Mostly get Uber eats from here but still super tasty! Really great quality food but pretty pricey for what it is.

(6/12/2021) I got the wonton and BBQ pork noodle soup. Wontons are the soul of Hong Kong noodle soups. This is not a wonton. The noodles were okay in chewiness, and the broth does have flavor. But I would have expected the "10-hour soup" to have more flavor though. I did appreciate that the veggies are crisp and fresh. And I did like the lean BBQ pork. read more

Steam - This is not a wonton. - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Covers: vegetarian Delicious food. For a family of four, we ordered ma po tofu, pickled string beans, veggie noodles (flat rice), and sesame balls. All of them were delicious. The tofu was soft and slightly spicy (very tolerable) and the sesame balls were the highlight of the dinner. Soft, crunchy, and warm -- perfect way to end a meal. The outdoor seating was wonderful. The tables are well spaced so there was no concern for infection. The place is pricey but given safety and ambiance, it was worth it. read more

Steam - Ma pu tofu - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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It's definitely a place that aims to be a bit more contemporary dim sum so keep that in mind. We ordered Scallop seafood dumpling, shumai, cumin lamb, Singapore rice noodle, eggplant with minced chicken, Szechuan spicy chicken, and sticky rice. They were all tasty and I enjoyed the siu mai, cumin lamb, and eggplant the most. I wish the chicken had a stronger Szechuan flavor to it but maybe that's just my preference. Solid place for dim sum fix if you live in the area. read more

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Every dish we tried here has been fantastic! The chef knows flavor well! We could smell its authenticity as soon as we opened the door. The 10-hour soup chashu noodle is rich and flavorful. The chashu is lean yet tender. The lemongrass peppercorn wings was a unique flavor combination that was perfect in every way. Highly recommend! read more

Everything is great! Love the food and the staff is accommodating and warm and friendly. Now my favorite Asian restaurant. All the food we ordered were tasty and recommended. Place is clean. read more

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This place has been our go to when we want to get out of the usual loop of -"where to go out tonight?" Garlic spicy chicken, white rice and the tea makes our meal - good portion, not over the top spices and satisfying to our Indian palette and appetite. read more

Steam - Jasmine hot tea - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

3.5 stars Bummed that they AUTOMATICALLY charge 18% for tip! : { Dearest friends, the amount of tip we leave should be up to our discretion - not automatically billed We also felt that quality of food and ingredients were not the same as in the past visit. Not excited return but would come back if someone else was craving it. read more

Steak - 4.5 shanghai pork dumpling- it explodes in ur mouth, one could say it's a "burst of flavor" 4.75 read more

Steam - White person using chopsticks(struggling)(too scared to ask for fork) - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I've ordered from Steam twice via Doordash since the shelter in place order. I am thrilled to have found my new favorite Chinese restaurant after ordering from several others. I've ordered the mu shu veggies, seafood fried rice, and sesame balls. I think I may have to get two orders of the sesame balls next time as they are amazing! I hope I can go to the actual restaurant once the SIP order is lifted, and thank you for staying open for takeout and delivery. read more

Steam - Seafood fried rice and sesame balls - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I've been very sick with no appetite for the last four days. I finally got a bit of my appetite back, and this restaurant was the only place that came to mind because the only thing that I wanted to eat was steamed vegetable dumplings. Why steamed vegetarian dumplings? I have no clue! I usually want vegetable soup and some plain rice when I'm sick, however, most soups are so high sodium these days that I don't see the point, unless I make the soup at home from scratch. Don't have the energy for that unfortunately. So, the next logical choice is a dumpling. I could only eat two dumplings and I was full, so I'll eat the rest of them tomorrow. read more

I ordered: Braised beef noodle soup - Just like the name it's braised beef, noodle, soup and some vegi. Soup was tasty. The braised beef was soft and tender. The noodles had the right chew. It hits the spot if you're looking for soup and noodles. Shanghai pork dumpling - Its xiao long bao. Didn't come with ginger and vinegar until I asked. Which came promptly. It was good, lacking a little more soup inside the dumpling. I will come back for the beef noodles. There is room for improvement. Maybe on the depth and level of flavors. read more

