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Shanghai House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
3641 Balboa St(between 37th Ave & 38th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 831-9288
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- 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:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
317 reviews for Shanghai House
Review Highlights
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"I also like the spicy dry fried chicken wings." In 26 reviews -
"Hand Cut Noodles (oh man soooo good it makes me cry." In 35 reviews -
"I've always been a fiend for Xiao Long Bao." In 51 reviews
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317 reviews in English
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Review from Robert Y.
5/7/2012
3.75
small CASH ONLY place
shanghai dumplings (10/$5.50)
probably the second best xiao long bao Ive eaten at a restaurant (1st being din tai fung in la). Came with ginger and vinegar dipping sauce. Nice and juicy/soupy with slighly flavored pork meat. Good value 4/5
vegetarian goose $5.50
mushrooms wrapped in bean curd. Decent dish but nothing too exciting. 3.5/5
tea leaf peking duck 12.50
pretty dry and fatty soy sauce flavored duck. Kinda salty and a little different than your typical chinese bbq duck. No chives and they only served 4 buns. I think ill pass on this next time. 2/5
Overall a decent place for shanghai cuisine. Cash only and located on the same block as the ramen place and purple kow. I wouldnt mind coming back. Parking sucks around this area as usual. -
Review from Mei C.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012 4 photos
Came here for lunch since we planned on going across the street to Purple Kow for drinks after wards.
Upon entering the restaurant, the female waitress/hostess was on her cell phone and ignored us. We stood there like idiots not sure if we were supposed to seat ourselves or to continue to wait. After what seems like an eternity (which is probably more like 5 minutes) with the already seated patrons looking at us... the chef (male worker) came out and noticed us. He motioned us to a table and started getting the attention the the female waitress to get off her phone. She looked irritated that he was telling her to get off her cellphone.
Anyways... we ordered Shanghai Dumplings (xiao long bao), Hand Cut noodle and Potstickers.
The Shanghai Dumplings were ok. I prefer Shanghai Dumpling Kings a few blocks away more.
The Hand Cut Noodle was ok. Had a lot of cabbage and not enough noodle.
The Potstickers were average.
They also accidentally gave us the vegetarian goose and when we pointed out that we did not order it... the lady kept asking us if we wanted to keep it. Which we did not want or we would've ordered it to begin with. At least she didn't charge us for it.
All in all... I will not go back since Shanghai Dumpling King is only a few blocks away and taste much better and cheaper. -
Review from Cara K.
San Francisco, CA
I hate waiting for food, and we WAITED so long.
There was only one lady working, and all the tables had customers with a few people waiting outside. She obviously does not have a sense of urgency because she moves like a turtle. She took forever to take our order, fill up our tea, bring our food, and everything else. What was supposed to be a 40 minute dinner turned into 1 1/2 hours. And I know why they're slow... it's because they want to give their "to-go" customers their food first (so they can make more money selling food through the phone and keep the actual people here waiting).
So now the food.. the Xiao Lun Bao is pretty good, the skin was not too thick and the soup inside was good. We also ordered the Lion's Head, which is a meatball with bamboo inside a claypot. This dish was impressive. And we also had an appetizer, some kind of fish, i forgot the name.
Tip: This place is CASH ONLY, and don't come here if you are hungry, because you'll starve. And you might get irritated like me.. -
Review from Christie X.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2012
Another 3.5 stars but I can't give it that; plus it's better than most of the other 3.5 stars restaurants that I've tried recently.
As other Yelpers have expressed, the service is SLOW and the restaurant is pretty small. I think I counted five workers including the waitress/hostess. There is an older gent washing the dishes, another older woman who brings the food out, her younger friend and then one person COOKING all the dishes in the small kitchen. Wow. Thankfully we weren't in a rush today.
We ordered the following:
- dry fried chicken - Yes, very similiar to San Tung's, but I think the drummettes were a little bigger (and I still think ST's is tastier. Dammit.)
- dry fried green beans - I prefer the one at San Tung's b/c there were too many other fillers at SH: peppers and onions
- Shanghainese noodles - it reminded me of stir fried Japanese udon, but I liked it
- beef tendon - YUM. My favorite appetizer.
I could see myself coming back here if I was craving this food during off peak hours, say, 2:00 to 3:00. Oops, I'm looking at the take-out menu and they close everyday (but Tuesday) at 3:30 and reopen at 5:00. -
Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
Food was good. I would give it a 4.
But boy the service is just really slow.
I'm guessing the waitress/cashier must be the wife (common in small chinese restaurants). I think her bulb is on a dimmer.
Takes a long time to get menus, tea, order, bill. Difficult to get her attention.
Hey but the food is good and that's what matters. I just have to have at least a couple of hours for a nice simple lunch.
Would go back but just not to often. Time is precious. -
Review from Allen K.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2012
Let me start by saying, and if it's not already obvious, I'm Asian American and more specifically, Chinese American. I grew up eating very traditional Chinese food BUT at the same time love the taste of "americanized" chinese food like "general's chicken" kung pao, sweet and sour, etc.
This place is suits BOTH palates. It's a little far from everything but if you have extra time and a car, this place is WORTH IT. Small but pleasant, you will be greeted by a chinese lady who doesn't speak much. While she may seem unfriendly at first, come back a few more times and she will recognize you and greet you with a smile.
Here are your MUST ORDERS:
1) Dried Fried Chicken Wings
2) Hot and Sour Soup
3) Xiao Long Bao (Pork Soup Dumplings)
4) hand cut noodles
The rest is up to you. This place is CASH ONLY and a very good deal. With 4-6 people, don't expect to pay more than $15-$20. -
Review from XYZ Q.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pretty good shanghainese food according to a shanghainese person :)
Don't order their rice cake or salt meat fried rice (xian cai rou fan), a very typical shanghainese dish because they are not that good
We ordered 3 seafood dish and they r all pretty good...on the salty side so prepare to drink plenty of water after ur meal...hehe -
Review from Joanna M.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
In the Outer Richmond, this spot is great. On the weekends, there is usually a line outside the restaurant (not TOO long of a wait though), as the place is pretty tiny (only 8 or 9 tables inside? That sit 2-6 people each?)
Yummy xiao long baos. They hit the spot every time. All of the other dishes I've tried here have also been equally delicious.
Service is meh, but it won't deter me from coming back :) (after all, we're talking about a Chinese restaurant here...oh, which also means: CASH ONLY!) -
Review from Andy W.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place pales compared to Shanghai Dumpling King which is only 2 blocks over.
This place is a lot cleaner than Shanghai Dumpling King but you don't come to these places for the decor, you come for the food, right?
Their XLB is not bad but the skin is a bit thicker and the filling is less flavorful compared to Shanghai Dumpling King. I also had their chow mein. It was bland as hell.
Skip this place and head over two blocks for the real thing. -
Review from Lisa M.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Get your Xiao Long Bao!!
One of my favorite places for Shanghai dumplings in San Francisco. It's a continual challenge to find the perfect xiao long bao: delicate skin, perfect balance of meat to skin, acceptable amount of soup inside, and perfect serving temperature. There seem to be a lot of restaurants that take on this challenge but many tend to disappoint.
Shanghai House does a very good shanghai dumpling which is even recommended by one of my friends who has been to multiple Din Tai Fung locations even the original one in Taiwan. I've tried other dishes on the menu including the noodle dishes, vegetable and meat dishes, and appetizers here but the standout for me is the xiao long bao which are about $6.00 per serving. Make sure to order more than one steamer basket because you can't just stop at a couple :) -
Review from Annie P.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2012
Good was really good but afterwards I was super thirsty and sleepy. MSG? Maybe? All the deep-fried greasy food didn't sit well with me. It's a shame I can't go back.
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Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is based on my visit earlier today:
Pro: I ordered the dry fried spicy chicken wings and, to me, it was delicious. I very much enjoyed its level of crunchiness, the sweet taste of the coating, and the garlic-like sauce it came in.
Meh: The serving was, overall, not the most attentive or congenial. She didn't really say hi or anything when I came in and held up one finger to request table for party of one. I was sat down and presented a menu, but she did come back with tea or anything for a long time until quick a while later, and I had to get her attention for that. At least to her credit, she was kind enough to open and hold the door on two separate occasions for customers who were leaving: one who was on crutches, and later another who was walking with a cane.
Also, visiting the restroom was "interesting" in that you have to walk thru their food preparation area and then go upstairs via staircase that turns four times before reaching the destination.
I was leaning towards a two-star review because of the initial poor service. In the end, I decided to give the extra star for the chicken and some credit to the lady opening the door during the occasions mentioned. -
Review from Ling H.
