Blog

Sep 12, 2023

Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area

In 2015, restaurateurs Jenny Huang and Willy Ng parlayed the success of famed

In 2015, restaurateurs Jenny Huang and Willy Ng parlayed the success of famed Daly City spot Koi Palace into Dragon Beaux, a fun and ambitious Cantonese restaurant in the Richmond District. High ceilings and elaborate architectural details make the space as eye-catching as the multicolored dim sum. As at sister restaurant Koi Palace, the soup dumplings are top-class, bursting with seasoned broth and silky meat filling. One highlight that you won't find elsewhere is the Street Side Plain Rice Crepe Roll, a platter of tender steamed rice rolls served with an irresistible dipping sauce of peanuts, hoisin and sweet soy sauce. In addition to dim sum, the restaurant also specializes in congee and hot pot.

What to order: Soup dumplings ($7.70), street side rice crepe ($7.70), jumbo scallop shumai ($8.70)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 415-333-8899

Website

Order online

More coverage

Located in a busy San Leandro strip mall, Fusion Delight is buzzing even on weekdays. Inside the grand banquet hall, you’ll notice gold flower fixtures hanging from the ceiling along with lights and projectors, primed for the next big event. Around the restaurant, parents and grandparents fiddle with tablets to place an order next to kids who languish in chairs, while others sip tea and eat turnip cakes from steamy wooden boxes. The shumai has an attractive ratio of ground shrimp and pork. The creaminess of daikon cakes is supported with salty pork sausage. But perhaps the most impressive are the strawberry-flavored taro balls oozing with custard. The outside layer looks like a spherical collection of crunchy pebbles protecting the melty interior.

What to order: Shumai ($6.50), daikon cake with sausage ($4.50), strawberry taro balls with custard ($6.50).

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Monday

Phone: 510-895-1818

Advertisement

There are usually lines out the door at this takeout spot, but ordering is streamlined and simple: Customers fill out their orders on pink paper menus, and the staff fill their containers at light speed with orderly stacks of har gow, turnip cakes and buns. The bulky shrimp and chive dumplings are exceptionally plush and crunchy, and they don't skimp on the juicy garlic chives, either. Good Luck has even had a few film cameos, with shout-outs in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and rom-com "Always Be My Maybe." Pair this with a visit to Green Apple Books to really make the most of your afternoon.

What to order: Baked char siu bao ($2.40), har gow ($3.60), shrimp and chive dumplings ($1.60), dried shrimp crepe ($1.60)

Payment options: Cash only

Drinks: None

Hours: Breakfast and lunch Wednesday-Monday

Phone: 415-386-3388

Top 25 Restaurants

Top 25 Wineries

Top Chinese Restaurants

There's a reason there's always a long line outside dim sum legend Good Mong Kok: Decades after its opening, the tiny takeout-only spot is still serving some of San Francisco's best dim sum. Don't let the lines get you down as they often move fast; do plan to get here before noon so you can get as many items on the menu as possible. If you’re looking for something beyond har gow and shumai, try the fried ham sui gok, a mochi-like dumpling with a crispy exterior and a saucy meat filling. This dim sum spot is not a place to dawdle; either point to or say what you want to order, and you’ll be out with your food in minutes.

What to order: Baked scallion bun ($1.70), sesame balls ($3), deep fried meat dumpling ($3)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: None

Hours: Breakfast and lunch daily

Phone: 415-397-2688

More coverage

Opened in the Embarcadero Center in 2018 by the team behind Chinatown's R&G Lounge, Harborview presents an updated take on Cantonese food in an upscale setting. The rows of fish tanks at the entrance speak to the restaurant's seafood specialties, including hard-to-find Singapore-style chili crab and lobster noodles kissed with smoky wok hei. Dim sum specialties include novel takes on the classics: Peking duck sliders ($7) flavored with black truffle, a jumbo-size soup dumpling filled with gorgeously savory supreme broth, and fried sesame balls filled with dark chocolate. The upper-deck patio includes excellent views of the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge; surprisingly, you never find yourself fighting seagulls for that last bite of shumai. They must not be dim sum fans.

