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Golden Gate Dim Sum Seafood Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
1829 Clement St(between 19th Ave & 20th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 666-3883
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Alice S. said: "We stumbled upon this unassuming restaurant last Thursday and were extremely happy with that decision. The restaurant was full with tables of mostly young Asian twenty-somethings. The moment we walked in, the entire restaurant went…" read more »
65 reviews for Golden Gate Dim Sum Seafood Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...they have to die for shrimp dumplings soup & they deliever."
(in 6 reviews)
"the tofu skin rolls was pretty unique and awesome and..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...have a Special on Monday through Friday from 10:30am - 3pm."
(in 3 reviews)
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65 reviews in English
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Review from V B.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is not bad. The siu mai was very fresh and their har gow had the right consistency, not gooey, like other dim sum places. We ordered their fried shrimp to see if it was similar to the dish we love at Koi Palace. The shrimp was ok, but definitely not like the dish at Koi. Their XO noodles were good. Peppered short rib was ok. We also ordered steamed scallop dumplings but they gave us fried scallops instead. The waitress tried to charge us for the mistake but we insisted they take the dish back and remove it from our bill. They also didn't have fried taro dumpling which my fiance loves. We thought that was odd for a dim sum place.
Overall, we thought the dim sum here tasted fresh. It's not the best place to have dim sum (Koi Palace is still our fave), but for the prices, it's not too bad. -
Review from Tracy joy K.
San Jose, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty solid Dim Sum. There are so many great places around the area that sometimes some of the Dim Sum places are not as memorable. This place is pretty okay but nothing too special. Service was a little slow and it wasn't the cleanest place to eat.
Our party ordered a good assortment of dishes and they do have a great selection of Dim Sum, which is something I really appreciate about most of the Dim Sum joints in the area.
Overall, great value, but I wish I could say something more remarkable! -
Review from Janet S.
Portland, OR
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okay dim sum; not too good, and not too bad. Some of the dim sum dishes are cold, and some are hot and fresh. Some taste bad, and some taste REALLY GOOD.
When asking for an extra fork, napkin, hot water... etc the waitress do not smile or respond, but they do bring back what you need right away.
I would come back, but this wouldn't be my first choice for dim sum.Listed in: Mmm... I don't mind going here, Dim Sum/Bakeries
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Review from Joe Y.
Mountain View, CA
1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Those looking for a good dim sum place this place will certainly meet your needs. One important point is if you're envisioning waiters/waitresses walking around with dishes this is NOT the place for you. At Golden Gate, you are given a sheet to pick things you'd like and then the servers bring it according to what you order. With that said, if you don't know what you want and/or don't know what the dishes are based on the menu, you will get very confused with this place.
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Review from Sappho C.
Gilroy, CA
I enjoy the dim sum at Golden gate. You order the dim sum from a paper and they bring it to you. I think their rice noodles are the best. Selections are not as big as some other places, but you will get your fix. Service can definitely be better, but hey, can you really expect superb service at a chinese restaurant? Please keep in mind the dim sum are cheaper than what they have listed on the paper. It is supposed to be $2/dish(for SML dim sum dishes) on weekdays and $2.25 on weekends. Make sure you check your bills people!
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Review from Jenna Z.
I am reeeeally excited to yelp about this place! I was DONE waiting hours at Hong Kong Lounge and decided to find another dim sum place. I did a yelp for "dim sum" and found this joint. I walked around the corner and BAM I was here with NO WAIT! This place was 3 stars but I decided to try anyway.
This restaurant has a pleasant decor with a pretty garden in the back (if you look closely there's mops on the side, lol). The food was also decent (average to good dim sum), somethings were oookay but others definitely made me want to come back.
Yay dishes: har gow, rice noodle rolls, fried glutinous balls with meat inside (Xián shu jio)
Ehh dishes: sui mai, custard buns (these were funky, it's as tho the center had salty eggs instead of egg custards), shanghai dumplings
This place is definitely a place people should try. It's cheap and decently priced and best of all... NO WAIT!! The people were nice and service was fast! This place gets four star overall!! -
Review from Christine K.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2011
This review is just based on dinner only.
1. Your homemade tofu is RIDICULOUSLY awesome. So good and almost always sold out by the time my butt gets in there for dinner, but I try. JUST ASK!
2. You have a website that lets you order to go and totals everything up for you and applies any discounts or freebies. How advanced is this for a Chinese restaurant???
Not the most amazing food; but decent/good Chinese food, really nice people running the place, easy to park and get a table on a weeknight.
But really, JUST GET THE TOFU! -
Review from BORAMEY H.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2011
Golden Gate Dim Sum is definitely off the scale! One bite makes me want to travel back in time to the very instant I thought this was going to be a great lunch.
Greeeaaattt.... Every fish we bit into had egg sacks. Were these caught during the grunion run?
