In a city of tremendous Asian cultural influences, Yuet Lee is a superb example of a casual Chinese eatery. The staff is excellent, and the food is great! Who could ask for anything more?

Just because Yuet Lee is open late does not mean it lacks in quality service. The first time I visited San Francisco, my family and I popped into this restaurant for a quick bite to eat. Not only was the hostess super friendly, but she gave us many nice insider tips to where we should go, what we should do, etc. It was much-appreciated advice in the least expected of places. She acted as if we were regular local customers, as opposed to the misplaced tourists which we were. It was one of my favorite memories of my first trip out here.

The food at Yuet Lee is as excellent as the service is. They specialize in seafood dishes prepared with authentic Chinese recipes and ingredients. They also have a nice variety of noodle dishes, for those of us that are not fish fans. Some stranger, but authentic, Chinese dishes are on the menu as well such as fish-head soup and duck feet. I have only stuck to the more Americanized portion of the menu, but everything is so good that it is hard to imagine making a bad choice with any of the dishes.

Yuet Lee also has cuisine available conveniently for take-out and delivery. It is one of my favorite restaurants I have ever been to. The casual atmosphere and friendly environment makes it a great place to go as you're passing through the city, or here to stay.

Their steamed fish is very good (provided it's not overcooked) but pricey, and there's not nearly enough fish as you might like for the money you're paying.

One of the chefs looked like a victim of his own doing. He looked really overweight and unhealthy, perhaps from eating too much rice and too many salty foods.

The food is very good, but you just need to balance a good, healthy diet along with sufficient exercise to increase your longevity. Service is fair, and atmosphere is poor, with fluorescent lights, noisy talking, and cooking.

Open late nights. Closed Tuesdays. Cash only.

Muni: 12, 15, 30, 41, 45, Powell & Mason Cable Car.

This is your prototypical hole-in-the-wall Chinese seafood joint. Absolutely nothing fancy about this place. The tables are formica, the floor is linoleum, the napkins are in a holder on the table. Tea is poured from a Bunn-type coffee pot brought to the table and is served in plastic tumblers, not delicate teacups. But the food is the real thing. Crowds wait at the door and spill onto the street, police officers in uniform dash in for styrofoam to go containers, families sit at the large tables in back. One thing we always order is salt-and-pepper squid. The squid is dry-fried is a very light coating of flour, then is salted and peppered. Squirt it with a bit of lemon and it is wonderful -- hot, crispy, simple. My husband and I always argue about whether to order one or two pork and oyster clay pots, our absolute favorite. Cubes of pork butt are fried until crisp, then stewed in a brown sauce (probably has oyster sauce in it) with generous slices of ginger and scallions. About six huge fresh oysters -- the 3-bite kind -- are added and the whole thing is brought sizzling to the table. The scallions taste sweet and almost buttery, the oysters are just heated through, and the pork is rich from the sauce.

They have a live fish tank and will cook a whole fish or crab to order. The black bean sauce and garlic sauce is good on either. Ask the price first -- it is market price and can be about $20. My favorite story of one of our dining experiences involved the fish tank. A nearby table ordered a whole fish and the waiter brought it over in the net for the diners to examine. They poked it with their fingers and apparently they complained that it wasn't lively enough. The waiter hurled it out of the net and onto the floor to show how lively it was!

No reservations are taken, so you may have to wait for a table. Cash only. A great experience. The place is easy to find -- it is right on the corner of Stockton and Broadway and is painted bright apple green. The 30-Stockton bus from Union Square goes right by.