What to order: Sesame balls ($7), supreme broth soup dumpling ($11), baked barbecue pork buns ($10)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Full bar

Hours: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday

Phone: 415-399-1200

Website

Order online

More coverage

Surrounded by water in Emeryville, Hong Kong East Ocean offers one of the loveliest settings to sip oolong tea and eat dim sum. The patina of the restaurant only adds to its charm, like the crystal chandeliers, the guardian lion statues out front and the wedding party furniture. The dim sum menu leans on classics that are also available through the evening, if you prefer a brightly lit San Francisco skyline setting. Classics are done well like barbecue buns ($11.15), which are soft and stretchy; the well-steamed shumai; and the gelatinous lotus leaf sticky rice. Also on the dim sum menu is the wickedly good salt and pepper calamari, which is covered in a thin, crisp coating. Be sure to try the crab soup dumpling filled with a light, comforting broth and rice rolls stuffed with crispy shrimp ($16.05). Finish off with a heart-shaped, velvety mango pudding.

What to order: Salt and pepper calamari ($13.92), lotus leaf sticky rice ($11.45), crab soup dumpling ($11.45), shumai ($10.21), mango pudding ($8.32)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Full bar

Hours: Lunch and dinner Thursday-Monday

Phone: 510-655-3388

Website

Fremont's newest dim sum restaurant is this adorable counter-service spot with a small but well-executed menu that mixes traditional dumplings with more modern takes (read: pig-shaped buns). It's worth coming by early to get limited items, like char siu baked in flaky pastry dough and egg custard tarts ($4.58). Don't skip dessert or you’ll risk missing out on the exquisitely squishy charcoal-tinted egg custard buns and softball-sized sponge cake. The restaurant is still fairly low key with no lines on the weekends, but that will likely change as word gets out.

What to order: Golden egg custard buns ($4.78), taro puffs ($4.98), shumai ($4.78), sponge cake ($3.98)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Soft drinks

Hours: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 510-270-8130

Advertisement

The first Koi Palace opened in Daly City in 1996, and it brought a true sense of spectacle to the Bay Area's dim sum scene. In a sumptuous dining room filled with fountains, ornate stained- glass displays and sculpted pillars, diners dig into elegant small plates that match the surroundings. Its famous rainbow soup dumplings, dyed with paprika, kale, turmeric and other ingredients, are always a delight to behold. Classic shrimp dumplings wrapped in transparent dough ($8.25) are crowned with a dollop of umami-rich XO sauce, and the crusty, buttery buns filled with barbecued pork are some of the best in the Bay Area. Koi Palace also has locations in Dublin and Milpitas.

What to order: "Five Guys" soup dumplings ($12.80), baked char siu bao ($7.25)

Also featured on Top Brunch Restaurants.

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 650-992-9000

Website

Order online

This spacious dim sum restaurant bustles with hungry excitement on weekends, where a tank with big crabs and fresh fish bubbles as families bond over steamy wood crates of dim sum. The cutest thing on the menu is a taro puff with an edible swan neck sticking out of it. The inside is stuffed with the creamy tuber and flavored with scallops. A red-colored rice roll stuffed with fragrant, tender fish tastes of aromatics like ginger and green onion. The baked barbecue pastries are super flaky, while the shrimp balls are incredibly crispy with an oily sheen. The parking lot has been sectioned off for outdoor seating, with white canopies for privacy.

What to order: Swan-shaped taro puff ($7.30), red rice roll with fish filet ($8.30), shrimp balls ($9.30), barbecue pork puff ($6.30)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 408-996-3838

Website

Even though Ming's Tasty is modestly sized, it's among the most popular — and best — dim sum attractions in Oakland. Customers casually zip in and out for large orders of takeout, and the place is usually packed for breakfast and lunch. Among the various respectable options are exemplary frizzy shrimp balls, which are juicy yet bouncy and crisp. There are plenty of other crustacean options, too, like the crispy shrimp rice rolls, where fried shrimp are tucked into chewy rice noodles. The snow cap barbecue buns ($4.70) and Osmanthus jelly cake are so popular that you might have trouble scoring them, but you should try. For backup dessert options, order the crusty pumpkin puffs and airy sponge cake. Ming's is in the heart of Oakland's Chinatown so parking is tricky, especially on weekends, but there's a lot across the street.

