Dumpling Story - Valencia

Excellent dumpling spot with a few vegetarian options. My wife is allergic to garlic and they were able to guide us through the menu, which is rare for a dumpling place. We were a bit cold by the entrance door but the warm tea helped a lot. The food was great, service fast and nice staff (also rare). Quiet and almost cosy. We will be back.

If you want dumplings or noodles, this place is fantastic. Look beyond just the dumplings; the noodle soups are very good as well. They seem to be positioning themselves a bit upscale - the interior is bright and spacious, the prices are a little higher than other comparable options. The food is delicious and there's a window into the kitchen, which seemed to me maintained immaculately.

The food I had delivered from here on a food delivery platform was finger licking delicious. The chicken was extra crispy just like I love it. The pork dumplings were amazing as well. The wanton soup was top notch. I give them 5 stars ⭐️ . Next time I will eat here in person

Lovely, lively atmosphere. Quick, friendly service, barely had to wait to get order taken and get food served. Delicious food! I highly recommend the cucumber salad.

Dumpling story is a hidden gem on valencia street They have amazing soup dumplings and great spicy wonton dish as well Their noodles were okay just a little soggy but I highly recommend their dumplings Parking might be hard in front of the store and there was no wait on Sat at 6pm Vibes were good and drinks were good as well! Try them out! Overall highly recommend for everyone!

Always a pleasure dining here. Came in for a solo date on Christmas Eve this time, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint. I especially love how thoughtful and flavorful their vegetarian dishes are - you can really taste the quality of the ingredients. A consistently comforting and memorable experience.

I had an amazing experience at this Shanghai dumpling restaurant! The dumplings were on a whole different level, perfectly thin wrappers, juicy filling, and that burst of flavor as soon as you bite in. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, and you could tell a lot of care went into the food. The service was fast and friendly, and the whole place had a warm, welcoming vibe. I ended up ordering way more than I planned because everything coming out of the kitchen looked too good to pass up. If you love dumplings or honestly just good food this spot is a must. I’m definitely coming back!

No wait, delicious pork buns and dumplings, and a cozy atmosphere with bar seating. Perfect for a relaxed Sunday lunch. Would definitely eat here again.

Dumpling story seems to be a sister store to Dumpling Home on Gough, and equally as good. The main difference between the two stores is it's decoration, but the service and food quality is equally superb. Got to try the spicy XLB and it was amazing. The spicy soup and flavors inside the Bao is the best I've had in the city. Would definitely recommend! It has great date vibes too

TLDR: Modern Xiao Long Bao dumpling spot situated in prime Mission district, with great options and good-for-SF prices. I came to Dumpling Story with a friend who was craving dumplings but didn't know much about them aside from the basics. As a party of two, we were seated at the high bar as soon as we walked in (around ~6pm on a Saturday night). As soon as we sat down, I recognized the menu as being almost identical as the offerings at Dumpling Home (which I had gone to two days prior), down to the colorways. The only noticeable difference was the prices -- Dumpling Stories' prices for the 8 pc pork xiao long bao was about ~$2 cheaper than Dumpling Home. My previous review for Dumpling Home rated them as 8/10 for being high quality dumplings at a price that was a bit too high for my liking -- Dumpling Story basically addresses my main complaint by lowering those prices so what's not to like. For two, we had the 8 pc boiled chicken + shitake mushroom dumplings (would recommend pork and chives most days), and the juicy pork bao (fried to perfection), and the 4pc pork xiao long bao, which filled us up just enough. If you have extra room, I always encourage adding the dried green beans or the cucumber salad, both of which are classics that you can't go wrong with.

