I almost don't want to tell you about these wonderful delicious morsels. I'd hate to have to wait for a table but it is my duty to share. This is a tiny place, 3 two tops and one four top. I saw people doing take out but I'm partial for my dumplings to be piping hot so I eat in. They offer several types of dumplings but I had to try their two most popular. Pork and cabbage was nice thin wrapper around a well seasoned and juicy pork bundle. The wonton in chili sauce is good but not very spicy as they add a sesame paste to the dish that adds not only a layer of flavor but also texture. I might add more chili oil next time. It is very clean and modern. Parking is moderate for the location. I will be back when I'm in the area. read more

Came here for takeout. As others have noted, it's a small place with 4 tables. The menu is limited. Service was friendly. Takeout Review: Shanghai dumplings aka Xiao Long Bao ($5.50/5 pieces): Interior was soupy, juicy, and delicious. The texture is a bit grainy compared to other XLB though. Each bao has its own little foil cup. Sticky Rice Roll ($3.75): Chinese donut and pork floss encased in sticky rice - sweet and savory. Was hard by the time we got to eating it. After microwaving, it tasted a lot better (blasphemous, I know). Highly recommend eating it fresh. I prefer regular sticky rice that's less sweet and more savory though. Noodle in Peanut Sauce ($6.50): Spicy. The spice is a mouth numbing type of spice that's popular in Northern Chinese cuisine. Pretty good! A nice addition to the Sunset! We'll definitely come again. read more

Delicious food, fast service ! I love their fan Tuan and spicy wonton. I always get to go so can't comment on eating in.

Love this restaurant! Is a very small restaurant with only 4 tables in total. But usually, small restaurant meaning yummy food! I have been coming two three times a week now. I love the dumpling noodle soup, sticky rice roll, XLB and sweet soy milk! Most importantly, the portion is big and cheap! Will recommend this to everyone who love affordable and yummy food! read more

Dumpling Specialist - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I really enjoyed the food here and I think I would come back if I was in the area. The dishes are really affordable, portions are great, and the flavors are simple yet kick-ass. Almost like a home-cooked meal! We got the noodle in peanut sauce, veggie potstickers, and pork buns (total of $19 for 2 people!!!). Everything came fresh, piping hot, and delicious. Hot tip 1: if you're trying to eat at Dumpling Kitchen and there's a super long line, walk here instead. Hot tip 2: this isn't a spot for big parties. They're just starting out and they have a total of 10 chairs and 4 tables so far. Best to order take-out if you are a larger group. Okay, so why 4 stars: when we were served the complimentary hot tea, my boyfriend noticed that there cups were not rinsed properly as there was some dishwashing liquid floating on top. He used his napkin to soak up the soap and used the same napkin to wipe up the spilled liquid on our table. Guess what happened? There were tiny soap bubbles that formed when he wiped down the spilled liquid. We brought it up to the waiter/host and he thought it was from the table itself. But my boyfriend and I have both worked in the service industry (and have washed our own dishes lol) to know what it was. read more

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Great service and fast preparation - Cash only! ++Tasty XLB with a good amount of soup (even though we waited 30m to consume) and good pork flavor. +Pan fried pork buns could have used a smidge longer in the pan and were on the smaller side (same size as the xlb) but the filling and bun were both great. ++Hand-pulled noodles were A+! great chewy and fresh texture +Five spice beef noodle soup was flavorful (but I'm definitely more of a spicy soup gal) +Dandan noodles were generous with the meat and peanut sauce ++Rice balls are filled with youtiao (dough stick), pork floss, and preserved salty vegetable - a great on the go combo that we really enjoyed the sweet & salty balance of. +Sweet soy milk was warm and homey (Chinese levels of sweet, so. probably more like 50% sweet by American standards) Recommend this no-nonsense spot delivering all the bao and noodle comforts you want :) read more

Dumpling Specialist is a new hole in the wall dumpling restaurant on Taraval street. So get this, the chef is actually from Dumpling Kitchen. He sold the old restaurant, went into retirement, and got bored, so he opened up this smaller space! The interior is super small with only four tables. Our first dish was the Shanghai dumplings. They came out hot and filled with a good amount of soup. Our second dish was the pot stickers which were nicely fried and not too oily. The pan fried pork dumplings were also nicely fried and the meat was juicy. We also ordered the pork and pickled noodz soup. It's a simple dish that was flavorful. The last thing we ordered was the five spice beef stew over rice. The beef was tender but I would probably get it with noodz next time. All the dumplings are freshly made in house. Service was good, but it's only a 4 table restaurant. They could put a little effort into the presentation though. The dumplings were just thrown on a plate. Prices are extremely low and the quality is good. I'll def be back if I'm craving some dumplings! read more

