Little Hunan, Daly City, CA

As I mentioned in my post about The Chocolate Kiss Café, while I appreciate a fancy restaurant on occasion, I really prefer hole-in-the wall discoveries of gastronomic delight. Where food, flavor, and value take precedence over elegant ambience and a pricey menu.  One such restaurant classified as my all-time-favorites is this small little Chinese restaurant called “Little Hunan” along Mission Blvd in Daly CIty, CA.

I have been going to this restaurant for years. Ever since the days when I was taking my MBA at the University of San Francisco, till the many trips back to the city by the bay, this small little restaurant has some of the best Chinese food on the planet… ok that may be an exaggeration, but to me, this place is comfort food heaven.

When from the outside, it really doesn’t look like much. The hard part is usually finding street parking.

and when you go inside… it looks well… blah

But as I said… I don’t go there for the ambience. Anyway, the restaurant has not changed all in the past 14 years. Actually I was quite surprised that the “specials” on the wall have finally been replaced with computer printouts. This must be recent, because as of last Feb when I last came here they were all still pink paper with hand written words… see that pink one on the left, that one is probably at least 7 years old. And only the prices have changed… a little.

Before I leave this picture, note the first item on that pink paper… Chicken Skin Chicharon. You must try it! And it is the most different friend chicken skin ever. They scrape off all the fat… then fry it until its crispy. The result is so light, you can eat a whole lot without that feeling you get when you gobble 4-5 pieces normally.  Alas, I did not order that today.

Today, I just bought take out, which seems to be actually a stronger business for them than the dine ine crowd. This place serves up party-size platters of food on a regular basis… and heavier on weekends.

So I ordered 3 of my favorites… Fried Chicken Wings

Another chicken favorite… Steamed Half Chicken. It maybe half, but the chicken is big! This is the one with the ginger sauce… and as you can see they put a lot of it In San Francisco, I realized that this same dish is known by many names in the different restaurants… salt & pepper chicken, white chicken, hainanese chicken. Whatever its called, it’s yummy

and of course… seafood combination fried rice (or ply lice)

Of course the resto has many awesome dishes. The above are just among my many favorites. Oddly, unlike other Chinese restaurants in the city, this one doesn’t have any form of dimsum. But than again, that’s not exactly “Hunan”

During  every trip I make to the San Francisco area… I never fail to go to this little hole in the wall shrine to comfort food!

Update: Went back a few days later and ordered the Fried Chicken Skin. I was halfway down the box when I remembered to take a picture (below). It is so light, so crunchy…

Little Hunan Restaurant
6127 Mission Street
Daly City, CA 94014-2002
(415) 333-3887

 

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