During a recent trip to San Francisco, my wife and I had the opportunity to revisit a delicacy from our trip to China a few years ago. Shanghai dumplings (also called Pan-Fried Juicy Pork Bao). Our destination? Dumpling Home.
We found Dumpling Home searching Yelp and Google for good Chinese food in San Francisco. The Michelin rating certainly didn’t hurt our decision to select Dumpling Home over a few others we were also considering.
When we arrived at the restaurant, there was a waiting list. The small establishment has outdoor seating. A crowd was gathered around the entrance and along the non-seating side of the building, waiting to be seated. The weather was nice, although a bit cool. We entered the restaurant where we joined the queue by entering our details on a smart pad.
Our wait time was close to forty minutes. Dumpling Home kept us apprised of our estimated seating time by text message We were also able to check our spot in line using the Yelp app. The estimated waiting time was surprisingly accurate. We were seated outside at a table for two along the side of the building. This was probably the coldest location, as there were outdoor heaters under the sheltered area. It was a tad bit cool to not have a heater even in July.
The servers were very busy, but attentive. The wait time allowed us to determine what we wanted to eat before we were seated. Our order was ready by the time our server arrived. We opted for the Juicy Pork Bao (I call them Shanghai Dumplings as this was the first and only place I have had them). We also ordered green beans, pork won-ton, red bean paste pockets and vegetable bao. Because of the chill in the air, we also ordered a pot of Jasmine tea. The order was printed and taped to our table. As items arrived, our servers scratched them off the list.
The tea arrived first. The ceramic cup doubled as a hand warmer. The Jasmine tea was light but tasty. The food came out a bit at a time. Beginning with the green beans and red bean paste pockets. The green beans were perfectly seasoned and easily my favorite thing on the menu. At least, among the five items we ordered. The red bean paste pockets were also delicious. The touch of sesame seed was just right. Toasty and sweet.
The pork won-tons came out next. Honestly, I was not a fan. The texture of the pork was a bit odd to me. If I return, I will order differently on my next visit. That goes for the vegetable bao, which came out next. I was not a fan. They weren’t bad. It’s just not something I would order again. I will choose some items differently from the menu if I have an opportunity to return.
The final arrival was the one that drew us Dumpling Home to begin with. The juicy pork bao. They were delicious. The bao were served like the Xiao Bao Long, with a nice sauce. The sauce really make the difference here. The tartness of vinegar, a bit of sweetness and hint of ginger offset the fatty pork. These dumplings more than made up for the disappointing wontons.
Overall, the dining experience at Dumpling Home was excellent. While the pork wonton was not great, the green beans, red bean pockets and juicy pork bao were phenomenal. I would probably opt for something other than vegetable bao if I return. I would definitely choose something other than the wonton. The prices were a bit on the high side, but seemed typical to what we paid in San Francisco. Overall, our bill totaled close to one hundred dollars including the tax and tip. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