Another update: Been back several times since my last update and it's become a favorite for me in the city. We got lucky on this cold Saturday night, but we got front row parking. Whaaaaaaaaat. Food tasted really good, but unfortunately, everything wasn't piping hot like it usually is.
Service was a little slow so I wouldn't come here if you were in a time crunch. There's only one lady that takes your order and understands English.
The dry chicken wings are still better than San Tung's IMO along with the friends I was with :) So definitely get those!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/18/2009
Walked in and with 3 separate groups waiting and no server, we all decide to sit down at different… Read more »
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Review from Charles C.
Pleasanton, CA
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Authentic Xiao Long Bao. My family loves it. Chinese donuts is excellent too. I agree service is not the best, but this does not deter us to come back.
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Review from Betty W.
2/15/2012
How do I express my love-hate relationship with Shanghai House? I've loved their food since they opened, but the service drives me absolutely insane!! There's only one woman working as the cashier/waitress/server/busboy; with all those responsibilities, you would think she's superwoman.......but she's not. The service is ridiculously slow and the food takes ages to arrive. That brings us to the sole reason why I continue to go to Shanghai House: the food is amazing.
1. Shanghai dumplings - 10 in each order, each perfectly plump and full of juices...soup I meant. (5/5)
2. Vegetarian goose - I honestly cannot tell you why it's called goose- I think it's made of some tofu skin. I'm allergic but still order it anyway - that's how delicious it is, really. (5/5)
3. Dry fried chicken wings - amazingly sweet and spicy and flavorful. Definitely up to par with the infamous San Tung chicken. Sadly, it is a little inconsistent - It's sometimes better (spicier and sweeter) and sometimes worse (saltier) than San Tung's dry fried chicken. (4/5)
4. Hand-cut noodles - tasted like a chow mein type dish. Noodles were thick and uneven. I enjoyed it, but it was a little too greasy. (3/5)
4. Chinese donut - don't do it! Really, it's not because it's disgustingly unhealthy and deep fried, but because it looks and tastes like it. It looks kind of like a churro, minus the cinnamon and sugar and amazingness. Imagine a long brick of dough, injected with butter and lard, and deep-fried. (0/5)
Give yourself an extra 10 mins to find parking, and an additional 30 mins to wait for your food. -
Review from Zee Z.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Soo GOOD, yet SOOO SLOW!
3 people in the kitchen, 1 person at the front.
It takes forever to order, and it take another forever for the food to come. If you drove, find a non-meter parking spot, becuase this is NOT the place for quickies.
Their Xiao Long Bao is so juicy, so much better than Shanghai Dumpling King.
For noodle, try the pan-fried "hand cut" noodle, it's very chewy & yummy.
Oh, last but not least, order to chicken. you will NOt regret!
ONE more thing, CASH ONLY! -
Review from Vicky L.
Updated - 9/16/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I inadvertently made a trip back out to Shanghai House almost exactly two years after my first and only time out to this stretch of the Outer Richmond, and I feel that they've redeemed themselves because when you eat something that you continually crave for weeks afterwards, you KNOW it's good.
My friend and I came out here late one weeknight and ordered the XLB (not the best, but good anyway) and split the spicy 8-combination noodle soup with the hand-cut noodles. Best. Thing. Ever. The broth was spicy but not overly so, and there were tons of things in the bowl: shrimp, chicken, beef, peanuts, bean curd.. yes, delicious. The noodles were really tender and had the wonderful homemade taste to them.
If I'd known it was that good, I would've ordered one for myself and not shared. BUT that just gives me another excuse to come back out here so I CAN order one to myself.Listed in: CCG Approved
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/19/2009
At first I was going to give this place 3 stars, but then I decided that it was a solid 3.5 stars.… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2011
I love this place. I have literally been here 3 times in the last 3 days. The food is good, the prices are cheap, and it's right around the corner from my place.
+the chicken wings are AMAZING! better than the ones at san tung!
+xiao lung bao are juicy and flavorful! better than the ones at shanghai dumpling king
+pan fried dumplings are another favorite but NOT on the menu, just ask for it
+tan tan noodles taste even better cold the next day, seriously
+my parents always order the eight combination noodle soup and its spicy but just the right amount, great for a rainy day!
