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Mon., Wed-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Been here 3 times now, and two of the times were in the last 3 days!
Do you LOVE dumplings? You know, little noodles filled with delicious meats and veggies? How about FRESH, light, sugared homemade donuts? OR those yummy fresh steamed buns shaped like peaches and stuffed with red bean paste? Well, if this is all making your mouth water, then Shanghai Dumpling King is FOR YOU!
Take a few minutes to read the reviews here and the reviews posted on the front windows of this restaurant in order to know what to order. Of course, you must have an order (or 2, or 3) of the Shanghai dumplings, which are steamed to perfection. Yes, use the vinegar dipping sauce they provide. Yum. I also really recommend the assorted wonton soup, which comes with delicious wontons stuffed with meat, and then a broth filled with shrimps, chicken, and beef--what a deal!
Don't forget the lightly fried donuts; the house specialty.
We had a lovely drive around the City on Sunday morning and happened by this restaurant. I had been seeing its name pop up on yelp for some time so I demanded we stop the car and buy some dumplings asap. I ordered all four types of dumplings on the first page of the menu. Sorry, I can't remember the names because I did it sooooo fast.
I will say that the pan fried pork dumplings were AMAZING and I couldn't stop eating all of the amazing yumminess. As I waited for our to go order I watched the table to my left order all kinds of amazing food, plate after plate of delicious looking meatballs (help? what were those) and noodles with green onions. I will return, I am on a mission. Cheap prices, and available tables on a Sunday afternoon make this a great destination restaurant for a small group of friends with a hankering for Chinese!
If you're looking for a hole in the wall, cheap, fills your tummy, yummy and humble place to eat... this is it.
Their XLB are probably one of the best I've had in SF...I usually order that along with some spicy wontons which are not spicy at all....if anything it's sweet and savory! Shanghai noodles, rice cakes, lion head meatball.....green onion pancakes.... Then finish it off with one of those sugar pastries they keep tempting you with during your meal!
If you're showing up on the weekend, try calling in for reservations.... the place does fill up so better prepare yourself for the cold foggy richmond weather.
oh I took away a star because though most of their menu items are very inexpensive....their appetizer dishes are too small for the price they're charging... an example, their spicy tendon...it's 1/3 of the size of what I can get at another dumpling place but I will not name names! =)
This is the first time I ever had dumplings and this place has gotten me hooked! Quick service, cheap, and very good. The 3 dishes I always order are the Shanghai dumplings, green onion pancake, and Chinese donuts.
The second time I ate here, we ordered for pickup and basically got the usual x2 and it only took 10 minutes to finish! Came home, opened the box, still warm, and down my belly it went. Bada bing bada boom.
PDT - as in Pretty Damn Tasty
Got great services. Probably helped to go with someone that speaks Cantonese and knew exactly what to order.
Delicious dinner ofBeef Tendons and Soup Dumplings. Then ended the meal with some fried bread with condensed milk.
I lovely the overly full feeling at the end of a good meal. So satisfying.
Prices are great! Portions are substantial! Service is quick and authentic! How can you not like freshly steamed and served xiao long bao!? They also have insanely delicious puffy light sweet egg puff donuts! The green string beans with garlic is always crispy and perfectly cooked every single time. Most of the items on the menu are solid. A few are not though (I wouldn't order the ma po tofu again). Their green onion pancakes are some of the best I've ever had and they are consistent with delivering stellar green onion pancakes! OH OH OH! SO GOOD!
It is with great sadness that I say I'm officially over SDK. I loved this little place for so long, but over the last 6 months or so they've gone steadily downhill. We almost always order the same thing: the Shanghai dumplings (AKA crack dumplings), the tianjin dumplings, the potstickers, and combination fried rice, which, until recently, was the best in the city in my opinion.
Lately, the rice has been consistently burned and tastes like it was fried in MSG and a pound of table salt. The dumplings have the same taste. But what's worst is that they use plastic containers with wax doilies for to-go items. Without exception, the dumplings actually burn through both, leaving melted plastic and doily burned into the dumpling, rendering it inedible.
So, SDK, this is our adieu. I will have to find another favorite dim sum place.
I've been coming here for about a year now and love, love, love their dim sum. It's easily the best… Read more »
Can always come here for a quality meal --can't believe I didn't yelp this sooner. They know our order by now and it's always good. Only bad things are the fact that you need to find street parking and sometimes there is a wait, but service and the consistency of the food make up for it.
