3.30.2020. Day 17 quarantine self portraits. San Francisco. California.

3.21.2020. Shelter in place. San Francisco. California.

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger – something better, pushing right back.
-Albert Camus

My life in Downton San Francisco, as I like calling it my I Am Legend life. Except I am not nearly as buff as Will Smith or as tall...

One of my neighbors have a potbelly pig with red toes painted. I saw them walking again recently.















I often walk through North Beach and I stop by my friend Jeremy Fish's studio. Sometimes he is even there and we get to catch up!













Other times I would go all the way to Fisherman's Wharf, which has become one of my favorite walks since the pandemic as there are no tourists and rather pleasant. Also, I get to end at the pier.



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Chinatown love.

Chinatown in San Francisco has taken an enormous hit to its businesses due to xenophobia and general nervousness over the Coronavirus. It’s exhibited a disproportionate 80% decrease in businesses since January around Chinese New Year, their busiest time of year. I live next to Chinatown and I am constantly there running errands and taking my meals there. It would mean so much to these businesses if you would come out and support them as a community. I will continue to take all of my meals from Chinatown as much as possible and meet my friends there. I would be so grateful if you will try and support these businesses. This is not a San Francisco problem, but a global one. Please go support your local Chinese businesses because they can all really use your help during this extremely difficult time.

Thank you so much and please share this far and wide! And of course, stay calm and wash your hands.

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A post shared by Amy Yvonne Yu (@amyyvonneyu) on Mar 11, 2020 at 10:49am PDT

My friend Jen put all of these on Google Maps for you:
https//tinyurl.com/rvn2aej

Here are some of my recommendations for Chinatown San Francisco for you. I personally like randomly picking a place and checking it out. That is how I found most of these. Happy exploring and supporting Chinatown! Bring cash as some of these are cash only. 

• You can order Chinese delivery or take out.
• I frequent New Cafe Honolulu as my go to east/west cafe for noodles soups/congee/Hong Kong milk tea/lemon iced tea. 
• New Woey Loy Goey is my hole in the wall for rice plates and noodle dishes. 
• Z&Y for best Sichuan. 
• Great Eastern or Begoni for dim sum. 
• Golden Flower for Vietnamese. 
• New Lun Ting Cafe for rice plates: pork chop. 
• Chong Qing Xiao Mian is my go to for spicy beef brisket noodle soup and you can also get their soups non spicy. I like the non spicy wonton soup and you can add noodles. 
• Bund Shanghai for Shanghainese. 
• Michael Mina likes to sit at the bar for chicken wings at Capital. 
• Hong Kong Clay Pot if you are in the mood for clay pots.
• Li Po, Red’s Place, Buddha for drinks. 
• Bow Bow for karaoke and drinks. 
• Great to take your kids down Grant for fun things to buy (including 🧨) and there is Dragon Papa where they make dragon beard candy.
• There is also a Matcha Cafe Maiko now as well. 
• I typically get my milk tea from Boba Butt. 
• Yi Fang Tea has the very popular brown sugar boba.
• The egg tarts at Golden Gate Bakery are the best. 
• You can probably even actually get into my friend’s at Mister Jiu's now for a Michelin starred meal. Or you can grab bites at their bar or upstairs at their gorgeous Moongate Lounge along with proper cocktails. 
• Yuet Lee for late night eats: get the crab. R&G is great for seafood. 
• I even like going into Far East Cafe for their lobster with their funky chandeliers and Chinese paintings on the wall. 
• You can get all your Chinese produce and groceries at the stores along Stockton. 
• Juicy Fruit has the best exotic fruits.
• You can also get some great remade food for dinner at New Golden Daisy or New Moon on Stockton and Kam Po Kitchen on Powell.

Here is a few off my list for Oakland Chinatown. 

Here are a few of my staples: yang chow fried rice (bbq pork and shrimp), beef chow fun (I like getting it wet, which is with gravy, but you can get the dried version). I also love congee (rice porridge). And those eastern/western cafes I like getting congee or noodle soups with a milk tea or a lemon ice tea (my personal favorite). See anything there that you like other people are having, just order that. I do that a lot. Enjoy!

• Baby Cafe Hong Kong Bistro
• Tastee Steam Kitchen (hot pot)
• Gum Kuo
• Huangcheng Noodle House
• Imperial Soup
• Ruby King Bakery Cafe
• Ben's