ChinaTown Catalyst

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  Data Collection of 100+ Chinatown SF Restaurants

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  Review Websites usually highlight the largest attractions but forget about the smaller businesses that deserve recognition as well

Inspiration

San Francisco’s Chinatown is rich in history, culture, and incredible food, but small businesses often struggle with visibility in the digital age. Many tourists and even locals rely on word of mouth or big-name review sites, which often push traffic toward mainstream, tourist-heavy spots. We wanted to create a solution that highlights hidden gems while supporting authentic, family-owned businesses.

What it does

Chinatown Catalyst is an AI-powered restaurant recommender designed to connect people with the best, most affordable, and authentic dining experiences in Chinatown. Users can input a query like "cheapest dumplings" or "best dim sum under $15", and the system instantly provides personalized recommendations along with Google Maps links for easy navigation.

How we built it

Data Collection: We scraped restaurant details, menus, and pricing data. AI Model: We used SentenceTransformers to generate text embeddings. Search Engine: FAISS was implemented for fast, similarity-based recommendations. Backend: Built with FastAPI to handle queries. Frontend: A Streamlit-powered web app for an intuitive user experience.

Challenges we ran into

Data gaps: Some restaurants lacked online menus, requiring manual data curation. AI fine-tuning: Generating precise, relevant recommendations from unstructured data. Integration issues: Connecting AI embeddings, FAISS search, and API requests seamlessly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully deployed a working AI-powered recommender in a short time. Created a fast, intuitive interface that makes finding great Chinatown eats easy. Built something that directly supports small businesses and boosts local economies.

What we learned

Data quality matters—good recommendations rely on clean, well-structured data. Optimizing AI embeddings significantly improves search speed and relevance. Streamlining APIs can make AI-powered applications scalable and efficient.

What's next for ChinaTown Catalyst

Live web deployment to make the tool available for public use. Expanding restaurant coverage with real-time menu updates. User reviews & engagement to further improve recommendations. Business partnerships to provide exclusive discounts & offers through the platform.

Built With

• anthropic
• python
• rag