Obviously the xiao loong bao is good. Another usual order is the sweet do jiang (soy bean milk) and the green pickled cabbage soup with pork and noodles (I think this is the description in English). The rice cakes and spicy won ton are also not bad.
The clean factor is often questionable, but what can you expect when the price is right and so is the taste?
An awesome place for those of us on a budget, and an awesome place for those of us who love xiao loong bao!
Though this place may not stick out of the crowd based on it's appearance it offers food that'll be sure to satisfy. Based on the name of the restaurants I immediately knew I had to try the Xiao Loong Bao. For 10 dumplings it was $5.50, and they came out piping hot - the filing and soup inside was good but I wished they had a little more soup to slurp.
Fried rice came with everything in it, shrimp, beef, veggies, and egg. So good, and made great leftovers for the following day.
Hot and sour soup, there was 2 of us and there was NO way we could finish it all in one sitting so I wouldn't order soup unless you have a group of people to share it amongst.
I don't know if it was because we came later in the evening but the old man who waiters there went around to each table offering these fried Sugar Puffs - so good. Initially we were confused on whether we'd have to pay for it or not so we settled for one, but now I wish we'd got one each! It was so cute how the old man came around offering telling us "very good very good" just as any Asian grandfather would.
I recently discovered this place having moved into the Outer Richmond and wow, what a find. On those evenings where I'm just too tired to cook for less than $10 I can stop by here for a filling hot meal.
On a cold Sunday evening, can there be anything more warming that steamed dumplings? After seeing a film at the Four Star Theatre, we stopped in for a late bite.
It's a dinky little spot, but that's not why you're here. While the menu has a lot of typical Chinese fare, we went with what we'd read on Yelp were the items to order: Shanghai steamed dumplings of course, two orders; green onion pancakes, stir fried noodles Shanghai style; and braise string beans. All our plates were nearly licked clean in the end.
For for of us, the bill came to $40 total, and they even threw in a sugar egg puff for dessert! If you are at all a fan of Shanghai dumplings done right, spoon and all, a visit here is in order! Long live the king!
This place has good xiu long bao's but the service could be better. They don't say anything to you. Sometimes it takes forever for the food to come out. The rest of the stuff is average. And it's ALWAYS so cold in the restaurant probably because they don't turn on the heater and it has high ceilings so it's very airy.
I finally got a chance to dine in during lunch !! The xiao lung bao and Shanghai chow mein were both decent . The spicy wontons were not good ... the sauce or something just didn't go together with the texture . The spicy bok choy was HORRIBLE !! It was cabbage in 50% oil and 50% vinegar with a hint of sugar . Whoever heard of sweet veggies ?! 3 stars for the xlb and chow mein , 1 star for the wontons and boy choy . SO this place gets 2 stars !!
I went here yesterday with my 88 year old non Asian grandfather, and my 79 year old non Asian grandmother. Going out anywhere with them is always an adventure, but I had promised my grandfather to show him what dumplings should really be like, so off we went.
Initially they seated us at a large table with some other people, but taking pity on the obvious discomfort of my grandmother, as soon as a corner window table became available they reseated us. +1 star for service. We decided to order the shanghai soup dumplings (duh), the Beijing style boiled pork and leek dumplings, the pan fried pork buns, and the pan fried chives and meat pastries. The waiter was helpful when I wanted to make sure that none of the stuff I got had seafood (seafood =/= something grandpa likes).
So, the Shanghai soup dumplings arrived first, and they were as good as I remembered. Unfortunately, my grandma was ambivalent toward them, and my grandpa was like, mmm, I like the trader joe's dumplings more. But he's old, so I forgive him. Next, came out the pastries, which were nicely friend without oozing with grease. My grandfather took a bite and was like, yum, now this is a good piroshki (a russian dumpling type). He ate his, and then half of my grandmother's, and then asked for another order. Clearly a success.
The Beijing dumplings, which were next, were soft and tasty, and my grandma's favorite. Grandfather still unimpressed. Finally, we had the pan fried buns, which were a bit disappointing for all of us, I've had better ones when I get dim sum. Still, all in all, for the 30 something dollars we paid for this, having three dishes that I liked, two dishes that my grandmother liked, and two servings of a dish my super set in his way grandfather liked gets this place a nice four stars.