-the only negative is their service is slow, they only have one waitress and she also runs the cashier but other than that...4 solid stars -
Review from Regi K.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Green Onion Pancakes
Xiao Lung bao
soy been drink
jelly fish salad
pickled vegetable and pork noodle soup
dry fried chicken wings
dry fried green beans
and most importantly, their salt and pepper pig knuckles....
yum, yum, good.....
there are limited tables, and service is not really great.
We go there early as we have a toddler who loves noodles.
good place, just be sure to bring cash. -
Review from Brian V.
7/24/2011
Shanghai dumplings is my most recent discovery. There is something magical about these nearly transparent skinned XLB (code for these dumplings I have picked up from reading fellow yelpers); when I wash up in the shower and gingerly soap the sacs, I sometimes picture twin XLB's hanging. Eating these dumplings take years and years of experience and practice. The science of it is it is delicately picking it up by its foreskin cleanly, as to not let any juices leak, plopping it into soy sauce, then laying it on your tongue and sliding it into your mouth. I have had Shanghai Dumpling King nearby which was pretty good, however KDer told me that Shanghai House had dumplings that were renown and comparable if not better. I could eat 3-4 treys of XLB's at Shanghai Dumpling King so I was hesitant if anything else could compare.
This place is always crowded. Unlike Shanghai Dumpling King which is a dump, this place is somewhat modern. There is even a glass door. However, beware of this aesthetic beauty. It does not close completely, and any gust of wind will jar it open, letting in a cold draft of pneumonia. Because there is so much ingoing and outgoing traffic, my teeth would have been chattering if not for the dry chicken wings. As of all Chinese restaurants, waitresses do not engage you in banter. They jot down your order, bring it to you and try to get you to leave as soon as possible. There is not even the slightest hint of a smile. We ordered:
1. xiao long bao: 4/5 These shanghai dumplings were good, however, inferior to that of Shanghai Dumpling King. First off, the outside dough was a little too thick as opposed to the nearly translucent skin of Dumpling King. As a result, it was a little heavier to eat and fills you up faster. A plus is that because of a thicker outer skin, they are less apt to break, spilling out succulent juices. These dumplings are also very small, so while there are 10 mini bundles of joy, you can chow through them pretty fast.
2. pork dumplings: 3/5 These pork dumplings were shaped differently from the original baos. These were decent. Again, the dough exterior was thicker than I would have liked. The pork was tasty inside, however, nothing was truly outstanding. It was an average dish.
3. shanghai panfry noodles: 3/5 This was a KDer dish and she made sure to get it vegetarian, stripping the order of its meat. Curse her. The noodles were very greasy. In addition, I am not a fan of those really thick noodles. I prefer the thin chow mein type noodles. We ordered too much so I really didn't eat eat much of this until the next day. It was good as a instant lunch, however, I believe it was more a product of my hunger than to the testament of the noodles. A pile of oil and grease rested on my plate after the noodles were gone.
4. dry chicken wings: 5/5 I've had the original dry chicken wings at San Tungs and I will say these are delicious and just a small notch below the original innovators. These dry chicken wings were spicy. In addition, they arrived piping hot, and because I was too hungry to wait for them to cool, I alternated between blowing the chicken, taking a bite, and blowing my fingers to alleviate the minor 3rd degree burns being afflicted upon them. While an order of San Tung's wings are more in quantity, Shanghai House's wings are much bigger. There is more meat on these wings. The caramelized sauce is too money and this dish made the meal.
Shanghai House is affordable like 99.9% of Chinese restaurants, however, they do jack their price an extra dollar or two due to all the media hoopla they have received. They proudly paste their accolades on the glass window. I am not the biggest fan of Chinese food. As I have said countless times, I believe their food to be overly sauced and greasy. In addition, service is non-existant but you cannot hold a Chinese restaurant to that standard. If you are tired of waiting in line for San Tungs tho, come here. To be honest, I can't say San Tung is a clear cut favorite. These wings can hold San Tung wings' jock. -
Review from Elaine N.
8/8/2011 2 photos
My friend suggested Shanghai House because I had a craving for Shanghai Dumplings. This place did not disappoint.
Shanghai Dumplings (XLB) -- lots of soup and meat, great balance of warm soup and gingered vinegar dipping sauce.
Green Onion Pancakes -- thin and slightly crunchy pancake, great with hot sauce.
Pork&Veggie Potstickers -- savory pork, moist dumpling skin fried to crunchy perfection.
