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Shanghai Dumpling King
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
3319 Balboa St(between 34th Ave & 35th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 387-2088
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Fri 11 am - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1233 reviews for Shanghai Dumpling King
Review Highlights
"Had the most awesome xiao long bao here."
(in 260 reviews)
"The sugar egg puffs were good too."
(in 41 reviews)
"Lion's Head meatballs in gravy: Excellent."
(in 31 reviews)
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1233 reviews in English
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Review from Chris N.
San Pablo, CA
2/4/2012 2 photos
The shanghai dumplings here had a nice texture but broth was too sweet for my taste.
Got a spicy chili oil dumpling here, forget the exact name-they were DELICIOUS!! Packed with flavor'
Got a chow mein- average. Noodles were too thick for my liking, a little starchy. -
Review from Bonita K.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012
Synopsis of my visit? Long wait (to be seated and to get food served), super cramped, but good food.
You have to really be willing to wait for your food to arrive, but I assure you, the food is GENERALLY good. I came here this afternoon during high time for lunch and waited 15 minutes for our first dish (which was a plate of mien), then our other two dishes came out 10-15 minutes after the previous one. We literally ate one plate at a time with extreme irritation. The xiao long bao were very delicious, and I regret giving the rating that I did but I had to, for their service was absolutely terrible.
Finally, our final order of vegetable potstickers came, and I was extremely dissatisfied. I found a strand of hair literally fried onto my potsticker. I'm very fortunate to actually look at my food before shoving it into my mouth, but seeing that strand of hair just pushed me over the edge.
Should you really want to come here, plan to order your food WHEN YOU'RE WAITING FOR SEATING, or else you'll be waiting FOREVER for your food. -
Review from jessica m.
Diamond Bar, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO WRITE ANOTHER NEGATIVE EFFING INFINITE STARS REVIEW. But alas, I must. Don't come here unless you want some mediocre, at best, food with a HEFTY DOSE OF ATTITUDE on top.
Xiao long bao is my ABSOLUTE favorite food, but whenever I'm in NorCal for school, I never eat it. Yelped this place a while back and it's been on my bookmarks untouched. Finally got around to crossing the bridge and getting me some steamed dumplings. I can't tell you HOW excited I was. Drive all the way past GG Park? No prob. Metered parking? Sure. Dinky little store with 8 tables? Okay. Seat bf and I at a 2 person table when the place is EMPTY? Why not. I even opted to speak Mandarin, you know, to let them know that I was one of their own.
When they brought the waters, I looked at mine and there were these...soap bubbles? Okay that's fine. I've experienced that before in SoCal too and I had my own water so that was forgiven.
The steamed dumplings came out. Typical bamboo steamer with cabbage. I wouldn't say they're THE best I've ever had, but they were good. I just love them too much to say otherwise. I loved that the inside is all meat though. Yay carnivores. I was sad that most of them didn't have much soup. I LOVE the soup. But that's fine. $5.50 for 10? Not a bad deal for SF.
We also ordered the chili wontons. My absolute favorite are from A&J down in SoCal, and thought I'd give this place a try. What a mistake. Kevin W. swears they put peanut butter as a base for the sauce. PEANUT BUTTER?! What kind of Asians even HAVE peanut butter? I thought it was just sesame, but it did seem a bit weird. The sauce was really thick, and dried up quickly. The wontons were huge (they looked like meatballs), but there were veggies in it so bleh. I tried REALLY hard to like their chili wontons, but I just couldn't. $5.95? Not worth your money.
THEN CAME DISASTER. I ordered a Dan Dan Mien that never came out. The girl working came over and gave us our check, to which we informed her that our noodles never came. She quickly hurried away while I yelled "If it's not ready, cancel it!" behind her, and to which she gave a rude "NO!" Maybe she actually forgot that there was a piping hot bowl of noodles sitting on the counter waiting for us, OR THEY ACTUALLY DIDN'T EVEN COOK IT. Mind you, it's metered parking so I didn't want to wait unnecessarily. She came back in about 3 minutes with some noodles, so I'm not sure whether they actually forgot or not. BUT I WILL BE DAMNED IF IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE.
Dan Dan Mien. Noodles with spicy sesame sauce. That's what I ordered. What did I get? Cha Chiang Mien. Noodles with meat sauce. There was no trace of sesame anywhere. And some random peanuts thrown on top of practically black sauce (from black beans!) does not magically make it dan dan mien. SERIOUSLY? The girl ran away and never came back to us (we were seated on the other side of the kitchen, so NO SERVICE WHATSOEVER.) I didn't want to pay more for parking and didn't want to BOTHER asking her rude face what kind of noodles she dumped on us, because obviously she would've just said they were the right ones. I know I'm ABC, but damn, I'm not retarded!