Greeeaaattt.... Honey, this restaurant scored an 89. Uh oh!
Greeeaaattt.... I think I've cleaned out my colon! FOOD POISON FREE IS THE WAY TO BE. Enjoy! -
Review from Kiristen R.
San Francisco, CA
7/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to GGDS based on a review I read in the Examiner
http://www.sfexaminer....
I found the review to be inaccurate. I thought that the food would be great. It was OK. I even brought Chinese speaking friends as the review suggested. My Chinese friends will not let me suggest Chinese restaurants anymore.
Notables - The steamed spare ribs were tasty but there wasn't enough meat on the bone. The oxtail stew was really good. The service was fast and attentive. They let me squat at a table for 30 minutes until my friends arrived (late). There was definitely a language barrier at some points but they were patient with me and tried to communicate.
The experience was good enough but I will not return. -
Review from Tina A.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
CHEAP DIM SUM!!
all the dim sum is of average quality. the ha gau was not as juicy as ho mong kok's, nor was the skin as thin as good luck dim sum's. siu mai was a little bit dry and definetely greasy too. eggplant was undercooked. cheurng fun was thick and not as smooth as dim sum king's. our gok bo tea tasted like it was sitting near the bathroom and soaking up the smells. the tofu skin rolls was pretty unique and awesome and probably my favorite dish of the meal.
totally average non-memorable food, but hey! what can i say?? it was all pretty decent food and in large amounts for super cheap! i would defininetly come back here as a hungry hippo again! -
Review from Athena L.
7/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I personally don't like dim sum restaurants because they make lunch last forever! (So if you love dim sum, I suppose you could add a star to my rating)
Anywho, this particular time-waster has all the typical dim sums such as har gows and shui mais. They're actually pretty good dim sum. Fresh, soft dumpling skins, and their foods come out hot. The only problem I see with their menu is that all their foods are very typical and BORING. They don't have any special items or Chef Specials or anything. But I guess it's more important to have simple dishes done really well than to hide bad food with cool names. "Chef Special: Spring Flower Fresh Volcanic Lava Chicken Delight" Err.. Ok.
Oh and it's cool that their menu was also in English.
There's no wait even though I came here on a Sunday, in fact, I think it was Father's Day. -
Review from stephanie c.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2011
I come here quite often with my family for weekday dim-sum. Small Medium Large dishes are all only $2! And, they don't charge extra for tea per person like most dim sum places!
Is it my favorite place for dim sum in the city? Probably not. But, there's hardly ever a wait for this place and it's cheap. Parking isn't too miserable. There's certainly certain dim sum that are more consistently tasty than others. And, they do make their dim sum when it's ordered on the sheet, so it's never cold!
I do highly recommend steam BBQ buns, the sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, shrimp stuffed with eggplant, and the steam rice noodle with shrimp and the one with beef.
Min $20 for credit card -
Review from Wendy L.
Pasadena, CA
2/6/2011
For one of the oldest Chinese communities in the United States, I don't understand why the gene pool has been such a disappointment in SF. Hence, I don't venture out when I can do mediocre in my kitchen. But when it comes to dim sum, since I don't plan to be pumpin' out dan-ta or ha-gao out my Pac Heights studio, I can be convinced to mingle with my countrymen. Next time, it probably won't be at Golden Gate Dim Sum unless I only have ten dollar bill in my pocket. For being hella cheap, it's okay.
On the dishes: turnip cake was mushy, ha-gao and other dumplings were okay, but stuck together, deep fried dumplings were off (skin v. filling proportions), shrimp rice noodle were off (skin v. filling proportions), dan-ta were okay, and steamed pork buns were a thumbs up. -
Review from Robert Y.
Updated - 6/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
4.5
this review is for the dim sum only
heres is my review for dinner http://www.yelp.com/bi...
monday through friday all dim sum small, medium, and large are $2 each. We got the beef meatballs, shrimp and beef rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumpling, sui mai, deep fried bitter melon mochi, and stuffed eggplant. Everything was good except the stuffed eggplant as it was very oily and not fully cooked. They also forgot our order so tats y i deducted 1/2 a point. reguardless, I think this might be the new dim sum place of choice. Free tea also. On the weekends, all dishes are 2.25 and $1 tea charge per person but still a good deal.Listed in: Bay Area Recommendations, Quality Cheap Dim Sum Places…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/12/2011
this review is for dinner and not for their dim sum
here is my dim sum review … Read more »
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Review from Olivia Vanessa R.
Daly City, CA
3/18/2011
It's seldom for me to give one or two stars and I apologize but Yelp is for educating the public of the finer things S.F. has to offer right?
Before I get into full detail about the food I want to talk about the Customer SERVICE, because it can make the difference between a phenomenal meal or a mediocre one and overall--- affects the experience, I mean, you can't enjoy the meal if you're pissed off over things that should be standard practices.
