

Modern - fusion or innovative takes on dim sum classics. Elevated - exceptional views or ambiance create a more refined dining experience.
BEST DIM SUM SAN FRANCISCO FULL
Restaurant Key: Classic - big and boisterous, the full dim sum hall experience. Where To Find The Best Dim Sum in San Francisco Read on! Here are the five best dim sum restaurants to try in San Francisco, listed in alphabetical order and shown on a map to help you find them. Meanwhile, S&T Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant is a local gem that often overlooked by restaurant reviewers.įinally, if you’re looking for a slightly different experience, you might enjoy checking out Mama Ji’s, a relatively recent arrival on the restaurant scene that prepares contemporary homestyle dim sum in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. Though unaffiliated, Hong Kong Lounge and Hong Kong Lounge II are both excellent choices for refined versions of the classics, as well as new dishes that rival what you’ll find turned out of Hong Kong kitchens. It’s a 400 seat beast of a restaurant that somehow manages to turn out delicious dishes despite the crowds.īack in town, you’ll find the best eats in the Outer Richmond and Outer Sunset neighborhoods. Koi Palace, just to the south of San Francisco, remains the city’s best dim sum restaurant. In reality, you can visit any of the five restaurants below with the confidence that you’ll have a wonderful meal. Picking the best dim sum restaurants in a city like San Francisco is actually a pretty easy task (though selecting the single best would inspire terrific debate). The result is better general quality and care in preparation of the dim sum classics, as well as innovative new dishes that push the cuisine forward. What makes for an excellent dim sum scene? It’s a combination of a large local Chinese population demanding delicious cuisine, a long-standing cultural tradition in the area and a constant influx of new immigrants who bring new ideas and cooking techniques.
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» Read more: Our Ultimate Dim Sum Menu Guide with Pictures and Translations Over the years, San Francisco has served as the port of entry for countless Chinese Americans who later settled across the United States. San Francisco has the oldest and largest Chinatown in the United States, dating back to the California Gold Rush in 1849 and the subsequent construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Though the region’s best hot spots are found in suburban cities like Millbrae, Cupertino and Fremont, eateries in San Francisco proper offer up better dim sum than what you’ll find in almost any other city in the United States. 415/398–2838) for its relatively quiet dining room, ample choices, and atmospheric location on one of the neighborhood’s quaint cobblestone blocks.San Francisco’s dim sum restaurants rival only those found in Los Angeles, in terms of their quality and diversity. Others, especially Financial District workers on weekdays and families on weekends, migrate to City View Restaurant (622 Commercial St. 415/986–2500, see full review) because they can check off what they want on dim sum menus instead of waiting for a cart. Many locals like Great Eastern (649 Jackson St. If you’re in a rush, stop at friendly You’s (675 Broadway 415/788–7028), a busy takeout spot famous for its barbecued pork buns. 415/982–5686), you’ll feel like you’ve discovered a long-hidden gem, where you can fill up on conventional dim sum for a song. When you walk downstairs into Hang Ah (1 Pagoda Pl., at Stockton St. There’s not much English spoken here, but the authenticity and low tab make any sign-language efforts pay off. Neighborhood regulars fill the small space, snapping up the best items from the single cart. 415/392–2828) is a hole-in-the-wall serving up good dim sum at great prices. For the best selection, try for a table near the kitchen by the time the carts make their way upstairs, they’re picked over.įor more adventurous spirits, Dol Ho (808 Pacific Ave. 415/391–6666 is perfect for dim sum newbies-English is spoken here, and the sprawling room means you won’t stick out like a sore thumb. You won’t always know what you’re choosing, so embrace the mystery. Smaller places dispense with the carts in favor of more easily managed trays. In big restaurants, servers push dish-laden carts around the dining room, and diners select what they want. The popular Cantonese midday custom of going out for dim sum-small dishes, both savory and sweet, hot and cold-can be explored on nearly every block in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