Shanghai Noodles -- udon sized noodles stir fried with veggies. Good but not my favorite. -
Review from Katarina L.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for the savory rice rolls and xiao long bao but left a fan of the savory soy bean milk & stir fried shanghai rice cake. After hearing one of my friends rave about the savory rice rolls at this place for weeks, we finally made it here one sunday morning.
xiao long bao (2 stars): skin a little too thin and soggy for my liking. perhaps steamed too long but the filling was good.
savory rice roll (3.5 stars): good proportion of rice to filling but i like my chinese doughnut a little less smushed, not so much rou song, and a little bit more pickled veggie. was a little bit too salty for my liking.
savory soy bean milk (4 stars): yum and filling. would have given it five stars had there been chinese doughnut pieces floating arount.
stir fried shanghai rice cake (4 stars): delicious. rice cake was cooked to the proper consistency and there was just the right about of flavoring in the stir fry to not drown out the flavor of the rice cake.
service here is possibly a little slow, it took a long time to get the check, you would think they'd be a little faster when there is a line of people waiting at the door for a table. lots of other yummy sounding dishes on the menu, i'll be back to try out the hand cut noodles in the beef brisket noodle soup. -
Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2011
The chicken wings are good as advertised.
The onion pancakes were fabulous as well.
The only minor downside was service. They are friendly but there's usually only one person handling all the tables. Also, if it matters, no alcohol here.
One of our "go to" places. -
Review from Chris L.
Millbrae, CA
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I ordered sesame chicken for a takeout. I was enjoying the food very much until I chewed on a meat that has a tiny but hard ROCK inside it.... It scratched one of my teeth really bad now I have to spend my money on a dentist cuz of this... I really can't imagine myself going back to this place cuz honestly I'm too scared to go back...
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Review from Liz B.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/20/2011
Danced myself back to this restaurant because I was down for some vegetarian food. If you follow me here in the wonderful world of Yelp, you'll know by now that I love me some vegetables (and fruits!). So with that said, I've read many reviews about Shanghai House's vegetarian friendly dishes.
So I came in, sat by the window and ordered:
1. Vegetarian Goose
2. Vegetarian dumplings
3. Bean curd salad
And let me tell you... I use to not enjoy Chinese restaurants for the mere fact that almost every dish I know of is swimming in canola oil. It still holds true to this day, and believe me, this place is no exception. But what I realize is that I love food that originates from Asia, mostly because I love that their dishes tend to incorporate lots of vegetables.
Shanghai House deserves a four star rating for this reason.
Sure, I had their sinful fried chicken not too long ago, but let's not think about that now. I am well aware of my cravings and I know when to stop.
What I do know is that 3 vegetarian dishes all to myself fills me up. Who says vegetarians and vegans are hungry all the time??? I am not one, but hey, I know for a fact that if i wanted vegetables for dinner, I know I have to eat at least a pound before I feel completely satisfied.
Back to the food, which is the main reason for this review. If you haven't figured it out by now, I LOVE it. The vegetarian goose was sweet and salty, dumplings were warm and delicious, and the bean curd salad was refreshing. I'm glad I only live a few blocks away, because I am all for trying out more of their dishes! To tell you the truth, service is not all that great and it's cash only, but hey, the food's what gets me so I'm good!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/24/2011
This is bad. REALLY bad. I've managed to find a Chinese restaurant that serves heart clogging fried… Read more »
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Review from Diana C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/3/2011
So after a long time since my last visit (not so great), I decided to give this place another shot. Mostly because I was craving hand cut noodles and didn't want to drive all the way to Fatima in Cupertino.
What can I say, they've improved a lot since my last visit. The xiao long bao was REALLY soupy (and also really meaty), and the skin was nice and chewy, the way I like it.
The hand cut noodle soup was also good. The noodles are thinner than what I'm used to, but considerably chewy. The soup base is tasty.
And they do rotations of different kinds of veggie plates which I like. The service was also much better this time. Glad I gave it another try!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/28/2009
Food was so-so. The only saving graces of this restaurant are two things:
1. They're the only place… Read more »
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Review from Kevin W.
Definitely a good place to get some good soup dumplings. I'm not sure if I like these soup dumplings better or the one over at Shanghai Dumpling House. But these were definitely flavorful. We had all sorts of other dishes, but the dishes that I thought were good was the fried chicken wings, beef noodle dish and spareribs.