Ok, so my friend and I walk in and it looks pretty snazzy, so we figure we have to wait to be seated. I guess not because we were ignored for ten minutes (I even got to get into a long discussion about anatomy) while sitting on the chairs for waiting and then they made us feel stupid and made a gesture and face that indicated we were stupid for not knowing we just go in and sit. I realize it was a mistake on my end but they could have handled it better because there's a fucking sign that says WAIT TO BE SEATED. Secondly, I don't know what we did to piss the waiters off but they were rude right off the bat. When giving us our food the waiter simply and literally just propped the plates on the table almost in an aggressive manner (the plates made a loud clank when he just dropped the food and utensils on the glass surface) looking flustered walking away angrily. I felt so hurt! haha, We wait a while, then 2 big groups of people came in. Our waiter was so nice to the chinese group that walked in, definitely looked happier than with us and was clearly giving them way nicer treatment, I guess just because they can speak chinese or something like that, a cultural habit that's inevitable I guess. The other table was a bunch of kids that looked like Lowell High students looking for a bite to eat after studying for hours on end. I turn around and even though our waiter took good care of the chinese group next to us the hs kid group remained unattended. I heard them complaining saying how ridiculous the wait to order was. (On a very UNIMPORTANT, DON'T EVEN BOTHER READING side note, f*** that group of HS elite overachievers, they were mocking my pre med books and saying shit like "ohhhh big deal anyone can learn anatomy"SMHSMHSMH)
The food is the only reason I didn't give them just one star. We had:
Honey Walnut Prawns (tasted good, yet standard...you can get $5.00 same quality at this chinese restaurant on union)
Duck (mmm, so succulent, really good, duck is always fantastic)
Sauteed Tofu with black mushroom (for you filipinas, the tofu tasted like TAHO! not a good thing this was probably the worst tofu dish I've ever had. I was so frustrated because tofu dishes never disappoint ever, how do you fcuk up tofu!??! The sauce was bland and if you closed your eyes you wouldn't be able to tell if you were eating mushroom or tofu, maybe the black mushroom was made out of tofu.)
Thai Ice Tea (tasted like chocolate [: )
I guess I liked that the menu was 5 pages of everything you could ever want at a chinese restaurant, it took like 10 minutes looking at everything trying to decide because it all looked so good, the descriptions and pictures did anyway, definitely doesn't apply to the actual piping hot plate you get :p
$40.00 for two people and three items and rice. WHAAAATAHELL, AND IT WASN'T EVEN GOOD. Everything we had could have been a $20.00 meal at an EVEN BETTER neighboring chinese restaurant I imagine, I mean S.F. is adorned with them, in fact I bet I would have, no wait, I HAVE HAD better at the $1 an item Chinese restaurant on 24th and mission. I shit you not.
iloveTO F U ;) i love tofu :B in fact I'd like to fu right about now lOL k I'm done hopefully that helps xoxoxoxoox
p.s. parking isn't that bad :)Listed in: Better to Have Never
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Review from Teri C.
8/20/2009 12 photos
My whole life I grew up on dim sum. We headed to Chinatown every week and ate at one of those huge tea houses way back when. They used to count the plates at the end of our meal before the whole stamp system came along. Carts were the norm.
These days, tiny restaurants can also service those looking for dim sum without all the fuss. As a result, there are no carts being pushed and instead, you have a menu that you pencil in how many of each item you want. (Good for those who know their dim sum, bad for newbies.)
What makes Golden Gate Dim Sum a great steal? Their Monday through Friday (10:30 am to 3:00 pm) dim sum prices at $1.90/plate. These account for their small, medium, and large plates. My retired parents know all about these places and frequent them quite a bit. Word gets around at the senior centers. They know they want to be seated downstairs, and they have to ask that all the food not come out at once. (Yes, a bit too over efficient in this case.)
Our party of three:
* Steamed Pork Dumplings ($2)
* Deep Fried Stuffed Dumplings ($2)
* Steamed Beef Balls ($2)
* Pan Fried Turnip Cake ($2)
* Steamed Chicken Feet ($2)
* Vegetable Dumplings ($2.50)
* Steamed Shrimp Dumplings ($2.50)
* Steamed Shanghai Dumplings ($2.50)
* Pan Fried Chives Dumplings ($3)
* Mushroom Tofu Skin Rolls ($3)
* Beef Rice Noodle Rolls ($3)
* Sticky Rice with Lotus Leaf ($3)
Nothing that really stood out as far as I recall. It's dim sum, and it's cheap. Service is standard, nothing special here. It works when you're hungry on a weekday. As least you know the food will come out quickly!Listed in: Xiao Lung Bao!, Dim Sum in the City and Beyond
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Review from ray r.
