I really enjoyed taking a break from the work day and having lunch at Steam. I do wish I sat inside because I got hot sitting in the sun, but the restaurant is clean and comfortable. Service was great, I do wish our server came around a couple times more because I had told her I was going to order something else, and we were waiting for the check, so we had to get up a couple times to get their attention. The food was excellent. High quality dishes, and a great variety. My favorite was the beef soup, the broth was slightly sweet, the noodles tasted great with the beef, and the beef was tender. I wanted to order more! I really enjoyed the walnut prawns too, the walnuts were caramelized and I ordered extra read more

See all

Steam in Palo Alto by Stanford is truly amazing! Their Mongolian beef dish is the best we have ever had and their dumplings and wings are delicious! The service is always good and their food is an absolute must have if you are in Palo Alto. read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

I've had steam on DoorDash and always loved it so I was excited to try it in person! The steamed dumplings were delicious and the shui mai was huge. The wings were not spicy, it tasted sweet and were also a good size. Service was attentive and quick and there are both indoor and outdoor seating. Good spot for people watching! read more

Steam - Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (3 Pc) - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

This is my favorite place in the area for Christmas dim sum. Outstanding preparations. The restaurant is lovely, with elegant wood accents. A fun place to treat yourself to a yummy Chinese meal. Dumplings are delicate and light, with a soft rice paper skin. The most delicious was the fun gow, stuffed with nutty taro. Charred spring onion oil noodles are rich with a pleasing, delicate taste of frizzled scallion. Fish fillet with Szechuan spicy sauce has perfect texture and a lovely gingery sauce. Egg tofu with mushroom features addictive soft tofu lightly fried for savoriness. read more

Steam - Vegetarian Fun Gow Dumplings (3 Pc) - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Food was very tasty, delivered hot and fresh. Service was fast and efficient. Some outside tables, a lot more inside. They really designed the interior well, it was far more spacious than the size of the restaurant should have allowed. In the Palo Alto area? Hungry for Dim Sum? This is THE spot! read more

See all

Walked in for dinner on a rainy weeknight, and were seated promptly. We got the hot and sour soup, veg fried rice, Sichuan chicken and cumin lamb. The restaurant is well lit and has indoor and outdoor seating although the tables are rather close to each other. But hey, that's University Ave, Palo Alto for you. The food came out promptly and was good. The cumin lamb was the favorite, seasoned well while the other dishes were decent but nothing spectacular that I'd keep coming back for. Service was efficient and prompt. read more

See all

Came across this restaurant while walking around the university avenue figuring out where to have lunch. It's my weekly routine now to discover new places or revisit old favourites as I work from PA office once a week. Had the lunch special. Szechuan chicken served with Jasmine rice, 1 spring roll, 1 potsticker and hot & sour soup. The chicken is really yummy, spicy and delicious. I enjoyed it with a side of piping hot jasmine rice. Spring roll is decent and bit on oily side Potsticker is good I couldn't eat the soup coz it had mushroom in it. (Am allergic) All this for just $18.99 I think it's a steal deal. Give it a try during your weekday lunches. read more

See all

Filet Mignon Cubes w/ Maggi Sauce 4 onions, broccoli, chewy, juicy, flavorful; I think Maggi sauce is a brand of soy sauce Hot and Sour Soup 3 too spicy for me read more

Steam - Filet Mignon Cubes w/ Maggi Sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

First and foremost, extremely few places can offer gluten free dim sum options and Chinese dishes so this place appeals greatly just because of that. The dim sum menu is limited, but many standards like har gow 虾饺, siu mai 烧卖, and shanghai dumpling 小笼包 (not GF) are there. Seafood in the dim sum was ample; the portions filling; and the taste was good. Place has a modern atmosphere and outdoor dining (also rare for Chinese food) and parking nearby which are both pluses. Service was decent--not friendly, but very easy to get someone's attention. Pro tips: confirm and confirm if you need gluten free. Improvements to this place would be a menu with both Chinese _and_ English (there is only the latter); the addition of Chinese brocolli 芥蓝; and the addition of gluten free Chinese congee (粥). Definitely will go back. read more

