Only five blocks separate the two Yank Sings, and we can’t think of another two-location eatery whose sister restaurants are so close together. and 49 Stevenson St., Financial District, We went in the day before Chinese New Year, and while the line was three times longer than usual, there was still plenty of shrimp har gow and the staff wasn’t close to breaking a sweat.ġ01 Spear St. Small, no-nonsense, hemmed in by Central Subway construction, and staffed by women as gruff as any career lunchlady, Good Mong Kok is an absolute treasure - and it’s 100 percent takeout. Even the hungriest human beings can probably fill up for $10 of pork siu mai, turnip cakes, and bao (buns). If we had to pick a lunch-hour favorite, Good Mong Kok might be it.

Best of all, it’s a bit below the radar, which means waits are few and far between. But Dim Sum Club’s dumplings shine, and even dim sum staples like siu mai are made to order. This is a fairly standard Cantonese restaurant inside a tragically named hotel called Da Vinci Villa, which means you can get fried rice and chow fun. With a menu particular to this location, a strong emphasis on lighting and presentation, and rotating specialty cocktails, Hakkasan stays au courant.Ģ550 Van Ness Ave., Russian Hill, There’s a $28 dim sum sampler, as well as opulent dishes like truffle-braised noodles with crab and scallops (and even macarons). It’s effortlessly sophisticated, with jade lobster daikon rolls alongside char siu bao, or steamed barbecue pork buns. One of a dozen sprinkled around the world’s alpha global cities, San Francisco’s Hakkasan is a second-floor gem with the atmosphere of a newly consecrated temple. It’s a bit pricey and lacking a basic lager the food all but cries out for. We’re always delighted when places have liquor licenses, although Mama Ji’s beer selection overshoots the mark. Pan-fried turnip cakes with dried shrimp are the unmissable dish, and spicy cold noodles round out any parade of hot dishes. It does, however, serve ice water.Īt the very western end of the commercial part of the Castro is this utilitarian spot, which serves dim sum by day - the only spot for quite a distance in any direction - and eminently shareable Sichuan food by night. But if you’re a glowering purist, take note: Dumpling Time doesn’t serve complimentary tea. A bowl of these Shanghai noodles might even convince you you’ve gotten several servings of fresh veggies. This pedigree shows in the beautiful tom yum goong (a variation of Shanghai soup dumplings made with both pork and shrimp, and sheathed in a magenta beet-skin wrap). When is it not dumpling time, really? The most Instagram-savvy of the lot, Dumpling Time is a project from the team behind nearby Omakase and Okane. Go nuts ordering dumplings, sure, but don’t forget other standouts like the century egg with tofu.ĭumpling Time’s tom yum goong (Peter Lawrence Kane)ġ1 Division St., SoMa, Atmosphere and amiability this place has not, but the kitchen is skilled. Shanghai Dumpling King has some of the most highly regarded xiaolongbao in San Francisco, and it’s only in the Outer Richmond. But that place is far away, and it’s in a mall besides.

When Santa Clara got a Din Tai Fung - the Taiwanese chain famed for its xiaolongbao - people eagerly waited up to two hours for some XLB. (It’s impolite.)ģ319 Balboa St., Outer Richmond, Go forth and enjoy! And leave the teapot lid askew to indicate to the servers it’s time for a refill, making sure you don’t pour your own before offering any to others. Few dim sum spots are found in neighborhoods with convenient parking (something a large proportion of Yelpers appear to believe is an important criterion for selecting what to eat.) But each has its own personality.Īfter burning our tongues on innumerable xiaolongbao - the Shanghai soup dumplings that are hard to stare at for long - we present, in no particular order, San Francisco’s indispensable dim sum restaurants. You won’t always find many of the trappings of contemporary California restaurants, like fresh vegetables that fluctuate with the season. Granted, dim sum can be a little intimidating to non-Asian newbies, but the thrill of exploration remains intact for even the most hardened experts. And it’s no coincidence that “dim sum” translates to “touch the heart.” As a meal, it’s completely unlike the eggs-potatoes-coffee-and-mimosa rubric of American-style brunch, yet it makes the ideal substitute. Frequently a little greasy, and broadly flavored, dim sum is one of the true pleasures of life in San Francisco.

Best dim sum san francisco