Best Soup Dumplings in San Francisco

There’s always a "rolling cart" coming ’round the corner at these dim sum palaces featuring an "unrivaled" selection of "exceptional" tidbits – including some of the "best damn dumplings around" – in a white-tablecloth setting; despite weekend and lunchtime mobs, service is "wicked fast" , and though prices are rather "upscale" , you "get what you pay for" here.

Fans "love" the "must-have" soup dumplings ( "gingery with delicate skins" ) at this "busy" Millbrae destination where the other "super-tasty" items on the menu are also "worth trying" ; forget the "ho-hum" interior and "always packed" scene – the "price is right."

"The real deal" for "traditional" Chinese eats, this cash-only Outer Richmond joint is known for "very good xiao long bao" (Shanghai soup dumplings) "as well as dishes from other regions" ; granted, the service and decor are lacking, but few mind since it’s "nice and cheap."

"Forgo the menu" and put yourself in the hands of Peter Fang and chef (and 'Chopped' winner) Kathy Fang at this more "upscale" SoMa sibling of the "long-standing" House of Nanking; you "won't be disappointed" by the "large portions" of "modern" Chinese chow, even if service can be "a bit stoic" – and at least you "don't have to wait on line" like at the Chinatown original.

This "tiny" Parkside "hole-in-the-wall" rewards fans with "darn-good dumplings" and other "cheap, delicious" Chinese eats; just be prepared for "plain" surroundings and "huge waits" for the "crammed" seating – though "takeout is easy."

Fans of this no-frills Chinatown spot say "yes, yes, yes" to its "genuine" Shanghai fare, including dim sum, soup dumplings and other affordable regional specialties; as it's still off tourists' radars, "there's usually not a long wait" except perhaps at lunch when "the FiDi types show up."