Kinda afraid to give this review since EVERYONE is gonna come here and take away my precious table spot.. but... This is DA BEST pot stickers and XLB...PERIOD!!! Also love their peanut sauce noodle and soy milk. The beef stew is pretty good too!!! My husband and I come here all the time!!! Can't describe how good it is outside of that they pan fried their pot stickers properly!!! You just have to come here and try this place to "get" my point... read more

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Review based on takeout via Yelp-GrubHub I mainly wanted Fan Tuan which was really good! The savory and sweetness from the pork floss with the nice crispy Chinese doughnut is a sublime union. It was so good that I ate two haha. I also bought the pan fried potstickers, pan fried pork buns, and the wontons in chili oil. All were juicy and flavorful. The pan fried items had the crispy edges/side. I was given two small soy vinegar dipping sauces. I also got the sweet soy milk which was pretty good. I wish it was just a baby bit sweeter (but I'd rather have it this way than super sweet though). Also whenever I order rice rolls, I gotta get the soy milk. Included in my delivery were a few napkins and a couple of chopsticks. Soy milk was placed in those good quality plastic containers. Everything was hot when my food was delivered which was fantastic. Can't wait to go in person one of these days! read more

A Parkside neighborhood hole in the wall that serves homemade dumplings and soups. The restaurant is tiny and seats only 4 tables. The menu is very small, consisting only of a variety of noodle soups, and various dumplings such as potstickers, XLB, and pan fried buns. Everyone was super reasonable given SF prices, with dishes between 5 and 6 dollars. My favorite was the wonton soup, something I rarely see in SF. The wontons were enormous, but the filling delicious! read more

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Doesn't look like much when you walk past, unassuming place and easy to miss. The food was delicious, perfect for a Friday evening snack. The pan fried pork buns and veggie dumpling were our favorite but what really stood out was the fried dough! I had never heard of it, so had to give it a try and really liked that it was mildly sweetened. read more

Best Xiao long Bao in sunset. From the flavorful contents, the delicate skin, to the black vinegar - it's a quality spot.

Super small, but quite good, and very well priced. Came in with a craving XLB, and it fulfilled it's purpose. The XLB was quite good, a little on the sweeter side, and full of soup. The shell was a little thicker than I'm used to, but overall it was quite nice. I did LOVE the peanut noodles. The noodles were perfect and chewy and the sauce was quite nice (do not, don't have too many expectations, it's not actual similar to any existing dishes). The pan fried dumplings were kind of meh, not much soup inside and not very pan fried or savory. Lastly the rice roll was BOMB, nice and crunch on the inside and the sticky rice was wonderful. Service was quick, as everyone as said this place only has 4 tables. It's super small, but the wait is generally not too bad. Service is super quick, and the food is fresh and comes out quite quickly as well. Overall, it's my new go to on Taraval to fulfill my XLB craving, some hits, some misses, but overall it's a pretty great deal for the quality of food. read more

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

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Delicious dumpling place in the city! Overall, most of the dishes we ordered were spot on with the taste. I can't wait to come back! We ordered Shanghai dumpling, pan fried dumpling, pan fried pork bun, filled sticky rice, noodle with peanut sauce, and savory soy milk. I liked how the food was not too oily. The dumplings filling were all juicy, and the skin was a good thinness. My only complaint would be that some of the Shanghai dumplings didn't have a lot of soup; I think it leaked out at some point. The noodles were chewy with a slightly sweet meat/peanut sauce. It was good but not my preferred flavor. The soy milk was tasty with the ground meat, chinese donut, and preserved cabbage (I think) adding flavor to the dish. read more

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Dinner for 3 was quick, delicious and around $10/person. Designed mostly as a take-out spot, you might get lucky finding a table if you get there early. Nothing we ordered disappointed and the flavors were to our liking - not bland or over seasoned. Would come back to try more items in the future and order to-go for busy nights! read more

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Before I move on, it's " CASH ONLY !!! " The food is good and the prices are very decent. I got the Five Spice Beef Stew Noodles, Shanghai dumplings, and Pan Fried Buns. ( ITS A MUST GET IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO ORDER ) The dishes here is under $7 at least. I went around 1:30pm and it was busy still. Coming here really early will be your best bet I believe because this place isn't very big. There's only 4 tables. So you might have to wait. When I compare to dumpling kitchen, the Pan Fried Baos are smaller compare to D.K. But it was good. This place is more like a quick lunch day and to go. Parking is hard btw so park around Ulloa for street parking and just walk a block. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Five Spice Beef Stew & Shanghai Dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Picked up take out here during quarantine! Food is delicious. After ordering twice, id recc: Shanghai dumplings - skin and soup were good for takeout, good filling portion and was still hot when taken home Sticky rice roll - sticky rice wrapped around a chinese donut with pork sung and pickled veggies. TRY IT!! Wontons in chili oil - the chili oil is delicious!! Ask for extra on the side :) Five spice beef stew over rice - I like the over rice instead of noodles- a nice rice/ stew /veggie dish that makes for a great lunch. Flavorful and filling, and super economical!!! These items sure hit the spot, especially the sticky rice roll, which is a bit harder to find in SF! Soooo good. All food comes out piping hot, portions are generous for price, and the place takes Venmo for payment in case you forget your cash. Our new fav local place for dumplings!!!! read more

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

If I remember correctly, they opened a few years ago. They were a small operation with a limited menu. I liked their wonton noodle soup. It was in $5-$6 price range. They have survived the COVID time and they even expanded the store to include the next door. They added more items to the menu. They now have lunch specials, all priced under $8, in the time when it is hard to find any meal under $10 in the city. I tried Mongolian beef over rice. The meat was tender and vegetables were fresh. read more

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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

Man, I love this place for so many years. But I had a really bad experience just now. I arrived at the restaurant at 5:01 PM. They advertise opening at 5 PM. I was not the first person in the restaurant. There was already another Patron in there. The gentleman working came out and let out a big sigh and rolled his eyes as if to show us how annoyed he was that we were there. I asked him if everything is OK. He said we're not open yet. I said oh, I'm sorry. It's after five and the door was open. He then replied, we are not ready. I said oh, I'm so sorry. The door was open. Would you like me to wait outside. He looked at me but did not reply. I repeated, should I wait outside? Should I come back? He replied, it's up to you do whatever. This was really offputting. He really made a big show of demonstrating how annoyed he was that there were customers already in the restaurant. Had the door been shut, we would not have entered. But because it was past their opening time and the door was open, we assumed they were ready for business. But this guy's really poor attitude was very offputting so I decided to leave. There's a ton of other good restaurants on the street. I would not like to have a side of contempt with my meal. I hope the owner reads this and retrain his staff. read more

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 tasting soup dumplings and the sticky rice was delicious. A bit of a hole in the wall in terms of ambiance, but solid food!

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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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