San Francisco, CA
9/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
i came here with some old coworkers, new coworkers, and new friends for lunch today. I liked that even though it was on Clement it wasnt as crowded and there was actually parking in front of the place.
we got in and were seated right away. like most dim sum places we got a list that had $2/$2.50/$3 plates. Nancy did all the ordering and Tu added some...when they said they were gonna order alot, they weren't kidding.
I tried everything from what must've been at least 30 plates. My faves were the stuffed eggplant w/shrimp and the shrimp rice noodle rolls...i was stuffed and there was so much left order and it's cheap!! definitely gotta come back here!!
i heard that on the weekdays all dim sum is $2!! -
Review from Liz K.
Cary, NC
2/21/2008
If you ever want to plan something hugely top secret and you're extremely hungry, this is the place. You will be conveniently ignored and no one really gives a hoot about what you do or say just as long as you pay the bill upon leaving.
My bf and I came here for a late lunch of dim sum and I swear: we ate in utter silence. No one really seemed to care that we were there. We seemed more like an inconvenience despite the fact that we were the only ones there. I'm not a primadonna or anything, but it just felt like we were there at a bad time.
However, I won't totally kick them to the curb. There are some positive marks for this dim sum place.
1 Star because the food was good and cheap!
2 Stars because of the beautiful garden in the back with koi fish.
3 Stars because you can plan the most top secret scandal and no one will pay any attention to you! -
Review from jason g.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2008
The BEST THREE STAR RESTAURANT that I have ever been to and I say this in the most sincere way.
From the outside this place looks very dirty and old but when you go in..........this could easily be a fine dining restaurant. The back of the restaurant has this very nice landscaping of a waterfall and pond. The size is roughly 25ft in width and 20 feet high. It really is nice. The only thing bad about this place is that they "Chinese" the place. I see an mj table in the back and a couple of reused Macy's bags at the back of the patio. If they cleaned this place up............this could be like the Patio in the Ritz Carlton..........minus the jazz band and the service. hahhahah
The restaurant is a little on the dirty side. Onto the food
XLB(shanghai dumpling)........surprisingly good........looked dry but wasn't
pork dumpling............................average
Fried tarot with XO sauce..........the best I have ever had
Tofu with mushrooms.................very smooth and good
sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf.......it's average..........no complaints
snow peas with garlic.................very good
This is what I mean...........it's not a four star and it's not a two............and it's better than a 3 so I gotta say this is the Best Three Star Restaurant that I have ever been to. -
Review from wendy h.
1/20/2008
3/19/08 Update:
Ok we finally got around to having dinner here. We did take out and we also ate in.
Take out: We ordered Peking pork chop, tofu sole hot pot, green beans and green onion chicken. That qualified us for free delivery.
Delivery was fast and food came out hot. Food was pretty good. Portions are a bit on the small side. Would do take out again.
Eat in Dinner: After testing out their dinner food, I made reservations for a table in the patio room for a family dinner. This was an early dinner (5:30). The hostess the reservation wasn't a problem.
However, when we got there, they told us that a bunch of people (who's been eating since 2 PM!?!?) is still squatting on our reserved table. They did not have the heart or were gutless to kick these losers out of our table. Upon inspection, those people weren't even eating. They were squatting at the table chit chatting (how to ya like that?).
The other tables in the patio room were reserved for other people at 7 (huh, we came at 5:30, how come we can't have one of those? We're super fast eaters!) so they didn't want to offer those tables to us. The waiter offered the ones in the front room but my folks complained about the room being drafty (it is cold w/ the door opening and closing).
Finally, they made a makeshift table of 10 for us in the hallway connecting the front room to the patio room (the hallway were tables of 4 are located). Unfortunately, that meant we were squeezed together in the table cuz one side of the table is flushed against a wall (so no on can sit there!). They also gave us a bum lazy susan that literally moves across the table when you spin it!.
Really for all our discomfort and inconvenience (remember, we had a reservation!), you'd think they'd give us a discount or throw in some free food. Nada. We got zilch! They just apologized and said we'll make it up to you next time. Really, I don't know how you're gonna make it up to us since there's no documentation of what ya did and you didn't promise a free dish or anything like that!
Food was ok but on the small portioned side.
Oh yeah, we finished and left before that 7:00 PM reservation for the remaining patio room tables arrived. So ya see, we would have vamoosed it before anyone showed up. We have some consideration!
Those damn squatters on our reserved table were still sitting around and NOT EATING by the time we left.
Based on the poor dinner service, I'm deducting a star (I'm being generous too!). Come here for the dim sum. Don't come here for dinner.
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I heard about this new restaurant via Chowhound so I decided to take the parents for lunch here. This is a little bit off Clement St (a couple of blocks past Park Presidio to be exact, between 19th & 20th Avenue).