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For lunch I ordered XLB, pea shoot dumplings, and shrimp har gow via Door Dash. The dumplings were definitely a lot pricier compared to your hole-in-the-wall dim sum joint, but met my expectations in terms of taste and quality. The XLB were juicy and the other dumplings were fairly large. Overall, I would order from Steam again. read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Decided to give his place a second shot. Wasn't too impressed the first time around (a busy Friday night). My second visit was on a not so busy Sunday afternoon. This may have made a difference. FOOD VEGGIE HOT & SOUR SOUP - This soup was tasty. The temperature was just right along with the right level of spice. Wish is had more broth, nonetheless, would order this dish again. CALAMARI - The calamari was fresh, didn't taste frozen. A couple of critiques here: 1. Too much salt for my taste 2. No lemons were provided with the dish. SPICY SZECHUAN SHRIMP - This dish wasn't spicy but it was flavorful. The shrimp was cooked to perfection. We were all confused with what seemed like "fried fish cakes" disguised as potatoes. BEEF JASMINE FRIED RICE - (friends ate this dish) this rice dish was fresh, light, airy and NOT oily at all. Only critique here is that they could be more generous with the beef. The beef that was served with this dish was a "minced"(small portions) of beef. UDON SEAFOOD NOODLE - noodles were perfectly cooked. Noodle sauce wasn't overpowering. Could have used more of a variety of seafood. WALNUT PRAWNS - served over a bed of lettuce and a side of walnuts. This might have been the more pricier dish we ordered, would've preferred slightly more shrimp. SWEAT & SOUR CHICKEN (friends are this dish) - The batter was light and crunchy, not too soggy. It was roughy $155 for 5 people which is only on the pricier end for Chinese food. We thought it was worth it! read more

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I have been going to this place once or twice a week. Every time I go, I am not disappointed at foods and services.

I visited this place twice in one week! (You know, it HAS to be good!) My husband and I were strolling around at University Ave and decided to grab some dinner. Came across steam, looked at their menu outside the restaurant and decided to try it! The place was clean with nice indoors (they have an awesome kitchen view and you can sit and eat at the bar tables!) Being Saturday evening, we had to wait ~40 mins to get a table. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much out of them but to my surprise I came out of the restaurant as a fan! It definitely gives an impression of a dimsum place but they have a really good main dish options too! Here is what all I have tried in my past two visits and their ratings: Szechuan Chicken with Garlic- 5/5 Pan fried noodles with chicken- 5/5 Shanghai pork dumplings- 5/5 Pork and Shrimp Dumplings: 3/5 Shrimp Dumplings: 4/5 Pork Bun: 4/5 Pan Fried Chicken Bun- 5/5 Chicken Pot Stickers- 5/5 Mushroom Dumplings-3/5 Rice in Lotus Leaf- 3/5 My overall experience was great! I have been to many Chinese restaurants lately and can safely say that this is where I am going again next! read more

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We love the dim sum at Steam. We often do take out and the orders have always been correct. They have a comfortable patio and the ambiance is nice inside the restaurant too. The seating is a bit tight inside, so we prefer take out or outside. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the food. The service is good. read more

4 solid stars for two things: sesame balls and wine noodle soup. Can't stop coming back for the steamed black sesame ball dessert which is so chewy, fresh, sweet, and satisfying! I also love the wine seafood noodle soup, which is uber spicy but has a lot of umami and fresh seafood. The beef noodle soup is decent but nothing special. Most of the dumplings are average at best (siu mai), most of them stick together because they're either old or oversteamed. Do NOT recommend most of their dim sum items and would give them 2 stars for that. Steam is about $1 more per dish than comparable dim sum places but it makes sense given their prime location on University Ave. They present themselves as a more modern and upscale eatery yet the workers are very rude and terse. I'd recommend eating in as parking is surprisingly easy on weekdays and they give you more at the restaurant than to-go at least for the noodles. read more

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A good option if you're looking for dim sum and fare while in Palo Alto. There was a nice selection of items and our food came out pretty quickly. For dumplings - we enjoyed the Shanghai Soup and pea shoot with shrimp. If you're into calamari, try the salt and pepper - big chunks of meat with a light crispy batter. On a warm March day, the patio dining was perfect. read more