What to order: Shrimp balls ($5.45), pumpkin puff ($5.45), rice roll with crispy shrimp ($6.45), osmanthus jelly ($3.95), sponge cake ($3.95)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Soft drinks

Hours: Breakfast and lunch Thursday-Tuesday

Phone: 510-918-8988

Website

Order online

For that old-school dim sum restaurant feel, New Asian Pearl has your back. The Millbrae restaurant has it all: the timeless chandeliers, off-white vinyl table covers, lazy susans and tinkly piano soundtrack that many fans remember from family brunches of yore. High-quality but classic dim sum also distinguishes the place. The shumai are packed with shrimp, and the snow mountain char siu buns are beautifully soft and tender, save for the crackly topping that gives them their name. If you really feel like treating yourself, the restaurant's fresh seafood items, including XO sauce-topped razor clams and stir-fried lobster, are deliciously extravagant.

What to order: Shumai ($5.80), lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice ($6.80), shrimp rice rolls ($6.80), snow mountain char siu bao ($5.80)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Monday

Phone: 650-616-8288

Website

Order online

Advertisement

On a low-key street on the edge of San Francisco's Chinatown is Osmanthus, a relatively new dim sum restaurant. It's one of the few restaurants in the area with a full liquor license, and it takes advantage of that with a short but fun cocktail list (read: Johnnie Walker Red Label infused with pu’erh tea) and a large selection of whiskeys. More than a dozen premium teas are available for pairing with your dumplings — so really, a meal here isn't complete unless everyone at the table has three beverages, minimum. Dim sum service is checklist-style, with a lengthy menu that includes several great vegetarian options.

What to order: Vegetarian Buddha dumplings ($9), spicy wontons ($13), beef noodle roll ($7.95), curry fish samosas ($9)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Full bar

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 415-872-9648

Website

Order online

Situated right on the marina in Alameda, Pacific Lighthouse has an impressive roster of dim sum. The interior feels grand, replete with a big chandelier in the center and floor-to-ceiling windows. Staff will come around and entice you with trays of prepared food like char siu or flank beef with tightly rolled noodles. You’ll still need to fill out a slip of paper for dim sum, and the menu is a good mix of traditional and modern takes. Try the scallop shumai: each piece comes capped with a plump scallop, adding an extra layer of tenderness. The fatty barbecue pork rice rolls are also a lovely option. Don't skip the awesome baked goodies like shiny, flaky barbecue pork puffs speckled with sesame seeds and black sesame buns that taste like a nutty, Oreo-flavored Mexican concha.

What to order: Scallop shumai ($5.35), barbecue pork puffs ($5.35), barbecue pork rice noodle rolls ($6.35), black sesame buns ($6.35)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Full bar

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 510-263-9232

From the Koi Palace team, this high-end dim sum will impress out-of-towners and locals alike.

On the fancier end of the dim sum spectrum, Palette, with its amiable service and upscale ingredient highlights, is ideal for brunch blowouts. Dim sum classics have a little extra oomph here: Lobster substitutes shrimp in har gow, and simmered kabocha squash makes chicken feet more of a meal. Try the umami-packed abalone sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, its acorn-fed Iberico pork char siu, and pork belly that glistens with an aromatic shaoxing wine glaze. Palette's spacious patio, with stunning views of Fisherman's Wharf and the San Francisco Bay beyond, is an ideal setting for a lazy Sunday-morning meal.

What to order: Abalone sticky rice ($10), Iberico pork char siu ($26), chicken feet ($9), lobster har gow ($12)

Also featured on the Top Chinese Restaurants list.

