Mister Jiu’s San Francisco

Upscale Chinese food done by Asian chefs with Michelin starred experience.

Located on the edge of Chinatown and Financial district in San Francisco

Dishes changes seasonally.  Try the following dishes for sure:

Pig’s Head

Dumplings 

Octopus Wonton

Frozen Honey Dessert

Not much room for walk ins right now except for bar seating (with separate menu), reservations recommended

Photos by Andria Lo.

Anna Chet Jew-Lee, 32, is the co-owner of Mister Jiu’s, a modern, Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. With her husband Brandon Jew at the helm of the kitchen, Anna adds to the interior design, florals and the feel-good front of house vibe.

We’ve always admired her design aesthetic (with details like wrapping white toilet paper rolls with pink tissue paper), fashion sense (total babe) and warmth. While arranging flowers for the restaurant, she talked to us about her restaurant background and design inspiration for the upstairs lounge at Mister Jiu’s, slated to open at the end of the year.

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What is your role about Mister Jiu’s?

On my business cards it says: Art, Parties and Flowers. I’m an owner. It’s just us that are owners. It can be stressful, but it’s good because it’s ours.

I do so many little things: flower arrangements, taking care of plants and the garden upstairs, running events, taking care of the fish tanks and mom stuff like celebrating peoples’ birthdays. I go to the market on Tuesdays and am always available for all our investors — taking reservations, but also fundraising and designing for upstairs. And parking the car. It’s a bit variety, which I like.

What was your design inspiration for the restaurant?

We wanted it to feel mid-century, since we both love that. We also included what is great about Chinese restaurants: fish tanks, hand-lettering, plants, gold and green — which represents growth and prosperity. We wanted it to feel special, but not too precious, yet still an occasion.

The more we’re here, the more we’re changing. We keep adding to the spirit vibe — infusing the restaurant with things that are important to us.

What’s one piece you’d like to add to the space?

A print of Sky Ladder by Cai Guo-Qiang. He’s a Chinese artist that works with fireworks as the medium. He sent up fireworks on a 1,650-foot-tall ladder. It took him three or four tries. It symbolizes so much - it’s personal and spiritual. And he dedicated to his family. It represents what we aim for: trying to keep a pure spirit.

Tell me about your experience with design.

I’m taking classes for interior and landscape architecture. At some point I want to have a design company called Chet Lee Art Agency, which would be a nice umbrella for different ideas in art, graphic and interior design. It’s not yet fleshed out but I’m starting to imagine it.

What did you do before Mister Jiu’s?

I’ve worked in restaurants ever since I was 20. When I was a kid, my mom I played restaurant a lot — I loved it.

I used to work at Mission Chinese, slangin’ in booty shorts. Before Mister Jiu’s opened, I worked on fundraising with B. We did private cheffing together. I helped him by doing pastry. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and would prep for 20 people in our home kitchen. I’d be prepping on the bed or on the couch. Our fridge was in the garage, so we’d be running back and forth. We tried to make it work any way possible in the two years before we opened — he would also teach at culinary schools and I would nanny.

What’s the design inspiration for the upcoming lounge?

The concept is based off James Turrell and the restaurant’s history. The lounge is going to be neon with a skylight looking at the garden moon gates. There will be terrazzo, tiles, black floors and white walls. If fundraising goes well, we’ll hopefully be open by the end of the year.

What are you excited about?