Top Chinese Noodle Restaurant in San Francisco
Feng Ze Yuan Restaurant
4401 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States
8 out of 10 dishes are great, the beef stew with radish is a little bit disappointed due to the radish not soaked with enough sauce, and the pawn rice noodle rolls are not great due to the noodle rolls being a little too thick in comparison to the steamed short rib with noodle roll. However, I am very satisfied with the overall experience. Their dish is very fair compared to most Chinese restaurants in San Francisco that can present the similar experience.
Paiks noodle 0410 San Francisco H mart
H MART - FOOD COURT, 3995 Alemany Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States
We ordered from Doordash and got the Combo C.I cant confirm why but I remember being confused reading the what was included in Combo C (it seems fine on 7/24/22). Like, there are so many variations of Jjamppong....Anyways, Combo C is 1 X Jajangmyeon (noodles with black soybean sauce) / 1 X Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). The food was not my preferred meal and so it was just alright. It took quite a bit of effort to mix the jajangmyeon well because the noodles were sticking together. The jjamppong was too spicy - and if I could have read properly at the time, I wouldnt have ordered it. My boyfriend said jjamppong was good if you could ignore the spicy.It was nice that Doordash has combo options to save a few dollars.
Noodle Stop
1325 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
Ive never know this place opens late. I was hungry and it was 9-ish, not many option around the area for late dine so I want to try eating here. The place is bright and cozy, looks almost like an open kitchen. Like its name, they have all kind of chinese style noodle, from choumien to soup noodle. I try the guilin noodle and my friend she want some porridge, and we share a spicy intestine dish. More detail is in the photos and I will add more dishes if I have a chance to comeback.Overalls, open till midnight, clean and cozy place, good and not expensive food (mostly noodle), really friendly server, definitely would come backExtra: they sell their own homemade chily oil, i think 6$ for 1 jar; and some kind of pastries for 3.5$/each or 5$/2. (Havent try that tho)
Hai Ky Mi Gia
707 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109, United States
Ive been here several times and they are extremely consistent in taste and portion size. Prices are reasonable for the portions you get and the service is always very efficient and friendly. Sure its messy in the TL, but the restaurant is a homey spot with lots of customers and comfortable on the inside.Things Ive ordered:House special ho fun (soup and dry) - this is the must order here in my opinion, it is full of toppings over the noodles (shrimp, char siew, pork slices, ground pork, chicken strips, fish cakes, beef balls, bean sprouts, pork liver if you want it). Ive only gotten the rice noodle version and like it dry with soup on the side. It is well seasoned on its own but you can jazz it up with pickled jalapenos and other sauces that they provide on the table. The fried garlic oil they put in it is delicious and Ive never regretted ordering this.Golden fried fish cakes - about 3 whole fishcakes in each order, cut into half and fried to golden perfection. They are a little greasy but tasty with a nice bounce, they taste great dipped in the hoisin sauce. Served with pickled vegetables on the side (cucumber and carrot) which cuts through the grease perfectly.Wonton soup - the wontons are just ok, theres no shrimp in it that I could discern and is mostly just wrapper and ground pork. Its seasoned well and comes in the same soup that they serve with the house special noodles.Beef stew ho fun - this was more soupy than stewy in my opinion, with a strong tomato flavor. The beef was alright and pretty chewy and tough, it would have been nice if they had stewed the meat a little longer to get it nice and soft. The rice noodles dont come with anything else except beef and bean sprouts. Its an ok option but I would opt for the house noodles over this anytime.The crowds here seem inconsistent, I had to wait once for over 20 mins for a table and it was packed to the gills, and other times I got a table right away and there were a decent number of customers but no wait. The tables turn over quickly though since people are here to eat, not sit around for hours.
Dumpling Home
298 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
Excellent restaurant for authentic Chinese food. For 3 hungry grownups, we ordered Numb & Spicy Pork X L Bao, Juicy Pork Bao, Shiitake Mushroom Chicken Dumplings, Pork Vegetable Pot Stickers, Dan Dan Noodles, Green Onion Pan Cake, and Beef Tongue (cold appetizer). They all tasted great. The wait on a Sunday dinner time for us was about 25 minutes, but we used it for a nice walk to the “Painted Ladies” less than 10 blocks away. Highly recommended to all who love traditional Chinese cuisine.
Dim Sum Club
2237 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116, United States
A New Chapter of Excellence at Dim Sum Club!I recently visited the Dim Sum Club under its new ownership and was blown away by the exceptional quality and authenticity of the food! It's clear that the new owner, who also operates the celebrated Dynasty Dumpling, Dumpling House, and Dim Sum Bistro, pours his passion into every dish served.We started with the deep fried shrimp balls, which were evidently made fresh to order – absolutely delightful! The deep fried squab was another standout, perfectly crispy and juicy. The pan-fried seafood vermicelli had just the right texture, while the sautéed greens were fresh and flavorful. The black pepper, chicken, pork stomach and ginkgo soup were seasoned to perfection, rounding out a flawless dining experience. We also indulged in the spicy pan-fried pork buns, which were a true delight—deliciously juicy with soup inside and perfectly crispy on the bottom. Additionally, the steamed beef balls wrapped in bean curd skin were remarkable for their strong beef flavor, enhanced by using minimal flour, adding both flavor and texture to the dish.Unlike many dim sum spots in San Francisco that rely on factory-made or frozen items reheated for service, Dim Sum Club and its sister restaurants stand out by offering freshly made dim sum, a rarity nowadays. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of food provided. They really do put their whole heart into making their dishes and dim sum, which is evident in every bite. If you're looking for a casual, comfortable place to enjoy good food, look no further.If you're in San Francisco and craving a freshly made, authentic, home-cooked food experience, Dim Sum Club and its sister restaurants are sure to impress with their dedication to quality and authenticity. Highly recommend!Thank you for reading this review.