First time trying this place after seeing the high reviews. Was welcomed in and the servers were friendly and attentive. We ordered with a whiteboard menu and got our food pretty quickly. It wasn't too busy on a Friday afternoon. The best dishes were the dry cooked green beans and pan fried pork buns (spicy). Both done very well - the green beans weren't oily at all, not too salty, perfectly cooked. The pan fried pork buns are authentic - thin, crispy wrapper and juicy filling. I like the little spoons they give you for the dumplings/buns. The XLBs were good, tasted quite sweeter than your average place. I've had many good places in the bay and this one was slightly above average. The wrapper is thin, juicy inside, and good flavor. The pork and cabbage boiled dumplings were pretty typical. It doesn't beat places in the Richmond/sunset, but if it's one of the few places in the area, it satisfies the craving. Chewy skin, simple filling. The gong bao dumplings were quite awful though - it had a weird mix of chicken and peanuts and a strange taste that my friends and I couldn't even finish. All in all, some hits and some misses but there was great service and I left satisfied.

Very solid spot in the Mission! I came on a late Saturday afternoon with my friend for a quick snack and we were immediately seated. The interior was very clean and modern - it was also quite spacious. Similar to other dumpling spots in SF, you place your order by marking it on the menu. We got the Pork XLB, Pork Buns, and Cucumber Appetizer. The soup dumpling had a nice broth and was definitely as tasty as other two word Dumpling restaurants in SF (take your pick there's too many in the city to name :)) The cucumber appetizer was very refreshing though if it was made with chilis to give it a kick it would even be another step up. The service was also top tier as our server asked my friend if she would like to have her water bottle refilled, definitely going a step above. I would recommend this spot to anyone in the area.

TLDR: I hesitate writing this 5 star review 'cause I've enjoyed being able to walk in and not wait for a table... but the people (y'all) gotta know that THIS is THE spot (for juicy pork + numb & spicy XLB). Longer version: We live near Dumpling Home. It's too convenient, really. But the long wait one weekends and for dinner, the (over)hype, and the lack of care that patrons waiting for table consistently block the handicap ramps made me seek out other options throughout the city. We've tried just about every spot that has juicy pork bao with hopes of replacing DH and by golly, we've found that in Dumpling Story. While DH is a 9 min walk from home, Dumpling Story is only 20 additional minutes and 100% flat -- not a bad warm up to stuff our bellies with dumplings ;P and even better, the 30 min walk home is perfect to curb the inevitable post-high-carb-meal blood sugar spike. Recently, I had DH shortly after a Dumpling Story meal, and I can say without a doubt, solely comparing the flavors and quality of dumplings -- Dumpling Story is superior. In my experience, there is greater care in the preparation of the food: Dumpling wrappers are appropriate thickness per style of dumpling/bao The juicy numb and spicy pork bao has the right amount of crunch meets softness with plenty of juiciness inside The hot and sour soup has been full of mushrooms+bamboo shoots+tofu and the flavor is Goldilocks *just right* The cucumbers in the cucumber salad are separate piece by piece (vs huge chunks I've had at other restaurants) Jasmine tea has wonderful flavor from first to last cup Our usual order is: Jasmine Tea Garlic Cucumber Salad Green Onion Pancake Hot and Sour Soup Numb and Spicy XLB (8pcs) Numb and Spicy Juicy Pork Bao On our last visit, we added the Sping Rolls, which were tasty and we especially liked the well paired dipping sauce. If you're a fried spring roll fan, definitely worth ordering! We may or may not skip this next time, will depend on how hungry and/or hungover we are -- definitely a good compliment to soak up the remnants of prior evening's partying. As far as service and ambience goes - no complaints! The tables are spaced out with just enough room so it doesn't feel like you're on top of your neighbors. There's also a bar with ample seating, which is where we prefer to pull up. They've had music playing, not too loud to be disturbing or distracting, and our empty water glasses have always been filled promptly. They bring the foods out as they're ready, have chili oil and extra soy cause if you need, and have been at the ready to provide me extra napkins when they see I am making a mess with the juicy pork bao (LOL, when will I learn!?) A final point worth noting -- they don't add any service charges, health mandate charges, etc. The bill is for your food + tax AND the tip suggestions are based on the subtotal (pre-tax) which is getting harder to come by in SF. Our last order (all of the listed items above plus spring rolls) came out to $82.23. If we wanted to be more budget conscious, we'd skip the cucumbers and spring rolls, maybe even green onion pancake, because the real show stoppers are the bao ;P