SO JUST DON'T COME HERE. YES, THE STEAMED DUMPLINGS ARE GOOD. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY ACTUALLY TASTE EXACTLY LIKE THE FROZEN ONES YOU CAN FIND AT 99 RANCH. I'M SERIOUS. I've gone through enough brands at the frozen aisle to know that these taste PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
Save yourself the frustration and anger from having to go through with this place and the people working here. -
Review from Albert L.
The King reigns supreme!
It's very nostalgic coming back to SDK. The last time I ate here was years ago when I was still a senior in high school (Go Eagles!). Back then, I'd never wanted Chinese food so bad during those lunch periods than I could ever crave now (I don't even eat Chinese food when I'm at home!).
Green Onion Pancake - [http://s3-media4.ak.ye...]
What a crispy delectable treat! with a distinguishing hint of green onions. Best of all, it wasn't oily one bit, like other Chinese restaurants. Though still very good on it's own, I still thought there should have been a dipping sauce to accommodate with this appetizer.
Shanghai Rice Cake Noodles - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...]
Here's a little fun fact: Though Shanghai Rice Cakes are eaten all year round, and even made as a sticky sweet dessert, the best time to consume it is during the start of the Lunar New Years to symbolize a new and "higher" prosperous year. And did SDK nail it? Oh yeah. Think Chow Fun, but far less oily, with a delicious mochi-like texture, all cooked with pieces of stir fried pork. Also a great substitution if your not feeling for rice.
Orange Peel Beef - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...]
SDK, you've done it again! A common problem I have when it comes to Orange Peel Beef or any other Chinese dish that involves a thick sauce, is that the sauce becomes too overwhelming and all you'll taste is the sauce. SDK doesn't have that problem. The beef was lightly fried to a crunchy crisp with just the right amount of tangy orange peel sauce that covered, but not drenched, the dish. And broccoli as a garnish.
Shanghai Soup Dumplings - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...]
How this restaurant became King, amiright? These Shanghai Soup Dumplings were SUPER plump than others I've had; bigger than the size of a Siu Mai. And delicious? You better believe it. The only issue I had was due to having so much filling inside, some of the dumpling wrappings couldn't hold the "soup" and either torn from sticking to the lettuce or punctured midway to consumption.
Though Shanghai Dumpling King has the same unoriginal Chinese style exterior and a hole-in-the-wall interior, the food here is good and authentic. Though slowly steering away from eating Chinese food as infrequently as I can, Shanghai Dumpling King still remains as one of my very few favorite to-go-to Chinese restaurants when I'm need a traditional slap to the face (in a good way).
By the way, it's Cash only.Listed in: Trust me, I'm Chinese!
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Review from Megan C.
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Family style Authentic Cuisine
When my friend said she wanted to go for XLB I was on board. Hopped in the car and thought it would be only a few minutes away but soon realized we were heading deep into the city. When we arrived the rain was pouring down, and the steamy dew drops on the windows of the restaurant prefaced a long awaited hearty meal. I knew that it was filled with hungry eaters and warm eats.
In the mood for authentic, thought my friend would pick a good place for that. Everything that we had was delicious: Green beans, Pea Shoot Leaves, Scallion Pancake, Scallion Dumpling, and XLB. While not the best XLB that I have ever (NYC still beats most towns) had it definitely hit the spot. Loved the veggies and enjoyed the dumplings. Wish I would have tried the peanut noodle dish but I was not the designated orderee.
Our service was unbelievably good, except for when I dropped my chopstick and could not find a waiter. Thankfully the box of chopsticks wasn't far from site. Still the people working here were friendly and the food came out with just the right amount of timing, didn't make you wonder if it was already prepared, we waited an ample amount of time.
Would come back again another time. Yum.
Date Rating: 6
Pick up Scale: 2
Strong Suggestion: bring more friends if you want to try more dishes, and or prepare your fridge for the leftovers you'll bring home. -
Review from Alan L.
Shanghai Dumpling King
It's been cold in the city the pass few days and I needed something hot....maybe a soup or something liquid for lunch. I'm headed towards Ocean Beach to see if the waves are up on this nice clear day. Whoa!! Shanghai Dumpling King....there is a line for this small place....must be good food here.
Ok...so here is where I decided to have my lunch. I was lucky....it was around 2:30 in the afternoon and the crowd is just getting smaller and smaller. Sure enough ...suddenly there are many tables available for us. Yes!! No wait ....or at least minimal.