This is place is my definition of Fancy dim sum. Very high end little dim sum restaurant in downtown Palo Alto. Stopped here because of the good reviews and how close it was to a memorial service we attended. Food was very tasty. Everything had a depth of flavor. Though we were very shocked by the prices. We were already sitting down and went with it. Not the typically $3-5 prices we are use to paying for dimsum. They ranged for about $8-12 per dimsum. Not our normal. Probably not a go to stop for us. But if you're okay with those prices then yes definitely delicious! read more

We visited on a Sunday evening and got seated immediately. The food was decent but not worth the price. They also automatically added an 18% service charge for all parties. read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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We walked in on Saturday afternoon and were seated immediately. We got the Shrimp Har Gow, Pan Fried Chicken Buns and Thousand Island tofu with sea food. Everything was so fresh and so flavorful. The tofu was really soft. The buns had amazing texture and the chicken filling was very well made. Great service. The price range is amazing for the location, service and quality of food. Will definitely return! read more

Excellent food and great location. Fast friendly service. I highly recommend them. Will definitely return

A bit pricy but the food is good. The thing is, they charge mandatory tip and I can't justify 18% with the bad service and lack of service. 4 stars would go back but mandatory tip is BS. read more

Restaurant in Palo Alto, and prices are decent. Portions are small though. Food was decent, I wish there was more spice and less oil. I think it was lacking a lot of flavor. There is inside and outside seating, and outside is heated. Inside is nice. Service is very fast, and food comes out in a decent time. I just think the food flavor can be improved! read more

These dishes were really solid! We enjoyed the uyghur cumin lamb, eggplant w/ minced chicken, and salt & pepper tofu! Mapo tofu a little less so Also felt like the service was pretty good -- we were sitting outside furthest from the actual restaurant, but the waiters were still attentive. read more

We were strolling around Palo Alto looking for some food. I heard some good feedback from friends about this Chinese restaurant so we tried it. The ambiance is good they have outdoor and indoor seating. You can go with friends or for a date. I could find Jain food items. They cater to Vegetarian food as well. I had Mapo Tofu without onions and garlic. read more

Some of the best soup dumplings we've ever had. Amazing flavor. All dim sum is freshly made. Wonderful on a cold fall day.

The dim sum was really good; well balanced flavors on each. The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf was my favorite. It was tender and perfectly balanced flavor. ThePork & Shrimp Shui Mai were juicy and good. The Steamed BBQ Pork Buns had fresh, soft buns stuffed with well flavored pork. The Black Sesame Mochi with Peanut were out of this world. The Sesame Balls were fresh and perfectly sweet. I would eat here again for the dim sum. The Eggplant with Minced Chicken was well flavored, but the the chicken was minced to the point of being hard to find. read more

A classic hole in the wall eatery. We ordered the Szechuan prawn and chicken. Love the flavor and a perfect spot for our lunch. They are pretty quick in their service. The dim sum wasn't that great read more

Steam - Szechuan style spicy tiger prawns - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Steam was a solid option. The service was fast and the staff was really nice to us. I saw the other reviews about less friendly staff and average food. We decided to give it a shot anyhow and we liked it. The people were really nice to us. We were able to sit down right away on a Tuesday night around 7:00. The food came out pretty quick and the portions were hearty. We tried three different steamed dumplings, a veg and a main (the fish). The dumplings were steamed well and flavorful. The veg was nice and bright green and happy with a beautiful steam. The fish was in a nice stew/broth and was really fresh and flavorful. We really enjoyed ourselves and to get all of that for $60 felt like a great fair price. We left full and happy. read more