Tried dumpling story for the first time the other day in the mission and it was pretty decent! My friends and I ordered the pork soup dumplings, pan fried pork dumplings, string beans, and Dan Dan noodles. Everything filled us up so I recommend ordering as many dishes as there are people in your party and possibly 1-2 more. I thought the string beans and Dan Dan noodles were decent but definitely have had better. I was super impressed by their soup dumplings and pan fried dumplings though. Both had plenty of soup on the inside and were pretty large compared to most XLB. I love how they provide you with a soup spoon that's specially made for XLB and any soup dumpling. All the servers were super nice and attentive and made our experience!

5/5 stars for food, service, and ambience! I was showing my family visiting from abroad around SF and since Dumpling Home was closing early at 8:15, I decided to take them to Souvla in the Mission instead. Got lucky and found street parking and got out the car to see we were parked right in front of Dumpling Story! They were closing in 40 min though so I was afraid they wouldn't seat us but they did! I ordered pretty fast and the food came out super fast and piping hot! For food we got the dry cooked green beans, dan dan noodles, numb & spicy pork XLB, pork wonton in sesame & chili oil, beef pockets, dry fried chicken wings, green onion pancake, and pan fried juicy bao. We enjoyed everything, but the highlights were the XLB, wonton, pan fried juicy bao, and green beans. The numb & spicy pork XLB was so good and flavorful and a good size! DTF's XLB is so much smaller in comparison. The wontons in sesame and chili sauce were also so tasty and I loved the addition of sesame sauce to it! It was a nice balance to the chili oil. The garlic green beans were probably one of the best green beans I've had - I think I'd get 2 servings for the table next time bc everyone loved it so much. One dish I wasn't really impressed with was the dan Dan noodles. I wish there was more sauce bc it was kinda bland and lacked flavor. It wasn't bad but just wasn't great either, could probably do without it next time! So glad they opened these sister stores bc Dumpling Home's lines can get pretty long and the quality is pretty much the same.

FOOD - this definitely gave me Din Tai Fung vibes except I LOVED this place SO MUCH MORE! Everything that we ordered was delicious. The pan fried dumplings was slightly crispy, the skin wasn't too thick and the flavor was so juicy. Even the green beans was super tasty. Xiao long baos are really on point - I think the top of the xiao long bao skin was a little thick for my liking but everything else was just perfect. The noodles were also sooo good; they felt freshly pulled. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I was really impressed. SERVICE - busy but we got seated fairly quickly. Super quick and easy. AMBIANCE - cute little spot for lunch or dinner. Music was a little loud though, so you'd have to talk a little louder to hear each other. Only downside to this place is it's a little pricy! Other than that 100% recommend.

Delicious! Whenever I'm back in the Bay I have to get my fix of sheng jian bao. This spot was conveniently nearby when the place we were trying to go to had too long of a wait. We came right at opening and got seated immediately, and soon after it got more busy. This is apparently the sister restaurant of Dumpling Home which I've been to and love, so I was happy to come try. We got the juicy pork bao (sheng jian bao), pork xiaolongbao, numb and spicy pork bao, spicy chili oil sesame wontons, and cucumber salad. All of it was delicious! Surprisingly, my favorite item of the night was the wontons - the sesame sauce is perfect and pairs so well with the chili oil and juicy pork filling. Both of the sheng jian bao were great, though I think I preferred the OG since the soup is more palatable. The bottoms were not as crispy and crunchy as I remember, but still had great flavor nonetheless. The spicy one was really good too but a bit oily for me. The cucumber salad was a nice refreshing bite in between dumplings as well! We wanted to try the egg yolk lava bao but they were $20 for 4 which is a bit outrageous imo. If you come here, get the spicy wontons and juicy pork bao!