So after being seated we knew we had wanted to order:
Shanghai Steamed Dumpling (XLB) ....this is a dumpling filled with pork and soup wrapped in dough and steamed to perfection. The trick to eating the dumpling is to not break the skin otherwise the soup will leak out and will not taste as good. I think I got lucky....only 1 out of 10 broke on me. This dish had lots of flavor and came to use nice and hot. Needed to be careful to let it cool a little bit first.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
4 Stars....great flavor.
Hung Zhou Crab and Pork Steamed Dumpling.....Same as the Shanghai Steamed Dumpling except has minced crab mixed in with the fillings of the dumpling. Same great taste with additional crab.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
4 Stars....great flavor.
Stir Fried Noodles Shanghai Style.....this dish comes with various meats, chicken, vegetables.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
4 stars......good noodles.
And of course....Cherylynn N's recommendation....Sugar Egg Puffs
Yes!! We just had to try them. They brought them by our table and dangled them in front of my nose....how can I say "No" .....automatically the positive hand motion and the head nod of approval....before I could say "Put those Sugar Egg Puff the table"....I didn't need to say anything else except for "One order please"....3 Sugar Egg Puffs per order. These puff were fresh out of the fryer...light...airy.....topped off with sugar. Eat them when they're hot!!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
4 Star for the Sugar Egg Puffs.
Now this completes a meal....not too heavy...not too light....nice and warm...good for a cold day or any day.
Overall a Solid 4 Star.
Service was as expected.
Ambiance was your typical run down place and tight spots.
Bathroom is one at a time only.
I have to give Kudo's for the food!!
I will return for more!!
Oh....Cash Only -
Review from Annie C.
This place is definitely a hole in the wall but hey, it all adds to the ambiance.
My friend and I saw them on the 2011 7x7 list and since we were working our way down the list, it was only a matter of time that we'd stop by here. I believe there's another dumpling joint down the block so don't get confused, its up the blcok from purple kow if that helps, for all you tapioca lovers.
We ordered the Xiao Loong Baos of course along with the spicy pork dumplings, dude came out and asked if we want some "teem bun" aka dessert since he was going to make a fresh batch so we decided to go for it. Everythings around $5 for 8-10 pieces, howlla. Xiao loong baos came out piping hot (damn me and my excitment though -burned my wittle tongue, but I still had my way with them) . A couple minutes later they brought out our spicy pork dumplings.. which I sort of regreted and thought we should have gotten the wonton versions instead just becasuse the wrap on those bad boys was a little on the thick side.
Afterwards, homie came out with the "teem bun" which turned out to be a fried asian donut with a REAL healthy sprinkle of sugar on top. Teem, for sure. But I enjoyed the warm, soft, sugary-ness after a meal. Writing this review is making me want some xiao loon baos, hmm... -
Review from gabby m.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
Damn, this spot was hella good. The husb picks me up from work and we are both starving. I recall "that dumpling place I saw on tv."
We arrived and the first thing we saw was a big CASH ONLY sign. Be aware, because yelp reports them as taking CC.
Now, on to the food. We had the combo chow mein ( I had been craving noodles for days), which was delicious. Some of the yummiest chow mein ever.
Next, we had pot stickers. They had a delicious mix of minced veggies and I think meat. I was son hungry I didn't even look much! These were really good. I like them with a little soy and hot sauce. Again, one of the best I've had.
We also had some pork dumplings which were also good. I forgot what they were called, but they had pork inside and were enveloped in slightly sweet dumpling skin.
Then, we had sugar egg puffs, which were amazing. I wish I had the balls to eat another order, cuz I could eat two plates of those things by myself.
Definitely will be back. -
Review from Gloria Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here last Thursday night with the bf. We were looking for yummy, but cheap food. It was around 7:30PM and the place was packed. The restaurant is a true hole in the wall. Could use some new paint and dining furniture, but the food is excellent!
Shanghai dumplings: One of the best I've tasted in the Bay Area. Pretty comparable to the ones I love at Koi Palace. The dumpling skin is perfect. The broth is worth slurping. My bf is Korean and doesn't know he has to gulp the dumpling in one mouthful to enjoy the broth along with the skin and filling. He pokes it with his chopsticks and the broth runs all over his plate. Aiya..... such a waste!
Green beans: So tasty! It has a nice salty bite. Very tender.
Sizzling rice soup: I liked it. Bf loved it. Next time I'll try the lionhead soup instead. (FYI... it's not really a lion's head. It's pork meatballs, lol!)
