Wok Wiz Daily Tour

I liked our tour guide Emily. She grew up in Chinatown and had great personal stories that really brought everything we were seeing to life. It makes for a much more meaningful experience than just wandering around in the shops (which I did as well after the tour). I was a little disappointed with the lunch. It was plenty of food but I didn't think it was particularly tasty.

Lola was my tour guide - she provided a great mix of the overall history of Chinatown and her own personal experiences growing up in Chinatown. You learn so much more about the culture from an insider. It was a great experience and I would recommend this tour to everyone. Nancy from Omaha

The tour was highly informative and a lot of fun. I hope that many visitors to Chinatown will choose the WokWiz experience in order to get 'behind the surface'.

Guide spent too much time in Portsmouth Square in beginning; it was tiring to stand for 20-25 minutes before moving. "History" pace could have been quicken to get tour moving. The interesting architecture of the area and the buildings themselves are unique- more time spent here might have evened the pace. Actual places to vsit were few. Very good and almost missed was the tea service a Rose Blossom Tea shop. The guide was flexible and when time became short asked group for their choices, we hastened the pace and were able to do both -art shop and tea which was a second choice but for me turned out to be the better place to visit. I travel to San Francisco once or twice a year from the East Coast and each time try to take a walking tour in a different area. I have been on some general tours which seem to give as much information on Chinatown as this. The lunch was a nice ending to the tour and introduced me to some new ways to add flavor to Chinese food.

too little action; too much talking

A great mix of history, culture and gastronomic delight, the Wok Wiz tour is a must for any San Francisco visit. This is the second time I've gone on the tour and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.

We received an excellent overview of China Town as it is today and it's history from the beginning when San Francisco was first settled. Dorothy Quock (?) made an excellent and knowledgeable guide. She knows the old shop keepers we visited and was able to give us insight that no one else could. She was a gracious hostess for our Dim Sum lunch at the end of the tour. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting SF.

My daughter and I -both foodies- just came back from San Francisco and doing Shirley Fong's I Ate my Way Thru Chinatown was a highlight of our trip. We sampled some of the best Chinese food I have eaten plus we had so much fun. Book well in advance as this tour fills up quickly. MJ from Pembroke, Ontario ,Canada

This walking tour of Chinatown was both informative and fun. Our tour guide, Lola, grew up in Chinatown and had some very interesting views of this unique place. I highly recommend this tour not only for the informative aspects of it but also for the very tasty Chinese style lunch that we ended up with.

Whenever possible, I include a food tour as part of my travel itinerary, and would recommend the Wok Wiz Daily Tour without reservation. The tour meets at a centrally located hotel on the edge of Chinatown. Lola, our tour guide, was a gracious, knowledgeable, attentive hostess who provided both historical and food facts with ease. The tour included several noteworthy stops, including the Red Blossom Tea Company, whose storefront has been given a contemporary makeover by its young, second-generation owners. Also included were hard-to-find gems, often tucked into non-descript alleys, such as the lone, remaining vendor that shapes fortune cookies by hand, and an elderly barber whose claim to fame is once having cut Frank Sinatra's hair. In between haircuts, he plays a unique, traditional instrument for passerbys for tips. Additional stops included the jam-packed shopping area where local Asians buy fresh produce; an old-time spice shop, whose owner is tucked behind the many boxes of both common and hard-to-find spices, and a small shop that sells fresh tofu. The tour ends with a limited but ample dim sum menu. Overall, I felt that I received value for my money when considering the expertise of the tour leader; the 3-hour length of the tour; the selection of vendors, as well as their preparedness upon the group's arrivals; and the variety of food samples. This local tour business is a well-run, reputable one, with the owner having written a book that is on display at the Red Blossom Tea Company. I look forward to joining her on a more food-focused tour during my next stay in San Francisco.