Restaurant is very spacious and clean. They sat us in the back, indoor patio section. There's a real nice koi filled fountain beyond the patio that you can go out and look at the Koi. Several of the patrons actually went out and got a smoke there.
There are no carts. Service is given via a check list. I prefer this because the food comes out hot. Dim sum is excellent. My folks raved about how the Chicken Feet were the best they've had in a long time. That's saying something cuz they always complained about the chicken feet.
We also ordered a plate of vegetarian chow mein. That was pretty yummy too.
The food was done just right. Not too salty.
Service was excellent. The staff checked back to see how you were doing and you were profusely thanked on your way out the door.
Dim sum prices $2-$4.50. Pretty reasonable considering the Banquet costs a bit more and food is mediocre at best.
This isn't just a dim sum house because they serve dinner too. Based on the menu, I'd say the prices are pretty good. Gotta go back to eat dinner here one of these days.
Parking is the only thing that sucks. It's very difficult to find parking although I noticed they had the front of their restaurant marked off for customers so I guess if you have a big party, they'd save you 2 spots.
Go ahead, check it out. Not a bad place to have dim sum!Listed in: Mmm Good..., Chinese Food
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Review from Mark W.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2009
Really Great Prices for Dim Sum! Small, Middle, Big and House Special Prices are $2, $2.50, $3 and $4.50, respectively. And the Food was pretty good on my visit. No complaints at all. Nothing there was really not good. To me, everything was at or above average. I especially liked their tripe. Big portion and you could tell it was really fresh as it had that certain texture I really like when I eat tripe.
The only thing we thought was a little off was their soy sauce. It seemed like it was less flavorful than usual. Not sure if it was low sodium but maybe for the better since Dim Sum is generally not really healthy for you in the first place.
But to think that there prices could get cheaper. They have a Special on Monday through Friday from 10:30am - 3pm. Their Small, Middle and Big Dim Sum Plates are all the same price and they are only $1.90 per plate. What!!! Are you out of your mind!!! Sweet!
We came on a Monday on our visit but it was a Holiday. Oh wellz, there will definitely be a next time. I just hope this place stays open cause I know many "non-popular" restaurants that are pretty good end up closing down cause they don't get enough business....
Food Special Deets:
M- Fr 10:30a - 3p
Small, Middle and Big Dim Sum Plates All One Price at $1.90 per plateListed in: The Richmond | My Neighborhood
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Review from Anna H.
Mill Valley, CA
2/18/2008
Saw the 'grand opening' sign and couldn't resist taking a chance on some President's Day fun dim sum here with my father. It's only been open about 6 weeks, and they have a good system. Very friendly and prompt service, and the REAL thing in dim sum, and fresh seafood swimming around in tanks. Inexpensive too, $2.00, $2.50, $3.00 dishes in equal amounts, and "House Special" plates for $4.50. I loved the ordering system with a duplicate copy paper where you mark off your favs, and the kitchen gets a copy to fill your order with very fresh, piping hot, and flavorful dishes!
It is also very clean and filled with Chinese speaking clientle (a good sign in my opinion!). And the surprise is a delightful glass wall in the back looking out on a charming flower filled garden and koi pond. The blossoms are out on the trees now, so it is extra special. My 87 year old father was charmed and totally happy with the special treats that flowed seamlessly out of the kitchen. I'll be coming back here for sure! -
Review from Regi K.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2008
We give them 4 stars for their dim sum and 2 stars for dinner... avg. 3 stars.
Dim Sum is superb. Their dumplings are quite good. The skin of dumplings are nice and thin, the filling is full and tasty. Their chicken feet is so tender and has been fried very thoroughly before steaming.
The beef balls and their beef in general is quite tasty. We like the beef and shrimp rice flour rolls. quite good.
Their pork spareribs, and the pork wrapped in soybean skin is quite good. I particularly liked their fried duck bills. oooh, oooh... and their fried calamari... yummilicious. We were all fighting over it.
Dinner.... they had this steamed shrimp filled tofu that was so bland and tasteless. Their peking duck tasted like it was sitting out for days. Their steamed fish was over cooked. We liked the jelly fish appetizer... but really nothing else. Their dinner was pretty awful. We won't be coming back.
I have to mention this... cuz I think its pretty hilarious... but there's this masochistic waitress... who always asked my most picky eater dad how he likes his food. My dad... does not hold back. He tells her exactly what he likes, and what he doesn't like. He even told her once, how much better my mom prepared her tofu than the chef.... But... waitress, keeps coming back and asking. I don't think my folks are willing to see if the dinner chef has improved. The dinner was a waste of money and very discouraging. Its amazing dim sum is sooo very good. night and day. -
Review from Colleen M.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2010
It's only $2 a plate on weekdays, but even that doesn't draw me in as much as it should. The main reason for coming here is that it has a pretty interior, is usually stark empty, and that everything is super clean.