Jiazhang mian: Minced pork sauce over egg noodles. I loved it! I've always had it with thick egg noodles. This place served the sauce over thin egg noodles. It's nice because it's not as filling. And thin noodles means more sauce per bite.
Bottom line: I'm a fan. The waitstaff can be impatient and you will feel rushed from the moment you sit down. But I'm fine with it as long as the prices stay low:) Another bonus is that my favorite milk tea joint is a couple blocks away! -
Review from Kyle W.
Outer Sunset, San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
The spicy wontons, sugar egg puffs, pork and chive dumplings, and soup dumplings are unreal! It can take forever if you order for pick up, and there is often a line, otherwise 5 stars.
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Review from Dave S.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/2/2012
Beware of table number 9!
Actually, it's not that bad, stuffed back in the rear next to the rest room, and we were happy to be able to sit down right away. By the time we left, there was a large crowd outside waiting to get in. This was noon on a Saturday.
I'd rate the food a solid 5, but the condition of the place, and being forgotten by the wait staff (probably due to sitting at table 9) reduced it to a 4.
Lion's head meatball soup- huge, tasty meatballs in a really yummy broth.
Shanghai steamed dumplings- truly mind-blowing flavor and a moderate challenge to eat without losing all the juice on the inside (I don't want to talk about it....)
Spicy chive and pork dumplings- not as yummy as the Shanghai dumplings, but still very good. Also very hot (heat, not spice); we had to let them cool a bit before finishing them.
Sweet soy bean milk- served warm; it was simple, but good and came in handy in cooling the hot chive and pork dumplings.
Sugar egg puff- also very yummy, even after sitting for two hours (hint- eat them right away, don't take them to go!)
Good quality and fantastic taste at a reasonable price; just stay away from table 9... -
Review from D C.
Mountain View, CA
2/5/2012
"Shanghai Dumpling King! They have the BEST xiao long bao!" How many times have I heard this?
Sorry, no, they don't. Not by far.
The flavor of the XLB was good, but not great. Definitely not "the best." I thought the skins were too thick. And there wasn't enough soup in them. The green onion pancakes were bland an soggy. The sugar egg puffs have great potential. They're sugary and egg-y and could be delicious. (Almost like fried Yorkshire pudding covered with sugar.) But on the night we were there, they were super greasy and tasted like old oil.
Guess I'll just have to keep taking trips to SoCal for my XLB and onion pancake fix. http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Vivian L.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Love this hole-in-the-wall place! Don't expect a sparkling clean place or amazing customer service. But the food is delicious and the prices are cheap.
I've pretty much enjoyed everything I've tried here. Some of my favorites are their xiao long bao, spicy tendon appetizer, shanhai rice cakes, garlic eggplant, and scallion pancakes. One bite into the steaming fresh xiao long bao, and the juices pouring out...mmm mmm mmm so good!
The server did recommend some spicy steamed dumplings once and I have to say, I wasn't a fan even though he said it's one of the more popular dishes.
A couple tips:
-CASH only
-come in groups of two and you will be seated pretty quickly. Come in a larger group, expect to wait.
-not a very large restaurant but they do takeout (which I recommend for larger groups)
-expect a food coma after you gorge -
Review from Juan F.
A whole in the wall with BIG flavor, and worth waiting for.
Living in Los Angeles and not far from Monterey Park and the San Gabriel Valley I'm pretty well versed in Asian cuisine, especially dumplings.
Shanghai Dumpling King was just as delicious and the portions are very generous.
We showed up pretty early and still had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. Service as in most dumpling houses is very quick. My advice is to look over the menu while you wait and order right away.
They can get a little busy, so be prepared and order all at once.
My biggest piece of advice is to get the "donuts" they are unlike anything I have ever tasted before. Light, fluffy and fried. Can it be? Yes it can! -
Review from Tracy T.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Another one on the Big Eats 7x7 list find. It's a small hole in the wall type of restaurant with limited seating in terms of number and space. I always find myself sitting in the cozy table (think back to back seats touching with the table behind) near the window every time I've been here. Famous for their soup dumplings (xiao long baos), so expect a wait for these babies and a table during peak hours. Come early to beat the crowd and make sure to place an order if you are on their wait list for a table. That way once you are seated, your food will be on the way.
- Fried onion pancake: thin crispy oily goodness with shreds of scallions. I would normally not order this as I tend to think of thick pancakes, but to my surprise it wasn't and it tasted great.
- Soup dumplings (7x7 favorite): I have to admit that they are cooked to perfection, the middle was not pink and cooked perfectly to lock in moisture/soup. Minus the heavy pork scent and i'll love this dish even more.