So happy they opened a location closer to me. Dumpling story is dumpling home, but better cuz there is no ridiculous wait. Also loved the location in pac heights but ppl were catching on to that location and wait time was getting too long for me. Walked right in at 7 and was seated immediately and love the decor of restaurant. Very cozy feeling. Food was fantastic as usual. I seriously order the same thing everytime. This is my go to spot for soup dumplings.

Great spot for dumplings in the mission. Sat at the bar and ordered a few different ones. They come out as they are ready and everything I tried was fresh and served hot with pairing sauces and dips. My favorite was the pan fried numb and spicy pork pan fried. The textures and flavors were amazing. They actually were not spicy or numbing for me but just very flavorful. I made them spicier with the chilli oil they provide if requested. The other favorite was the vegetable ones as these were huge and filled with fresh veggies. The ambiance is simple and laid back. The bathrooms were nice and clean! Service was quick and efficient. Overall very good satisfying dumplings at a great price on a lively stretch of Valencia in the Mission.

Dumpling Home is one of my favorite restaurants, so I was very excited to try this new sister restaurant! The menu and dishes very closely resemble Dumpling Home. The bao is definitely a must try - I usually get the Juicy Chicken Bao, which is soupy and flavorful! I also really enjoy the Chicken Xiao Long Bao. My friends really enjoyed the Numb and Spicy Pork Bao and the Pork Dumplings with Sesame Sauce and Chile Oil! The staff was very friendly and the service was great - will definitely be back again soon!

If it doesn't squirt across the table or into your face, I don't want it. There's nothing more disappointing than biting into a XLB (soup dumpling) or SJB (pan-fried soup buns) with little or no soup inside. Whomp. Dumpling Home serves THE juiciest XLB and SJB (Michelin Bib Gourmand). Beware: they squirt! They're the best ones I've found from the city to SJ. Unfortunately, the bridge and I don't get along so I can't speak for the east bay. Don't want to deal with the lines at Dumpling Home? Head to Dumpling Story, Dumpling Home's sister resto. This is Dumpling Story's second location in the former Luna/Luna Park space. Currently, Dumpling Story is open for takeout and dine-in. Luna's parklet has been removed but staff says, outdoor seating will be available in the future. No rezzies, walk-in only. M E N U Shanghainese Cuisine: Small Plates, Dumplings (boiled, steamed, and pan-fried) and Noodles (hand-pulled). Similar menu as Dumpling Home but they have desserts here. AND, a full bar is coming! F O O D * 牛舌 Beef Tongue w/ thousand year-old sauce ($12.95) // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/4m6w2xms The sliced beef tongue was tender and beefy, and the soy based sauce was salty and pungent with drops of chili oil for spice. *干烹鸡翅膀 Dry Fried Chicken Wings (6 pc - $15.95) // 5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/vfajf9st The juicy wings have a crackly-crunchy exterior and savory-sweet sticky glaze with a kick of heat. Addictive flavor and texture. If you like San Tung style wings, get this! * 蟹粉小笼包 Crab & Pork XLB (4 pc - $13.95) // 5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/yey325bd I'm happy to say that the quality is the same as Dumpling Home and Dumpling Story in Pac Heights. Thin, chewy skin but sturdy enough to hold all the soup without tearing or breaking when picking up. Juicy pork filling with a savory soup topped with real crab. In the pic, I poked the XLB to release some of the soup into the spoon and that was just half of it. * 猪肉生煎包 Pan-Fried Juicy Pork Bao aka SJB (6 pc - $13.95) // 5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/3psnpuby XLB's cousin, the SJBs had deliciously crunchy golden-brown bottoms to contrast the QQ (chewy), pale tops. Juicy pork filling with A LOT of soupy goodness. You probably won't find a better one from the city to SJ (IMO, Special Noodle in Cupertino comes in second). If you do, LMK. *奶黃流沙生煎包 Egg Yolk Lava SJB (OTH) // 5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/9sdf2du4 An exclusive item to the Dumpling Story locations, they brought this OTH for us to try. Not something I would usually order as I'm not a dessert person but this was BOMB! A creative play on liu sha bao and true to its name, the salty-sweet molten custard gushes out like lava upon biting into. The chewy crispiness of the SJB as a dessert just hits different. S E R V I C E Friendly, prompt, and attentive. The servers were good about warning customers that the XLB & SJB are hot. The kind owner, Jimmy was making his rounds to ensure customers were enjoying the food. A M B I A N C E Formerly long-time Luna Park then Luna, this is the nicest, trendiest Shanghainese resto in the city with a white-black color scheme and monkey chandeliers. Mix of booth, regular table, high top, and bar seating. Top 40s covers playing. I like that they kept Luna's tiger wallpaper in the restroom. P A R K I N G Challenging street and metered parking. There's a parking lot next to Duggan's Funeral Services around the corner (flat fee). Overall, while there's no shortage of dumpling restos in the city, this is the first and only Shanghainese resto in The Mission, making it a great addition. If you're looking for the city's finest XLB and SJB without the lines (for now), hit up Dumpling Story on Valencia!

