spice before, and it wasn’t until 10 seconds after eating it that I realized its unique, tingly, numbing quality. My best description for how eating it feels? Like the Eiffel Tower looks when it’s all lit up and glittering at night.
XO Escargot with Milkbread: I was window jumping this night for real! Snails had never previously touched these lips, but surprisingly, they almost reminded me of chicken livers a bit. The sauce underneath them was perfect for tearing off pieces of the soft milk bread and dipping. Which we did.
XO Chinese Cauliflower: A show stopper for me! I could’ve eaten this whole bowl solo and tried not to! I’d actually go back just for this. So flavorful and perfect.
Garlic Pea Shoots: Another really good vegetable dish; the garlic flavor was front and center, which is never a bad thing, and the touch of citrus zest on top was a nice compliment.
On our way out, and on account of my polite begging, our server even gave me some extra peanuts (they aren’t for sale), and I left happy.
So Five Kings, if you count that. Which I do.
Kahja Elliott is a digital creator, food enthusiast/traveler, and podcaster in Oakland, CA.