A San Francisco restaurant walking tour of the Leland Yee Saga
Posted on 03/27/2014 at 10:04 am by Paolo Lucchesi in Controversy, featured, Whimsy
Senator Leland Yee greets people at the Tenderloin Harvest Party in San Francisco, Calif., Saturday, October 15, 2011. Photo: Sarah Rice, Special To The Chronicle
Yesterday, the events surrounding the arrest of State Sen. Leland Yee captivated the city of San Francisco. As reported by the Chronicle, Yee was arrested on charges that he conspired to traffic in firearms, among other stuff. He was one of 26 people involved in a five-year federal investigation that targeted Chinatown gangster Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, whose apparent Facebook page is certainly worth a look. Please follow along the Chronicle’s ongoing coverage.
Just as fascinating for the public was the FBI’s extensively detailed federal affidavit (click here to view), detailing a shocking collection of allegations and complaints from undercover agents who infiltrated the network.
It reads like a crime novel, listing meetings after meetings throughout the city. Many of these meetings were alleged to have taken place in San Francisco restaurants. However, in most cases, the specific names of the restaurants were omitted. Was the business being conducted in a dingy diner, like the Greek did in the second season of The Wire? Did the meetings take place in an old school Italian red sauce joint like the famous Sollozzo/McClusky dinner in The Godfather?
These questions may go unanswered, but scattered throughout the 137-page affidavit are several San Francisco restaurant and hotel names (though in case it’s not obvious, it should be pointed out that the restaurants aren’t accused of doing anything wrong). Regardless, food and restaurants play a prominent role in the affidavit, from the revelation that “the placing of a black lion outside of the banquet restaurant [is] to send a message of intimidation to all other organizations that Chow’s organization was the oldest and strongest” (Page 31) to the time that two of Chow’s “people … hid their guns across the street in a restaurant bathroom” upon spotting police officers (Page 32). Also: Shrimp Boy.
In today’s Internet age, news seems to be fleeting, not unlike a sprightly hummingbird, but for those of who may want to relive the Leland Yee Saga in the coming weeks (and for those who asked for it via Twitter as we await a slew of San Francisco restaurants offering Shrimp Boy specials), Inside Scoop hereby presents: A Walking Tour of the San Francisco Restaurants Mentioned in the Shrimp Boy Federal Affidavit.
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Pedestrians walk past the New Asia restaurant on Monday, June 18, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: The Chronicle
The place to start our merry adventure is at New Asia Restaurant (772 Pacific Avenue), the local restaurant that plays most prominently in the FBI’s complaint. Open for lunch and dinner, it’s a stately establishment in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown, and according to the affidavit, owner Hon Keung So hosted plenty of community events and is one of the folks ensnared in the charges. New Asia has a Type 47 liquor license, allowing for full liquor. So is accused of purchasing “purportedly stolen liquor from an FBI” undercover agent, which carries a charge of conspiracy to receive and transport stolen property in interstate commerce (Page 10-11 of the affidavit).
Between bites of dim sum, eagle-eyed diners should keep an eye out for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch (From the complaint: “UCE 4599 sold 12 cases of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch for $6,480 to Ma and So at the New Asia Restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco.” Page 50), or perhaps even a framed proclamation on California State Senate letterhead that one of Senator Yee’s staff members is alleged to have presented during a March 2013 dinner (Page 121).
Oh, and of last night, New Asia was open for business.
Yank Sing. Photo: Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle.
From Chinatown, it’s about a 1.1 mile walk to Yank Sing in the Rincon Center (101 Spear Street), arguably the best dim sum spot in all of San Francisco. This Chinese restaurant is a great place for succulent Peking duck and excellent soup dumplings. All the white tablecloths are freshly laundered and ironed, which is perhaps the rationale behind the alleged Yank Sing meeting wherein “UCE 4599 arranged to meet Chow and Nieh to provide a payment to Chow for recent money laundering transactions” (Page 73).