Good chinese food should not be this clean. Good dim sum should come on a cart. But alas, this place serves its purpose of filling my belly.
And yet WHY DON'T THEY HAVE FRIED TARO? -
Review from Natalie l.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2008
ehhhhh....bordering 2.5 stars but hey, why not round it up to 3
I came here for the first time on Sunday. Typical Dim Sum-ish spot. Standard "fill out your order" forms.
Now......
-1 star for the wait for the food. It took FOREVER
-1 more star for having some nasty ..and I mean NASTY shrimp dumplings, BBQ rice rolls, steamed meat balls, shanghai dumplings(ok, I know that's not their specialty but I had to mention it)
+1 star for having really good deep fried meat dumplings and deep fried shrimp dumplings
-1 star for service and not having oolong OR chrysanthemum tea....wtf
not coming back -
Review from jason j.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2008
this sunday we decided to check out somewhere new instead of our normal Lucky Fortune dimsum on Geary. Sunday at noon, no wait, party of 6. we even sat in the back with a view of the koi pond - talk about ambiance!
the food quality is comparable with Lucky Fortune, and in some instances better (probably indicates more lard / oil - which is a GOOD thing!) the service is far better - they give you water when asked, refill your tea, and don't bark AS LOUD in chinese at you.
this is not a place to bring white people you are trying to introduce dimsum to. unless your girlfriends parents are ALSO cantonese, then you don't bring them here either. to put this review in context, i am a Born in SF cantonese guy, who loves his chinese food (VIP ranks high on my list for their baked tomato pork chop btw)
the shrimp dumplings tasted very fresh, the sticky rice/chicken wrapped in leaf was well steamed, the footballs (hom seui gok) were excellent, and the turnip cakes were also equally excellent. the rest of the stuff was very good. a definite go back, and a pleasant alternative to Lucky Fortune. The pricepoint is a little higher, are $11 a person, but for the record, we did eat a crapload, since some of us were hungover. -
Review from Allison T.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2008
They don't charge for tea....in my dad's book that is one star already. Not many places do that anymore....maybe chinatown in the small ghetto ones. Food wise it was just alright. I have had better stuff elsewhere. The skin on my chiu chow dumpling was so sticky....it was stuck to my plate. The siu mai was a bit colorless. The egg custard lava bun...where is the lava? The dumpling in the broth....omg it was bad....no flavor whatsoever. We did order a lot more things but didn't leave a lasting impression. One thing that was good was is the hotsauce...our server had to come back and refill our container. Another plus for them was that the service was not bad.
+1 no charge for tea
+1 great hotsauce
+1 very attentive
-1 food was just ok
-1 server told us they had coffee jello and brought us 4 pieces of coconut jello...no we do not want it. -
Review from B F.
San Mateo, CA
8/2/2010 8 photos
Here's another cool weekday-cheap dim sum joint. The place is a lot bigger than it looks as they have a nice room in the back. The service was pretty good too. A minor annoyance eating there was the strong smell of incense permeating the whole restaurant....made me feel kinda nauseous and morbid like I was eating at a funeral. Plenty of old folks eat here too which is a good thing since old folks know their dim sum. =)
Tip 1: They sell their $2, $2.50, and $3 plates at $1.90 on weekdays.
Tip 2: They have 3 different types of Shrimp dumpling. The one that is the most common for dim sum is called House Steamed Shrimp Dumplings on their menu.
Tip 3: They have plenty on non-translated items on their menu and whiteboard so you'll need to ask or bring someone that knows how to read Chinese.
My Dim Sum Rating System:
Fried Egg Custard Buns=3
Pan Fried Pot Stickers=3
Rice noodle roll w/ beef=5
Rice noodle roll w/ shrimp=5
Shrimp Dumpling=4 *
Steamed Beef Balls=3
Steamed Chicken Feet=4
Steamed Shanghai Dumplings=2
Turnip Cake Fired w/ XO Sauce=5
* Didn't get a chance to try their House Steamed Shrimp Dumpling -
Review from Stacy T.
12/30/2008
We went here to try out what all the fuss was about. A new restaurant in the hood is a must try, so we went in with modest expectations. The ambiance was sparse, but the backyard fountain and rock wall was nice.
The free starter of herb soaked chicken feet, garlic crab, lobster lo mein, garlic pea shoots, and the slow cooked soup tureen were the highlights. The rest of the meal was mediocre and wasn't impressive at all, but the food was fresh and the quality was definitely there.
This place is one I'd recommend for authentic Chinese food....not your Americanized PF Chang's type fare....so if you are a squeamish animal rights activist and don't like to watch Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern....don't come here. -
Review from Sara F.
