I have a very specific request for Chinatown lunch eats. There is a group of middle school kids that will be going on a field trip touring Chinatown. The chaperones need to find something within Chinatown proper for the group to grab lunch. It has to be to go, easily hand held, not too messy, and hopefully delicious that can refuel the group. Each of the the kids will have their own cash so they can buy their own food. No ordering takeout ahead from a restaurant. No sitting down in a restaurant since splitting the bill is too much hassle. It has to be a counter order type of place. They’ll probably sit down at a park like Portsmouth to eat.
What’s our best bet?
Takeout dimsum? Are there any that are palatable?
Takeout roasted meat rice plate?
Any recommended boba type tea places?
What else can we grab to go?
Also, any suggestion for a park that’s more tranquil and less hectic than Portsmouth that a group of ~100 kids and adults can sit down and eat? St. Mary’s Square? Woh Hei Yuen? Any other places?
Honestly that sounds a bit hairy.100 kids with their own $ and paying themselves. I can’t imagine having 100 kids and adults line up outside a dim sum place ordering and waiting…in a crowded SF Chinatown, and then walking to a place to eat? If every kid took 1 minute to order and pay, thats 1 hr 40 mins….and they all wait outside in line on the sidewalk . Also, I’m not sure any take out dim sum place could handle that kind of order on the fly without warning. So if they run out…do the kids at the end of the line get to eat? If not, there’s a problem.
I know you said can’t order ahead but I’d try and consolidate the task because in line with 100 kids and each paying is crazy. Also, there’s the dietary and allergy stuff and kids who will forget their money. Perhaps whose organizing could contact a walking tour group, or a non-profit to help or get info? Others must have done this kind of field trip before. Best of luck. It sounds like fun.
I don’t have the details yet but I think the organizers probably will give some suggestions to where people can get food, and individual chaperones, each with a few kids, probably have some discretion where they want to grab food from. But yes, i can’t imagine all of them going to the same place.
At least on weekends, the long Good Mong Kok lines might be a deterrent, but the lack of queue at adjacent New Golden Daisy makes that block a worthwhile venture either way
Bubble tea next door to golden gate fortune cookie is decent, plus they have a bathroom. On that note, bathrooms, albeit poorly maintained, are a plus for Portsmouth Square, which has Sam Wo right there.
Since @Saregama mentioned xian bing, a jiaozi and xian bing place called Today Food ( anyone been?) recently opened. Its proximity to St Mary’s square might be a plus. St Mary’s is a lot less chaotic than Portsmouth.
Havent been to Woh Hei Yuen Park in a while— you may need to contact rec and park for such a big gathering there
