Touch the Heart: A Guide to the Dim Sum Scene in San Francisco

Let’s get something out of the way – “dim sum” literally translates to “touch the heart,” and if you’ve ever found yourself at a table with the dim sum cart rolling by, you get it. Dim sum, in its original form, is a Cantonese-style brunch, consisting of an assortment of small, pre-cooked treats that are shared family-style. Dumplings, baos (steamed or fried buns), rolls, sweet and savory cakes, and other carb-heavy delights form the main parts of a dim sum menu. Tea, rather than booze, is the traditional dim sum brunchin’ beverage of choice. Dim sum in San Francisco is the business (if you’re on the East Coast, check out our guide to Dim Sum in NYC). There’s dim sum for every budget, occasion, and neighborhood.  We’ve compiled a list of some our favorites that span all of the above.

Some of the most famous and ubiquitous dim sum dishes are xiao long bao (Shanghai-style soup dumplings – lovingly nicknamed “XLB”), shumai (open face dumplings, most commonly made from pork and mushroom), turnip cakes, and char siu bao (BBQ pork buns).  Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of most of these already, so we’ll also try to point you to other, more unique dim sum dishes.

No. 5: Dumpling Time

• Address: 11 Division Street, San Francisco (SOMA/Design District)
• Can’t miss: Giant XLB

It’s always dumpling time!  Get it?! It wouldn’t be a full view of dim sum in SF without at least one contemporary spin.  Dumpling Time is a trendy joint in the Design District (i.e. east SoMa) with vibes that aren’t particularly Cantonese (or any kind of Chinese), but they pay wonderful homage to the art and process of creating dumplings and hand-pulled noodles.  Take a second to observe the cooks at work when you come in – they built a glass walled kitchen for a reason. The ordering experience is pretty vanilla – no carts or laminated menus, just a fairly standard menu (which is cool, too).  

Dumpling Time serves the classics and does them well, but you can also find those same types of dishes with a bourgie twist.  Great examples: Maine lobster siu mai – carefully steamed open-face dumplings with lobster, chives and buttery truffles, as well as Wagyu beef gyoza – Wagyu beef with black truffles and shiitake mushies.  Fancy, eh? We think so. End your meal on a sweet note with one of their dessert baos – green tea milk is our fave, but they have a sampler option so you can try all three!

Dumpling Time is the only place we’ve ever seen that makes a giant XLB (aptly named the “King Dum”).  This is the type of creativity that makes dim sum in SF a little special and why some of us are willing to pay a premium for their dim sum.  This bad boy is about the size of a baseball, and it’s served with a boba straw for you to puncture the delicate skin and avoid wasting a single drop of the precious, delicious broth.  Order one for everyone at the table, they’re great but not great for sharing.  Check out the menu here.

No. 3: Hong Kong Lounge

• 5322 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121 (Inner Richmond)
• Can’t Miss: Woodear mushroom dumplings; fried pumpkin

A bakery on the list of best dim sum in San Francisco, you say?   Indeed- Wing Lee Bakery is OG SF dim sum in the Inner Richmond.  This is a no-frills, cash only, takeout only, line out the door kind of joint.  Wing Lee is a good choice if you want to swing through to bring dim sum to your next party (and be everybody’s best friend).  The glorious part is you can do this even if you’re ballin’ on a budget. The menu is divided into 3 main sections – dumplings (3 for $2.60, steamed buns for $1.50 each or baked buns for $1.50 each), so order away.  Folks order at the counter here: spend your time in line perusing the menu because you are expected to know what you want by the time it’s your turn to order. If you’re shy or suffering from decision paralysis, just point to whatever looks good behind the glass – we don’t think there are any wrong answers here.

Our two favorite dishes here are the BBQ pork buns and shrimp hargow.  The BBQ pork bun is bigger than your fist and almost a meal in itself. The pork inside is always perfectly tender, and the bun is never dry.  The shrimp hargow are also generously sized (for the little guys that they are), with very delicate skin that’s ready to burst with flavor. We’re getting hungry just thinking about this place.  

BONUS: Wing Lee Bakery is….a bakery!  If you have a sweet tooth, round out your order with a mini pie or a mooncake – they have a constantly rotating selection of delicious pastries – maybe not dim sum, but yum yum.  See the menu here.

No. 1: Kingdom of Dumpling

• Address: 1713 Taraval Street, San Francisco 94116 (Parkside)
• Can’t miss: Spare ribs; pan fried XLB

Ok, we’re low-key obsessed with Kingdom of Dumpling, so it was our clear choice for best dim sum in SF.  This unpretentious joint is worth the drive out to Parkside because everything we’ve ever had there is SO. DAMN. GOOD.  Kingdom of Dumpling has a huge menu that includes a wide variety of dumplings (20 something different types, yaas), other dim sum dishes, and full sized entrees.  We have legitimately never gone wrong with a dumpling order, so if you’re overwhelmed, start there.

One of the most impressive and delicious options for dumplings here is a pan fried xiao long bao.  If you’ve eaten XLB before, you may have noticed that they’re fragile little morsels with thin skin, so Kingdom of Dumpling is really upping the ante by offering a pan fried version.  Spare ribs are also an excellent choice here – fall off the bone tender and never ever overcooked. The portions are generous for their cheap to moderate pricing, so if you’re doing anything right with your life, you shouldn’t leave here hungry.

BONUS: Kingdom of Dumpling operates a separate wholesale shop!!!!  The wholesale shop named Kingdom of Dumpling Wholesale (how apropos) is located at 2048 Taraval Street in SF, and you have the option of buying Kingdom of Dumpling’s meticulously crafted and ridiculously good dumplings for an even better deal!  There’s no food cooked or served here, just a bunch of freezers holding precious little dumplings for you to take home and steam, pan fry, or just toss in broth. Kingdom of Dumpling FTW!  Here’s the menu.

If you’re on the West Coast, be sure to check out Stretchy Pants’ Chinatown Food Tour in San Francisco!

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