Steam - Har gow 虾饺 and Shanghai dumpling 小笼包 - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Came here for dim sum cuz it was a half way point to meet family. The place was fairly empty for a Saturday afternoon probably due to so many restaurants to choose from on the Ave. The service was attentive and the ambiance was nice. The food was eh for dim sum. Most of it lacked any flavor and there really wasn't anything that stood out so that I'd make a return trip. read more

See all

Tried this spot a while back and thought it was fairly decent, nothing crazy. Their food is good, we took it to go. It does get busy but for a random dim sum spot for to go orders it was nice to try it. Their sautéed veggies are good, though their dumplings are okay read more

Ordered the honey walnut shrimp for takeout. Found a dead fly... We will certainly not return nor order from here again. read more

Steam - Dead fly in the food - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Of the dishes I ordered, the two I definitely recommend getting are the pea sprouts, XLB and the shiu mai. The pea sprouts had the perfect amount of garlic and the veggie itself has a fresh taste. It was cooked perfectly as well (although it was a bit oily). The XLB had a huge filling, well amount of soup, and had a strong ginger taste which I love. Ask for chili on the side to spice up your soy sauce! The shiu mai was meaty. The reason why I'm giving it 3.5/5 stars is because the pepper beef was super salty and same with the chow fun. However the meat was super tender so it felt rlly wasteful that I couldn't continue eating it. The har gow skin was too thick for my liking, making it doughy. Other than that, the service was great and consistently clean the area. read more

Steam - Chow fun, pepper beef w broccoli, pea sprouts w garlic. - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

We stumbled upon this spot while strolling through downtown Palo Alto and craving dim sum. And it did NOT disappoint! We got the shrimp dumplings, scallion noodles, and lemon peppercorn chicken wings. Everything was incredible, delicious, and fresh. I didn't really have any expectations, so I was very pleasantly surprised. There is a very nice outdoor patio where you can enjoy people watching but still feel secluded enough where it doesn't feel like you're in the street. Service was quick and efficient, and our server checked on us often. Would come again! read more

We came here on a weekday night for dinner. There was little to no wait and we were seated immediately. Our server was attentive and friendly and the ambience was very lively. We ordered: - Handmade Wonton with STEAM Hot Sauce - Delicious and the sauce was very flavorful, I wish this was a bit spicier, but overall the taste was still delicious - Uyghur Cumin Lamb - the cumin flavor was delicious when paired with the lamb, which was also very juicy and tender! - Szechuan Style Crispy Tiger Prawns - Very crispy and a good combination with the Szechuan style numbing spice One thing I loved was that there were multiple vegetarian options available on the menu! Overall, I had a good time here and will be back in the future to try other items on the menu. read more

See all

Been dying to try this place . Went this afternoon and service was great and fast! I wish I took pictures but unfortunately I didn't. I ordered a combo Mongolian beef and Har Go! Definitely a 10/10 spent $31 which was more then fair. Very happy I tried " Steam " will be back soon. read more

Great food and excellent service. We went there at the last minute in Palo Alto and they were very gracious.

Good to have Chinese food and tea, good service and environment Supposed to get there whenever nearby. Suggested to everyone who likes Chinese foods read more

My aunt recommended we come here for my mom's casual bday brunch after we got our massages. It's a small, tidy place that has a good amount of outdoor seating also. Service was attentive & friendly. We got our usual dim sum orders like sticky rice in lotus leaf, shumai, har gow & pea sprouts with garlic. Portions & flavor were all good. I especially liked how the garlic with pea sprouts were whole & almost caramelized. We also got shrimp chow fun which was my fave. Noodles were bouncy, shrimp was cooked perfectly & was seasoned well. read more

Had 2 things: beef chow fun = decent portion size and quality of the beef was great, however lacking a bit in flavor and a bit oily. Garlic green beans, bit overdone and over salted with lots garlic. Service was fine. Would come back to for the chow fun again and perhaps another dish or 2. read more

Steam - Beef chow fun - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

Average Chinese food. Overpriced. Found some dishes too Salty. The XLB dumpling was just ok, Mushroom dumpling was a tasteless mash. For mains, we had the fish in black bean sauce, Szechuan Chicken & Crispy Prawn. Ambience is good, Service quick, but food was a letdown. PS: Apart from the high prices, we got pre-charged 18% service fees for 3 people & the final bill came with a empty Tip section expecting more! Seriously! read more

Steam - Szechuan style Tiger Prawn - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Great food, good service. Can't wait to have more again. I may try something new. I like trying new and different foods.

