BRIEFLY THE WASHINGTON CAFE, NOW ELECTRIC AND UPDATED

Old timers remember it before it was Upholding Heaven. Which it had been for decades, before it became Mister Man's Tea Restaurant.
Long before then you could have cocktails there and eat casual noodles till past two in the morning. Quite a sprightly place.

The Universal Cafe went out of existence in the mid-eighties. I knew the place as King Tin, which closed in 2012. Then Mister Man revamped it, and opened up as the Washington Cafe. Which, this past summer, he completely repainted, dolled up, and turned into the Hunan House.

That's four different eateries that have occupied the spot.


Prior to 1984:

寰球酒家
UNIVERSAL CAFE
826 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
['waan kau jau gaa']

1984 to 2012:

擎天酒樓
KING TIN / NEW KING TIN
826 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
['king tin jau lau']

2012 till 2014:

文記茶餐廳
WASHINGTON CAFE
826 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
['man kei chaa chaanteng']

Since summer 2014:

湘菜館
HUNAN HOUSE
"By Washington Cafe"
826 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
['seung choi gun']


Mister Man is still involved, as the byline indicates. I suspect that he looked at Chinatown, realized that outsiders were a more profitable market segment than local residents, who are almost all rather skint for ready cash, and decided to go whole hog, and give the chain of fake Szechuan restaurants in the neighborhood some real competition.
One of those joints has since closed down.
No doubt they've also got ideas.

I have not eaten at the newest iteration of Mr. Man's culinary dreaming. The old version I liked; hot pot, tea restaurant specials, spaghetti, soup, sandwiches & quick dishes, congee, noodles, and a terrific cup of milk tea (好飲嘅港式奶茶 'hou yam ge gong sik naai chaa').
I wouldn't be surprised at all if it turns out to be an astounding success. Mister Man is hardworking, ballsy, and inspired. And he knows how to do a good restaurant.

Still, I prefer Cantonese food. Hunan, Szechuan, suburban American Chinese, Singapore noodles, and whatever they do in Peking, doesn't really appeal to me. Cantonese cuisine has all the flavours.
Hong Kong food is a weird fun variation.
Hunan? well, whatever.


Got milk tea?




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================