{"id":285548,"date":"2026-04-25T13:22:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/285548\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:22:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:22:28","slug":"13-best-spots-for-dim-sum-in-san-francisco-according-to-a-panel-of-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/285548\/","title":{"rendered":"13 best spots for dim sum in San Francisco, according to a panel of pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joe Chang, co-owner of Showa SF, at Dumpling Zone in Forest Hill. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n

In San Francisco, locals talk about dim sum with the zeal of diehard sports fans. In record time, they can spout off where to find the greatest-of-all-time soup dumplings, the all-star lineup for grab-and-go har gow and siu mai, and, of course, the most underrated players in the barbecue pork bun game.<\/p>\n

So in this city of hundreds of Chinese food options, we turned to the pros for a scouting report on the best places for dim sum and what to order when you\u2019re there. Here are 14 top spots for soup dumplings, steamed buns, and turnip cakes, according to chefs, restaurant owners, and bakers who have spent years hunting down the city\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

Joe Chang, co-owner, Showa\"ASpicy xiao long bao at Dumpling Zone. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Dumpling Zone, 408 Dewey Blvd., Forest Hill
When Chang moved to San Francisco in 2007, he went on a quest to find dumplings like the ones he had growing up in Taiwan. After 16 years, he found the holy grail near his daughter\u2019s school in Forest Hill. \u201cDumpling Zone was the first place where I found dumplings and noodles that really reminded me of traditional, handmade Northern Chinese cooking \u2014 especially that bouncy, springy dumpling texture.\u201d His favorite dishes include spicy xiao long bao, shrimp-pork-and-chive potstickers, and tomato egg noodle soup. To re-create one of his favorite childhood dishes, he adds cabbage and pork dumplings to an order of hot and sour soup. \u201cI like to enjoy one bite on its own first to taste the original flavor, then dip the next bite into the soup so it soaks up the broth. It adds a whole extra layer of umami.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Azikiwee \u201cZ\u201d Anderson, owner and founder, Rize Up Bakery<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Dumpling King, 336 Clement St., Inner Richmond
Anderson subscribes to two main principles for a dim sum spot. First, it must be a place he can go with a group, and second, it must be within walking distance of his home. Dumpling King, a bustling, unpretentious joint in the Inner Richmond, checks both boxes \u2014 and serves all his favorites, including shrimp toast, har gow, pork xiao long bao, and siu mai. To Anderson, pacing is part of the art and joy of dim sum, so he orders in rounds and prefers to dine in. \u201cThat rhythm of a few dishes at a time \u2014 that\u2019s part of the whole experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathy Fang, chef, Fang Restaurant and House of Nanking\"\"Kathy Fang. | Source: Carolyn Fong for The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Wong Lee Bakery, 760 Jackson St., Chinatown
As a kid, Fang loved accompanying her parents to dim sum shops like Wong Lee Bakery. She and her mom would share an order of ham sui gok \u2014 fried, sweet-and-savory glutinous rice dumplings filled with pork, dried shrimp, and mushrooms. Now she visits this grab-and-go spot in the morning to pick up ho fun (fresh flat rice noodles), pea-sprout shrimp dumplings, ja leung (a fried cruller wrapped in sheets of steamed rice noodles, dressed in a sweet, light soy sauce), and fried taro puffs, which she says make for an excellent snack or breakfast when reheated the next day. \u201cThere\u2019s something therapeutic about being inside these shops for me \u2014 the nostalgia, the closeness I feel to my parents, community, and childhood all rolled up into a delicious bite,\u201d Fang says. For those who are particularly hungry \u2014 or just want to experience \u201cthe largest bun you\u2019ll ever see\u201d \u2014 she recommends the dai bao, a steamed bun big enough for four, packed with ground pork, cabbage, lap cheong sausage, shiitake mushrooms, and egg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jason Halverson, chef, Hi Neighbor Restaurant Group<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Palette Tea House, 900 North Point St., Ghirardelli Square
Halverson adheres to one philosophy when ordering dim sum: Don\u2019t overthink it. \u201cI order like there\u2019s no tomorrow \u2014 and those who know me know how scary and true that is.\u201d He has a \u201ccore\u201d selection of nine dishes, including supreme crab dumplings, pork and shrimp siu mai, lotus leaf-wrapped abalone sticky rice, Peking duck, and wagyu beef chow fun. With a bigger group, he adds the whole crab with garlic butter and the lobster with ginger scallion. Because the restaurant takes reservations \u2014 and is near Fisherman\u2019s Wharf \u2014 Halverson loves taking out-of-towners and finishing with a post-meal walk by the bay. One word of advice: Ask for a big bowl of chile oil and spicy mustard when you\u2019re ordering. \u201cWaiting on condiments mid-bite is a mistake you only make once.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

