Loved the Dim Sum Dummy entry. Going to Dim Sum on an upcoming Saturday and yes we will arrive early. Have been to Gold Mountain as a first dim sum experience and that was enjoyable. The place is busy and noisy but fun. I have been reading about Yank Sing and was wondering just how much it would cost for Dim Sum. The web site looks great and a friend recommended it but I am curious about the cost per 4 piece selection for example. Any preference on which Yank Sing location is best on a Saturday? Is it as busy/noisy as Gold Mountain? Bringing teens who have never been and was wondering which place would give them a more traditional dim sum experience?

We like the Yank Sing in the Embarcadero. It is a busy spot because it is so good! It is our fave Dim Sum restaurant in the city.If your teens are adventurous when it comes to food, it could be a pricey meal. Our kids all love the experience there, but it always is very expensive. Hard to estimate cost, but each item is priced differently. Good luck and enjoy! I am jealous!

I can only say that the two of us did DimSum at the Embarcadero Yank Sing on a Sunday morning. I had one beer, otherwise we drank the tea. Our total bill was $60.10. We left rather hungry. Hope this helps.

we've never left spending less than $75 or so for the two of us and we don't drink and we are never stuffed. and i think there's some of the more "exotic" dishes that we don't try that i've heard are pricy

My wife & I spent $70 last week for lunch. No wine - only water.

Two days later, my wife met two female friends for lunch at Slanted Door & the 3 of them spent less than the two of us did at Yank Sing. She enjoyed her meal more at the Slanted Door. I didn't think Yank Sing was anything special. Had a good roasted cod there, but the rest was pretty ordinary (we've lived in the Bay Area for 33 years).

Stu Dudley

Slanted Door is good too but I think very expensive as well. We spent a fortune the last time we were there but we were with a large group. Does Slanted Door do Dim Sum? I think the Dim Sum experience is just novel if you've never tried it. You can't lose either way, really. I am a native San Franciscan, displaced to Denver, by the way.

Yank Sing is expensive. If you are able, try the Mayflower out on Geary by 24th/25th.

Not a cart experience, but good Dim Sum at reasonable prices.

A more expensive but just as good food-wise is the Seven SeasRestaurant on Irving by 8th(?), very near the Andronico's Market. also not a cart experience.

Best cart experience is Koi Palace in Daly City.

Shanghainese and I were just remarking that somehow the best dim sum restaurants are no longer in Chinatown.

Hope this helps.

We didn't know where to go as it was kind of a spur of the moment. so I dedided to ask the locals. I went into 3 differents shops and asked them where they would go to have Dim Sum. A lovely young lady at the Red Blossom Tea Company suggest City View and she even went onto the internet to double check address and gave us walking directions.

It was a very nice, bright restaurant with lots of tables and we got a table right away.[662 Commerical, a tiny street off Kearny St; between Chinatown and Financial District].

It cost us $38 with tax and 1 beer. We ate plenty of food and it was very good. We got there just before Noon on Thursday and sat right down. Within 10 minutes the line was out the door.

Carts were stocked, frequent, varied and servers were pleasant and helpful.

We highly recommend City View.
Deb

Thanks Deb - we'll give City View a try next time.

Stu Dudley

Last time we went to Slanted Door, it cost us $75 or $80 a couple (with drinks), but when we checked, we had ordered (and eaten) ELEVEN different dishes!!

I think slanted Door is a real bargain when you consider teh gourmet food, view but not a DIm Sum experience in my view.

Ordering from a cart for DIm Sum is a great experience. Yank Sing is definatetly expensive...but staff do take time to explain in English what teh cart offers are and I think as a first time tourist expereince is good option..you can keep track of what you order by the stamps.


The Concierge at Hyatt UNion Square also rec City View..we thought it more reasonable in price and still a great Dim Sum experience.

BTW Dim Sum is traditionally served Sundays family style..but that is YAnk Sing is so popular with Finaicial District wrkers at Embarcodero..they can get Dim Sum for lunch all week..

City View on Commercial Street (off Kearney) is much more authentic and cheaper than Yank Sing. The dim sum are also much better at City View.

I just did another look at my journal from last summer. While I mentioned we left from Yank Sing's dim sum lunch rather hungry after spending $60.10, I see our lunch at The Slanted Door was a total of $54.61. We had spectacular food -- pork over noodles, imperial rolls, PhoBo beef soup, and seared tuna with a shredded salad. We left delightfully satisfied from the wonderful food. I can't believe in retrospect that the lunch at Slanted Door was actually LESS than the one at Yank Sing. It should have been double in cost by value!

Another option is Ton Kiang, which is also out on Geary, around 22nd or 23rd Ave. Excellent food, far lower cost. It's a couple of blocks from Mayflower, which easytraveler mentioned.