i really don't 'get' the most 'popular' chinese restaurants in SF, as in i really don't like them at all, but i am glad they exist!
my favorite chinese restaurants are in millbrae / oakland / fremont / san jose
there are a handful of chinese spots that i like a lot in sf but they're not the ones that are most praised
anyway, chinese food means totally different things to different people, even to chinese people (who don't like each other's foods)