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Rumor has it that the owner/chef is from Dumpling Kitchen. Ordered the peanut noodles, veggie potstickers, cucumber salad and rice roll. The peanuts noodles were my favorite, with delicious chunks of pork in a creamy peanut sauce. The remaining dishes were well prepared and made with fresh ingredients. Best part of the meal was the price....the total bill came to $21! read more

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Great dim sum. Typical dumpling house in the city. Small and authentic. Always a great meal

Came in for dumplings, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and boy was I surprised! Only had dumplings and beef noodle soup--the noodles were chewy and the broth sublime. Can't wait to try everything on the menu! read more

COVID TIME REVIEW Super safe practices, they only allow one customer in at a time and NO indoor dining (I believe they boarded up the indoor seating for this reason). I've never come here before COVID but I'm so happy my boyfriend found this place! The food is SO good and at such a good price! I like to order the xiao long bao, beef noodle soup and the rice rolls. They remind me of waking up to breakfast or brunch on Saturdays with my family. I will continue to order from here, you really can't beat the price or the taste!! Highly recommend!! read more

Tasty, fresh and fast! Not only are their dumplings delicious but the beef cilantro soup is top notch and tastes bright. Don't forget the Chinese donut if you order soup! read more

Tiny little dumpling shop. I haven't had a chance to sit down here yet but since I live close by, I come here usually for takeout and get the pork and cabbage wonton soup. It comes with about five wontons and some vegetables in broth. The wonton wrappers are really thick and does fall apart easily. But I like the flavors and it is my comfort food for the winter cold. The dishes here are simple and delicious and not too expensive. It is cash only though but there are several banks up the street to withdraw cash. The place literally only has like four or five small tables so not the place to bring your whole extended family. read more

Neighborhood gem. Parkside/Sunset is so lucky! If you are looking for delish dim sum and soup, this is your spot. Fantastic and really reasonable!! Yummy take out for a Netflix night. I ordered the won ton soup with noodles which was amazing! The shanghai dumplings and potstickers were as good as any you can get in the city. It's a tidy little storefront run by a friendly family. Cash or Venmo only. Closed Wednesdays. read more

This review is for takeaways orders only. I've always called in and made orders. Foods are not too heavy, just the way I like Shanghai inspired dishes. Both food and service are decent and I like to support small businesses. read more

Very small mom and pop dumpling shop. Quick and fast service, as they only do take out now. The highlight here is their sticky rice roll. Very fresh and crunchy fried dough wrapped with pork floss, pickled vegetables and sticky rice. This is a must get every single time. read more

Small hole in the wall that contains two tables that seat four and two tables that seat two. Came in on Saturday night and waited for about 15 minutes. Although the space is small, the service is very quick. You receive your food within about 10 minutes. Most dumpling items come in sets of 5 which makes it very easy to share with people. We ordered six dishes and split amongst the group. Our total was $44 before tip. Noodle in peanut sauce - 4 stars. The noodle was soft but not mushy. The sauce was flavorful and the meat was soft as well. There was ample sauce. I love my food drenched in sauce and am the person who usually asks for extra... so that says something. Five spice beef noodle soup - 3 stars. This isn't my usual type of dish so the lower rating is more preference than anything. Good noodle consistency like the above. Beef was extremely tender. I'm just not a beef noodle soup person in general. Sticky rice roll 4 stars - fried donut and dried shredded pork filling. Very different but very good. Shanghai dumpling/pan fried dumpling/ wontonn in chilli sauce - all relatively the same with slight difference (traditional, pan fried, in sauce lol). Flavorful, soft and all very yummy. I said when you dunk it in enough soy sauce and chili sauce, they all taste the same. Lol 4 stars Overall would definitely recommend. read more

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Best 饭团 with best crispy 油条. Great 豆浆。No waiting line. Many pickups. Really love this place!

After my last order I'm going to upgrade from 3 to 4 stars. The peanut sauce dumpling was especially good.

This is my go-to spot for sticky rice rolls. I'm also a big fan of the peanut sauce noodles. Yum!

Even though they close at 7:30, the man at the front refused to take a simple take-out order at 7:10! Very disappointing as I traveled across town on three different muni lines just to try them out. Well, I definitely won't ever return to this place. Also, it looked dirty inside and kinda depressing. There are way too many other dumpling establishments to be treated this way. read more

Restaurant is fairly small. Only had 4 small tables for around 2-3 people each. Food is cheap! We ordered 5 dishes and total was only around $27. Dumplings had lots of filling and were nice and plump. Shanghai dumplings also had lots of soup inside. V juicy. Cucumber salad was a little bland for me but still solid! Overall I'll definitely come back for a quick and cheap meal! read more

