One of the small prices we pay for living in paradise is the absence of a good dim sum restaurant.
Oh how I love those Chinese dumplings – tiny morsels of dough-wrapped goodness brought to your table in a steamer basket (or if pan fried, on a plate) to be dunked into a spicy dipping sauce, and whisked to your mouth in one fluid move.
It had been seven long months since I last savored dim sum in London, so when I was in San Francisco last week on a brief visit, you can guess where I headed.
If there is food other than cioppino that represents San Francisco, it has to be dim sum. Actually, dim sum – a Cantonese phrase that roughly translates to “little snacks that touch the heart” – seems like a match made in heaven for a city where so many leave their hearts.
So my first culinary stop in San Francisco was arguably the best of the city’s many dim sum restaurants, Yank Sing. This family-owned restaurant, where a third generation is now creating the daily dishes, has stood the test of time and is one of the few dim sum restaurants so popular you need a reservation.
We had booked a couple of weeks in advance for 1 p.m. last Saturday, and after a few minutes’ wait, were seated in the middle of a packed room. Immediately, we were faced with choices. Dim sum at Yank Sing comes in more than 100 variations.
While I really like the chewier northern Chinese pan-fried dumplings, my husband favors the silky Shanghai dumplings with the gossamer skin.
Servers weaving their way through the tables with trays of dim sum on rolling carts quickly approached us with their offerings. The dishes didn’t come with much English explanation, so you had to stay alert to actually get the ones you wanted.
As soon as you settled on a dish, the servers grabbed their stamp (each with its own design) and stamped your card.
In the course of 90 minutes, we tried the Shanghai Kurobuta pork dumplings (6 for $14), Peking duck by the slice ($6.55 per slice), shrimp dumplings (4 for $7.15), chicken mushroom dumplings (2 for $5.95), potstickers ($6 for $11), and a bowl of won ton soup ($14).
One of the keys in eating dim sum is to pace yourself. Over-ordering can be a hazard (in our case, the won ton soup was unnecessary). It is easily possible, particularly if you have been craving these delicacies, to quickly stuff yourself silly, leaving you to looking longingly at even-more-delectable-appearing dishes that pass your table after you are all-too-full.
Of the dishes we tried, the Kurobuta pork dumplings – a Yank Sing signature dish – were wonderful, steamed in their own aromatic broth and served with a scallion and ginger dipping sauce. The Peking duck by the slice, with crispy honey-coated skin, was served with a steamed seashell bun along with slivered scallions and a tangy hoisin sauce. A superb way of enjoying this favorite without ordering an entire duck.
As for drinks, I view Chinese tea as mandatory with dim sum; it is a tremendous palate cleanser. My husband, on the other hand, prefers enjoying the dumplings with a crisp white wine.
There are certainly cheaper places to have dim sum (our lunch came to just under $100 with tax and tip), but the food at Yank Sing is amazing. With approximately 95 dim sum variations still untried, there are eight dozen reasons to pay a return visit the next time we are in San Francisco.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
