Literally translated as "with tea," dim sum was created in tea-drinking establishments along China's Silk Road. According to the website Sallybernstein.com, there are approximately 2,000 varieties of dim sum ranging from stuffed buns and won ton-wrapped delicacies to lettuce cups filled with meat or fowl. San Francisco, with one of the largest Chinatowns in America, has a number of dim sum restaurants.
Yank Sing
The San Francisco Chronicle has ranked Yank Sing among the top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area. In this restaurant, bite-size pieces of dim sum are placed on carts that wheel through the dining room. Patrons can point at what they want as it passes by their tables, or businessmen in a hurry can order and pick up their food from the Yank Sing 2 Go section of the establishment. The Chan family, who founded Yank Sing, refers to their offerings as the creative collection because it contains both traditional dim sum and modern concoctions. Expect to see standard buffet fare such as pot stickers and steamed pork buns alongside Peking duck slices and bacon-wrapped skewers of prawn.
Yank Sing San Francisco
49 Stevenson St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 541-4949
yanksing.com/home.php
Ton Kiang
In addition to dim sum, Ton Kiang specializes in the cuisine of the Hakka people of Guangdong Province in China. The dim sum is considered by some to be the best in the city. Because Ton Kiang is a formal dining establishment, the prices are higher than take-away dim sum restaurants in Chinatown. Expect traditional favorites such as dumplings, buns and sesame, or shrimp or rice balls as well as Hakka clay pot casserole meals.
Ton Kiang Restaurant
5821 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 752-4440
tonkiang.net
Dol Ho
This storefront restaurant can be found just outside of Chinatown in the Nob Hill district. The service is brusque in the Chinese style, and the décor is simple, but the prices are reasonable. Many of the patrons order in Chinese, so you may feel that you've eaten at a more authentically Chinatown restaurant than if you visit the more upscale Yank Sing in the financial district. The black bean spare ribs are the specialty at Dol Ho.
Dol Ho
808 Pacific Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 392-2828
zvents.com/san-francisco-ca/venues/show/31961-dol-ho
About The Author
Tracy S. Morris has been a freelance writer since 2000. She has published two novels and numerous online articles. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers, including "Ferrets," "CatFancy," "Lexington Herald Leader" and "The Tulsa World."
