Cuisine type: Chinese dim sum
Atmosphere: classic, ceremonious
Meal: brunch
Overall score: 8
This dim sum place came up in several “best of” lists that I glazed over, and there were only two types of complaints I read about it - one is that it’s quite expensive for the type and quantity of food it serves in each small plate (which I definitely agree with now), and the other that it’s not as authentic as other, more hidden, places (most of which are less accessible for non-Chinese speakers and more broadly to dim sum newbies).
The dining room was starting to fill up as early as 10 am for brunch/lunch, and the seating was at closely packed tables (to the point where two person tables were actually attached, so we ended up sitting right next to another couple for our meal). However, the decor was something to behold. The walls were covered in lush red and gold, there were large mirrors and paintings adorning every vertical surface, and the general atmosphere was one of glamour and celebration. The servers were all dressed up either in classic formal attire or traditional Chinese garb, and were busily milling around with carts loaded with a wide variety of dishes. We decided to forget about the prices and just get the food we wanted, it was our fun day on the town anyway.
We started with shrimp egg rolls, which looked like any other spring rolls on the outside (albeit smaller and with a thin seaweed strip across the middle for easier identification). However, the inside was a juicy and savory shrimp concoction which was a pleasant change of pace from the usual cabbage centric fillings.
Next, we selected a steamer basket with the famous Shanghai dumplings, which are these extremely delicate and light soft dough shells filled with a small pork and shrimp meatball and a small amount of savory broth. That makes them a bit more difficult to eat - you gently pick up a dumpling from the steamer, place it in a ceramic spoon to prevent it from breaking and losing the broth, then add a few fine strands of ginger and a few drops of a vinegar-based soy dipping sauce and then eat it more of less whole, with caution though since the filling is often steaming hot. All the effort is well worth it, this was probably my favorite savory dish of the night.
The only completely mundane dish we picked up was the shrimp and pork shu mai, which was nothing more than a cylindrical, solid dumpling with the usual mild flavor and slightly spongy filling. As a veggie side (so we would appease our conscience to some degree) we picked up green beans dressed with a thick, sweet sauce and sprinkled with small dry shrimp.
I got very excited about a strange looking crab claw dish, which looked like a big breaded and deep fried meatball with an actual crab claw shell sticking out of it. Turns out it was a partially stripped shell (the meat was left dangling from the tips of the claw), which was then covered in a thick fish/shrimp paste meatball, and indeed breaded and deep fried. After working through the thick layer of mildly flavored and not that exciting fish paste, and just as I was looking to pick out the meat from my claw, a waiter snatched away the plate to clean up our table and he was gone in a heartbeat. I complained that the juiciest part of my dish was taken away (and probably more enthusiastically than I normally would after seeing the price on it), and another server promptly replaced it with a brand new crab claw giant meatball, which I appreciated greatly.
The final two meat based dishes were a smal (*very* small) Pekin Duck sandwich - a steamed bun with scallions and hoisin sauce and sticky pekin ribs, which were very juicy and tender short ribs glazed in a sweet and dark sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Our final selection - dessert, of course - was quite possibly the most delightful surprise of the meal. Ben reluctantly agreed to picking out a pair of coconut rolls with a mango filling, but neither of us held much hope for it, probably due to a few too many tasteless, sticky and chewy coconut cream desserts. This one was quite different - the coconut was creamy and light, though it retained some of the gooey chewiness characteristic to the preparation (in just the right amounts, I should add), and the mango cream was also light, soft and bursting with fruity flavor. Overall, a perfect ending to a very meat-centric meal.
Yank Sing is an impressive dim sum place which delivers in flavor and quality, and I would probably return here especially if I was hosting someone with the aim to impress. The price point is a little too high for the authenticity and value of the food, so next time we are on our own I am thinking I might seek out one of the other dim sum gems the city has to offer.
The dining room was starting to fill up as early as 10 am for brunch/lunch, and the seating was at closely packed tables (to the point where two person tables were actually attached, so we ended up sitting right next to another couple for our meal). However, the decor was something to behold. The walls were covered in lush red and gold, there were large mirrors and paintings adorning every vertical surface, and the general atmosphere was one of glamour and celebration. The servers were all dressed up either in classic formal attire or traditional Chinese garb, and were busily milling around with carts loaded with a wide variety of dishes. We decided to forget about the prices and just get the food we wanted, it was our fun day on the town anyway.
We started with shrimp egg rolls, which looked like any other spring rolls on the outside (albeit smaller and with a thin seaweed strip across the middle for easier identification). However, the inside was a juicy and savory shrimp concoction which was a pleasant change of pace from the usual cabbage centric fillings.