James Yuen Leong Parry, chef and owner, The Happy Crane\"\"Dim sum at HK Lounge Bistro. | Source: Han Li\/The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: HK Lounge Bistro, 1136 Folsom St., SoMa
Parry doesn\u2019t have a standing dim sum order or a single place he visits for a specific dish. Instead, he puts stock in a restaurant\u2019s craftsmanship. \u201cThe nonnegotiables are quality and freshness,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can taste when dim sum is made to order, and places like HK Lounge Bistro consistently deliver on that.\u201d This is high praise from Parry, who was raised between London and Hong Kong and has worked in Michelin-level restaurants, including Benu. He tends to bring chef friends for dim sum at this small restaurant and orders a wide range of dishes. \u201cIn my opinion, it\u2019s the highest level of dim sum execution in the city. It\u2019s always busy, the service is polished and attentive, and everything feels incredibly fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas McNaughton, co-chef and cofounder, Flour + Water Hospitality Group\"\"Thomas McNaughton. | Source: Justin Katigbak\/The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Dumpling Home, 298 Gough St., Hayes Valley
When he has time for lunch on weekdays, McNaughton heads to Dumpling Home, a casual spot that opened in 2020 \u2014 and has been attracting long wait times ever since. At this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, he orders a round of his favorites: dry-fried string beans, any of the six varieties of xiao long bao, pan-fried bao, and dan dan noodles. \u201cNo matter what, always wait to bite into the pan-fried baos,\u201d McNaughton warns. \u201cI can\u2019t count the number of times I\u2019ve destroyed the inside of my mouth due to my impatience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrie Blease, co-owner, Wolfsbane<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Dragon Beaux, 5700 Geary Blvd., Richmond
The memory of biting into a crispy, deep-fried, shrimp-stuffed crab claw at the now-closed Ton Kiang in the Richmond has stayed with Blease since high school. It was her first dim sum experience \u2014 and her first trip to San Francisco \u2014 and she\u2019s been obsessed ever since. Today, Dragon Beaux is one of her go-to spots, especially when she wants to satisfy a craving for soup dumplings. If you have a hard time choosing, Blease recommends the salted egg yolk lava buns and the soup dumpling sampler.<\/p>\n