Solid place to get Chinese food that's a little cheaper than Taste down the street. They're also a good place to get dim sum in Palo Alto (although in my opinion the dim sum prices are still pricey, but that's Palo Alto for you). This time we got the cumin lamb and sautéed broccoli with some white rice. The cumin lamb was very good. It was a bit salty, but this dish usually is. The service was a little slow this time. The cumin lamb was served before the rice so we had to wait a little to get our rice to eat with the dish. But I've gone before and haven't had that problem with the service before so it could just be that time. The inside's really new and clean. It feels modern and warm. Also the bathroom's surprisingly large and nice. It definitely feels like an expensive restaurant bathroom. Parking: There are many parking garages in Palo Alto so it's not too hard for us to find parking read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised by what Steam has to offer in terms of dim sum and other pan Chinese dishes. The atmosphere is very chic, open, and clean. They serve jasmine tea by default, but you can also ask the server to provide tea based on preference, such as oolong, green tea, chrysanthemum, or pu'er tea. Any of the "classic" dim sum dishes will be a good choice for your visit: -Sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaf. Steamed perfectly with lots of great fillings, including pork, egg, and sausage. -Shrimp dumpling (Ha Gau). Tried and true, with excellent shrimp portions. Try it with a little soy sauce or a some hot sauce -Pork dumpling (Siu Mai). Great job on a classic. They add a little roe on top too! The lunch and dinner items are also excellent. Don't miss the Singaporean rice noodles! Finally, you can decide on tipping. They add a 15% service charge on top. The service is excellent! read more

See all

Decent Dim Sum with portions on par for the price. I've visited on several occasions and service always seems to be slow regardless as to how full the restaurant may be. Worth noting, it is very friendly service. I usually go with the Scallop Seafood and or Pea Shot Dumplings. The crystal shrimp are another one of my recommendations. Their vegetable dishes seem a bit overpriced, but the quality is top-notch. Please note they charge an automatic gratuity of 18%. That is more than fair, but might be overlooked as the next line is just Tip (vs additional Tip). read more

See all

Steam is centrally located on the main part of University Ave. It's modern & clean with open kitchen. For the price, I was not very impressed with the beef chow fun dish for lunch. Maybe it was an off day. I also don't think service was up to par. read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The service and ambiance were good but the food was a little underwhelming. Nothing was bad, just nothing to write home about.

I had a great dinner at Steam with a friend and was so happy to see their gluten free options! I was able to have steam buns (ask for gluten free) and one of the rice noodle dishes safely as someone with celiac, and they have gluten free soy sauce available. Some items are marked gluten free on the menu, but others are available on request. It was a bit confusing when we got there because no one was at the greeting stand, but we ended up following another group and just walking right in to the bar area to ask to be seated. read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Pretty underwhelmed with the food here. None of it was spicy, the dumplings were doughy, the hot n sour is a pass. The soup had no flavor, I had to add soy sauce and chili sauce to add some. The dumplings were okay, the best were probably the XLB. the mapo tofu was sweet, would definitely pass on this. Everything is also a bit overpriced read more

See all

Overall I've tried the mapo tofu, veggie spring rolls, and the pork soup dumplings. The mapo tofu lacked flavor and was pretty bland, which was super disappointing! I would not recommend. However, the spring rolls and the soup dumplings were decent! The restaurant itself was very clean and spacious, but I wouldn't say the food was anything special. read more

Found this place by walking by on the University avenue. Ordered shrimp dumplings, seafood dumplings and pork dumplings and some chicken wings. Everything tasted good and fresh. Really enjoyed the fact that they have gluten-free dumplings. read more

The food here is so tasty and yummy, I physically could not stop myself from eating more when I was stuffed to the brim! The service was quick and attentive and always made sure our waters were filled! The restaurant is located on a busy street in downtown Palo Alto so it's easy to find and has a calming ambiance inside. Perfect place to grab some delicious dim sum read more