- Lion head meatball soup: HUGE flavorful meatballs that came in a big bowl of soup with shredded Chinese cabbage and clear bean threads. Meatballs were cooked very well and the vegetables/noodles were a great addition to all the meat.
- Sugar egg puffs: light, fluffy, and very eggy. Great accompanied with sugar, but I'm not a fan of the heavy egg scent and flavor.
All that food for ~$30+, what a steal! Disregard the wait, flagging of waiter's attention, and the multiple inquiries for one of our missing dishes after our dessert came out and I would say the food worth a try. At least try their soup dumplings to see what the hype is about.
P.S. Cash only and parking is not too bad in the neighboring streets. -
Review from Erika C.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
For awhile I was coming here to get my XLB cravings satisfied. You'll need that craving to turn a blind eye to the greasy and sticky interiors of SDK.
SDK's XLBs are best enjoyed to go... -
Review from Bobbie W.
1/12/2012 2 photos
My friends took me on a "must eats" food crawl when I was in the city and naturally, they took me here for the xiao long bao. This was stop #2 on my four stop tour. We went to Saigon sandwich before and Pizzetta 211 and PPQ after.
I've had my share of xiao long bao and have tried them all over: LA, SF, NY, TPE...I must say that these were pretty darn good. The dough was chewy and the inside was tasty and juicy. Yummmmmm.
Since we had to keep our appetites open for the rest of the crawl, we didn't try anything else but if their xiao long bao was this good, their noodles should be good too! Need to go back the next time I'm in SF. -
Review from Moses G.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Xiao Long Bao, Shanghai Noodles and Green Onion Pancake. Excellent, excellent and different /excellent. Pancake has a crispiness to it. Loved it. 10 min wait for 3 ppl on a Sunday so gauge your drive/walk here. Lotsa Chinese patrons. A pleasant surprise. Well done!
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Review from Kate P.
Ukiah, CA
1/29/2012
I came here earlier this month with my boyfriend and niece.. The place is very small and kinda run down looking, but the food is VERY good.. I will be going back for sure..
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Review from Debby L.
Dear god this place is amazing. By far, the best dim sum i've ever had....even though none of the sizes are "dim sum" size. Every dish is humongous, but I can't eliminate anything because I love it all.
EGG PUFF [DONUT HOLES]
gahhhhh so amazing. Gigantic puffs with light custard on the inside and is mostly air...sprinkled with sugar. See pic because there is no other way for me to describe it. I eat about 6 of these in one sitting.
SPICY WONTON WITH PEANUT SAUCE
Best dish here other than egg puff. The peanut sauce is so addicting. I actually dip the green onion pancake into it as well.
GREEN ONION PANCAKE
Can get filling but who cares. It's really fluffy and good. Like a crepe.
SOUP DUMPLINGS [XIAO LONG BAO]
They are supposed to be the best in the city, but the ones i had barely had any soup this last time and was pretty dry by the time I ate it. I think they left it out a little too long before serving. Every other time it's been amazing though.
LIONS HEAD MEATBALLS
They so so big. SO BIG. Get this and share. If you can't finish, take it home. It tastes delicious as leftovers as well with the spicy wontons.Listed in: SAN FRANCISCO, BREAKFAST JOINTS
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Review from trustmeonthis t.
Alameda, CA
1/31/2012
YUMMY is all I have to say for this place. Not just great bang for your buck but the customer service is excellent. We have always had a great experience and great food when coming here. ENJOY
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Review from Chris H.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
The star of this place here is the xiao long bao, delicious soup dumplings that just burst with the broth when bitten into- it's like sex in the mouth. Delicate dumpling wrappers, meaty pork flavor and perfectly seasoned. Two orders of those could serve as my main course. We also had the black bean chicken and the vermicelli with ground pork. The BB chicken was tasty and better than most divey chinese restaurants and the noodles were nice and spicy too. The other star has got to be the egg puffs, lighter than air fried pastry kinda like choux puffs but they're hot and crispy dusted with powdered sugar, they're eggier and custardy and meltingly soft on the inside, yummmmmyyyyy!
We did have to wait about 20 minutes after putting our names down. Sat by the door and due to the steady stream of people it was open quite often and being a chilly day was a bit uncomfortable. There is no service to speak off but the place is efficient and food literally flew out of the kitchen and it's terribly inexpensive. What's not to like? -
Review from Gordon O.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai Soup Dumpling) Heaven! Of course I found this place on yelp, and everyone who I brought to this place absolutely loved Shanghai Dumpling King! They serve you the steaming dumplings in a wooden steam basket lined with napa cabbage. Just take a small bite on top of the dumpling, enough to slurp the broth and pour some of the dipping sauce and pop it in your mouth!