3.5 STARS Geez, some of the negative reviews here are harsh. "1 STAR because the hot sauce was hot!" "1 STAR because the soy sauce is not gluten-free!" "1 STAR because the dumpling squirted all over the place!" (--___--) Ok, I made those up because I don't want to directly call anyone out but there's similar ridiculous negative reviews. I did see one lady stab her XLB (soup dumpling) with a fork. All the broth squirted out like a sprinkler which broke my heart but that's a whole other story. Anyhow, after drinking a wee bit too much vodka, I started having dim sum cravings. I remember Steam serving dim sum all day and having Tater Tot friendly seating so I decided to give them a shot. Plus, it was a 5 minute walk from where I was staying so it was very convenient. All the reviews about the high prices are true. Steam is expensive, but it's Palo Alto where Teslas are as common as Priuses. Plus, they don't have much competition like San Francisco. Steam does not accept reservations and it was busy on a Saturday night. Since we were dining outdoors, we easily got a table. The menu is a check-list of Dim Sum items, Rice and Noodle dishes, and Americanized Chinese dishes like Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Mu Shu, etc. We ordered the following: *Crispy Shrimp Balls ($5.80): http://bit.ly/2q9Kruw *Scallop Seafood Dumplings ($5.80) *Shrimp Dumplings ($5.80) *Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai ($5.80) *Beef Chow Fun ($13): http://bit.ly/2r1Fq7Z *Fried Sesame Balls ($5.80): http://bit.ly/2q9EKfV The dim sum was pretty decent for PA. The scallop and shrimp dumpling wrappers were smooth with a nice elasticity. However, they were little bit on the thicker side but I've had a lot worse at Ginger Café in Sunnyvale (also serves all-day dim sum). The pork & shrimp siu mai were savory and plump. Skip the crispy shrimp balls - they were terrible and had a weird stretchy texture. I think they just bought frozen shrimp balls and wrapped it in sliced wonton wrappers. The beef chow fun was surprisingly solid. There was good wok hei creating a slight smoky flavor. Noodles were nicely separated, the slices of beef were uber tender, and the bean sprouts were still crisp. The fried sesame balls were bomb! They're fried to order so they're piping hot upon arrival. They were crunchy, satisfyingly chewy, and nicely sweet from the red bean paste. I like that they didn't skimp on the red bean paste either. Service was pretty pleasant which is never expected when visiting a Chinese restaurant. I forgot Tater Tot's treats at the hotel so I asked our server if I can order a side of unsalted boiled chicken. He immediately asked, "Oh for your dog? Yes, we can do that." They gave me a container of at least 8 ounces of unsalted boiled sliced chicken breast and charged me for half a chicken dish ($7.50) which was fair. Our server also neatly packed our leftovers in separate boxes. The dining area is contemporary and there's an open kitchen with counter seating. The front outdoor patio is great for people watching. And, part of it is covered so you can still dine outside even if it's raining. As long as you set your expectations, Steam can be a decent option for all-day dim sum in PA. But, I would never bring my Chinesey mom here unless I want to be chased down with a feather duster (she would raise hell with the prices). Until Yelp gets a half star rating system, rounding up for the delicious [fried sesame] balls and dog-friendly accommodation. read more

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First off, I'm a little surprised that the reviews aren't a little higher for this place! My girlfriend and I visited this spot for a girl's lunch date on a sunny day. We just loved how the outdoor seating area was aesthetically well displayed and put togehter. Just by the pictures on the menu, we went right for all the dim sum small plates. We were excited to eat and dine on all the classic Chinese dim sum dishes for our lunch. Even though it's a dim sum spot, they serve a la carte dishes too. I love that because my girlfriend loves spicy beef noodle soup and we were able to do a hybrid dim sum chinese style lunch. The beef noodle soup was delicious. I think if anything, they could've added some salt and more flavor to the beef. The soup was a bit light in flavor. When you make a visit here, you NEED to try at least one round of all their dim sum plates (ie: siu mai, shrimp dumplings, the green colored shrimp dumplings). They steam the food per order so it's always fresh tasting and hot out the steam! It was so good that we ordered another round of siu mai. Each portion had four per bamboo container so it was perfectly two per person for our girl's date. We also ordered the peanut butter black sesame mochi balls and I was sad there were only three per plate because it was SO GOOD that i wanted more! They were huge balls with melted hot black sesame paste inside. The nutty flavor paired so well with the black sesame filling and my girlfriend and I were both surprised that the dessert was perfectly balanced in sweetness! The service was reasonably fast for lunch time. The bathrooms are through the back, inside the restaurant. They were nice and sanitary. read more

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I know this is mostly a dumpling/dim sum place, as the name suggests, but I go more for the basic mains at a Chinese restaurant. I ordered the cumin lamb, a favorite of mine. Not as heavily cumin-drenched as most such dishes, it was outstanding for the lamb, which was both moist and fairly crispy, a great combo. Not a very large dish, it was well supplemented by an extra order of a bowl of rice, also not too large, and also very moist. Service seemed a little quaint, but it was early for dinner and very quiet (i.e. not busy), so there was no trouble. read more