Columbus, OH
1/17/2009
Slightly away from the crush of restaurants on Geary, is Golden Gate Dim Sum Seafood Restaurant with a green overhang over the windows and door. The interior is clean, and I'm not really sure why people say the place is dirty. I've never seen it dirty, but I don't visit it as often as other people might. If you are seated in the back, you have a beautiful view of the stone waterfall decorated with tiny figurines if you look closely enough.
I've been here several times with my family the past few times we've visited San Francisco. The food is decent but not amazing. I think the redeeming aspect of this restaurant is the service. I'm not sure why some people complained about the service. The waitstaff has always been very friendly, and we definitely have not gotten weird stares from them.
During peak Dim Sum and dinner time, it can get a little crowded, especially if you're a big group and seated in the back. Be prepared to have people bump into your chair, kids running around trying to go out on the patio, and groups trying to take pictures. All of this is pretty typical for a Chinese restaurant, but just giving you a heads up.
I think I would suggest this restaurant to someone looking for a place for Chinese food, but I'm not really as much in love with this place as my family is. They love the waterfall thing. Personally, I like the fact that its' relatively clean. If I lived in San Francisco, I would stop by here for dim sum or a small meal by myself if I were nearby. -
Review from Lisa L.
San Francisco, CA
8/31/2008
Came here for a family dinner when my mom was curious after seeing the commercial. The restaurant had a nice decor.... that's if you get seating wayyyy in the back. It was pretty quiet for a Friday night. Now here is why.
- Shark Fin soup- Where is the FIN?.. (notice it's not plural). Not one was visible! VERY BLAND. Straight up like thick brown water. Eww
- Salt and pepper Scallops- Taste like paste.
- Jellyfish- If you like sand, then this is your place. My head was so noisy from crunching on the little grains I thought I was eating Rice Crispy Cereal.
.....Just to name a few.
There goes $400 . Here's a tip for you Golden Gate Restaurant, quit wasting your money advertising when your food taste like crap. Plus one star for getting my drink right.(a can of Coke) and service was a-okay. -
Review from S. R. L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/8/2011
THIS IS A MUST READ Updated Review: OK, my opinion of this place has done a 180 degree turn around since the first time we visited several months ago. In fact, they have now lost my future business. I have gone from trying to help their three star reviews by giving a five star rating to NOW giving them only one star because that is the minimum rating allowed. In recent visits, the service has been getting slower and worse each time and the employee's bad attitudes are coming across like they don't have to try to please the guests. I stopped ordering the stuffed eggplant dish among others due to the fact that it was soaking in so much oil you could have fried several noodle dishes in it. After paying the bill and collecting my change, I waited for my wife so we could leave together but then I thought to wait outside and let others take our table instead. I took our things from the table including her purse and went outside to wait not realizing I hadn't left them a small tip for our $20 meal. They questioned my wife about not leaving a tip when she came out from the ladies room but of course she had no idea about it. Then the cashier lady came running outside asking about why they didn't get any tip. Well, it was an oversight but after that kind of behavior, they not only didn't get a tip from me but they have now LOST all of my future business! To the owners of this restaurant: It's not good enough that you offer low prices you are still expected to run a respectable business. YOU LOST MY RESPECT AND MY BUSINESS!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2011
THIS IS A MUST READ Updated Review: OK, my opinion of this place has done a 180 degree turn around… Read more »
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Review from Sun-Kai P.
Walnut, CA
8/2/2008
Sometimes you win, dim sum you lose
This has to be one of the worst dim sum places I have ever been to. I think it would be hard for a dim sum restaurant in SF to serve bad dim sum. Considering most of the Chinese people in SF are Cantonese, they must have plenty of Cantonese chefs who can make good dim sum.
Couldn't really say anything was good here, service was slow and they even forgot to bring us some of the stuff we ordered.
I won't be coming back here ever again -
Review from Kimberly C.
San Ramon, CA
8/25/2008
if you want to feel like youre in a sauna while attempting to eat, then come here. it was such a cold night that i never could figure how a restaurant SF could get that hot! Even my cuzzos n I were taking rounds of going outside to cool off..
lets face it, it is nicer looking than most Chinese restaurants in SF, but when it comes to food (dinner) and the lack of air circulation, it was barely 3 stars.
now down to the food:
1. jellyfish appetizer- decent
2. steamed fish- uhh...overcooked
3. peking duck w/bun- bunz seemed like they were microwaved n left out for awhile; inedible piece of rock.
4. beans w/beef- decent
5. chicken w/garlic and oil- good
6. my great grandma's 100th bday cake- THE BEST PART...which came from a bakery. -
Review from Weisun C.
2/23/2010
The cousins we were visiting decided that it would be too long of a wait on a Saturday to go to the dim sum place originally planned in this same neighborhood. We mentioned that two nights earlier we had a very nice dinner here and saw that they had a dim sum service. So we reserved two tables here for the "clan." Each table ordered their own selections without consultation across the tables. So we each wound up with pretty much what Yelper Teri C. ordered (below) plus a few other things that one or more at the table liked (a tureen of village congee, stuffed rice noodle rolls, and shrimp stuffed eggplant, included at our table.)