They also have other other goodies such as the spicy wontons, which is a must try!Listed in: Best Chinese Food in SF!
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Review from Ani C.
12/26/2011
Absolutely WONDERFUL!!!! This is THE place for dumplings!!
I love this place. The food is absolutely amazing. That's it. You don't go for the ambiance (there is none). You don't go for the service either. You go for the FOOD! This place puts Yank Sing and all those other fancy dumpling places to shame!
The place is not fancy. So don't go for the decor! Overlook the old tables, carpet and chairs, I did. But the servers are helpful so ask for their recommendations and specials.... Also, they MAKE the noodles and they are sooo delicious (the fat ones) .
BEST dumplings ever. Period. End.
Try the spicy wonton with peanut sauce (so amazing and delicious). Spicy, sweet. The lions head soup is delicous, and obviously the Shangai Dumpling. Juicy, yummy goodness. Portions are huge, everything is very fresh and made to order. Prices are ridiculously cheap.
The main dishes are also all delicious. Especially all the homemade noodle dishes, the eggplant with chicken and just about everything else I've had there. Finish off with the sugar puffs for dessert-they are so light, fluffy and delicous. One is not enough!
It's SO good! You'll be back.
And trust me, I'm an elite :))Listed in: Cheap Eats!
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Review from Anne D.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
Hole in the wall place with juicy xiao long bao for a little over $5.
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Review from Sappho C.
Gilroy, CA
Good old Shanghai Dumpling King, been here since I was in high school. I still feel that I can depend on the quality of the Xiao Long Bao! Very very delicious! Party of 3 would place 4 orders of those! Now besides that, the other food are decent. But if you are coming here, better order the little dumplings!
Remember that they take cash only, and you probably won't find a ATM for a few blocks, so bring those greens!!! -
Review from Lin W.
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Because I heard a lot about it from my friends, I was really excited to try this restaurant out in the San Fran suburbs. It's kind of a hole in the wall and I must said, although this place is decent, I don't see myself craving it anytime soon.
The big bean sprouts dish was reallyyy delicious and so was the vegetarian goose meat and the tofu dishes. However, I wasn't that satisfied with the main meals. We ordered shanghai soup dumplings, spicy wontons, and the rice cakes. The rice cakes are fairly good and something I would definitely recommend but the spicy wontons were more sweet than spicy. As for the shanghai soup dumplings, my boyfriend loved it but it was also his first time trying soup dumplings. Personally, I thought it was a bit sweeter than normal shanghai dumplings.
Personally, I'd come to this place for their appetizers and stir fry vegetables but the food may be more on the sweet side than salty side. -
Review from Tien T.
12/17/2011
Been here a few times the past few years and I've always loved their xiao long bao....this time however....HUGE disappointment!! Almost every dumpling had no soup?!? WTF?!? A soup dumpling with no soup?!?
Why the 4 stars still....well I'm going to assume it was an off day & they made up for it with the other dishes.
SPICY WONTON
pork filled wontons in a spicy peanut sauce. the sauce was a huge shocker for me...the peanuts made it extra creamy and the spices were perfect.
LIONS HEAD
giant sized pork meatballs on top of a bed of spinach & smothered in a thick gravy. You can get it as a soup as well, but the gravy is a million times better.
GREEN ONION PANCAKE
crispy yumminess...I recommend dipping the pancake in the Lions Head & Spicy Wonton sauce!!
SUGAR EGG PUFFS
I would climb a snow covered mountain barefoot and fight a crazed hungry polar bear to get my lips around these balls!! They taste like fluffy egg custard tarts!!
HINT: don't even attempt eating here on the weekends....the wait is insane!!Listed in: San Francisco
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Review from Peter G.
Vallejo, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
For a place that boasts that they are the KING of xiao long bao (Shanghai Dumpling), I'll give it to them... they were delicious. I agree with a lot of the reviewers on here that while delicious and cheap, the wrap on the actual dumplings needs improvement. The meat juice inside that beautifully packaged dumpling is what makes the experience eating it, the most worthwhile. Many of them burst open during the several attempts at retrieving it from its literally "glued-on state" in the steamer basket that they came in.
Ordered a couple of other dishes, including Potstickers, Spicy Dumplings with Peanut Sauce, and Chive and Shrimp Dumplings, all of which were okay, just subpar to the main attraction, the xiao long bao.
