Sun Tung Restaurant
153 S. B Street
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 342-5330
Tuesday-Friday:
11:30am – 2:30pm
5pm – 9pm
Saturday-Sunday:
10:30am -3pm
5pm – 9pm
(closed Monday)
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Sun Tung seems as authentic as ever after more than twelve years in a quiet location off restaurant row on San Mateo 3rd Street. Since opening, husband and wife owners Cindy and Xiao Long Wu have done little to their thirty five seat restaurant.

Run solely by the hardworking couple, Mrs. Wu handles the front of the house while Mr. Wu is in charge of the kitchen in the thirty five seat restaurant.

The décor has not been given much consideration. A few framed flower art work hang unevenly while the mirrored walls host a handful of Chinese classic dishes written on colorful paper. The ceiling fan together with the antique chandelier create a cozy ambience.

This is not the choice to impress your date but instead to relish on authentic cuisine. Service was accommodating and Mrs. Wu frequently patrolled the tables.

The encyclopedic menu can be daunting but a few house specials are great bets. Skip the standard family dinners and go straight for the Northern classics. Although the onion pancakes ($3.50) did not exactly taste “onion-y”, the combination of a crispy crust and chewy center made the dish a great starter.

A must order is the dill boiled dumpling (12-$6.50). Made fresh from kneading dough with a three inch steel pin, the dumpling is filled with pork and dill. The dill gives a burst of freshness while all wrapped up in a dumpling cooked al dente. A quick dunk into vinegar adds a slight tarty punch to the dish.

Served in a plastic package, the smoked fish ($5.60) is a great cooling appetizer. The fish bones are meant to be eaten and has the lingering taste of sweet soy sauce. Listed as a special on the wall, the pig blood and tripe hot pot ($8.75) are for the adventure seekers.

The ingredients are bathed in a pot of bubbling oyster based sauce. My favorite dish is the mu-shu chicken ($8.95) that comes with four hand made pancakes.

Known as the “Chinese burrito,” the dish arrives in two plates. A stir fry compilation of fried eggs and crunchy cabbage starts the do- it- yourself dish. Meant to be served with a thin layer of hoisen sauce for sweetness and a few juliene green onions for slight crunch, the wrap is a great comfort food dish.

On their white board with plenty of specials to choose from, the house spaghetti ($6.95) is a mound of handmade noodles and pork bites that mingle very well with the savory sauce. As I slurped the slippery strands, this was a clear signal to Mrs. Wu that her food had satisfied my appetite.
Authentic Chinese cuisine is describe as replicating dishes that are found in China .

Unlike some Chinese restaurants that alter their dishes to cater to the Western palate like “orange chicken” or “crab Rangoon,” Sun Tung does not hesitate to serve things the way they served them in China. Mr. Wu, a self- taught chef, learned his culinary skills from his family.

After immigrating to the United States , the Wu’s started a restaurant since they felt that they did not have other skills. Mrs. Wu said that she learned most of her limited English vocabularies from her customers.

She said that she treats her customers like family. There is definately something special about a restaurant who treats their customers like family members. Surely, the restaurant does not have elegant décor, but the charm rests solely on Mrs. Wu’s hospitality and food.

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