I give this place a 3.5 stars.
What I love about this place is that the price is cheap and the food is pretty good.
Shanghai Dumplings - It comes in a steamer with 10 pieces for around $5.50 - well worth it! Their dumplings are better than a lot of places in SF. I must say that i've tasted juicier shanghai dumplings before. Here... it comes out slightly too dry, but its still good.
Spicy Pork and Leek Dumpling - Around 8 pieces. Dumpling is wrap with rice noodles, nice and smooth. It is a little spicy but has a little sweet taste to it. I like it!
Sweet Puffs - The waiter would occasionally come around asking customers if they want any Sweet Puffs. Its like a huge ball version of a donut but lighter and covered with sugar. It comes in 3 pieces and its really good! I really like it! and from what I remember it was dirt cheap.
The noodles here arent bad either. Its been a while and I dont remember with its called, but I usually order the one with peanut sauce.
Don't expect too much from this hole in a wall place. All I got to say is that the price is right.
SERVICE = Obviously this place gets a lot of foot traffic and I don't think the management has figured out the best way to deal with it. I think the waiters/waitresses end up being less hospitable because they need to just move things along. The service is what knocked one star off for me.
FOOD = Mmmm.. the food my group ordered was worth the drive over from Russian Hill. I'm a fan of the green onion pancakes and xiao long bao.. and pass me more of those egg puff-fried-ball-of-sugary-yumminess things please.. mMMMm!
PAYMENT/PRICING = The pricing seemed fair.
PARKING = Street parking.. good luck.
*EXPERIENCE* = Overall, I had a fine time. Some highlights from the menu as I mentioned.. I'd come back (especially for the yummy sugary puff things).
How do you review an inconsistent experience? The first time we went, we had Xiao Long Bao with juice clearly visible when you bite off the top. This time, our 3 orders of XLB got progressively worse, til the XLB filling was almost bone dry. The fried chinese yorkshire pudding with sugar had this coarse granulated sugar that added unique texture and crunch the first time. This time? Plain fine granulated sugar, relegating the dish to what we normally get at dim sum restaurants.
Two finds that we did enjoy: The lion's head meatball (get it with sauce, not soup) and the thick pan fried noodles with sliced pork and cabbage. So, for the best XLB in the bay area.. take a roll of the dice here! Could be tied for the tops, or almost pedestrian.
Shanghai Dumpling King serves authentic Chinese food. And in true Chinese fashion, they can be curt, they can be aggressive, they're not much for small talk, and they're all about turnover. But you don't come here for anything but the food.
The shiao long bao aka soup dumplings aka Shanghai dumplings is a must get. You can't come to a restaurant called Shanghai Dumpling King and not order Shanghai dumplings. If you do, you'd be the person at Outback Steakhouse carving your STEAKknife into a piece of grilled Atlantic salmon. Wrong.
If you've never had Shanghai dumplings before, think small steamed pork buns. However the skin isn't bread, it's more like homemade potsticker skin. There are 10 in each order and they come on a bamboo steamer tray brought to your table. Carefully pick one up with your chopsticks and dip the edge of it in soy sauce and red vinegar. Be careful not to pop it, f you pop the dumpling and let the juices run out, you should be sitting in the corner wearing a dunce hat because you'd be a fool! Put the whole dumpling in your mouth and bite into it. Let the ginger, pork, and green onion infused juices carelessly coat the inside of your mouth. It is acceptable to moan.
I also recommend the tendons and lion's head meatballs in soup. If you're squeamish about chewy things, then maybe the tendons aren't for you, but they're exactly the way my grandfather used to make them. Slow-boiled in a broth of five spice, soy sauce, and garlic, chilled in the refrigerator, cut into slices, then lightly tossed with soy sauce, chili oil, cilantro, and green onions. Perfection. The Lion's head meatballs were baseball sized meatballs in a flavorful soup with vermicelli and green onions. Break up the meatballs a bit and scoop yourself a small bowl with a little bit of everything - enjoy like you would a bowl of noodle soup.
I saw a lot of must-try dishes on the menu but next time I'm definitely getting the spicy wontons and the green onion pancakes. I'll let you know how that goes.