The mission district has finally been blessed with a Shanghainese dumpling spot that's to die for! Dumpling Story is the sister restaurant to Dumpling Home in Hayes, one of SF's top spots for baos. It's a bit expensive, but absolutely worth the price. You must order the XLB (xiaolongbao or soup dumplings) and the SJB (shengjianbao or pan fried soup dumplings). The juicy pork SJB is soft on the top, super crispy on the bottom, and the juiciest I've had ... maybe ever in the US?? Incredible. The pork XLB also had a ton of flavorful soup inside. The sides dishes all held their own; I particularly recommend the okra with garlic sauce which I've had a harder time finding at restaurants. My absolute favorite dish though was the egg yolk lava SJB! So soft and crispy and packed full of juicy lava egg yolk filling -- I would have eaten all four of them. I might dream about them tonight. Service is pretty fast and everything comes out steaming hot. I was seated quickly but I expect this place to get busy during peak hours. The decor feels like a mix of modern and old-timey with large cushy booths and chandeliers with monkeys on them. The vibes are good. I'll be back asap for more lava SJB!

I'm really happy to have found Dumpling Story on one of my walks along the Valencia corridor. They occupy the former Luna space. There are a lot of good dumpling places in SF now but this place stands out for its Xiaolongbao. They've perfected this key dish - the wrapping is soft and fresh but doesn't break apart easily and the flavors are really on point. My friends and I came here for TGIF dinner and shared a bunch of items - three varieties of the XLB (crab and pork, numb and spicy pork, shrimp and loofah), spring rolls, wood and silver ear mushrooms, numb and spicy pork bao, red bean pockets, zha jiang noodles, soybean noodles and dry shrimp egg and chives pockets. Everything was excellent - the stand-outs for me were the crab and pork XLB and the chives pockets. With a couple of beverages and tax and tip, this ended up being about $70 per person - not bad for dinner in SF but probably on the higher side of what people would typically pay for dim sum. The space is very nice (the space is more bar-like than what you'd expect for dim sum). Service was fast, good and attentive. We had a one year old child with us and they had a high chair for her and the staff was also really gracious about the small mess she made. Highly recommended!!!

This is a sister restaurant to Dumpling Home in Hayes Valley, with the same menu and the same flavors, but shorter line! Just like the OG spot, you must try the juicy pork baos, the xiao long bao, and my personal favorite the pork dumplings in sesame sauce and chili oil. The interior gives a much different vibe than the OG location. It's darker, with darker wood finishings, and a bar area. Giving more of a dinner and drinks vibe than a sit down brunch spot.

Dumpling story is pretty new and took over Luna cafe's spot - same layout and decor but a little more upscale. The food overall is really good - dumpling's are fresh and I like how they give you a really good selection (pan fried, soup, steamed, etc). I also enjoyed the black bean noodles a lot. Bao is close by and similar menus, but I actually like the food better at dumpling story. Service is excellent also.

