Five stories tall, with commanding views of the city, Empress of China has been a Chinatown landmark since the '60s, with a wall covered in portraits of visiting celebrities from its '80s heyday.

he was a customer at the elaborate Empress of China restaurant in San Francisco. It’s been nearly a decade since the iconic restaurant closed, and now the former space will bear his name.

This restaurant replaced the former location of Chinatown’s historic Empress of China banquet hall and has been completely reimagined with show stopping design elements. Originally constructed ...