Also, the dim sum menu is printed in English, so I don't understand one Yelper's problem with not reading Chinese. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the bill was pretty thrifty for a group this large. And the best thing was we all enjoyed what was served (everything was fresh and well-made), leaving almost nothing to take home. Luckily there was a healthy walk following all of this consumption! -
Review from Victoria N.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2010
A-OK dim sum indeed. Not the best or worst I've ever had, but definitely the cheapest (with the exception of take-out style).
I was raised eating dim sum every other Saturday with my family. That tradition dissolved once I left for college. I still try to eat dim sum with my family any chance I get. Took my mom here this past Monday, where there was no crowd, but a rather consistent flow of elderly folks.
Main downside is that you order by marking off a menu, which is hard for people like me and my mom, who don't speak/read/understand Chinese. All these years I've relied on pointing at stuff on carts. Tried my best to equate the English descriptions to dishes I was familiar with. Lucked out on 4 out of 5 items. The mushroom tofu roll was definitely not what I was expecting, so I wouldn't order that again.
When the bill arrived I went WTF. $10.80 for 2 people??? That's less than $2 per dish. Maybe that's what that sign on the door was referring to. It was all in Chinese characters so I had no clue there was some cheap deal going on. Best bargain bite in town! -
Review from Rosemarie M.
Los Molinos, CA
1/1/2011
I was born is San Francisco and as a child I remember my dad taking me to China Town and we would have Dim Sum...Well I have been away since 1972 and my Brother took me to this place...I really loved the food and the Dim Sum was excelent....you will be delighted with the service and the food was tasty...I qill retlurn again and it will save me from going to china town with all that traffic...
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Review from Christine D.
Oakland, CA
1/4/2010
4.5 stars.
WOW. Seriously good dim sum! We stumbled upon this place on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm when everywhere else was either too crowded or just done with dim sum, and boy and I glad we did. Off the beaten path, no crowds, no ticket numbers, no waiting, no carts of cold food. Order by check mark and all your dishes are prepared so fresh that they are actually too hot to eat right away, extremely fresh. The crispy items are wonderfully crispy and not dry at all. Nothing was greasy, tough, too dense, uneven, or meh. Everything was damn good. Clean, fresh, good textures, and VERY affordable! Very polite waitstaff to, especially for Chinese restaurant standards. -
Review from Helen L.
1/1/2011
New Year's day lunch time was packed. Lots of large family tables, people gather to celebrate New Year together. That's why I like my Chinese culture- a table with three generations and a family with mix ethnicities. The food was hot and good. The tea cost $1 per person, but how can you not have tea. The service was 4 stars. Everything was good, but we would not order the black sesame mochi balls, too doughy and it looks fried or the xiao lung bao unless you really like ginger. If you like ginger, this is your spot for xlb. I really liked their chicken feet, pork with egg porridge (comes with side of cilantro and green onions for those not interested having this touch their porridge). Other stuff I like: spareribs, rice rolls, and the chili shrimp condiment on the table. Interesting fried custard bun with evaporated milk dip.
All-in-all enjoyable for a neighborly sort of medium priced place. Their back room overlook a gold fish pond. Quite tranquil. I like that they are not snotty like the one on Geary and 17th Ave. If you have two people, there was no wait. We waited a little bit for a group table. -
Review from Joey Y.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2010
I'm sorry to report that this place probably has the most mediocre dim sum and the most racist servers in the city. I'll explain.
The first time me and my girlfriend took out some dim sum. It was a simple "check-off-whatever-the-hell-you-want" menu, and we ordered a pretty good assortment of dumplings. Unfortunately, the quality of the food wasn't nearly as good as the selection. Notably the "house" dumplings that tasted as if they were rolled in sand before cooking. Not great food in the least.
As for explaining the rest of my negative review, it goes as follows: My girlfriend's family decided to take out from here for dinner one day. Her dad (who is a black man) walked inside first to check if they were still open. Immediately they responded with a "No, sorry." As he turned around to begin leaving, her mom (who is a Japanese woman) walks in and wonders if they're still open as well. I guess they must have spotted her, because they instantly respond, "Yes we're open!" or something to that extent. Not surprisingly, her family realizes what's going on and promptly leaves.
Of course, I'm not particularly surprised at them for being racist (they are Chinese after all). It's kind of ingrained into the immigrant generation's culture. Being fourth generation Chinese, though, I still find it rather disheartening to see that kind of discrimination going on even at a freakin dim sum restaurant. I know there's usually a sign that claims you can refuse service to anyone, but come on now. I'm sure you're capable of more class than that.