I've been a big fan of Dumpling Home for years, so of course I was super excited to hear that a sister restaurant opened up in this neighborhood! The menu here is similar, although the interior looks a lot more upscale than Dumpling Home. I visited for dinner Friday night at around 7:30pm with three other friends, and we got seated immediately. We ordered a variety of items: - numb & spicy pork XLB (xiao long bao) - crab & pork XLB - shrimp & loofah XLB - numb & spicy pork pan fried bao - pork pan fried bao - seasoned beef pockets - dry cooked green beans - braised eggplant You absolutely have to try the pan fried bao and XLB here! No other place I've been to in SF makes these baos as juicy and flavorful. Our favorites were the pork pan fried bao, numb & spicy pork pan fried bao, numb & spicy pork XLB, crab & pork XLB, and dry cooked green beans. The only thing I wouldn't order again is the braised eggplant, which was just alright. Overall, we had a great experience. Service was friendly and attentive as well. I can't wait to come back for more!

Came here with a bunch of friends and this meal was incredible satisfying to say the least. We got about 4 orders of dumplings and were super stuffed afterwards. Everything was so juicy and delicious. My favorite was the pan friend dumplings. I also really enjoyed the dumplings that had spice in it. It was surprisingly not too spicy at all. The food came out relatively fast and service was great. Would highly recommend!

Not too packed @ 6PM ish on a Saturday evening. We were seated immediately for a party of 3. Dumpling Story is the sister restaurant of Dumpling Home, so everything literally tastes the same. Pros: + Ingredients and flavor of everything is perfection! Cons: - Good luck with parking if you decide t What We Ordered: + Wonton Soup; 5/5 + Dry Shrimp Eggs and Chives Pockets; 5/5 + Juicy Pan Fried Pork Baos; 5/5 + Cucumbers in Garlic Sauce; 5/5 + Beef Tongue; 5/5 Tip: If you order the JUICY PAN FRIED PORK BAO, you should dine in and not do delivery or take out. I've always utilized DoorDash, so my experience with the Juicy Pan Fried Bao was not great. When we ordered this for the table, I was wow'd!

Very similar menu to dumpling home on hayes! I like that the seating was easier(no wait) and the interior was a touch better. Had the classic XLB and cucumber salad that i always order at dumpling home and it's equal in quality. We also tried the dan dan noodles and the egg flower soup which were decent but probably wouldn't recommend. I wish they were a bit more generous with the black vinegar, but outside of that I had a great time.

fast service -- ordering & getting our food. it's a busy restaurant so they will try to get you in and out quick. loved the green beans, noodles, xiao long baos (numb & spicy pork, crab & pork). the boiled dumplings were a bit bland

New favorite spot for dumplings in the Mission. spicy pork soup dumplings and pan fried pork dumplings (pictured) were my favorite. Very attentive staff. Always kept water full but never tried to rush you. Ambiance was refined with fun details (check out the monkey light fixtures!) Definitely will be back next time in craving dumplings!

GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY I HAVE FOUND XLB HEAVEN. Their dumplings are as good as any in Los Angeles county, which has a much bigger population. Juicy as heck, fresh and tender, profound flavors of many varieties. I adored the numb spicy pork bao, but the fried pork bao was just as good, with fried bottoms and tender soft tops. Cucumber salad had just the right balance of soy, sesame, and garlic. I was too full to try the desserts but I want to come back and try more - may this place live long and prosper and continue to be this damned good.

Went here for first time in Tuesday for lunch. Ordered their chicken curry drumming, friend pork dumpling, beef noodle soup, xiao long bao of crab and pork, and onion pancake. We ordered a lot of food. I don't know about the curry dumpling. It tasted funny. Service was attentive but the food all came almost the same time and the fried pork dumpling was hot that I burned my lips. They warned me but even later it was still hot. The dumpling dough is thick. Ambience is simple. Give it a try but order one item at a time or else they bring it all at once.

