Definitely a hidden gem that I'd like to share. The Taiwanese food is authentic. Try the sticky rice roll.

We tried the dumpling, fish w black bean and sticky rice. All three items was delicious. The place is a bit small, good that we went there on non busy day. read more

My absolute favorite dumpling place in SF. Always get: 饭团, 咸豆浆, 生煎包. When I get a bite of their food, then I remember what dumplings are "supposed" to taste like read more

Their foods are worth the price. Like their XLB and beef over rice Sticky rice is the best read more

Shanghai dumplings I highly recommend! Very tasty and enjoyable to eat as lunch or a snack. Be aware that this place is to go only. No dine in, and they charge 4% on debit and credit card purchases. read more

Did not have a good experience there today. Xlb were obviously not freshly made but had been sitting around a long time because they had broken wrappers spilling the soup out. Savory soybean milk was very bland (not enough salt) and had a burnt taste. This place seems to be slipping. I want them to be successful but If they put out subpar food, they're going to lose their customers, unfortunately. read more

Good but nothing mind blowing. Still it's very reasonably priced so it's a definitely a good restaurant in terms flavor to cost ratio. We had the XLB, the shengjianbao (can we call them SJB?), the wontons in chili oil, and on fantuan. The XLB weren't as soupy as you'd like and the SJB entirely lacked soup, though they were all fairly tasty. I thought the chili oil on the wontons was a bit too mild too. The fantuan was probably the thing made the best. Anyways, I suppose I was hoping for more. I'd still come abck though to try the beef noodle soup which I saw a few other people eating. It looked pretty enticing. read more

Prices amazing. Turn-around time incredible. Noodles delicious. Bellies full. Could not be better, highly recommend.

Literally a small hole in the wall and meant mostly for take out. Would not recommend dining in with large groups or with young children. There are only 4 small tables and they don't have highchairs. The first time i dined in with my husband and son. They didn't have a highchair for him so it was a little more difficult for him to sit in the big chair but we managed. Food came out really slow though. We ordered the beef noodle soup, wonton noodle soup, potsickers and 2 sticky rice rolls. Everything was pretty good. I think the beef noodle soup was probably the best dish. The beef was tender and the soup had good flavor. The second time we got take out, we ordered the beef noodle soup, potsickers, pan fried buns and sticky rice roll. The potsickers and buns were super greasy and just sitting in oil. The beef noodle soup was still good. However, the worst was the sticky rice roll. They used day old Chinese donut inside. We could tell because they refried it and was just all soaking in oil when you bit I to the sticky rice roll. Definitely would not order this item again. I would say the best dish here is the beef noodle soup. Not a big fan of the dumplings honestly. I feel like there's nothing special about them even though this place is called the Dumpling Specialist. Food is hit or miss but if you're lucky, it could be a hit. read more

Still a five- but updated to say as of July 2022 they seem to be only doing take out. Based on the looks of the dining room they don't look like they're gonna go back to onsite dining anytime soon. It's too bad because the dumplings aren't as good once you get home. read more

My favorite place for quick and tasty dumplings in my neighbor. I've been coming here for the pandemic. The food is fresh and not greasy. There are many options on the menu. read more

Excellent food. Haven't had a define savory soy milk since NYC Love the wontons in chili oil, fan Tuan and 5 spice beef. Can't really go wrong here read more

OMG! I Love this place! Its a super small restaurant that has amazing food. Simple and good. Try the pan fried dumplings and dont miss the fab cucumber salad!! It is divine! The owner of this place used to have another Dumpling house and retired. Guess he wanted to cook again, so this 4 table spot is what happened! I literally got there as much as I can... read more

A good solid place with very cheap prices. My go-to items are their XLB and beef stew over either rice or noodles. Recently tried their pork/pickled vegetable with noodles and it was good. read more

Dumpling Specialist - April 2020 menu - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm a bit confused as to if this place is supposed to be Shanghainese or Taiwanese. They have sheng jian bao but also Taiwanese dishes like savory soy milk, and pictured, sticky rice roll 饭团. If the sheng jian bao was supposed to be shanghainese then they did a bad job. The bottom was not that crispy - it's golden but just on the surface. There's no satisfying crust like a regular sheng jian bao. Also seasoning was off - too bland. Soup dumplings were better seasoned but there wasn't too much soup and it was not very aromatic and more on the oily side. Everything was ok. Nothing was great. It was cheap, but we will not be back read more

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

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Pan fried pork buns are delicious. Just like the ones from the old dumpling kitchen. read more

Dumpling Specialist - Fried Chinese donuts and sweet, hot soy milk. The doughnuts were light, airy, soft, chewy, and crispy. Not too greasy. Soy milk was good. - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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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