The place is small but its clean. And it definitely wasn't busy right away at 6pm on a Wednesday night. -
Review from Vincent C.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2012
I would just give this five stars if it was only based on the food. The service is simply lacking...sloooowwww.
That being said, the food is some of the best chinese I have had. If you dine in be sure and ask for both menus. They have one menu of standard chinese fare but done better than any place I have tried; kung pao chicken, twice cooked pork etc. And one menu of more esoteric dishes that they probably wont give you unless you are asian or if you ask for it. The second menu has sizzling clay pot rice, pork belly, pork knuckle...
Be sure and check this place out -
Review from Kim P.
San Jose, CA
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is purely for the amazingly delicious fried chicken wings. Chinese people have fried chicken? Yes, they do and it's one of the best kinds of fried chicken I've had in a long time. Covered in a garlicy sweet spicy sauce, the chicken is extra crispy on the outside yet moist and flavorful on the inside. I love the extra kick you get from the spiciness as well. Even the bf, who has a high spicy tolerance, thought the wings had a nice spiciness to it. I think these wings are even better than the ones at san tung.
We also tried the hand made noodles which were okay, but kind of bland and didn't look all that pretty either. They were better after you mixed it with the sauce from the chicken wings however haha.
Minus one star though for the lack of a bathroom (isn't that illegal for a restaurant?). You can go next door and use the cafe's restroom if you buy something though. Otherwise I would bring wipes or something cause you'll need them for your hands after the eating the wings. -
Review from Leslie R.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Things that make me go mmmm mmm.
-XLB! One order gets your 10 succulent soup dumplings.
-Green Onion Pancake (not greasy at all)
-Dry Fried Chicken Wings ( UBER CRUNCHY with savory spicy sauce on the outside and spiced well in the inside.
-TAN TAN Noodles ( think spicy noodles with meat sauce and a nice hint of sesame oil)
Let's just face it...I come here for dumplings. I brought a friend and my bf here after sutdying and they were so happy. My bf lives near clement and felt he knew all places that did dim sum right but he had never been to Shanghai House.
Remember: Cash Only and even though the one waitress that works there never smiles give her a break and be patient. -
Review from Eugenia G.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2011
Shanghai House is just alright. Came here for dinner with E.G. and Edgar G. one evening. Here's what we ordered:
-Vegetarian Goose: Mushroom wrapped in bean curd with a saue over it-- it was okay. I've had better. The sauce had a bit of a tangy taste to it
-Shanghai dumpling: Soup filled but very deflated as a dumpling when it came out... does that make any sense? I've had better as well.
-Chicken wings: Sweet from the honey and spicy from the red peppers. Probably my most favorite dish of the night
-I don't remember the name of the last dish we got but it was a noodle soup. The noodles are definitely hand pulled and reminded me of Xian Famous Foods in New York City but didn't compare.
There is only one worker who works in the front. I would have to agree with other yelpers that she looks really tired with her panda eyes. Though it wasn't busy the night I went, the worker was really slow. Even cleaning up tables took her a good 30 minutes or so. Unless I become desperate, I don't think I will be returning. There are other places in SF with much better food. -
Review from Diana L.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2011
Came here with family for shanghai dumplings and drunken chicken. The place sure looked family run with the daughter taking care of business and the parents running in the back. The place is kind of small and everything was good, but not to die for. Kind of pricey though so it's a pass for me.
*old review* -
Review from Thuyvi T.
Houston, TX
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
People in SF are too spoil. Every street is brimming with authentic eateries that makes your heart melt.
I've always been a fiend for Xiao Long Bao. There is such a nice balance between the warm soup and the acidity of the gingered vinegar. My heart smiles a little every single time I bite into one. Shanghai House does is absolutely right. The dumpling skin is moist but not rubbery and and pork filling is flavored to perfection.
I also discovered something new. Hand cut noodles. Think fat Japanese Ramen. So delicious. We got the pickled vegetables and pork with the noodles and it was magnificent.
Best of all, it's so cheap. All of that for under $20 with tax and tip. -
Review from Roserrele W.
San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011
Hubby's friend suggested this restaurant to us and we tried it with the kids hoping to find a new place for our girl's birthday party. Parking was not easy as there was a concert 2 blocks away in Gold Gate Park.