This place is very simple but the food was pretty good. We went especially for their 'xiao long bao' (Shanghai dumpling w/soup inside) which were enjoyable. Other dishes we got were more dumplings, eggplant w/garlic, & a noodle dish.
We passed on the dessert/fried dough w/sugar while we were eating dinner & were disappointed when we asked for them later because they were sold out. I suppose you have to grab them when they are being offered.
I have eaten here before & will do so again when in the area or craving Shanghainese food.
BTW, it was a full house if that's any indication of the popularity of this place, although it was a Saturday night on my last visit.
Shanghai Dumpling at its best: the skin is thin, the temperature is perfect, and it is so juicy! I The staff is always fast, efficient, and friendly. I usually visit this restaurant with a few friends before or after my archery session with Cupid's Gate Archery at the Golden Gate Park, sometime we eat in, and sometime we get our take out order to enjoy at the archery field.
I called my order in on Friday, 6:30PM and the lady whom I spoke with on the phone was very nice. When we got there to pick up our order, she had trouble locating all of our bags. It took her a while to find it and needless to say, the food was just slightly warm by the time we got home.
One order of Green Onion Pancake (6 slices) Thin, crispy and not greasy. Plenty of green onions!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Two orders of Shanghai Dumplings (10 pcs. per order) The skins were not so thin that'll break easily, and not too thick and tacky. The center didn't have much soup, but the meat was very flavorful. It's best to eat it while hot cuz once it cools down, the skin will crack and all the juice (the best part) will leak out.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
One order of Pan Fried Pork Buns (8 pcs. per order) The buns were first steamed, then shallow pan fried, giving the bottom a crisp, golden crust. Nice!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
One order of Spicy Wonton (10 pcs. per order) Although the wontons were sitting on a pool of nasty chili oil, it was not spicy at all and the meat filling were bland.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Two orders of Minced Pork Noodles- The sauce is thinner, milder, and less savory than what I'm used to, but had a greater amount of meat.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Two orders of Stir Fried Rice Cakes- Gummy, short of meat, veggies and seasoning. No thanks!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
One order of Stir Fried Noodles Shanghai Style- I liked the texture of the noodles and that is all. They skimped on the meat and cabbage.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Two orders of Lion Head Meatball Casserole (3 softball-size meatballs per order) This dish can be prepared either with gravy or soup, and we chose gravy. It was very moist and tender. One order would have been plenty for us since it's enormous, but we got two anyway. The leftovers make a great next day meal over rice or with soup noodles.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The total for this meal came up to $88.50 after tax. The prices have certainly boosted since my last visit. The Shanghai dumplings here are nowhere near to the best I've had, but not the worse. Service needs improvement, tables and chairs need a good wipe down after each customer and they desperately need renovating, or at least new flooring. I rarely crave for Shanghai food, but if I do and too lazy to travel out of my neighborhood, I'll probably come back, but not likely anytime soon.
I'm very torn about this place. While it is so close to my house, I'm not often tempted to go, so I guess that should say something. I think what it boils down to is the fact that I speak no Chinese and the people working there speak almost no English. And while I'm not afraid of trying something different, sometimes you just want to be able to communicate, especially when you have questions about the food or when you're waiting to hear your name called for a table.
The dumplings are definitely amazing, and some of the other items are pretty darn good (the onion pancakes for example). The desserts are a bit hit or miss. Don't expect any frills or much personal space. Then again, the price is definitely right!
I was craving Shanghai dumplings last night, so I decided to order take out from SDK. In addition to the Shanghai dumplings, I also ordered spicy won tons. When you compare these to Shanghai 1930's these are NOT as good! I think the best Shanghai dumpling and spicy won tons are at 1930.
Would I go back to SDK? Sure for take-out, it good ... not great.
Yep, 5 stars, no kidding. this place is a complete hole in the wall, but for a purist who loves xiao long bao (the shanghai soup dumplings) this is the best place to get them in the bay area. The description for 5 stars warrants the reaction "As good as it gets!" and I TRULY COMPLETELY believe like I believe in Jesus that this place has the best xiao long bao in all of the bay area! The reason I'm a purist of shangai soup dumplings is because my family is from Shanghai and when i went back to visit, we'd frequently get these steamed Chinese treats - even during the ridiculous 100 degree humid summer days! these lil food gems were worth getting because of how frigging tasty they are! I also grew up in the southbay, hitting up plenty of places in the Cupertino, San Jose, Milpitas, Fremont neighborhoods and there was never anywhere that matched Shanghai Dumpling King's (SDK) level of quality and authenticity.
