Queenie

We are looking for a Sunday morning dim sum recommendation.

Yank Sing is often recommended, but I looked at their website and it seems so...sanitized.

We are interested in food over atmosphere. Don't care if the springs are coming through the booth seats as long as the food ingredients are fresh.

Considering:
- Gold Mountain
- Harbor Village
- Y Ben

any thoughts?
thanks.

kayla

I've been at Yank Sing twice around 4 yrs ago; not impressed. Overprice, long wait (1/2hr even we had a reservation.

There is our favorite dim sum on Geary ( can't rember the name now); it's near by a Russian bakery , not in the center city. I'll ask my husband if he remeber the name of this dim sum place.

K.

sfamylou

The place on Geary, is it Ton Kiang, about 22nd or 23rd? We love it there!

curiousgeo

Sunday dim sum is one of the most popular times for chinese families to get together and spending several hours having yum cha is not unusual. As long as you don't mind dealing with crowds and a possible long wait for a table, it can be a very interesting experience. I enjoy Harbor Village at the Embarcadero Center and New Asia in Chinatown.

Seamus

Harbor Village is great, though it may be crowded. Despite the hotel atmosphere, the food is authentic and quite good.
The area of Geary mentioned is often called the "new Chniatown" - it's not as touristy as the original, many of the places are like a neighborhood family place, full of Asian families, and most everything is in Chinese, and the food is great.

MelissaHI

My Chinese family & I enjoyed Ton Kiang.

MelissaHI

p.s. if you REALLY want food over atmosphere, try Louie's Dim Sum on Stockton Street. I go there every time I visit San Francisco, while I'm running my errands in Chinatown. It's cheap, good, and there's no seats. By that I don't mean it's full; I mean there are no tables or chairs. It's a hole in the wall and the locals love it!

dovima

How about an alternative, or an adjunct, to dim sum? Try Taiwan Restaurant on Clement near 6th Ave. You'll know it because it's the only building painted pink on the block. Go there around 10 in the a.m. on a Saturday (or any day, really) and you'll find out what you always wanted to know ..... what do the Chinese eat for breakfast?

Taiwan Rest. serves the long crispy crullers and the sweet or salty soy milk drinks that are very authentic as a morning snack. Plus they have a chef doing acrobatic things with noodle dough in the front window - very amusing and delicious, along with the various dumplings Taiwanese cuisine is known for. Check it out.

kayla

Yes, some one spelled it out; Ton Kiang is the name. We ate there 3 times over the years. It can be pretty busy on the weekend. It's not in China town but not far fr. the Golden Gate Park & other attractions.

It's like a restaurant row on this part of Geary; has many good & not-overpriced restaurants.

K.

Kal

Mrs. Kal has dinner with Sum Dim all the time.

FainaAgain

Dim Sum, and then Sum more? Good idea, Mrs Kal!

easytraveler

This is my HO (humble opinion) and all palates are democratically different.

Best dim sum for round eyes: Yank Sing

Best dim sum for almond eyes: Harbor Village

In Chinatown, I'd rank the dim sum places as:

New Asia Garden
Miriwa (both on Pacific)
Gold Mountain

Out on Geary, ranking is:

Mayflower
Ton Kiang (which has a ChiuChow menu, so it's only a slice of Cantonese cuisine that you will get at Ton Kiang, BUT they have dim sum all day long - very limited menu)

Very best dim sum? Koi Palace in Daly City, which is a zoo after 10am. Be prepared for a very long wait and no fawning waiters.

Best tea to order with dim sum: Kohk Bow (Bow Lay tea with chrysanthemum buds) or just straight Kohk Fa (chrysanthemum buds only). "Dim Sum" is also known as "Yum Cha" - "eating/drinking tea" in Cantonese. That's why the tea is so important.

Have fun! And try not to burp too much! Oh yeah, ask for forks, it's not an embarrassment.

easytraveler

Kal, Mrs. Kal, and Faina: Well, Sum are Dim and Sum are not!

Kal

Tuff crowd!!!

CCC
Ahhhhh...better.