Mama Ji's, the Castro's dim sum and Sichuan restaurant known for its kung pao shrimp and hot-and-numbing fish, will serve its final meal on October 31. Co-owners Lily Ji and Marv Wolpa, both Castro residents, announced the closure in a letter posted to the restaurant thanking neighborhood supporters after nearly 15 years on 18th Street.
Per Lily Ji, the restaurant's landlord raised the rent, citing rising insurance costs and an inability to charge more for the residential unit above the restaurant, as reported by The San Francisco Standard. Ji ultimately decided not to continue operating Mama Ji's, telling the outlet she will miss the people but not the work, and that she plans to relax once the doors close. She and Wolpa say they intend to put their time and energy into their personal lives going forward.
The building at 4416 18th Street carries weight well beyond its 13 years as a restaurant. The property was proposed for landmark status.
From Pop-Up to Castro Dim Sum Institution
Mama Ji's didn't start out as Mama Ji's. The Mama Ji's pop-up began in the back of Queen Malika Cafe in October 2012, and Ji and Wolpa formally took over the space in May 2013, a transition detailed by KQED. The pop-up grew out of food Ji grew up eating, and within months it became a full-time restaurant, eventually earning its spot as a neighborhood staple.
By 2016, Hoodline's own reporting found a restaurant running two kitchens in parallel — three cooks dedicated solely to handmade daytime dim sum and four wok cooks handling evening Sichuan dinners. That same KQED review from 2013 noted Wolpa had curated a Belgian beer selection.
A Familiar Pattern Along 18th Street
Mama Ji's exit follows another long-running 18th Street closure. Firewood Cafe, at 4248 18th St., shut down in March 2019 after 22 years, as Hoodline previously reported in its coverage of the cafe's 2019 closure.
Storefront vacancies in the Castro actually fell from roughly 22-25% in 2023 to 15-17% by early 2025, according to Castro Community Benefit District data cited by the San Francisco Standard.
A Reputation Built Beyond the Neighborhood
Over 13 years, Mama Ji's built a reputation in the Castro. KQED's review mentioned its xiao long bao, and The Standard's report mentioned its hot-and-numbing fish.
For now, the plan is simple: close on October 31, settle into life without the daily grind of running two kitchens, and let the Castro say goodbye to another piece of its 18th Street history. Ji and Wolpa's letter to the neighborhood thanked supporters for their loyalty over 15 years.
