Dumpling Specialist
Dumpling restaurant · Parkside
1119-1123 Taraval St, San Francisco, CA 94116
Highlights
Pan-fried pork buns, sticky rice rolls, and soup dumplings
Pan-fried pork buns, sticky rice rolls, and soup dumplings
"Dumpling Specialist is among the restaurants on Taraval Avenue serving jiaozi, or Northern-style Chinese dumplings, in an area SFGATE dubbed “Dumpling Row.” Here, you’ll see father-daughter team Paul and Rebecca Yu as they fold and serve seriously budget-conscious dishes along with the star of the show: dumplings. Don’t skip the pan-fried pork bun, the Shanghai dumplings, or the steamed pork and cabbage dumplings — although if you’re determined and hungry enough, the entire dumpling section is worth a try." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Dumpling Specialist in Parkside is a small dumpling shop that serves impressive potstickers, pork buns, wontons in chili oil, and steamed dumplings with pork and cabbage. But it’s one of our favorite xiao long bao spots thanks to the well-seasoned pork filling. There are a few tables inside, but there’s no shame if you want to have private time at home with your dumplings—theirs hold up pretty well." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"Dumpling Specialist is Parkside’s hottest dumpling destination, as evidenced by the perpetual wait on weekends and most nights. That’s because they’re leading a masterclass in tiny xiao long bao. They have the most delicate wrappers out of any spot on this guide—the skins get all wrinkly around the pork filling and practically dissolve when they hit your tongue. It’s only five to an order, so do the necessary math to make sure everyone in your group gets their fair share, or prepare to end a friendship over the last one." - julia chen 1
"The only downside to Dumpling Specialist is the fact that there are about four tables inside. It’s the hottest dumpling destination on this stretch of Taraval, so prepare to wait for a seat, or just cave, order your potstickers to go, and plop down at McCoppin Square for a picnic. In this case, all the hype does equal quality—these are some of the best dumplings in SF. Do whatever you can to get your hands on the precious xiao long bao, which are served in tin cups and require extra delicate handling. They’re tiny, adorable as hell, and you should pop them like candy (that is, after they cool off). " - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
"The only downside to Dumpling Specialist in Parkside is that there are about four tables inside. It’s also the hottest dumpling destination on this stretch of Taraval, so prepare to wait for a seat, or just cave, take your potstickers to go, and plop down at McCoppin Square for a picnic. But you should do whatever you can to get your hands on their precious xiao long bao, which are served in tin cups and require extra delicate handling. Also, everything on the menu is under $10, a rare feat in San Francisco these days. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Food Rundown photo credit: Brit Finnegan Shanghai Dumpling These xiao long bao are tiny, adorable as hell, and you should pop them like candy—that is, after they cool off. Five per order, plan accordingly. Pan Fried Potsticker Another consistent Dumpling Specialist homerun. They’re lightly crispy without weighing you down and have a generous helping of pork filling. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Sticky Rice Roll Filled with youtiao and pork floss, this sticky rice roll is the ideal handheld snack." - Julia Chen