Here's the basic break down of why the soup dumplings there are so good:
1. There's perfect balance of a nice thin skin, savory juice, and meat.
2. When they come out fresh and hot, you can take a little nibble from a corner of the skin and soup will actually gush out. (USER BEWARE: you don't want to have the entire dumpling in your mouth when you break the skin bc there will be so much hot piping juice that it'll certainly burn your throat and mouth)
3. Every batch is steamed to order..never just sitting there getting cold like at some ghetto dim sum places.
4. The abundance of juice indicates that the meat they use is fresh and most likely a combination of pork and chicken to produce that savory soup.
Beyond the soup dumplings, they have a good selection of random stuff like beef noodle, beef egg drop soup, fresh soy milk, chinese fried donuts, shanghai style cut noodles.
Also, because it's a hole in the wall, the prices are dirt cheap. Back when i lived in inner sunset, I literally came here once a week for a 6 week span. I brought my gf, my church friends, both my parents, my gf's family, my coworkers, friends visiting from out of town....pretty much anyone willing, i'd bring them here. And EVERYBODY i brought here (we're talking atleast 25-30 ppl over 12 months) liked it or loved it!
Once again, I'll put it simply after my long review: BEST SHANGHAI SOUP DUMPLINGS in the SF Bay Area.
More like about 3.7 stars, but I'm just rounding up to 4 on the rating.
Gotta admit that when we arrived, we were kind of worried. Too many non-Chinesepeople...which isn't always a good sign. Thankfully, we were greeted by Chinese people and customers inside.
I would give this place 4 or 5 stars, except their xlb's are a tad bit too sweet (I prefer salty over sweet). And the pan fried xlb's weren't crispy enough at the bottom. When I come to a Shanghainese restaurant, it means I'm hoping to capture that euphoric moment of discovering the best xlb I've ever had in my life. This was not the case.
Aside from the slight disappointment (which should not discourage you from coming here), it was still very tasty and satisfying.
4 XLBs: Our first batch of xlb came out less than 5 minutes after we ordered our food. Piping hot soup (I burnt my tongue, yay!), good wrap; again, meat was a little too sweet; there also could have been a little bit more soup. But overall, still good. We also got the crab xlb, which was very very crabby and slightly too salty for me.
1 Pan Fried XLB: Not crispy enough. Average.
1 Lion's head meatball soup: AWESOME. Meatball wasn't too salty, great flavor; it had a firmness on the outside but was very loose on the inside. Yum, yum, yum.
1 Green onion pancake: The crispiest I've ever had, which obviously means they were very good. Good dish to have to even out the saltiness of the crab xlb.
With all that food to feed the four of us, along with two cokes, the bill (including tip) came out to $62...AMAAZINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!! We were stuffed and satisfied and each of us only paid $15.50?!?! I just went to Little Star Pizza the other day with my boyfriend and we spent $51 on one pizza, one salad, and one beer!!!!!
In conclusion, quick service, friendly people, yummy lion head meatballs and green onion pancakes, pretty good xlb, and DIRT CHEAP for SF. Yes!
Note: Its been about 3 hours since the meal and I'm still full and also very very thirsty.
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9/27/2009
I've lowered my rating down to a 3. I woke up delirious in the middle of the night (about 8 hours after my meal here) completely nauseous and suffering from what I believe to be a serious case of MSG overload. I sat in the dark in bed for at least 15 minutes waiting for the nausea to pass. I was also incredibly thirsty. Awful feeling and I'm sure it was from the food.
I'll probably come back to the restaurant to eat, but will be wary of how much and what dishes I eat. I'll probably stay away from the crab xlb (that was by far the saltiest dish we ate).
Five stars for the soup dumplings which came out piping hot in a 3rd degree burn inducing tongue scalding type of way! This place isn't beat like some hole in the wall dumps I've been to. Tasty balls of good quality meat encased in a pool of juicy liquid wrapped in a thin handmade dough. Loved it. Usually I get a gummy mass of dried meat in a thick tasteless wrapper that makes me kick myself for ordering yet another disappointing Shanghai dumpling on my quest to find the ones reminiscent of my childhood trips to LA's Chinatown.