Next, we selected a steamer basket with the famous Shanghai dumplings, which are these extremely delicate and light soft dough shells filled with a small pork and shrimp meatball and a small amount of savory broth. That makes them a bit more difficult to eat - you gently pick up a dumpling from the steamer, place it in a ceramic spoon to prevent it from breaking and losing the broth, then add a few fine strands of ginger and a few drops of a vinegar-based soy dipping sauce and then eat it more of less whole, with caution though since the filling is often steaming hot. All the effort is well worth it, this was probably my favorite savory dish of the night.
The only completely mundane dish we picked up was the shrimp and pork shu mai, which was nothing more than a cylindrical, solid dumpling with the usual mild flavor and slightly spongy filling. As a veggie side (so we would appease our conscience to some degree) we picked up green beans dressed with a thick, sweet sauce and sprinkled with small dry shrimp.
I got very excited about a strange looking crab claw dish, which looked like a big breaded and deep fried meatball with an actual crab claw shell sticking out of it. Turns out it was a partially stripped shell (the meat was left dangling from the tips of the claw), which was then covered in a thick fish/shrimp paste meatball, and indeed breaded and deep fried. After working through the thick layer of mildly flavored and not that exciting fish paste, and just as I was looking to pick out the meat from my claw, a waiter snatched away the plate to clean up our table and he was gone in a heartbeat. I complained that the juiciest part of my dish was taken away (and probably more enthusiastically than I normally would after seeing the price on it), and another server promptly replaced it with a brand new crab claw giant meatball, which I appreciated greatly.
The final two meat based dishes were a smal (*very* small) Pekin Duck sandwich - a steamed bun with scallions and hoisin sauce and sticky pekin ribs, which were very juicy and tender short ribs glazed in a sweet and dark sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Our final selection - dessert, of course - was quite possibly the most delightful surprise of the meal. Ben reluctantly agreed to picking out a pair of coconut rolls with a mango filling, but neither of us held much hope for it, probably due to a few too many tasteless, sticky and chewy coconut cream desserts. This one was quite different - the coconut was creamy and light, though it retained some of the gooey chewiness characteristic to the preparation (in just the right amounts, I should add), and the mango cream was also light, soft and bursting with fruity flavor. Overall, a perfect ending to a very meat-centric meal.
Yank Sing is an impressive dim sum place which delivers in flavor and quality, and I would probably return here especially if I was hosting someone with the aim to impress. The price point is a little too high for the authenticity and value of the food, so next time we are on our own I am thinking I might seek out one of the other dim sum gems the city has to offer.
| Food | 9 |
| Drinks | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 8 |
| Value | 6 |
Ben
This place is almost legendary in downtown SF. It is both extraordinarily popular and extraordinarily authentic (if it’s not broken don’t fix it; they haven’t americanized too much). An upscale dim sum place with a large waiting staff moving around a larger selection of foods, it looks very nice on the inside and out and is flowing with people especially around brunch time. The prices are very high (around $7$15 for a small plate), but for the location, service, and popularity they are fair. I would guess that if I weren’t counting and just eating, I could have easily spent $70-$90 on food for myself.
The Shanghai dumplings are incredible, the peking duck was fantastic, as were the pork and mushroom shu mai (dense dumplings), and the coconut sticky stuffed roll. I did not enjoy the crab claw fish ball (a dense, dry eggy / fishy sponge around a small crab claw, breaded and deep fried). The green beans with baby shrimp was a solid (salty) appetizer. It’s definitely a fun, less intimidating Chinese Dim Sum experience than some other places in town - a Chinese wait staff with generally limited english, but clientele is not a majority Chinese by any means so you won’t stick out for speaking English. The place is relatively upscale for a Chinese restaurant and can have a decent wait time, but is overall an impressive, authentic experience.
The Shanghai dumplings are incredible, the peking duck was fantastic, as were the pork and mushroom shu mai (dense dumplings), and the coconut sticky stuffed roll. I did not enjoy the crab claw fish ball (a dense, dry eggy / fishy sponge around a small crab claw, breaded and deep fried). The green beans with baby shrimp was a solid (salty) appetizer. It’s definitely a fun, less intimidating Chinese Dim Sum experience than some other places in town - a Chinese wait staff with generally limited english, but clientele is not a majority Chinese by any means so you won’t stick out for speaking English. The place is relatively upscale for a Chinese restaurant and can have a decent wait time, but is overall an impressive, authentic experience.
| Food | 8 |
| Drinks | 7 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 9 |
| Value | 6 |
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