Wok Wiz Chinatown Tours/Cooking Co

I toured with my 14 year old granddaughter. I've been to Chinatown many times, but never with someone who grew up there. The tour guide gave me a much clearer picture of the history and culture of this fascinating place. The only downside was that my granddaughter wanted to buy something from the framing/art shop we visited and although we went back twice we did not find the shop open. I highly recommend this experience.

Nine of us (two families with teenagers) signed up for the Wok Wiz tour. Our guide, Emily, was well suited for us and we greatly appreciated her sharing with us her childhood memories of the area. Even though I had been to Chinatown several times, I learned so much about the area, the history and the people. The tea tasting was so educational, the trip to the herbalist was fascinating, and the dim sum lunch was delicious. I would recommend this to anyone traveling to San Francisco.

It was amazing! Dorothy was very informative, sweet, and friendly. She was very accomodating and a great tour guide!

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.

Not only did we learn a lot about Chinatown's history but so much about the wonderful people and culture that make this area of San Francisco so special. Our Dim Sum lunch was memorable too!

Wok Wiz tours were recommended to us by our friends. Our group included 2 adults and 2 teenagers. We all found our tour guide, Frank to be such a knowledgeable and engaging speaker. We all learned so much and were captivated throughout the entire tour. Our experience in the tea room, fortune cookie factory and lunch at the end of the tour were great! My daughter even ate chicken feet (after much encouragement)!! Out of our many terrific experiences during our full week in San Francisco and Napa, the Wok Wiz tour was a definite highlight.

The tour guide Lola was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting, even for the few kids on our tour. The tour is hilly so keep that in mind. The dim sum lunch was a lot of food, delicious and hot.

My friend and I loved the tour of Chinatown. Lola, our tour guide, was knowledgable and entertaining. We felt that we got an experience that we could not have achieved on our own. We really loved the visit to the tea shop. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to San Francisco.

The dim sum tour was great fun and great value for money. Being shown around by Frank lent a wonderful personal touch after some of the other tours we had taken on our holiday. It was informative and also entertaining.The dim sum was fanatastic and a fitting end to the tour. We can absolutely recommend this. My daughter is 16 and also enjoyed it but perhaps younger children might not be so engaged.

Very poor tour. I could have done better walking around with a guidebook. Frank even tried to sell us things along the way. The food was some of the worst Chinese food I've eaten. Terrible tour. Stay away!

Our guide was a lovely lady who knew in depth the history of chinatown. It was delivered with enthusiasm and passion and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the well planned tour. I would easily recommend the tour to others and it represented excellent value for money. Once again thank you.

Best part of my vacation to San Francisco. Shirley was wonderful with her stories and introductions to local shops and personalities.

This was the fourth time that my wife and I have gone on the tour and the second time for my daughters. Each time we have had a different guide and that has made the tour unique each time. It is a must for anyone traveling to San Fran and it will be included when we come again. We had Dorothy this time and really enjoyed her perspective and point of view. Shirley thanks so much for an awesome time again. Mark Perry West Palm Beach, FL

Our tour leader Dorothy was born in Chinatown and had great understanding of the history and culture of the area. She also took great interest in each of us. This is a very worthwhile experience for anyone visiting San Francisco who is interested in the Chinese community so prevalent here.