Yeah you heard me. Not the motherland, but in LA.
I went with my Blondie friend who is a fan of General Tso's chicken and Mongolian beef - totally standard Chinese diner fare. It was definitely not the dumbed down version in terms of spice though. This stuff set my nose hairs on fire and I was sweating like a you know what in Church by the end of it. The only thing that could quash the fire in my throat was....you guessed it. The fried egg sugar puff. Akin to a fried Yorkshire pudding, it had a custardy rich texture that played off the crunchy doughnut-like fried outside and topped with a granulated sugar. YUM.
Service was standard. Not outstanding but efficient and aside from the dingy 70's interior I would say this place is added to the rotation.
My vet is next door and I have accident-prone pets, so I've seen this place many times. But I never went in. Truthfully, I couldn't tell if this was the kind of place where the best-case scenario is that no one speaks English and you awkwardly communicate with hand gestures and don't get what you ordered. (The worst-case scenario is, of course, that an irate old person working there mistakes you for a cop or health inspector and starts screaming at you. It's happened.)
So I was relieved to be sweetly greeted by two young girls in Hello Kitty hoodies as I walked in. They were very polite and organized, took my to go order and graciously offered me a seat while I waited. Then, as I waited... and waited... and waited... I became increasingly aware of my surroundings. That was a mistake.
The odd patchwork of mismatched flooring is all covered in oily, lumpy crud. And don't look under anything. Your eyes might bleed. Also, there were tubs of dirty dishes all over the place. The health inspection score card had the actual score strategically covered. So I looked it up when I got home. It's an 86. I was pleasantly surprised that it was that high and, assuming the health inspector assigned to them is not blind, I now have a firm policy not to eat anywhere with a score any lower than that. What does it take to get an 80? I do NOT want to know.
The dumplings were yummy, but maybe aren't intended as a meal. That was a lot of dough and peanut oil for my digestive tract to handle. Or it may just be that, if it's true that you eat with your eyes first, mine had been served an amuse bouche of squalor with a yuck garnish. Yumminess. Interrupted.
I don't know what kind of culinary epiphany I was expecting when I came to the Shanghai Dumpling King - but nope, I wasn't feeling it. Now I don't mean it was horrible or anything. I just thought for a place that was praised to high heavens on "Check Please! Bay Area", I was expecting a bit more for the time it takes to get out to the Outer Richmond to patronize it. It's just meh.
Actually coming out here wasn't such torture. Jamie W. and I spent Sunday afternoon at the California Academy of Sciences, so it wasn't that much a of a stretch to go twenty blocks further on Balboa to come here. I recalled it from that episode of "Check Please!" as a bargain place to get tasty-looking dim sum items. That part is accurate as the prices are indeed reasonable.
The first impression was not so great...a standard-issue, family-run lunch room place split in two rooms. The head waitress scowled at us to wait two minutes for a table. We were seated in what I assume to be the main dining room right next to the window. I guess that would have been nice were it not for the spider webs hanging precariously above us and the stickiness of the formica table. I really would have brought my own cleaning supplies had I known.
We ordered lightly since we just had a hot dog in Golden Gate Park a couple of hours earlier. Sue us...we was hungry. We ended up ordering the $4.95 order of ten Shanghai Steamed Dumplings and the $4.95 order of eight Potstickers (see photos). That was enough, but our waitress abruptly scolded us, "Not enough!" Oh OK, well, we aren't..."Not enough!" She then said she'd come back when we decide we want more food.
I thought she was just being a character, but Jamie actually thought we didn't hit some price minimum for holding a table. Relief came when our basket came with the steamed dumplings. Good, though I would have liked some fresh mustard to dip them in rather than the watery soy sauce they provided. The basket left a puddle on the table that no one thought to clean up. Instead, the potstickers came splashing down in it. The crunch at the bottoms of the potstickers really made this the better choice for me.
The room started crowding quickly as we ate, as a nearby family table of Roseanne Barr sound-alikes were shrieking at their mealy-mouthed kids. No, this didn't feel like a new dining destination for me, but I'd consider stopping by if I wanted something to go for an Ocean Beach stroll.
