Dumpling Story - Fillmore
Chinese restaurant · Pacific Heights ·
Hand-folded dumplings, soupy XLB, pan-fried baos, and noodles
Hand-folded dumplings, soupy XLB, pan-fried baos, and noodles
"Dumpling Story is expanding in San Francisco, and this latest outpost from the group continues its track record of excellent dumplings. Those familiar with Hayes Valley sister restaurant Dumpling Home will find the same carefully-folded dim sum, including soupy xiao long bao, pork bao, and fried spring rolls." - Dianne de Guzman
"The Pacific Heights sister restaurant of Dumpling Home (they also have another location in Oakland called, wait for it, Dumpling Hours) serves almost the exact same menu, so come here when you want the same dumpling expertise in a setting that could double as the lobby of a spa—think entirely white walls, indoor arches, and shiny blob-shaped mirrors. The way to do things here is to order as many dumplings as you are years old, and roll yourself out." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
"There are now two locations of Dumpling Story—one in Pacific Heights and one in the Mission—and both have identical menus to their sister restaurant, Dumpling Home. So naturally, the xiao long bao at this swanky spot will also send you into a pork-and-soup-induced state of bliss. If you want a broth-filled bao with a bit more crunch, get the shengjianbao with crispy fried bottoms and enough soup to spray across the table." - julia chen 1
"The Dumpling Home team pretty much hit copy-paste on their menu when they opened up this sister outpost in Pacific Heights (there's now one in the Mission, too). That’s great news for cult followers of their phenomenal boiled, pan-fried, and steamed dumplings. The shengjianbao are a deep golden crisp on the bottoms and loaded with soup, and the hand-folded xiao long bao are pulled off with Olympic-level precision. The sleek place is great for filling up after a big haul of athleisure and fancy sweaters from a nearby boutique." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"Dumpling Story fits right in with Pacific Heights, the neighborhood known for designer dogs and mansion dwellers. The white walls, shiny mirrors, and arched windows make this Chinese spot look more like a fancy perfume boutique. Still, don’t get it twisted—you’re not here to score at a trendy sample sale, but to witness dumpling mastery. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Let’s get this out of the way: Dumpling Story is the sister spot to Dumpling Home in Hayes Valley, a beloved restaurant that attracts a crowd nightly. They hit copy-and-paste on the menu for this second outpost, so don’t expect revolutionary changes, aside from new additions like gong bao chicken dumplings and numb-and-spicy pan-fried pork bao. And, like the original, Dumpling Story is showing off Olympic-level precision. photo credit: Brit Finnegan photo credit: Brit Finnegan This place serves every boiled, steamed, and pan-fried dumpling imaginable, all of which are hand-folded behind a glass wall in the back of the dining room. You’ll slurp up textbook xiao long bao and bite into the juiciest shengjianbao in town. As for the non-dumpling menu, it’s mostly smash hits. Creamy dan dan noodles stretch as high as you can reach, the cucumber salad is a garlicky dream, and sticky dry-fried wings make all wings look like underachievers. But the beef pockets and ginger garlic noodles are forgettable and less exciting. At the end of the day, Dumpling Story is for dumplings. Focus on those to leave satisfied. You could count on less than one hand the number of dumpling spots there are in Pacific Heights. So the people of Fillmore Street have struck gold. If you’re not one of them, or aren’t planning on coming to the area to inhale the aroma of monogrammed candles, find a way to get here. Food Rundown Juicy Pork Bao Come to Dumpling Story, order these. It’s that simple. The chewy, thick dough is beautifully fried on the bottom. One bite of these will send a Bellagio-fountain-amount of hot soup spray all the way across the table, so proceed with caution. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Pork Xiao Long Bao Another non-negotiable. Translucent skin, rich soup, and fall-apart meat filling make these some of the best dumplings on the menu. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Dry Cooked Green Beans Not as crisp as their counterparts at Dumpling Home, but still pretty good beans nonetheless. photo credit: Brit Finnegan Dry-Fried Chicken Wings These arrive soaking in a pool of sticky, caramel-like sauce. They should definitely be on the table. photo credit: Brit Finnegan" - Julia Chen