Ian Morano, owner, Kissaten HiFi\"AIan Morano. | Source: Jason Henry for The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Wing Lee Bakery, 503 Clement St., Inner Richmond
Morano discovered Wing Lee Bakery the way many of the best spots in the Richmond are found: through word of mouth. \u201cThere\u2019s something about this neighborhood where the locals just know,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you listen, they\u2019ll steer you right every time.\u201d At this cash-only, counter-service spot, he always walks away with a clamshell of siu mai. (He\u2019ll head to Good Luck Dim Sum for an egg custard tart afterward.) But no matter what you order, he has three pieces of advice: Come early, don\u2019t overthink it, and bring other people. \u201cEating dim sum alone doesn\u2019t hit the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Tusk, chef and owner, Cotogna, Quince, and Verjus\"VariousSource: Courtesy Yank Sing<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Yank Sing, 49 Stevenson St., Financial District
When he\u2019s not at Harborview Restaurant or Koi Palace, Tusk loves taking in the scene at Yank Sing, a family-run institution founded in 1958. It\u2019s one of the few places in the city where you can still experience the magic of dim sum served on carts, with more than 100 rotating dishes available on any given day. To get the first pick, Tusk suggests arriving right when the restaurant opens. As the carts roll by, he keeps an eye out for Shanghai pork soup dumplings, har gow, and siu mai (some of the best in the city, he claims), plus Peking duck, which is carved tableside and served with soft steamed buns, hoisin, and scallions. \u201cHonestly, if I see anything new coming off a cart, I\u2019m getting it \u2014 no question.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pim Techamuanvivit, chef and owner, Kin Khao and Nari\"APim Techamuanvivit. | Source: Liz Hafalia\/SF Chronicle\/Getty<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Harborview Restaurant & Bar, 4 Embarcadero Center, Street Level, Financial District
When she\u2019s not at Shanghai House polishing off an order of sheng jian bao \u2014 which she\u2019s dubbed the best pan-fried pork buns in town \u2014 Techamuanvivit finds herself at Harborview Restaurant for dim sum. She\u2019ll wrap up shopping at the Ferry Building Farmers Market on Saturdays and snag a seat right when the doors open \u2014 no reservations required. At this classic Cantonese dim sum restaurant, Techamuanvivit orders har gow, siu mai, har cheung fun (shrimp rice rolls), gai lan (Chinese broccoli), and barbecue pork buns. \u201cAnd I never miss the chicken feet in black bean sauce,\u201d she says. \u201cAll the collagen that\u2019s in it \u2014 it\u2019s like an expensive face cream!\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaac Taitano, pastry chef and owner, Tano<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Gourmet Dim Sum & Cafe, 651 Clement St., Inner Richmond
\u201cGourmet Dim Sum had the most juicy and giant siu mai I\u2019ve ever seen in my life,\u201d Taitano says. And he should know. After shopping at nearby New May Wah Supermarket to pick up groceries for Warung Siska, a now-closed Indonesian restaurant he worked for in 2021, Taitano would visit a different dim sum joint on the block. Gourmet Dim Sum was the clear winner. \u201cI still shop at May Wah each week for my own business and always plan to get my normal order of pork or beef siu mai and a side order of the steamed barbecue pork buns. But,\u201d he adds with a laugh, \u201cI always go alone so I don\u2019t have to share any of my siu mai.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christopher Kostow, chef and restaurateur, The Charter Oak, Ciccio, and Loveski\"RoastPeking duck at Koi Place. | Source: Lauren Saria\/The Standard<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Koi Palace, 365 Gellert Blvd., Daly City\u00a0
Kostow has fond memories of dining at SF favorites Yank Sing, HK Lounge Bistro, and Dragon Beaux. But these days, when Kostow and his wife, Martina, head to SFO, they make sure to build in time to stop at Koi Palace. \u201cThere\u2019s no better mix of crazy banquet-hall vibes, great food, and value,\u201d he says. Over half a dozen visits a year, he has perfected his order: spare ribs with black beans, siu mai, barbecue pork rice rolls, and soy sauce noodles \u2014 the best in the Bay Area, he says.<\/p>\n

Intu-On Kornnawong, executive chef, Shoji\u00a0<\/p>\n

Favorite spot: Good Luck Dim Sum, 736 Clement St., Inner Richmond
For Kornnawong, the ideal dim sum spot depends on the situation. If she\u2019s hosting friends from out of town, she\u2019ll take them to Hong Kong Lounge. To satisfy a hankering for barbecue pork buns, she\u2019ll stop at Lung Fung Bakery on Clement. When she lived in the Inner Richmond, however, Good Luck Dim Sum became part of her routine. After stopping by New May Wah Supermarket to pick up Thai ingredients, she\u2019d swing by for a breakfast of shrimp dumplings, siu mai, barbecue pork buns, and whatever else was fresh out of the steamer. For good dim sum at to-go spots like this, she recommends coming early for the freshest selection and to avoid a line. \u201cIt\u2019s quick, no-frills, and always satisfying,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joe Chang, co-owner of Showa SF, at Dumpling Zone in Forest Hill. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285549,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[21587,6923,2499,101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-285548","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-francisco","8":"tag-chinese-food","9":"tag-dim-sum","10":"tag-pro-tips","11":"tag-san-francisco","12":"tag-san-francisco-headlines","13":"tag-san-francisco-news","14":"tag-sf","15":"tag-sf-headlines","16":"tag-sf-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}