Dim Sum Bistro
675 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
Dim Sum Bistro, similarly to Good Mong Kok Bakery (another local favorite dim sum spot), is very much one of those typical hole in the wall asian restaurant in the US.So, on what occasion would you find yourself at Dim Sum Bistro? Well, you want affordable food and you could care less about service. To further elaborate, the restaurant is not a sit down restaurant. The interior is small so when a line forms (in which it almost always does) the restaurant feels crowded. While the line to take your order proceeds quickly, there is another line of people patiently standing by till their order is called.The food itself is alright, taking into consideration how cheap the food is. While you do have staple items like Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai, Turnip Cake with Pork, Preserved Egg w/ Pork Porridge, (+a separate order of) Chinese Fried Donut, you do also occasionally find yourself ordering foods that you are better off not ordering.All the Rice Noodle Roll items we ordered: Shrimp, Pork, and Beef were disappointing. The ratio of the rice roll to stuffing was just off - mainly the noodle rolls were weirdly thick and there was little actual filling inside. Perhaps to save on extra costs.On top of the above mentioned items, I also ordered their Pan Fried Shrimp and Chive Dumplings which were alright, and a couple other items like their Pan Fried Shrimp Cutlets and Deep Fried Sesame Ball, which were completely missed. Not sure why they gave us Rice Cake instead but by the time we were back home with food, it did not make sense to go back just to correct the order.While it might make sense to order food to go from Dim Sum Bistro for convenient, cheap food, I do not think it is worth it to wait in line for an extended period. The establishment is again small and there is no area to sit and wait for your food, whether that be inside or outside. If that does sound like you though, have a fun 40+ minute wait or perhaps come back when the place is least crowded.
United Dumplings
525 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
Far and away the best dining experience Ive had in my life, in terms of both food and service. Steven is the man! Somehow he knew what we wanted before we even knew it ourselves. I came here two days in a row, and I would have gone for a third if I was still in the city. To rank what I tried:1. Pork Xio Long Bao (XLB)- Very flavorful broth with a delicate dumpling casing. Texturally, they are super fun to eat. This is my new death row meal. Soy/vinegar/garlic sauce adds nice contrast to the rich broth.2. Chicken Wings- These wings had an incredible batter that was shatteringly crispy and coated with the perfect amount of a sweet and tangy sauce. The meat was very tender and moist. These are probably the best wings Ive ever had in my life. Dipping sauces would be a nice add.3. Dan Dan Noodles- Crazy al dente noodles with a nutty, spicy sauce. Lots of garlic, onion and sesame flavor. Only would have liked more greens.4. Chicken XLB- See pork xlb review. The broth is not as rich, and the meat is not as satisfying, but these are still excellent.5. Szechuan Dumplings- Great flavor and texture from the green onion and peanuts with the classic numbing Szechuan spice. Would have maybe liked more heat.6. Scallop Chicken XLB- The sea flavors of the scallop and roe paired perfectly with the savory chicken and broth. The chili sauce, reminiscent of gochujang, completes the dish.7. Potato Salad- Raw potatoes julienned with a vinegar/soy sauce, chili flake, and green onion. Great with a Sapporo (or four), nice palate cleanser. Crisp and tangy.8. Sesame Red Bean Balls- These taste fresh out of the fryer, with an awesome donut aroma. Intensely crisp and nutty exterior with a sweet and chewy mochi interior. Great way to end a meal, not too sweet or overwhelming.9. Bulgogi Dumplings10. Curry Fried Rice- Good yellow curry flavor but in serious need of more heat. Rice was perfectly dry. The sweetness of the peas and pineapple were a solid pair with the savory rice and chicken. A chili sauce would have been a great addition.Server Steven is who I want to be when I grow up. Very funny and open, the experience he created around the excellent food was a major highlight of my trip. Very grateful! And the prices are insanely modest. I would recommend United Dumplings to anyone.
Dumpling Zone
408 Dewey Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94116, United States
We decided to come here after seeing the high ratings, and we’re stunned by how untrue the reviews are.We ordered beef noodle soup, XLB, potstickers, and chocolate banana XLB. The beef in the noodle soup didn’t taste fresh and was under seasoned. I love beef but it was so bad that I couldn’t finish.When the potstickers were served, we are just shocked. I’ve never seen potstickers look like this! Was it dumplings pretending to be potstickers?Their signature dish, xiao long bao, in Chinese means little basket bun. Tell me why these are humongous basket buns? To its credit, the dough was thin and soft. However, the pork had a flavor that’s not reminiscent of the classic pork filling.For dessert, we had chocolate banana xiao long bao. Again, they were not small. The chocolate filling was so sweet that it overpowered any chocolate flavor it had. We were so unhappy with the meal that we forgot to take pictures of the dessert.Just for the record, we’ve been to MANY Chinese and XLB restaurants. This is probably the worst and the weirdest food we have ever had.Would not recommend if you want authentic and delicious dumplings.
Ming Tai Wun-Tun Noodle
2455 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
This is such a big change for this restaurant. After their son take over the restaurant, the quality is changed. Noodle isn’t good as before. Beef brisket still ok but doesn’t has a good aroma anymore. Chinese donut is greasy.