As many others have said, this place is really small. If your group is more than 4, I would recommend ordering food to go and eating at home. Even though this place is small, each time I've gone I didn't have to wait that long for 2 people. The service is good and pretty quick. I used to go to a place in San Mateo for the Sticky Rice Roll but I never have to go that far again! The sticky rice roll from here is by far my favorite. In addition to that, we usually get the Pan Fried Potsticker and alternate between the noodles in peanut sauce and five spice beef stew noodle soup. The noodles are a little bit thinner than other places but the flavor of everything is still good. The portions also aren't that big compared to some other restaurants but we always leave with a full belly and some leftovers. We've ordered the Wonton Noodle in House broth one time. It wasn't bad but if you're expecting it to taste like the Cantonese/HK style wonton noodle soup, I would skip it. Lastly, they don't accept credit card so bring cash or I believe they accept Venmo! read more

Sooooo goood. I was lucky enough to come on a weekday and we were first to be seated. It's a tiny spot, so I imagine the wait times can get pretty long during peak hours/days. Even though their name implies dumplings to be their star, definitely go for the soy milk. I always get the savory kind, and theirs is up there on the best I've ever had. The other food was also good, but I would come again and again just for the soy milk. I can't wait for the next time I can return to SF and get some! read more

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Thanks to the reco of a friend and tips here on Yelp, I got to discover the very yummy Dumpling Specialist. It's one of the few places I've found Taiwanese sticky rice roll (fan tuan). Sticky rice + fried dough + Chinese preserved veggies/pickles + pork floss. It is indeed a small space of only 4 tables (2 tables of 4, 2 tables of 2) but that wasn't a big problem when I was there. Tables turn quickly (and I try to be mindful of waiting guests, and the staff working on tips.) Cash only. The one thing that convinced me to try this place for lunch instead of House of Pancakes is one Yelper's remark about cleanliness--for sure put me at ease. I did see the staff wipe down the tables here with Method cleaner, and it is indeed clean here :) A bit relieving, especially when Yelp has that feature to let users know House of Pancakes got a 59 Health Score (eeeek). read more

Like everyone mentioned, this place is tiny. Only 3 tables and we waited 30 minutes for a party of 4 on a Saturday afternoon. The table was clearly meant to only accommodate 2 and we ordered more food than could comfortably fit on it - beef noods soup, chili oil wontons, soup dumplings, Shanghai pan fried dumplings, veggie potstickers, and fried dough. All the dishes were great, especially the chili oil wontons. There were 5 pcs for 4 of us and I swiftly ate the extra one without asking if anyone else wanted it. I didn't try any fried dough because I just don't see the appeal of tasteless deep fried dough at all, and my coworker and I argued for quite a while about whether oil tastes good (verdict: no). After we were done, two of the guys were still hungry and ready for another round. I thought they'd maybe get like 1-2 more dishes, but after they realized how much more cash on hand they had, they ordered FIVE more dishes for themselves - dan dan noods, sticky rice roll, soup dumplings, egg rolls, and more fried dough (smh). It's kinda gross how much they ate, but my coworker was like "I regularly overeat so much I feel disgusting after, so this is really not unusual." I assumed they wouldn't have room for dessert but he was like welllll I could still eat. All that food plus an ice cream cone and somehow this dude still lost 11 lbs in the last few months. Life be so unfair. I liked everything but wouldn't go so far outta my way to come back. Cash only but there's a Chase bank a block away. read more

Ok, this was our secret place, but we'll let you know. THE FRESHEST dumplings. We literally crave them. Go for the takeout. We like the five spice, pork dumplings and more. Prompt, fresh, even something as simple as steamed shanghai greens are elevated. Just check hours first. No cash? Just Venmo. Also a great local multi-gen family restaurant to support in SF. All the freshness, not oily, and service for takeout prompt. read more

I've been here many many times and they consistently provide phenomenal service. The cashier took tve tjne to explained the menu to my mom when she said she couldn't read it. This kind of customer service is one in a million. I also love their contactless venmo payment, I didn't have to touch anything that I didn't have to. The food is really really good. Even my picky parents approve. Try any of the dishes and you won't be disappointed read more

Very long lines since it was small but I thought the pan fried pork buns were surprisingly very delicious. I'd come during a non-lunch rush or get take-out instead to enjoy the food without waiting. read more

Food is still above average.. but to be honest, it still doesn't stack up to what it used to be at the old Dumpling Kitchen location, even though I read it was the same chef. =( Prices seem a bit higher and the place is TINY! Seats maybe like 15 or so. Lots of takeout orders. Small and simple menu. read more