So happy this place opened up on Valencia! Owned by the same person as Dumpling Story on Fillmore and Dumpling Home in Hayes, the dumplings have expanded into the mission! We were lucky to come in on opening day. The decor is unique and modern and the wait staff were extremely helpful. We ordered the hot and sour soup (excellent) and the cucumber salad to start. We then had the shrimp and loofah steamed baos, which were filled to he brim and bursting with fresh veggies. The pan fried baos were our favorite and they also didn't disappoint - the veggie one was so packed they tasted like mini salads in a wrapping. The numb spicy pork dumplings are our favorite - literally bursting with juice and flavor. Overall, this place really delivered on their opening day and we look forward to being frequent customers!

i went here in a group with 3 other people for a casual birthday dinner - the place is cute and cozy inside but i really, REALLY hated the seats. they were rickety stools that were so low to the ground i could hang my jacket on the back because it touched the floor. Aside from that, the restaurant worked like your usual dim sum style ordering. all the food was great and the wait staff were attentive and fast to stack and clear any plates on our table that they saw.

We love Dumpling Home, so when we heard about this sister branch we had to try it, and can confidently say it was equally great! I really liked the ambience of this spot as well. Nice booths, open kitchen and it even has a bar. All that with no wait time (as of now). We love the juicy pork baos here and the numb and spicy xiao long baos were really delicious too. These two are definitely must try items and so comforting. The service was great too and the staff were super friendly. Going to be visiting this spot a lot more often.

Amazing soup dumplings.. Highly recommended. Good and prompt service. Nice decor and ambiance.

Wow...just wow. Insanely good broth in all the XLB and the dumplings were fried to perfection. I could have eaten the whole menu. The thai tea I had was amazing. The service could have been better but I was there about 90 minutes before closing so perfectly understandable. They were busy! I loved the lighting in here, dim but not so dim you struggle to see.

I've raved about the other Dumpling Story location before so I was excited when this location opened in the Mission! Here, the menu is more expansive and alcohol is served, plus the interior is much more spacious and artful. Service is efficient and professional. Once again, they absolutely nail the XLB (the crab and pork is expensive, but worth it in my opinion) with the delicate thin wrapper and juicy filling, as well as the fried juicy pork SJB (sheng jian bao). LOVE !

Hands down the best XLB!!! Just two of us but we ate the fresh cucumber with garlic sauce, numb and spicy pork bao, crab and pork XLB, and the juicy pork bao! So good and delicious. We'll be back with more hungry people.

Isn't anyone in this city tired of $10 - $12 plates of dumplings? The quality is the reason to come here - juicy pork bao and cucumber salad and passable potsticker. But I long for the days of high quality delicious dim sum at a more manageable price!

I wanted to check out Dumpling Story because I love dumpling home. It did not disappoint. We came for dinner and got seated right away. It's cute inside and love the decor. Everyone was very attentive, order got taken quickly, and food was fast too. We got several starters-mushrooms, potato salad, and okra. All were so good with flavor and texture. All felt light and refreshing as well. The we got crab XLB, boiled dumplings, and of course pan friend pork dumplings. You could really taste the crab and plenty of soup in the XLB. The pan fried are always so juicy and my favorite. The boiled were tasty too and could taste all the ingredients of the filling. We left satisfied and full and will definitely be back!

Surprisingly the dumplings are great! And the card soup dumplings are made with real crab!

Excellent! Great service, don't skip your veggies. Will be back for more Xiao long bao tastings.

Came here for lunch shortly after they opened. Soup dumplings are a must. It's so flavorful but not overly salty or greasy. Their pan fried dumplings have a nice spice and a crispy bottom. Would 100% come back again.

definitely on the pricey side (came out to $50pp without any alcohol) but i think this is the best dumpling spot in the mission. i was excited by their selection of pescatarian and vegetarian options. * tomato egg noodle - one of the best in SF! it's very savoury, not super sweet or sour. the noodles are thin and on the al dente side. * egg, shrimp, chive and woodear mushroom dumplings - a classic dish, can't go wrong with it. the dumpling skins were thick and not overcooked at all, reminding me of yuanbao jiaozi in the sunset. * pan-fried veggie bao - this was the only dish i didn't love. the bottom of the bao was crispy while the top was chewy, but the chopped vegetable filling wasn't very flavorful. also it would have gone better with a salty sauce on the side instead of black vinegar. * shrimp and loofah XLB - i still have no idea what loofah is, but these were basically juicy shrimp dumplings with a generous amount of crispy green vegetable pieces inside. although they didn't have much soup, i loved the vegetables and thought the flavors worked really well together. the dumpling skins were very robust (no tearing when you pick them up with chopsticks) and the ginger vinegar was nice. service was quick and very friendly. they have tons of seats!