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Sticky rice rolls: I'm glad there's a place I can get my sticky rice rolls in sunset! It was good but wish it had just a little more pork floss and pickled vegetables for more flavor. Soy milk: served hot only. By for the best soymilk I'm had in town. Smooth. Xiao long bao: amazingly delicious! Pan fried pork buns: juicy. Very good! Can't find better fried pork buns like this in sf. But I'd still choose their xiao long bao over this. Haha. Beef noodle soup: wow! Very flavorful beef broth. Very much like Taiwanese beef noodles. I ordered this for my dad and he usually complains about everything I get him. This time, He didn't make a peep while eating his noodle soup. That's how good it was. Haha. read more

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Small little place...it's a bit uncomfortable. But the food and price is good. Small portions so you're able to try a bit of everything. Must try: Sweet soy milk and the Sticky rice roll. Meh: Shanghai dumplings. read more

This place is bomb! Their food is amazing and super affordable! My go tos is the beef stew noodle soup, pan fried soup dumplings, and the bean curd salad. The people there are super nice and have excellent service! This place is definitely worth a try and you should support this business! read more

I order the five spice rice and five spice noodle. Both were delicious, I recommend give this mom and pop place a try.

A tiny shop of dumpling wonders! Cheap price and decent sized dumplings. With these portions it's easy to stop by for a snack or meal. The price reflects it perfectly. The Shanghai dumplings were really juicy, I bit into one and accidentally made a mess! It was also quite flavorful. The potstickers were not overly oily and it had that satisfying crunchy side. Definitely will be back to try the noodles and soup. read more

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Delicious hidden gem with decent portions! Dan Dan noodle was delicious! 5/5 flavor is up there and very fulfilling. Beef noodle soup is light and comforting! 5/5 Tried the pan fried bun : 3.5/5 I think the meat was not seasoned enough it was kinda bland. Potsticker : 4/5 not enough flavor but was nicely fried Xiao long Bao: 4/5 juicy but the skin was a bit too thick Will definitely come back for the noodle!! read more

Dumpling Specialist - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of the best XLB places in SF -- I originally wanted to try this place for their sticky rice roll (hard to find places that sell these in SF). The price-point for this restaurant is very reasonable (ordered 5 dishes; see below for less than $40, WOW). Dishes ordered: peanut noodles, sticky-rice roll, beef noodle soup, bean curd (appetizer) and chili-oil dumplings all to share. They were generous with their portions and provided secured packaging for their to-go orders (perfect to wash and reuse, if you'd want). Their XLB stayed juicy and the skin was soft, despite not eating it right away - sometimes it can get hard if you leave it out for too long. I also ordered on the phone and they were kind and thorough. They gave me the price and told me when it'll be ready by! I would definitely recommend this place if you're craving dumplings / noodles and want something that doesn't break the buck! read more

We had a large takeout order so the food might have been sitting for a while before I got to eat it, but overall I thought the flavors of this place were all right while the structural integrity of the food seemed lacking. Was super excited to try their soup dumplings from all the rave reviews, only to be disappointed at how easily they broke. I had to be pretty careful separating them from the tins but even then, most of them lost their soup before they made it to my mouth. When it did make it though, it hit the spot. Both the skins for these and the wontons seemed super starchy and mushy. 3/5 The wontons in chili oil also did not look like they had any oil in them until we added it, and they were all stuck together. They would rip open when we tried to grab one to eat. 3/5 I had never heard of the rice rolls before a friend wanted to try them, but it was good. Not my thing but the texture was satisfying. 4/5 read more

This is a hole in the wall spot. The dumplings tastes really good with the perfect seasoning and their prices are very reasonable. Unfortunately there's no dine in but takeout is just as good read more

Yeah... so... completely ignore all other dumpling reviews... Dumpling Specialist is now officially my favorite dumpling spot in SF! Found this spot via an Eater article and now I consider it the best shengjianbao and xiaolongbao I've ever tasted... and my SO / dumpling connoisseur can't stop raving about this place! Dumpling Specialist is open for takeout during the Covid-19 shelter-in-place, and the fact that it taste great even after 30 min in the bag says much about the quality here. Venue / Service: the restaurant itself is very tiny, with probably only 3-4 tables when not in lock-down. This is a quintessential hole-in-the-wall with great food and consistency. We typically place the order ahead of time, and the staff are very friendly so far on the phone (they speak English and Chinese fluently). Our order usually takes 15 min, which is on the quicker side for pickup. Food: this place is known for its shengjianbaos though we've tried a few other items. My SO has repeatedly commented how authentic the flavors are here. Also, its super cheap; so far we've ordered the following and it comes out for $22 between two people: - Shengjianbao (pan fried pork buns, $5.50 for 5 pieces) - one of the best fillings I've ever tasted; super flavorful but not very heavy on the stomach. It doesn't have a whole lot of soup inside, but the soup keeps the meat very moist, even after 30 min, instead of making the bao super spongy like other places. Basically, if you took this dumpling and added the amount of soup at a place like China Live, you would probably have the best shengjianbao in SF. - Sticky Rice Roll ($3.75 for 1 roll) - my boyfriend heavily approves of this bite; they make it fresh so the donut insight is crispy as a contrast to the sticky rice. Considered a street food item, my boyfriend called this version very authentic. Now one of my new favorites! - Shanghai Dumpling / xiaolongbao ($5.50 for 5 pieces) - One of the best xiaolongbao fillings; the pork is light yet flavorful, with plenty of soup in it! The wrapper is also not super thick that it feels doughy, but just enough for the soup to stay inside. This is now my favorite version of xiaolongbao in the Bay Area. This is a must-visit if you are a dumpling lover. It's not the most dressed up place / is literally a hole-in-the-wall, but you'll find some of the most authentic dumplings here, as close to the original as you can get! Doesn't hurt that it is also cheap, so this will be the best bang for your buck! read more