Steam - Steamed wontons in chili sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

I went here before and pretty yummy, the brown sugar rice cake is the yummiest! best resturant ever! I suggest this for everyone who likes chinese food. the service is super good too! because once I brought my grandma's friends's dog to here and one of the manager gave the dog a bowl of water! how nice... really! go try some of their super yummy food! I'd like to give it a 5 star rating... read more

STEAM has a great location in downtown Palo Alto on one of the main streets. Great outdoor seating for air and sun. Inside gets a lot of light as well. Lots of street parking around the restaurant location available. The food is very tasty and savory. I ate the following, -beef basil dish: it was tender and flavorful. I liked that you can really taste the basil & it comes with veggies. It balances out the saltiness of the meat seasoning. -Brown rice on the side was good to balance out the savory flavors of the beef. -Hong Kong noodles with chicken and shrimp: it was filling and there was a good amount of shrimp and chicken spread throughout the dish along with veggies. -I also ordered the shrimp ball appetizer: each one was quite large. It had maybe 2-3 shrimps in each ball with the crispy cover around it and dipping sauce. It had a subtle shrimp flavor, very tasty. The dipping sauce was a little vinegary for me, but I liked the ball with soy sauce. Portions are substantial & reasonably priced (for Palo Alto prices. Compared to other areas with more Asian cuisine available, it would be considered expensive) It's a good amount of food for sharing. I took my leftovers to-go. I got about 3 portions out of my beef order. Service was excellent; my friend and I were seated right away and given a choice between inside and outside. I wanted to sit outside, since the weather was amazing. I would definitely recommend Steam, and return! read more

See all

I only got the har gow and shumai but I enjoyed it! Service was good. They were attentive towards letting me order when I was ready, refilling water, etc. I would like to go back to try their other dishes. read more

Steam - Shumai, har gow, and hot tea - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Pan fried chicken buns: Best of the bunch. Delicious filling, good ratio of filling to dough, dough was light and fluffy and moist. Would def recommend. 5/5 Pea shoot & prawn dumplings: 4/5 BBQ pork buns: 3/5 For the price...3/5. Also did not like that 18% service charge is automatically tacked on, for any size party. Would not return for that reason. read more

Steam - Pan fried chicken buns (highly recommend) - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

Solid dim sum place in downtown Palo Alto. We went this past Monday, and they weren't super busy. Our waiter was very friendly, too. We ordered the Shanghai Pork Dumplings, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Shui Mai and the Crispy Shrimp Balls. The menu notes how many pieces each order comes with, and that's super helpful! The first three orders came out relatively quickly (less than 10 minutes), but it took a much longer time for the Crispy Shrimp Balls to come after we ordered it (20+ minutes). The Pork Dumplings were juicy, and the steamed buns were soft and fluffy. The Shui Mai has shrimp and that was good, too. These three dishes were good, but not insanely good. My favorite was the Crispy Shrimp Balls. I've never had something like this before, and it was incredible! Totally crunchy on the outside and soft from the shrimp on the inside, yielding the most mouth watering bites. As is the case with dim sum, you won't be full off of a few dishes, you'll likely need several more, especially if you're with a big group. So come ready to eat and shell out some $$ haha! read more

See all

Omg! Omg! Omg! That's pretty much all I gatta say! Amazing food! 1st time here and I don't regret it at all. Super affordable and the service here is so good. Everyone is so polite. The ambiance is really chill and the food is so good. I would totally go for the wings!!! The wings with sauce. The beef soup YUM!!! read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

See all

This is a casual walk in restaurant in Palo Alto. For the prices, I would have expected higher quality food, but instead there were high quantities of noodles in the dishes but in my opinion it was not worth the price. The mochi was the best part. Service was minimal. read more

See all

Dropped by here to meet up a person who picked this place. Parking was surprisingly easy for lunch on a weekday. This is a Americanized Chinese restaurant. We ordered some dim sums and veggies. Food was okay. Service was nice, attentive and respectful. Overall decor was nice. But to me, there was nothing memorable about the food. An average modernized Chinese restaurant. read more