For anyone visiting San Francisco for the first time, one of the “must-see” highlights is a trip to Chinatown. After all, San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. Having lived in the city (and over in East Bay), I’ve found myself playing tour guide to visiting friends many, many times. I’ve since learned that there are a few things you really should do if you visit Chinatown, which I share with visiting friends. There’s also a huge DON’T…but trying to convince your friends not to make a common mistake isn’t easy.

Earlier this week, I had a medical appointment at Stanford University in Palo Alto. My friend Eric from Orange County wanted to make the trip with me, as he had never experienced the tiki bars of the Bay Area — which we did later in the evening. After my appointment, we drove up to San Francisco…