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Area Man Visits 400 Chinese Restaurants, Lives to Tell Tale

Photo: Luis C./

S.F. food blogger Chili Bill, a.k.a. Finnegan’s Wake bartender Bill Eichinger, set out on a quest about a decade ago to eat at every Chinese restaurant in the city. Restaurants have come and go and changed hands since then, but Eichinger claims to have hit them all, with the final 400th one being Henry’s Hunan in the Excelsior, in the former Granada Café at 4753 Mission Street. As Bill writes, the original Henry’s Hunan on Kearny was once called “the greatest restaurant in the world” by Calvin Trillin, and they now have six locations around the city. How does Bill feel after hitting the big four-oh-oh? “It’s not over yet, because restaurants change hands all the time. I’m thinking of tackling Thai next!” Bless you, sir. Update: The Scoop gets him on the phone talking about his favorites, which include Z&Y; and Hakka, which Kauffman also loved.
#400!!! - Henry’s Hunan, 4753 Mission St. near Persia, SFCA [ChiliDog via Chron]

Area Man Visits 400 Chinese Restaurants, Lives to Tell Tale