We have ordered the following items for 5 people, 3 adults and 2 kids: -
1) Shanghai dumplings (siu lung bao) 10 small pieces
2) Green onion pancakes
3) Shanghai rice cakes with pickles and shredded porks
4) Spicy beef tendons
5) Wonton and vegetable noodle soup
6) Sweet soy milk
Overall, the food were tasty but portions were small as compared to Shanghai Dumping King a few blocks away. The kids loved soy milk the most and $1.65 for a big glass of kids-approved was really worth for us. The spicy beef tendons were quite hot and the cucumber was a good side of the dish. One thing that I really like is the ginger in the vinegar dipping sauce was cut thin enough and was plentiful to come with the shanghai dumplings.
Total amount of $36 including tax was a good deal and we have finished all the food.
The food would worth a 4-4.5 stars but at least 1 star has been deducted because of the service. The waitress has major attitude problem. She did not give us the menu (I went to take it myself) and kept ignoring us even when we tried to get the bill. I would rather go to Shanghai Dumpling King for my girl's birthday again. At least, we got pretty good services there all the times. For a restaurant, food is important but service should not be ignored. My hubby's friend said that the waitress always acts like that. When you go back several times and she recognizes you, her service would be totally different. Well, if you don't treat new customers good, how would they come back as returned customers? Fair enough? -
Review from My C.
Oakland, CA
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dry chicken wings... Gooooodddd!! Crispy skin.. Sweet spicy sauce.. Excellent..
Xiao long bao.. Thick chewy skin.. Not so filled filling but yummy nonetheless.. Broth is good but not as creamy as shanghai dumpling king's..
Pork and vegetable dumplings have very thick skin too..
I DO need to try that pork knuckle that needs to be reserved! But until then, 3 stars it is. -
Review from Angeline L.
Burlingame, CA
3/17/2011
Go here for the entrees, though the dumplings are better a couple blocks up.
So if I'm feeling like Shanghai dishes and not just dumplings, this is the place!
Must order:
Hand-cut noodles, great flavor, textures, veggies...YUM
Green onion pancake, can never go wrong with this
Sting beans, get your fresh veggie fill
I usually stick to the tried and true, but there are plenty of dishes I'm looking forward to trying like the chicken wings!
Don't be in a hurry because there is ALWAYS only one waitress and she's not the quickest or friendliest, just a head up =) -
Review from stacey m.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/5/2011
Food might be awesome, but service SUCKS, one person for the entire place. it's RIDICULOUS, you might die of a tape worm faster than you would get served here. they only way to eat here is take out.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/29/2010
i have to say that all of the Chinese restaurants i eat at are compared to my favorite chinese… Read more »
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Review from Paul L.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2011
As another reviewer noted, the service is SLOW. I ordered pot stickers -- those were good. For my entree, I ordered the Broccoli Beef -- it was smothered in a "gloppy" brown sauce and was nothing special. I can't see myself going back.
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Review from Jessica T.
San Francisco, CA
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend and I were hungry and found parking right in front. So we decided to try it out. We saw two parties sitting already so we walked in.
The waitress wasnt around so we sat ourselves. When she finally appeared she tossed the menus on the table. Let me say that it was NOT busy. So I don't know why she gave attitude...
Fast forward 20 minutes later, we were ready to order and the waitress was no where to be found again. When she came out of hiding we tried to flag her down 4 times before she slowly wobbled over to take our order at the exact same time my boyfriend got up to check on the meter.
We ordered the chow mien, shanghai dumplings, green onion pancakes and one hot sweet soy bean milk.
Chow mien: filled with hard cabbage and drenched in oil. Did I mention all you can taste is oil. Gross.
Hot sweet soy milk: it comes in a cup, with soy skin still in it. I don't think they freshly make it themselves since before stirring the glass it tasted likable water.
Shanghai dumplings: had better elsewhere. Half way into the meal the lady brings the vinegar. Thanks lady. The skins to thick for my liking.
Green onion pancakes: two small circles cut into pieces.
For me, nothing here was good. I'd rather drive another 30 minutes to new mandarin garden in south city. -
Review from Avan M.
San Francisco, CA
8/16/2011
It's all about the Xiaolongbao... Sometimes it's a long wait for a table, and then a long wait to order, and then even a longer time for the food to come out, but it's worth the wait.
The Xiaolongbao is amazing, probably the best in San Francisco. Almost as good as the Din Tai Fung in Taipei. I also recommend the Lions Head, Pig Knuckle and chicken covered in a sticky and sweet/spicy sauce.
But be prepared for the wait....
