Big Lantern became the spot for a Thanksgiving lunch this year because of their plentiful veggie based dim sum options and Cantonese dishes. Nearly everything on the menu can be veganized especially with using their faux meat. There is already a lot of plant-based options available to choose from. We went with their Vegetarian Dim Sum ($13), Mock Chicken Congee ($10), Rice "Tamales" as they called them ($6 for two), and an order of their Kung Pao Faux Chicken. The congee, cha siu bao from the dim sum platter, and their 'tamales' were all fantastic. It reminded me of what I used to eat back in the day. Their kung pao could've been a bit spicier but I appreciated being able to enjoy it with their plant-based chicken, which seems to be made from seitan. Some of the vegan faux meat items though weren't as exciting. The Chicken Siu Mai was the biggest letdown and I wouldn't get that again, but everything else where they used the faux chicken was great. Aside from the food, service here was incredible. Everyone was super sweet and checked up on us often. Fun fact - they were once ranked the best restaurant in all of the U.S. by a publication and you can find their accolade proudly displayed inside.

I just had the best Chinese food ever at this restaurant. The food tasted really good and the service was really amazing and the ambiance of this restaurant was great and was really decorative. I did not leave this place hungry. I highly recommend people try this place out if you are in town. I can definitely see myself coming back here

Honestly, not sure why this place gets such low scores. Food is perfectly fine- it's not the best, it's not the most authentic, but it's decent and they're open late! I order here for their vegetarian dim sum options and their "meatless" dishes. their meatless dimsum: The pan fried turnip cake with meatless chicken is one of my favorites! "Bbq chicken" bun is good- not super amazing, but good enough to satisfy my bbq pork bun cravings! The bbq "chicken" puff is sooo good. It's usually made with bbq pork. This is a winner for me. I love taro puffs too, but this one is too greasy for my taste. The meatless Siu Mai is a pass. I always get the salt and pepper tofu. Tonight, it was ok. I don't remember if they always did this and I just don't remember, but there were lemon wedges with the tofu. It kind of ruined it for me. Even tho it was on the edge of the box, I feel like it made the crispy tofu soggy, and the flavor of lemon just didn't taste right with it. Note to self: remember to tell them NO lemons. I got the meatless sweet and sour chicken. Pro tip: anytime you order something deep-fried, and it comes with a sauce, ask them to package the sauce separately. This way your fried items aren't gross and soggy by the time you get it. And Yum yum eggplant was pretty good too! And it was packed to the brim! Hot and sour soup is how and sour soup. lol I think it could use a little more "hot and sour" though. But it's my personal taste. I just add more white pepper and a bit of vinegar at home. No big deal. I've never eaten in. Always delivery.

Old school Chinese takeout / Americanized Chinese style food. Big portions, low prices (in this economy!), fast but old school service. Old school furnished-in-the-90s style decor. This place is like a time capsule of late 90s, early 2000s Chinese hole in the walls, but not in a bad way. Could you find better food for maybe better prices elsewhere in SF, especially in Richmond or Sunset? Probably. In Mission? This is probably as good as it gets for this style of Chinese.

Big Lantern so good! Idk how to say this... You really pull through! Really hits the spot Always there for your tummy Cures every craving The best is to go The koi need a bigger pond Is my only gripe!

Classic American style Chinese food, with just the right amount of vegetables. Excellent lunch specials, I like the Szechuan fish, the mushroom medley, and the Chinese medley. The sesame beef is very crispy but good if you're into that. They make a vegetarian version of pretty much any dish.

Is this the best Chinese food in the city? No. Does it hit the spot every single time? Yes. It's also open reasonably late. We love walking over on a weekend night and grabbing takeout for a movie night in. They're super nice and it's always busy here. You can easily get a table but we usually get it to go. We like to get their hot and sour soup, chow main, eggplant and some type of protein depending on our mood. Don't think we've ever gotten anything here that we didn't like!

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of veggie options at Big Lantern! I've never had so many options that I was confused on what to get at a Chinese restaurant before! They gave us free soup which was yummy and great for a rainy day! We got the veggie dumplings to share and it was a great option! I loved the one filled with veggies! I ended up getting the lunch special with Garlic Eggplant and added tofu in there. It was good and came with rice and a side salad! The only thing I would improve/wished for is for more spicy options. The sauce in the main dish was a sweet sauce even though I asked for spicy so I wish there were dishes with mainly savory and spicy bases.