FOOD - 3 stars...pretty good dumplings, just not all that
AMBIANCE - 2 stars...generic with unintended wildlife offered like spiders and Roseanne Barr impersonators
SERVICE - 2.5 stars...the waitresses are crustier than the bottom of those potstickers, but the elderly man was very responsive to our needs
TOTAL - 3 stars...barely...maybe I need to come back with someone who actually loves this place...obviously I'm missing something
The Shanghai Dumplings were amazing, and the best I've had in the U.S.. Unfortunately, they were placed too close together in the bamboo steamer so we could not pick up half of them without tearing the wrapper.
The rest was just okay. The stir-fried Shanghai Noodles weren't good -- plain, and really big and thick. The Shanghai Vegetables were good and had lots of bok choy. The Shanghai Salt Pancake was undercooked and awful.
Stick to the dumplings!
Came here as part of my search for the perfect xiao long bao. The skin of the xiao long bao here is very very thin and its purpose is more to contain the juicy interiors. Imho, like all dumplings, the skin of a xiao long bao should play a key role in framing the flavors of the dumpling. In terms of the filling, the crab Xiao Long Bao was outstanding. The soup is a little sweet but overall the combination works very well.
I also had the Do Jiang (soy bean drink) here and loved it.
The place is small and it is often filled so expect to wait. The experience is typical for a small chinese restaurant focused on food--don't expect smiles.
Came here after a failed attempt to go to Shanghai House down the street (closed for vacation?!), but I have always wanted to give this one a shot after hearing some decent things about it.
Obviously, being where we were, we had to get ourselves an order of xiao long bao. I mean, how can you not?! They were pretty darn good - the meat was tasty, and the skin was just about right (slightly thick if anything). Unfortunately though, the ones I grabbed never seemed to have much soup in it! How disappointing, although they were still pretty good.
Beyond that, the rest of the food we had was rather mixed. The stir fried rice noodle dish was rather pedestrian compared to some of the other places I've been to. The dish didn't have any particularly strong flavors to it, and after a while, you feel like you are just chewing on dough. On the other hand, the Three Cups of Chicken claypot dish was pretty good despite the rather generic name for it. There was a lot of meat in it, which I assume was about three cups worth, along with some vegetables, onions, and spices. Something a little different though not overly unique but still filling in a good way.
Service wise, it's about average for what you would expect at a Chinese restaurant, so nothing bad there. Maybe a little on the plus side for them though since it does seem to be a small family run kind of joint, which is always nice to support. Would definitely come back just for the xiao long bao, the lack of a wait, and the concept of elbow room, which can sometimes be problematic at Shanghai House.
There are places you go in the city for specific dishes. This is my number one choice for a good Shiao Long Bao. Of all the places I go, this is easily the most efficient place as you pretty much sit down, they ask what you want (which means how many orders of Shiao Long Bao) and you are eating less than 10 minutes later usually.
The flavor of the Bao are very nice. You get a nice hint of the vinegar, soft texture of the veggies, and the soup is delectable on your tongue. Just make sure you are using the right technique.
1. Grab the bao with your chopstick and slide it over to the soup spoon. Don't attempt to handle the bao with your chopsticks too long or you will run the risk of violating the wrapper, and expelling its juices in a place other than your mouth.
2. Dip the front of the spoon in the sauce to coat the bao. Again...preserve the structural integrity of the wrapper.
3. SLURP!!!! Slurp that action into your mouth, and you will be in for one of two experiences. Either they are hot as hell, or just right. Breath deep in either way, as its awesome.
4. Repeat as necessary
The only reason this place gets a 4/5 is the cleanliness. It can feel a bit grungy, but you are there for the food. Sticky elbows and calls for tea might be your only negatives on the orgasmic journey that will await you when you go.
The minute you arrived, you realized this is one of these Chinese family restaurants, crowded, noisy, zero atmosphere, but the food is good, the service is friendly, I especially like their sugar coated Chinese fried doughnut, it is probably the best I've ever had, it is made fresh, and actually melts in your mouth. We had the $108.00 family dinner, all the dishes were OK to good, a good value for the money.
On the downside, it is so noisy when we were there, you could hardly carry on a conversation, and worst of all, I found a hair in my Chinese tofu bean drink, Yuk! - that usually turns off anybody's appetite..
So 4 stars for the food, 1 star for the atmosphere, minus 1 star for cleanliness
Overall - I choose to ignore the math and give it a very generous 3 star rating.