Tasty ! Grabbed Shanghai dumplings, pantries dumplings and potstickers for a quick lunch. Hot and fresh, super flavorful, def rec if you're in the area. read more

I stopped by yesterday and ordered 3 items . The peanut noodles and wonton in chili oil are , little salty n oily buy very tasty. The chicken in black bean sauce smelled wonderfully. I am glad to try it. The service is decent and the order was ready in decent amount of time. Definitely going back read more

If you're looking for a cheap bite and some great dumplings, this is the spot for you! Beef Stew Noodles: 3.75/5 I really loved the beef in this dish. It was tender and absorbed the flavors of the soup well. I'm not a huge fan of the type of noodle served with the dish because I prefer it to have a more chewy texture but don't let my preferences stop you from trying this wonderful dish! Pan Fried Pork Bun: 4.5/5 The pan fried bun was so good we ordered another order of it after our meal was done. The skin is not thick and dense like some places and the bottom was not soggy at all. This places does not fill theirs with soup but the meat still had alot of moisture. It does not really resemble a bun but I like it when its more like a dumpling. Shanghai Dumplings: 4/5 These have a heartier thick dumpling wrapper around it to keep the soup in. They tasted great and there was alot of soup inside. Potsticker: 4/5 While this dish did not stand out, it was a standard yummy potsticker. Sticky Rice Roll: 3.5/5 This was a chinese donut wrapped in sticky rice with pickled vegetables and pork floss. The donut was super crispy, which I enjoyed. The pickled vegetables were a bit salty and it could have used more pork floss. Definitely would come back again! read more

Food is super cheap here! We got hella dumplings and noodles for around $15 a person and we didn't even finish smh. Highly recommend coming here 15 minutes early (before the shop opens). It's truly a super small shop, and can hold maybe 12 people in seating - there are actually only four tables, and each one can squeeze 3 people max. If there's a party of 4, then you're looking at only 10 people getting seated (this was the case when we were there Saturday evening). My favorite was the Shanghai Pan Fried Dumpling, but the dan dan noodles were also good (they aren't the Sichuan style, so not that spicy). We also got the five spice beef noodle soup and the wonton noodle soup, and honestly you get so many noodles lol. All the noods. We couldn't finish. My recommendation is to get 1-2 dumpling dishes per person and then 1 noodle dish for every two people. You definitely don't want to overload on noodles here as they're not the highlight, and you can always take dumpling to go as an easy snack. I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here just because of the small size of the restaurant, but I recommend giving it a shot! read more

Stumbled upon this place while I was looking for a brunch place nearby. I'm glad I did, as I am always looking for a place with fantuan (sticky rice around a chinese donut). Prices are super cheap ($10 a person), but note that it's cash only. We ordered things that were easily picnic-able (like dumplings and wontons) as we took our places to the nearby park because we had a dog with us. Will return to try the noodles and the less portable items in the future! read more

The rice roll is good but they only have the savory kind and not the sweet Kind I enjoy. The pan fried XLB is crispy on the outside and tasty inside with juice- I liked that. Hot oil wontons are okay but nothing special and the steamed and boiled dumplings are not as good as kingdom of dumplings. We decided to order takeout since the store is so small and they don't do deliveries. read more

3.5 stars, rounded up. Good enough & priced well, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. Five spice beef noodle soup: Meat was good, but the noodles weren't chewy and the broth wasn't as strong as I was expecting. Sticky rice roll: Pork floss was very sweet, which I didn't love, and there wasn't enough pickled vegetable to cut through. The cruller was fresh, though, and the rice on the outside indeed sticky. Not really to my personal taste, but it's inexpensive and filling, if you need a quick bite. Pan-fried pork buns: Not crisp on the bottoms, disappointingly. Shanghai dumpling: Tasty, and the packaging used (little foil baking cups) is well suited. Dumplings are small, though. Wonton in chili oil: Good size, peanuts on top were nicely salted. Sticky rice roll: Pork floss was very sweet, which I didn't love, and there wasn't enough pickled vegetable to cut through. The cruller was fresh, though, and the rice on the outside indeed sticky. Not really to my personal taste, but it's inexpensive and filling, if you need a quick bite. 5 pieces per order of dumplings, which is great if you want to sample a variety of things. Inside looked pretty clean. There's no way to order online, but they are quick enough to get the food out (about 10 minutes). Everything was packaged securely. read more

The pork filling inside the pan fried pork buns tastes like cardboard. It can't be 100 percent pork. The beef noodles was probably the worst bowl of beef noodles I've ever had. Everything was bad the hard noodles, the dry tiny little pieces of beef and the plain broth. It's too bad because i was cravings beef noodles and pan fried buns. Definitely not coming back. read more

Yes, it's true, you thought dumpling kitchen closed for good but the legacy lives on at this new restaurant, adding to the numerous dumpling and chinese restaurants on Taraval street. As a fan of Dumpling Kitchen, I was excited to try this place. Definitely is a small restaurant but not a surprise if you've been to others on the street (i.e kingdom of dumpling, house of pancakes) so be prepared to wait if you're coming on the weekends or during other popular times. I came on Sunday for lunch around 1:00 and waited maybe 20 minutes. When we finished our lunch, there was nobody waiting anymore. We had the soup dumplings and beef noodle soup. Soup dumplings were great with a slightly thicker skin than other popular xiao long bao restaruants but the soup was good and fresh. The beef noodle soup wasn't bad but the noodles were more of a spaghetti texture - meaning not chewy like hand cut ones are. I'll be returning very soon to try more and will update this review when I do! read more

Super good quality. I love the savory soy milk soup(theres ground peanuts underneath the soup) the shanghai dumpling is also so flavorful! read more

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

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This cozy little place is pretty . We ordered pot stickers, Shanghai dumplings (my fav), and beef noodle soup and everything was pretty bomb. Shanghai dumplings have soup inside as most good places do. The skin is a bit thicker but not thick enough for me to complain about. The pot stickers have lots of juices, which make them so good. The beef noodle soup is quite large for it's size. The beef were tender and soup had lots of favor. Also ordered the pan fried pork buns afterwards. I personally don't like pan fried pork buns but it was juicy inside. Can't complain about that! Overall I had a good experience at this place. I can only give this a four star tho because of the wooden chopsticks. Personally I do not like wooden chopsticks cos they never break off clean. Other than that, I would've given this a five star. I would highly recommend this place to get your dumpling craving. read more

The food was phenomenal. The prices were so good. I would recommend everyone who wants authentic down home dumplings to go.

We came to Dumpling Specialist for lunch as we were looking to try a new spot, and some of the online 'press' had seemed pretty positive. Even though it was a dreary and rainy Saturday morning when we arrived about 5-10 minutes after opening, we were second in line and had to wait around 20 minutes or so to actually get seated. As mentioned, this is a really tiny spot - 4 tables max, with the max seating capacity (if they pull extra chairs out of the bathroom, as they did for our table of 4) probably at 12 people. You can also order in for take out, as a number of folks did, if you're not in the mood to wait. Service isn't great, which wasn't my expectation to begin with, but a number of things were forgotten, such as any sauces for the table (you'd expect at least vinegar to come with the XLB), as well as spoons for the noodle soup and XLB. Given it's a small space, I was a bit surprised that some of these basics were forgotten. So...did the food live up to the hype? I'd say on balance, not quite. It's not as though anything we ate was outright bad, but it certainly didn't match the best of what I've had elsewhere. The XLB had soup that was more savory than sweet (which I like), but the skin was much thicker than it should be, which made it a bit heavier to eat than usual. The sheng jian bao had a really nice crisp on its bottom, and the pork filling was good, but there was no soup / liquid inside it at all! That's a pretty crucial part of it IMO. The cucumber salad was probably my favorite as the flavors were clean and a nice offset to the richness of the other dishes. The Chinese sticky dough was also pretty good - lightly fried and not too sweet (that came from dipping it in the faintly-sweet soy milk we ordered). Our last two plates - the wontons in chili oil and spicy beef stew - had a very similar flavor profile in that they both went pretty heavy on peanut sauce, giving it a bit more of a Southeast Asian vibe than I would have expected. The wontons on their own were good from a skin profile, while the chunks of beef were also good - braised and without a lot of the excess fat / inedible pieces that I would have expected. However, the noodles were pretty generic and didn't really absorb / retain the flavor of the broth. While this place is relative cheap and definitely filling, I can't say that I would necessarily come back, especially if there was any kind of line for waiting, given the (relatively) lengthy wait for one of the few tables. There's better options for seeking out each of the savory bites we had, and I didn't get the sense that, despite being a so-called 'dumpling specialist', this spot did the dumplings in a unique style worth coming back for. read more

Dumpling Specialist - XLB - good soup / meat filling but skin is too thick - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went to eat on the first Saturday they were open. Not sure how it will change but the food was simple and delicious! I could see the space getting a little crowded (only seating for 11) but they do have takeout if you can't find a spot! read more

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Cheap and delicious Chinese food. I love their sticky rice ball and dan dan noodle. Chewy noodles along with a mild spicy meat sauce. Chinese fried donut wrapped sticky rice. The donut is still crunchy! Made on the spot read more