So you may ask, with food that seems good for the most part, why the 2-star review? Two words: HORRIBLE SERVICE.
If you want your water glasses filled, good luck. Extra napkins? Pssh. Don't even think about expecting your server to come by your table and ask how everything is. I could understand the inattentive nature of the staff (to an extent) if the place was overflowing with clientele, but considering my friend and I being some of the only customers in the establishment at that time, sadly that excuse wouldn't work in their favor.
Overall, food is good. Service and dining experience... Meh.
An experience in the McDonald's drive-thru has them beat. (Yes, I went there.) -
Review from derk l.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2011
Ordered the shanghai noodle was charged 8.95 and the special vegetable and charged 11.95, check was Chinese. The noodles had the same texture as udon noodles.
Four dishes and rice, shanghai dumplings, onion pancake, shanghai noodle and the vegetable came to $39.49
Interior very dirty. -
Review from Brenton C.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2011
If you've been to one chinese food place, you've been to them all... Well, this place is Soup Dumpling Royalty, so have a little respect. It's hard to sum up the great experiences I've had at this spot - always with a great group of friends, who I have trouble interacting with, due to the amazingly tasting food. For the number of patrons that visit, the place is small, but the sometimes cramped seating does little to detract from the great food, once served of course.
Breaking form, I'm going to say that everything on the menu is A+ tasty... Mongolian beef, fried spinach, braised string beans, braised salted port, green onion pancake & much much more - to put it mildly, they know what their doing in the kitchen; & I don't care what it is, cause I love coming back.
The pièce de résistance is the Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings... never has being burned by the food you eat, been such a pleasant experience - that's after you swallow the 3-alarm fire of course. Make sure to use proper technique in picking the dumpling up without breaking the skin - served fresh, steaming hot... the temperature's misleading till the soup inside explodes around you mouth. Succulent sums it up all too nicely... you'll definitely want at least 2 orders, even on a full stomach.
Why 4 Stars? This is definitely an authentic place; in that the menus, staff & most patrons are Chinese. That's not a bad thing at all... but it does give me the 'fish-out-of-water' feel, preventing me from going there without a friend hip to the lingo... which, in and of itself is a great tradeoff.
Thank you Andy L, 4 orders was perfect!! -
Review from Harriet W.
San Francisco, CA
My boyfriend and I came here because of the article that listed their Shanghai dumpling as one of the must haves in San Francisco. i wasn't expecting much at first, but I was definitely proven wrong.
You MUST get their #4 Shanghai Dumpling and Spicy Pork Dumpling (it's not spicy at all for those who are wondering, and I don't like spicy). My boyfriend and I got 2 of the Shanghai dumpling and spicy pork dumpling and we were absolutely stuffed.
We liked this place so much that we drove across the city again for more dumplings a week later :) -
Review from Khanh V.
Westminster, CA
12/30/2011
We came here for the xiao long bao.... it was soooo tasty. the juice was soooo good.
However, I find that the wrap is not so good, as many of our bao bursted out before we had the chance to get all the juice... sad.... The meat inside was still amazing though.
But yeah, the wrapping can be a bit better.
(for some reason, i don't like eating my dumplings with the vinegar they provide) -
Review from Linh V.
Updated - 11/22/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Looking back at my previous review, I don't know why I said the Xiao Long Bao (XLB) was bland. Compared to authentic Shanghai dumplings in Shanghai, perhaps. But compared to other XLB places in Nor Cal? Definitely not. This is the best XLB place yet here, even compared to some (not all) places down in So Cal.
I recently came back with a friend, Jenny C. (yes, she's my lover. the secret's out!), while she was visiting. We ordered a serving of XLB (why else would you be here?!), Shanghai stir-fried noodles, and Lion's Head in Gravy.
XLB: Large, fresh, flavorful soup, and not-too-thick-but-not-too-thin skin. To me, it was perfect (but I have yet to try DTF). I love it when the soup flows out after that first poke with the chopstick. It's like popping a cherry each and every time. Yup, I said it.
Shanghai Stir-Fried Noodles: I love the texture of these noodles. Actually, they're not so much "noodles" as they are thin slivers of rice cakes that are soft and chewy. I have to say that even though this is where I first tried and fell in love with this dish, the sauce is not as flavorful as others I've tried since. It's a little bland but I think that's the Cantonese influence (still bumpin Canto pride!) from the owners.
Lion's Head in Gravy: Jenny C. wanted this dish after seeing the popularity of it on Yelp. I'm not a meatball fan and the giant (I mean GIANT) meatballs that appeared in front of us did not change my mind. It's just a glob of meat molded into balls. But the gravy is good and went very well with my rice the next day.