First time here. They've been here for six years. What!? Where have I been? Clean, modern decor, patio seating. Ordered and ate like pigs: STICKY BEEF FRIED RICE (5/5) LOVED this one. Had that wok-fried authentic taste. They should take the "beef" out of the name of the dish since it's almost not even visible. Come to think of it, they should also take "sticky" off since it wasn't sticky at all. It was a GREAT standard fried rice though and I totally recommend you order it. SWEET AND SOUR PORK (4/5) Pretty standard as far as this dish goes. It wasn't my order but completely enjoyable if this is your dish. SHANGHAI DUMPLINGS (3/5) These are the soup dumplings but be warned these are a mini size of what you normally get w/these dumplings. They're like the size of ping pong ball. They were good, not great. This size is great if you just want a sample. BEEF CHOW FUN (4/5) It was hard to stop eating this one. Noodles were fresh and had good chew. SZECHUAN SHRIMP (4/5) My only prob with this dish was the quality of the shrimp. You could tell they were the flavorless, slightly rubbery farm-raised kind which is a shame because except for that, I loved the flavors and presentation of this dish. PEA SHOOTS (5/5) I actually ordered Pea Shoot Dumplings, but apparently our waiter didn't hear the "dumplings" part since what arrived to the table were pea shoots. After I took a bite of these, I didn't care it was a mis-order. In fact, I was happy. They were super fresh, and an appetizing bright green color. Loved these. I could order these and the fried rice and call it a day. CHICKEN WINGS (4/5) These wings maintained their crisp despite the sauce - which is a real win for any chef. These were incredibly edible - juicy and full of flavor. A lot of Yelpers it seems are coming here to get their dim sum fix. Except for the Shanghai dumplings we didn't order any of the dim sum items. I will say, though, that the dumplings was the weakest dish on the table. The chef is talented for sure and based on the food we had, I would love to explore their dim sum menu. I can't believe we didn't order the black sesame balls but will do that next time when we come back for a dim sum fest!! Steam is absolutely worthy of a visit! read more

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We got a selection of 5 dumplings and I was so disappointed. The dough was so sticky that it stuck to the paper and pulled apart the dumpling when you tried to grab it. This is especially bad for the soup dumplings as all the yummy soup comes out. The dumplings are really large but I'd say that is a bad thing as it makes them difficult to eat Pretty expensive for dumplings Would prefer if the dumplings came with little dishes and spoons. They large dishes are not helpful as the soy sauce goes everywhere (they serve soy not vinegar) Also makes it more difficult to eat the soup dumpling without your spoon. The pea shoot, spinach & shrimp dumplings were tasteless Positive is that it has a nice modern outdoor seating area read more

Steam - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Wanted to have some small bites on a Saturday evening and bumped into this place at Palo Alto Downtown. We wanted to try their dumpling but landed up ordering more as the limit was 10$ per person minimum. We got the shrimp pea shoot dumpling and the chicken buns along with chicken hot and sour soup. The food was really good and would probably come back to have a full fledged meal. Since we reached at an odd time, we managed to get a table quickly. The only disappointing part was the service. read more

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Stopped by during my lunch hour and I'm so glad I did! No wait time, nice, outdoor seating, and good service. I ordered Kung Pao chicken and jasmine fried rice w/beef and it was sooo delicious! Food came out pretty quick too. Only downside...I asked for Diet Coke and got Diet Pepsi (gross) lol. Check it out! read more

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We came right when Steam opened and were seated right away. The ambiance was nice and inside had high ceilings so it felt very spacious. We ordered BBQ buns, xu mai, the Taiwan Stir Fry Noodles, spinach seafood dumplings, and custard buns. Our favorites were the xu mai (lots of stuffing, the dumplings were fairly big) and the bbq and custard buns, which were super soft and fluffy. The noodles were decent; the spinach seafood dumpling wrapping wasn't what we were used to and not as chewy as normal wrappers. Overall though we had nice brunch here! read more

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This review is just for the black sesame mochi, which we're out of this world. Chewy mochi, sesame filling, super sweet peanut exterior