Jai Yun

(Chinatown)
680 Clay St.  
415-981-7438 Map it

$$$-$$$$
Chinese
byob, cash only, family style, good for groups, prix-fixe menu

SCENE: This bare-bones, cash-only, reservations-required, fixed-price restaurant, which recently relocated from smaller digs on Pacific Street, is one of the city's finest places for Shanghainese food. Don’t expect your server to speak much English, or even offer you a menu, but rest assured you’ll walk out satisfied with a bellyful of authentic Chinese specialties.

EATS: Set aside at least two hours for a dining extravaganza showcasing, at minimum, six cold and six hot dishes. Instead of ordering from a menu, you'll name your price and leave everything to chef Nei Chia Ji. The lineup varies depending on what’s fresh at the market that day, so every course is a surprise. Standouts to hope for include a spicy eggplant stir-fry and egg-white scramble topped with abalone. It's BYOB with no corkage fee, so bring your favorite bottle (or two).