Overall: Great XLB, cheap prices, no wait, but small and not the best kept place in town.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2011
The last time I had Shanghai dumplings was last year in Shanghai. Since I've gotten back to the… Read more »
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Review from Jessica P.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2011
Yummies!
I love this place, but I don't love the wait!
Dumplings, dumplings and more dumplings. It a hole the wall kind of place, but the dumplings are amazing.
But be careful when the juice in the dumpling explodes in your mouth because its super hot! -
Review from Ryan L.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
It genuinely is a great place; it's not expensive and the food is good. My only problem is it's consistency. For sure, the xiao long baos are always good but other dishes can really drag down the overall quality. I am not a fan of their onion pancakes and their rice noodles mainly because they use way too much oil. I even experienced undercooked rice noodles which required more than a few soft bites to break through a single noodle. I still come for their delicious dumplings and that alone is the reason for me to come back.
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Review from Erin H.
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I don't like writing bad reviews, but I've been to this place twice and haven't been impressed either time.
The xiao long bao specifically really aren't great. Out of two orders of xlb, I only picked ONE bao up without the bottom falling off by itself (and taking all the juice with it!). This is not user error - I love soupy xlb and go to din tai fung whenever I can and almost never lose the soup.
Also, the one xlb I had with soup was not a tasty soup... it's sweeter than what I'm used to. Perhaps my standards have gotten too high after eating din tai fung xlb in Taiwan and Malaysia in the past year, but I won't be making the trip out for their xlb.
I am curious about their lion's head meatballs though. Would be willing to give that a try if I get taken here again. -
Review from Patrick S.
Oakland, CA
12/3/2011
Make sure and try the stir fried bean shoots and the spicy dumplings (with a savory peanut sauce).
The soup dumplings were as great as I'd hoped. Would love to return if they ever decide to move a lot closer to where I live.
No booze, but there are stores a block away that have lovely beer selections.
Tip: All of the dumpling orders seemed to come with 8-10 pieces. It added up real quick and we had a ton of food to go at the end of the meal.
They appear to have a mandatory Chinese donut policy, so beware. We got three donuts at the end of our meal and one of the three was amazing, totally oil free, light, sweet, crisp. The other two were oily, with oil trapped in folds of the donut. Sort of like a soup dumpling, but a lot less appealing. Worth a bite to check out for sure and it was free so did not deduct any stars. -
Review from Nandiya A.
Hayward, CA
11/23/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Soooooooup dumplings and "suger" egg puffs (that's how they spell it on the menu).
Cash only, guys, if you missed the memo with all their signs everywhere.
The food- Every thing is delicious! The noodle dishes, the garlic pea shoots, the pancakes, the buns, the soup are all bursting in flavor - especially the soup dumplings, litterally. Be careful of those little ones because they will burst with hot liquid in your mouth if you bite into them immediately. I understand you may be hungry from the wait, but it's not a good idea to do so, as it will burn your mouth! Other than that they are just too good to resist.
And for the price, at less than 6 bucks you can get 10 steaming dumplings! The price is so awesome for this awesome food. They just go together perfectly! Save room for dessert because they have some steamed or fried buns with condensed milk or you can get the famous sugar egg puffs! Those are pretty cheap as well.
The service and atmosphere... well what can you expect from a small hole in the wall Asian spot? Most of the time they're cool, but if you get on their nuts and ask where's your plate that you've been waiting 45 mins for, they can go off at you. One time I wanted some sugar egg puffs togo but they gave me old stale ones. Make sure you ask them to make you FRESH ones! But that only happens when they make too much . It's clean but not clean like a 4-5 star restaurant where you get white cloth napkins and linen tablecloths.
It is still worth the wait and everything is tasty! Get the Shanghai soup dumplings if it's your first time. My friends just live a couple blocks away and this is totally perfect for rainy weather, comfort food, craving food food, in the mood for Chinese, hangover food, or anytime food! -
Review from Alee K.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2011
Okay, you know the drill right?
There's a bunch of people on here complaining about not enough napkins, bad parking, wobbly tables, their gerbil died the night they ate here and are therefore docking stars like chumps...
At long last, this place rules. Order the dumplings primarily, have the sauteed eggplant and the green onion pancakes to round things out but really, ORDER THE DUMPLINGS. Ask your waiter for advice if need be but #4, #5, and #8 are all exceptional.
Bring your brews from up the street as well. Just do that. Really.
This place kills. I understand if you don't like this place. It means you're a whiny little baby that needs their bottle. It's cool. Baby wanna bottle?