Food was delicious! Place is very nice and clean. The service was very good as well! I will be returning soon!

Delicious Shanghainese dumplings. Not very expensive, great attentive service, and lots of options from their kitchen.

Overall, a really great spot for a group dinner. Lots of shareable and yummy dishes as well as nice seating. The pan-friend veggie dumplings were warm and fresh, and the ginger and green onion noodle was yummy and had a kick to it. The jasmine tea was flavorful and strong, which I really enjoyed. Reduced one star because we waited 70 minutes for a table, and from what I hear, that's a pretty common occurrence.

Visited this place for lunch. Everything was DELICIOUS. We especially enjoyed the pork and chive dumplings and the dry-mixed noodles. Will be back.

Staff is very friendly. Service is quick, especially for how busy they are. Dry fried green beans are spicy and garlicky. Pan fried juicy dumplings were so flavorful. No need for sauce. Delicious!

Very good dumplings. Great atmosphere and service. Food was good to great but a bit overpriced compared to other peers

When I read better than DTF I wanted to try. There are different dishes than DTF (no chicken soup/mochi noodles) and each one was spot on for us. Service quick, nice. efficient. The SLB are bigger than DTF and tasty, maybe DTF is a little easier to eat in a bite size due to them being smaller. Warning, ALL contents in the dumplings and tofu are out of the kitchen piping hot. We learned to wait or pop a hole in the dumpling and wait before diving in. All other dishes were spot on: pig ears, cucumbers, deep fried dumpling, fried tofu, spicy XLB. The egg yolk dumpling dessert seemed to be the most expensive at $20 for 4, which I think we could've done without.

Food is amazing! Highly recommend. There's always a wait so plan on that. It's worth it!

It's a nicely designed space, prices definitely on the higher side but portions are good. Unfortunately I didn't love any of the dishes we experienced. We tried a few meat and a few veggie dumplings, all were on the thicker, heavier side. Definitely filling but not really that tasty. The highlight was the pork dumplings with chili oil. Won ton soup was fairly bland and the noodle salad was pure garlic (I can still taste it 12 hours later). I didn't know ahead of time but Just reading in other reviews that this place is the sister restaurant of Dumpling Home, which I also didn't enjoy, so perhaps this particular style of dumplings doesn't work for me. For me there are a lot better options out there.

Following IG tip, tried this dumpling spot. The chrysanthemum tea was robust and plentiful. Dumplings were good but not as stellar as I expected. Egg rolls were mediocre, reminiscent of low budget Chinese restaurant style. Not impressed, sorry to say. Service was adequate.

A friend told us that there was a new dumpling spot on Valencia and I was so excited to try it! We placed an order over the phone right when they opened and it was about a 20 minute wait for our food to be ready. We ordered the beef xiao long bao, Mongolian beef dumplings, numb and spicy pan fried pork bao, and green beans. Because we got it take out it was a bit cold when we got to eat it but it was still so delicious that next time I definitely want to try it fresh at the restaurant. The xlb was so flavorful, even when it was cold the soup still tasted great and the dumpling skin held up perfectly. The Mongolian beef dumplings were so unique because the filling had so much flavor, I think it might be one of the best dumplings I've ever had! The numb and spicy pan fried pork bao was delicious, filled with spicy soup and pan fried to crispy perfection. The green beans were also delicious, super garlicky and was the perfect dish to balance out all the dumplings we ordered. This spot is a must try and I don't think you can go wrong with any of their items!