Many of the best chefs in Beijing's imperial kitchens hailed from China's northeastern province of Shandong. San Franciscans, with or without imperial ancestry, regularly enjoy dishes of the same province at this bare-bones storefront restaurant. Specialties include steamed dumplings -- shrimp and leek dumplings are the most popular -- and hand-pulled noodles, in soup or stir-fried. Among the typical accompaniments are a salad of jellyfish, seaweed, or sliced cucumbers and a plate of cold, poached chicken marinated in Shaoxing wine. Parents and kids regularly fight over platters of dry-fried chicken wings. To get a table without a wait, come before or after the noon rush.
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