Growing up in the east coast chinese food is strictly on the go type food or late night ordering. SHDK has some of that vibe with sit in appeal to it. My friend TP first put me on to this place. Had the Egg w/ beef + rice, I was sold on it. The peppered fish... I gotta say fish in a chinese restaurant in Brooklyn is less that appealing. Here is what chinese food should be on the east coast, franchise guys!
So many haters on yelp! I thought the soup dumplings were juicy and tender, with adequately delicate skins.
This place is ugly and dirty (some of these other reviews make me slightly uncomfortable), but I'll brave it for the quality comfort food.
I think this is your typical cheap chinese restaurant. Ordered the lion's head, shao long bao, mao po tofu, and shanghai noodles. And fried dough with sugar for dessert. I thought the shanghai noodles and the lion's head were pretty good. Lion's head is really fatty and heavy though. The bao was well made (not the best I've had, but it was juicy). For the price, I would say this place is pretty good.
We actually had pretty good service too, but maybe that is because I came with my parents, who know how to speak chinese.
I was so excited to get the special soup dumplings.
They came out steaming hot. Cradled in the safety of my spoon, I scooped my first one u, and bit in with anticipation. The dumpling exploded in my mouth and it tasted like...like...nasty dirty dish water! Everyone else in the joint, including my boyfriend, was loving them. I guess it's just a personal problem.
However, we also had the onion pancakes and szechwan beef which were amazing.
Two people left very full for $25 including tax and gratuity.
The restaurant has the ambiance of a well lit alley, but hey, that's part of the fun.
i like this place but i have to admit that it's sub par in comparison to joe's shanghai in nyc. =( those were the first soup dumplings i have ever really tried and so my expectations have been set really high.
this place will do, but if you expect soup in the dumplings it will definitely be a disappointment. they taste good but have little juice in them. the only gripe i have about this place is that the first time we came here, the owner [a petite chinese man] came out with these sweet donut treats and were asking people if they wanted it. so when i got the bill, they actually charged for the donuts. it wouldve been nice if he said would you like to buy these, instead of kinda maneuvering his way into getting people to pay an additional 3 or so dollars. otherwise, the other foods we've tried there are also decent [garlicky fried green beans, spicy pork dumplings].
There's not much to say.
These are the best soup dumplings (XLB) in California. Tasty soup and a nice solid amount of it in each dumpling, nice chewy dumpling skin, served for real in bamboo steamers over lettuce.
It's not Joe's, for sure, but it's damn grub. I've been here 3 times and I can testify to it's consistency, which is a big factor with XLB as yall probably know. you might have a nice juicy batch from your neighborhood shanghainese spot one day, and the next day, NO SOUP FOR YOU. dry as the desert. am i right yall?!
so yeah, if you are into XLB and you don't live in new york or shanghai, this is a pretty sweet spot.
thanks for being YOU, Shanghai Dumpling King!!! xoxoxo
-christopher
yo i like dumplings and i like this place. They got some damn good dumplings and the crowd is mostly asian. Makes you feel like your in china.
Great cheap little hole in the wall place for xiao long bao, but other items not as great. Service was a bit slow, but since it's a little Chinese family owned business, it's forgivable. Gets crowded and might have to wait for dinner. Lunch is not that bad. The main dishes were all very saucy, not bad tasting, but for me, I'm used to my Chinese dishes being flavored a lot more simpler and not drenched in sauce.
- Crab & Pork Shanghai Dumplings: small, excellent soup flavor, good amount of meat, skin a little thick
- Shanghai Dumplings: good soup, meat not that great tasting, skin a little too thick
- Wonton Soup: okay, nothing special, flavorful soup base
- Mushroom, Tofu, Veggies: light/bland, variety of veggies
- Sauteed Eggplant: too much sauce, but eggplant was cooked nicely - not too soft
- Beef with Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions: nice flavor, not greasy
- Stir Fried Shanghai Noodles: very plain, basically thick noodles and pieces of chicken
I think this place is over rated and got hyped up by yelp. The dumplings were small and although the… Read more »
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![string bean dish [(c)B.K. - no stealing!]](http://static3.px.yelp.com/bphoto/BfSMuSaxpivIe_xb4QyzKQ/xss){kind=small}