Waterbar at dusk with the Bay Bridge in the background in San Francisco. Photo: The Chronicle.
A block away is Waterbar (399 Embarcadero), one of the most beautiful restaurants in the city. It’s the best place to watch the Bay Bridge lights, and its $1 oyster promotion (everyday from 11:30am to 5;30pm) is an amazing Happy Hour deal. Speaking of big deals, the affidavit alleges that the undercover agent paid Keith Jackson a cool $10,000 at Waterbar on November 19, 2012: “Jackson stated that the money would be helpful in retiring Senator Yee’s campaign debt” (Page 116).
A few months later, the affidavit alleges that “UCE 4599, Senator Yee, and Keith Jackson had drinks at the Waterbar restaurant in San Francisco. This was Senator Yee’s first introduction to UCE 4599″ (Page 119). Maybe, given Yee’s apparent financial problems, they were taking advantage of Happy Hour!
Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco. Photo: The Chronicle/Liz Hafalia
After the sea creature delights at Waterbar, it’s time for some red meat, so take a quick jaunt to Alexander’s Steakhouse (448 Brannan Street), a few blocks down in SoMa. You won’t find any bargains here, where the chef’s tasting menu starts at $160, but it’s a wonderful place for group dinners. That was surely the rationale on May 17, 2013, which is the date the affidavit alleges that “UCE 4180 and another FBI undercover employee, UCE-3357, posing as UCE 4180′s business partner, met with Keith Jackson, Senator Yee, and a guest of Senator Yee for dinner at Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco. During the dinner, UCE 4180 discussed CHS#11′s offer to pay $10,000 to Senator Yee to reach out to State Senator 1 (Page 128).”
Roy’s. Photo: The Chronicle/Jerry Telfer
For dessert, Roy’s Restaurant (575 Mission Street) is one of the pioneers in Asian fusion cooking, a five-minute cab ride away. By this time, you probably missed the restaurant’s “Aloha Hour” but perhaps you’ll indulge your sweet tooth and try the tri-color carrot torte for dessert. It’s served with cream cheese buttercream, pineapple-orange marmalade and pineapple chips. It’s a slightly heavy dessert, not unlike the “heavy weapons” that Yee’s “unidentified Filipino associate” is alleged to have been supplying to rebel groups in the Philippines. That tidbit comes from a December 13, 2013 meeting at Roy’s: “UCE 4599 met with Keith Jackson and Brandon Jackson at Roy’s Restaurant, San Francisco, California. Keith Jackson said he had spoken to Senator Yee about setting up a meeting with a weapons trafficker … UCE 4599 handed Keith Jackson a white envelope containing $1,000. UCE 4599 told Keith Jackson the $1,000 was motivation for setting up the meeting with the weapons trafficker.” (Page 80)
Starbucks. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
At this point, you’re probably beat, but if you’re up for a nightcap, head to the Starlight Room (450 Powell Street) in Union Square. It was on the way there that allegedly “UCE 4599 gave Chow an envelope containing $2,000″ (Page 45).
But if you want to skip the club, grab a room at the Marriot Marquis (780 Mission Street), just a short hop from Roy’s.
The Marriot Starbucks is the one of the most recurring meeting places in the affidavit. In particular, Yee himself — perhaps a fan of Frappuccinos, though that tidbit has not yet been confirmed by our Inside Scoop Gun-Trafficking/Beverage Pairings Team– is alleged to have met there several times, including on March 14, 2013: “[A]n FBI confidential human source (CHS#11) who was posing as a business associate of UCE 4773, introduced UCE 4180 to Senator Yee at a face-to-face meeting in a Starbucks at the Marriot Marquis hotel in San Francisco. UCE 4180 told Senator Yee and Jackson, who was also present, that he wanted to be the ‘Anheuser-Busch’ of medical marijuana” (Page 123).
And if you really want to get serious about retracing the footsteps of Shrimp Boy, there’s always Fisherman’s Wharf.