Mister Jiu’s is chef Brandon Jew’s stylish Chinese restaurant located on an alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Chef Jew and his team serve any 5 courses family style for $69. Mix and match from a large menu. Just be sure your table is in agreement. Ordering could easily get contentious if people prefer vegetable dishes over meat and seafood, or vice versa. Thankfully, the group I went with was in full accord, which resulted in us enjoying downright magical dishes like Roasted Quail.

I know State Bird Provisions, another vaunted San Francisco restaurant, prides themselves on quail. I enjoy their version as well, but now there’s a good chance that Mister Jiu’s roasted quail sets the gold standard for this tiny delicacy in California. In Chef Jew’s case, beautifully roasted birds feature crisp, sticky skins that contain sweet, medicinal slices of MJ’s lap cheong, sticky rice, and jujubes. Micro greens and a mystery powder provide textural contrast for this glorious quail preparation. Incredibly, this quail was far more luscious than the other bird we ordered, Mister Jiu’s more elaborate tea-smoked duck carries a supplement that starts at $50 and rises to $100. I wouldn’t try to talk you out of ordering their duck, but their quail flies even higher.