Upon hearing that we would have to wait over an hour to be seated for dim sum, we left the Michelin starred restaurant in Daly City for Yank Sing in San Francisco. Every San Francisco trip is not complete until we visit Yank Sing. My brother had called Yank Sing before we left and been told there was maybe a half hour wait – a more appealing prospect (even though with travel time, we probably waited the same amount of time).

Using Siri, my brother was instructed to drive to their second location on Stevenson. In the past, we had only been to the Rincon Center location which had a large lobby. Unfortunately, the Stevenson branch had a very tiny waiting area, thus forcing us outside on a very cold rainy day to wait. We even tried calling the Rincon Center branch, only to learn they had an hour wait for a table as well.

It was a very happy moment when our time to be seated arrived. We had been staring into the restaurant watching the carts loaded with dim sum being pushed around the dining room. We immediately got several items – xiao long bao, har gow,  spinach dumplings and shrimp and chive dumplings.

My daughter loves the xiao long bao, so my dad ordered two (which would be followed by a third). They were good, although not too juicy.

The steamed spinach dumplings, which also had shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots and water chesnuts, were interesting (I’ve never had them before) and tasted fresh.

One the other hand, the siu mai was a huge disappointment. It completely lacked flavor, reminding me of the taste of frozen ones from the market. It was a struggle to find someone to eat the last one (yes, we still ate it – we hate things going to waste).

My two favorite items were the pan-fried chicken bun (an item that I was not familiar with) and the honey glazed sea bass. At $20 a serving, the fish was a little pricey. Who am I kidding? Everything at Yank Sing is super pricey, compared to other dim sum restaurants.

Somehow, we didn’t see some of our usual favorites. I’m not sure if it’s because the selection was smaller because we were at the tinier location or if it was just luck of the draw.

If you don’t like waiting, there’s also a takeout counter at both locations, offering a much smaller menu. However, if you’re willing to wait, go to the  Yank Sing in Rincon Center and make sure you have good company (or a fully charged phone).

Location –49 Stevenson St, San Francisco, 94105. Additional larger location at 101 Spear in Rincon Center.
Website – http://yanksing.com/our-cuisine/
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Pesco-Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes