This Michelin-Rated Millbrae Dim Sum Destination Has Closed for Good

Hong Kong Flower Lounge, known for Michelin Guide-approved dim sum, permanently closed on December 31 as first reported by KTSF26. Former manager Albert Yau told SFGATE the owner decided to retire. The restaurant’s lease was set to expire, and the owners chose not to renew. The landlord has plans to rent out the space at a later date after a remodel.

The Cantonese restaurant, which opened as the Mayflower Restaurant, was a destination due to its recognition by the Michelin Guide, but also for its impressive 550-person capacity. The service here represented a high watermark in the Bay’s restaurant industry, according to the Guide, thanks to staff who were “machine-like” in their efficacy and speed. The business’ official lifespan is up for debate, as the restaurant’s own website says its been open 20 years while KTSF26 says by some counts it was more than three decades old.

Live music and drag shows are coming to this Mission District dive

Kilowatt, a favorite bar for pool and cheap drinks on 16th Street, just got new owners and — as of the end of December — a new Place Of Entertainment Permit, too. Hoodline reports the team behind Bottom of the Hill, who just took over the bar, successfully convinced the SF Entertainment Commission on December 20 to grant the business the right to host concerts, comedy shows, and all manner of live events.

Divisadero Street Mediterranean favorite to flip into French restaurant

Zaytoon, a San Francisco go-to restaurant since its debut in 2009, closed its final location at 607 Divisadero Street on December 31. But according to the San Francisco Business Times, the space will get a new lease on life. Kamel Bouzidi, owner of French bistro La Sarrasine, will move his restaurant from FiDi to NoPa.

Atmospheric river dumps on San Francisco restaurants

San Francisco was buffeted by the second-most rainfall ever recorded by the National Weather Service on New Year’s Eve. Some restaurants suffered flooding and water damage: the Mission District’s Rintaro was evacuated by staff, and neighborhood bar the Wooden Nickel saw its parklet float away. January 4 looks to dump as much or more rain on the already water-logged city.

Coffee, pastries, and wine pop-up on Russian Hill

Habibi Bar, the resident pop-up at Bacchus wine bar on Hyde Street, will host two other pop-ups on January 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature vegan pastries from Jessica Burnley’s Over Yonder Bakehouse and coffee from newcomer Better Half Coffee, a project by Saint Frank’s Joshua James Kaplowitz.