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Full bar

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 415-347-8888

Website

Order online

More coverage

Inside San Leandro shopping plaza gem Pearl Bay Tea House, the ceiling is lined with clubby blue lights for a party vibe and larger tables are equipped with lazy Susans for easy sharing. (Currently, the place is under construction but still open.) The menu consists of classics like pan-seared purple taro cakes, which pair well with one of the six types of hot tea available. The shrimp balls are so crunchy and tangly, you can hear the crackle as staff split them in half with scissors. Steamed options like bouncy pork shumai and chewy rice rolls with shrimp and yellow chives are tender and never oversteamed.

What to order: Taro cakes ($5.69), shrimp balls ($6.39), shumai ($5.69), shrimp rice rolls ($6.39)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 510-573-1174

A longtime institution in the Sunset District, Riverside is always packed with families and groups of elders on the weekends. The whole neighborhood seems to convene here, gathering around the big tables to catch up while spinning lazy Susans stacked with enormous platters of crisp geoduck sashimi, fried kabocha crusted with salted egg yolks, and steamers of shumai, chicken feet and spare ribs. It's easy to feel order envy as you watch other tables receive their food, so come with a hungry crew so you can try as much as possible. Riverside's menu tends toward the classic side, with more elaborate treatments for fresh seafood.

What to order: Shumai ($5.05), chicken feet ($5.05), Portuguese egg custard tarts ($5.45), salt and pepper spare ribs ($13.50), fried calamari ($13.50)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 415-759-8828

Advertisement

Inside Saigon Harbor's lovely, grand dining room, you’ll see a water tank of seafood next to the kitchen, where ducks hang on a rack. Though you still have to fill out a paper slip to order, the food will arrive on carts. The barbecue pork buns are wildly delicious with a glistening top that looks polished to a glassy sheen. The buns are made with stretchy dough, whose sweetness serves as a good contrast for the savory, oniony pork filling. Fresh chile oil provides a mellow kick of spice and complements the shumai with a golden ratio of shrimp and pork that's chunky but not tough. Try the scallop dumplings, a translucent package of tender scallops, shrimp and small cubes of celery that add freshness.

What to order: Barbecue pork buns ($6), scallop dumplings ($7), pork rice roll ($7), shumai ($6)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner daily

Phone: 510-559-9388

Website

Order online

Visiting Sifu Wong Kitchen, the dim sum restaurant attached to a Sunnyvale Ramada Inn, it's hard not to be fixated on the mounted TV. The screen provides a window into the kitchen, showing a playlist of videos of cooks laboring over rice noodles or stir-frying vegetables. The spacious restaurant has multiple enticing seating options like an outdoor patio and a sunroom, for those looking for a quick infusion of vitamin D. Try the steamy chicken feet covered in a sweet sauce, full of tender collagen-rich flesh. Other worthwhile savory dim sum includes supple, half-moon har gow and sweet barbecue pork buns with crispy tops. But what seals the deal for the savory options is the silky, luscious chile oil that adds incredible flavor. Don't miss dessert: The most popular dish is the charcoal buns filled with salted egg custard; while eye-catching, they might be a little too rich for some. Lighter sweets like gelatin osmanthus red bean cake ($6.38) and mango pomelo sago take well to those final sips of tea.

What to order: Chicken feet ($6.38), har gow ($7.38), crispy top barbecue buns ($7.38), charcoal buns ($7.38), mango pomelo sago ($6.38)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch and dinner Thursday-Monday

Phone: 408-212-4903

Website

Order online

In 1958, the Chan family opened Yank Sing in Chinatown; their grandchild, Vera Chan-Waller, and her husband now manage the restaurant's two bustling locations in the Financial District. In that time span, the Cantonese restaurant has become a true destination restaurant, garnering favor among celebrities, tourists, office workers and politicians alike. Part of its popularity lies in the expedient, professional front-of-house staff: Though the cart service is paused during the pandemic, the friendliness of the servers remains.

What to order: Sesame balls ($14.40), crab claws ($14.95), char siu bao ($7)

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Drinks: Beer and wine

Hours: Lunch Wednesday-Sunday

Phone: 415-781-1111

Website

Order online

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Notice.

Originally published on March 28, 2023