The Hidden Chinatown of San Francisco

Had to escort a group to Pena Pachamama and decided to try this Pho place. Do NOT recommend.  Looked through their menu and could not find any beef stew noodles. The closest they have is "curry beef stew noodle soup", and it was barely edible. There wasn't much beef, and I barely tasted any curry. What's more, the noodles taste as if it's not quite cooked through... It's chewy. The vegetables like carrots are waffle cut, as if they are using pre-cut frozen ingredients from a supermarket.  I was hungry, so I did finish the whole bowl, but I'm definitely not going back. 

Here are some questions that are a bit too short to deserve their own posts, but are interesting information nonetheless.  Q: When did Chinatown become known as Chinatown?  A: According to PBS's "Chinatown Guide" , the first Chinese in the area settled either on the street next to Portsmouth Square, or in the immediate block around it. The area was first known as "Little Canton", and it wasn't until 1853 that the local press named the area "Chinatown".  Q: What books should I read if I want to know more about San Francisco Chinatown?  A: In no particular order: San Francisco's Chinatown by Judy Yung and the Chinese Historical Society of America , full of vintage photographs, this book documented the life in Chinatown never seen before.  The Children of Chinatown: Growing Up Chinese American in San Francisco, 1850-1920 by Wendy Rouse , discusses the seldomly touched subject: children in Chinatown, who really feel the prejudices against them and