Always thought I left them a review, since they moved to the smaller location. Old Dumpling Kitchen has reborn into Dumping Specialist with a similar menu. This new location is a lot smaller than the old location with a few small tables. I usually order takeout for lunch and eat back at my work. The usual items I order the Pan Fried Pork Buns, Shanghai Dumpling, Steamed Pork Cabbage Dumpling, Wonton in Chili Oil, Bean Curd Salad, Beef Noodle Soup, and Noodles in Peanut Sauce. For the most part, the items are very good and tasty. Tastes like a lot like home cooking. The only thing that need improvement is the Wonton in Chili Oil, since it's usually stuck together in on glob and the wrapper breaks apart. The service here is very good and the family that runs the business is always friendly. Overall a good place to get dumplings on Taraval. Would like to return one day when they reopen for dine in. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

This tiny hole-in-the wall only has 4 small tables, but has some great home style cooking. Recently came here for takeout. I love that they don't use too much oil in their cooking. The rice roll and the beef stew over rice is my favorite. Also, if you're getting your pan fried pork buns to go, make sure you reheat them in a non-stick pan for that extra crispy bottom! Will place another order with them soon! read more

I was very excited to try this restaurant for dinner. The food was very good and flavorful. Unfortunately, I had some spoiled beans which tasted sour and mushed. And the sticky rice roll was very good but I encountered an ant! :( was happy to find this affordable restaurant in the parkside. Unfortunately, due to the issues that I encountered tonight with the food. I will not return. read more

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Recommend their sticky rice rolls and five spice beef noodle soup. I grew up with sticky rice rolls and theirs bring back my childhood memories. What I liked the most about their rolls is the rice was fully cooked with chewy grainy structure (I guess they used Japanese rice?) and layered so thin that every bite I took had a good portion of rice, pork sung, and fried donut and the roll fell apart only in my mouth. The noodle soup was tasty. The beef was tender and not fatty. These are the two items I keep re-ordering. So now comes the not-so-good items. Sweet soy milk was ok. It was a bit watered down. But since I am used to eating sticky rice rolls with soy milk because they are such a perfect pair, I ordered them together anyway. Don't buy their pan fried pork buns though, they were small in filling and without juice/soup inside and not that crispy, unlike the ones I tried in LA. It was quite a disappointment to me as I would expect the restaurant to be a true dumpling specialist. Therefore I took out one star. They only accept Venmo and cash so be prepared. Message to the restaurant: If you can sell the sticky rice rolls along with other hot dumplings during breakfast hours before 11am, that would be awesome! Because those foods are for breakfast and I have a hard time to find a place that serves quick and warm comfort food after I wake up. If you can improve the soy milk and pan fried pork dumplings, you will deserve my 5 stars! read more

Rating is based on the Chinese breakfast dishes they serve. Soy bean milk, sweet or savory, was good and goes really well with the Chinese fried donuts. Our favorite was the sticky rice roll, yummy. read more

Tried many dishes as take-outs during the Covid-19 pandemic. All the dishes were awesome. XLB - juicy, thin skin, tasty Wonton with spicy sauce - the peanut spicy sauce was excellent Pan fried pork bun - a bit small, but the dough was sweet and overall was yummy - dam dam noodle - sweet peanut sauce and great noodle. Maybe I'll like it with a tint of spicy sauce. - stick rice roll - just 100% awesome. I like it that they only put a thin layer of sticky rice! This is the better dumpling choice in this neighborhood. read more

Food wise is very good but the wait it a bit long. They only do take out so order ahead of time to avoid the wait time.

We were ignored for several minutes upon entering only to be informed they are closed for dine in at 7:30 PM. It was only 7:09 PM when we were very rudely informed. We will not be returning nor recommending anyone visit this establishment. We have eaten here in the past and ordered take out, but after such rudeness will never return. read more