Growing up in Valencia, Venezuela, food was a big part of Cristina Wu Feng’s life. Her family would drive an hour to get her favorite handmade noodles and beef chow fun. When she learned to drive, her first stop was down the road for a hot empanada.
Wu Feng’s family was in the restaurant business. At one point, they owned three Chinese restaurants in Valencia. Then, a decade ago, she moved to San Francisco for school.
Her parents eventually made their way north and, with their support, Cristina opened Cantoo, which has, for two and a half years, featured a menu that expertly combines two disparate cuisines: Venezuelan and Chinese.
But, unlike a decade ago, when she was relegated to washing dishes or plating meals for hungry customers, Wu Feng is now the boss. The restaurant is in her name, and the final decision on everything from staffing to menu choices is hers.
“I was in denial for a really long time. I thought that if I am saying I’m the owner, I’m taking out credit from my family,” she said. “But in fact, it’s my decision to make now.”
Wu Feng, 27, is the owner of Cantoo Latin Asian Rotisserie in the Tenderloin. At 572 O’Farrell St., her restaurant is situated almost exactly between Chinatown and the Mission, two areas that she visited often as a homesick student at San Francisco State University.
When she wanted warmth and energy, she’d go to Mission and try to find arepas, though she often settled for Salvadoran pupusas. When she missed her family, she’d go to Chinatown.
The menu items at Cantoo reflect Wu Feng’s cosmopolitan background. She prepares a rotisserie chicken like a peking duck, and spices fried rice with smokiness. Her empanadas are made with corn flour and butter instead of oil, which gives them a cakey texture instead of a rough fry. The Venezuelan limeade is sweet but crisp, served over ice.
The sauces in the restaurant — an herby garlic aioli, a well-balanced sweet and sour sauce, and even the chili oil — are all homemade. When she was growing up, that’s the way Wu Feng’s family did things: Out of necessity. Chinese ingredients weren’t easy to get and, when they were available, they were too expensive to buy.
In the Tenderloin, Wu Feng greets customers in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and English. Many are regulars who come at least once a week. They, along with other merchants in the area, have helped Wu Feng find her confidence as a restaurant owner. That includes everything from navigating the city’s notorious permitting process, dealing with dozens of vendors and kicking out troublesome visitors.
“If you want to survive, stand your ground,” she said.
It’s an incredible amount of stress. So much so that, says Wu Feng, she developed kidney stones. As a young business owner in a male-dominated field, she struggled with imposter syndrome.
But in a way, she had been preparing to have her own restaurant for a long time. By age 15, Wu Feng was helping her immigrant parents navigate paperwork and permits. When she moved to China for a few years as a child, she hosted potlucks with her friends as an excuse to prepare Venezuelan food.
“Those were the years when I had no exposure to Venezuelan food at all,” Wu Feng said. “If I wanted something, I would have to make my own.”
I’m in the Tenderloin district. Everyone I know has been afraid for me since I am 80 and am unable to walk without a walker. But people are people everywhere, I am poor, but I try to survive as best I can. Glad about your story. Wish I could help, but no resources available. Take care and be safe. Education is a great tool for a lot of things. Good luck! I am try8ng to learn Japanese on my own. That will keep me busy for a while 👋💕
Also they have plenty of vegan options if you ask! I was pleasantly surprised given the cuisine.