San Francisco is a city offering visitors much to see and do in the way of sights, shopping, and restaurants weather permitting. Suddenly, it can change from a beautiful, hot summer day to a cool windy unfriendly one quickly where visitors will have to pack on warm layers in order to take in iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park with its beautiful gardens and museums, Union Square with world-class shopping including a multiple story Macy’s, Fisherman’s Wharf with a chocolate lover’s paradise in adjacent Ghirardelli Square, and many other attractions. To be able to keep exploring the city to the fullest, there are many different districts throughout, specializing in various international cuisine. Be sure to hop on a trolley or classic cable streetcar to check out the U.S.’s oldest Chinatown and other neighbourhoods where you will find some of the best places for dumplings. Here’s our list of nine of the best places for dumplings in San Francisco, California, that you can check out during your travels in the bay area.
1. Bund Shanghai
Bund Shanghai can be found in San Francisco’s Chinatown under a yellow awning. They specialize in Shanghai cuisine rather than the usual Cantonese fare. This Michelin-star restaurant serves up delicious dumplings which include such specialities as crab and pork soup dumplings, steamed beef or vegetarian dumplings, cabbage and pork dumplings, and chive and pork or chive and shrimp dumplings. Combos of dumplings come in options of 6-10 for very reasonable prices ranging from USD 7 - USD 12.95 which can also be ordered online for delivery if you can’t make it down to their location.
Bund Shanghai
Address: 640 Jackson Street
Website: Bund Shanghai
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm, Friday - Sunday 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
Prices: 11-30 USD
2. Yank Sing
Diners will be amazed by this Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Chinatown. Beware of the constant action of carts rolling by, filled with 60 of their 100 dim sum specialities prepared daily. There is an array of steamed, fried, and soup dumplings served daily, prepared both in a traditional manner or contemporary. Some examples for guests to enjoy are the signature dish of minced pork and scallions wrapped in ginger and steamed in its own broth while the Har Gau dumpling consists of shrimp with sweet bamboo shoot tips formed into a bonnet.
Yank Sing
Address: 49 Stevenson Street
Website: Yank Sing
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Prices: 31-60 USD
3. Good Mong Kok Bakery
Diners should be ready to expect long lines at this popular bakery in Chinatown. Line up along the counter and pick from a fresh array of dumplings from pots of boiling water. Choices include shrimp and pork and they are filled to the full with ingredients at a very inexpensive price to visitors. Take your dumplings and one of their popular pastries to go and dine at secluded, peaceful Woh Hei Yun Park.
Good Mong Kok Bakery
Address: 1039 Stockton Street
Website: Good Mong Kok Bakery
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Prices: 3-9 USD
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4. Good Luck Dim Sum
Visitors will be pleased with their stuffed vegetarian and shrimp dumplings. The location is small and compact with not much seating, but the dumplings are flavourful and very inexpensive. Seating room is very limited at this small cafe/deli style restaurant so more than often, those visiting Good Luck Dim Sum will be walking out with Barbie-pink to-go boxes and finding an outdoor dining location nearby.
Good Luck Dim Sum
Address: 736 Clement Street
Website: Good Luck Dim Sum
Opening hours: Wednesday - Monday 7:00 am - 6:30 pm, Tuesday Closed
Prices: 3-9 USD
5. Mama Ji's
Upon entering Mama Ji’s casual Sichuan diner, visitors can be expected to be greeted by either Mary or Mama Ji and her beloved golden lab, Bud. The restaurant offers a decent amount of seating and even a few tables outside the entrance where diners can enjoy their delicious deep-fried shrimp dumplings, Shanghai dumplings, or pea sprout shrimp dumplings in rice paper, cooked till translucent in appearance.
Mama Ji's
Address: 4416 18th Avenue
Website: Mama Ji’s
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 11:30 am - 2:30 pm and 5:30 - 9:30 pm Saturday & Sunday 10:30 am - 3:00 pm and 5:00 - 9:30 pm
Prices: 11-30 USD
6. City View Restaurant
Located in the Financial District, diners will find a more upscale white-table clothed dining experience at City View Restaurant. Here, they can choose their dumplings and other small plates from a cart loaded with various options. The indoor dining room is very spacious with large round tables to enjoy scallop, pan-fried shrimp or chive dumplings to name a few. There is also a large terrace dining area enclosed by glass partitions with frosted murals where diners can pick up their chopsticks and dine in the open air.
City View Restaurant
Address: 662 Commercial Street
Website: City View Restaurant
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 - 2:30 pm Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Prices: 11-30 USD
7. Dumpling Time
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Dumpling Time offers diners a unique experience in that they can witness the dumplings being hand-formed behind a glass partition throughout the day. It is appropriate that the restaurant is located in the Design District of San Francisco as their uniquely, creative designer dumplings come in all different sizes, shapes, and colours including ones that resemble macarons and the King-Dum soup dumpling which comes adorned with flowers and a coloured straw since it is so big you’ll need a straw. This contemporary Californian-Asian fusion bustling bistro has a large, spacious dining room where visitors can enjoy steamed shrimp dumplings with cream cheese and pork, boiled dumplings in vegetarian with local greens, carrot, mushroom, cilantro, and egg or pork dumplings with cabbage and green onions accompanied by other menu specialities.
Dumpling Time
Address: 11 Division Street
Website: Dumpling Time
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 - 2:30 pm and 5:00 - 9:30 pm Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm and 5:00 - 9:30 pm
Prices: 11-30 USD
8. Yummy Dumplings
Yummy Dumpling is a small shop that offers customers the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of frozen dumplings. All that visitors will see is a kitchen area and freezers where the dumplings are stored for purchase. There are close to 24 different flavours sold regularly including pork, chicken, and lamb, combined with chives, corn, or cabbage as well as vegetarian choices. Upon purchase, customers receive an instruction sheet to be able to prepare their dumplings when they get home.
Yummy Dumplings
Address: 1708 Irving Street
Website: Yummy Dumplings
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 8:30 am - 6:30 pm
Prices: 11-30 USD
9. Kingdom of Dumpling
Kingdom of Dumpling is a small hole in the wall restaurant set in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Even though it is more difficult to locate, once visitors find it, they will see it is a bustling eatery that is packed due to its popular dumplings, hot pots, and other menu items. Sit down at one of the red and white checkered table-cloth draped tables and order a combo of dumplings in a variety of options for 22 pieces for USD 6.49. Some of the flavours offered include pork and string beans, lamb with vegetable, pork and shrimp, and vegetarian to satisfy the tastes of its diners.
Kingdom of Dumpling
Address: 2308 - 1713 Taraval Street
Website: Kingdom of Dumpling
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 11:30 am - 3:30 pm and 5:00 - 9:30 pm Friday 11:30 am - 3:30 pm and 5:00 - 10:00 pm Saturday 11:30 am - 10:00 pm Sunday 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Prices: 3-9 USD
Enjoying the bay's best dumplings
Visitors to San Francisco will have hopefully left a little piece of their heart in the bayside city while enjoying its many attractions and its natural coastal beauty. San Franciscans would probably agree that some of the dumplings found in the city are so delicious that even Jimi would smash his guitar and light it on fire just to get his hands on some of these yummy shrimp or pork stuffed delicacies. We hope you have had a chance and checked out the recommended restaurants and enjoyed the jiaozi and experienced a little bit of happiness in every bite at the nine best places for dumplings in San Francisco, California, during your stay in the city.
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