Ed U.
Yelp
The sad irony about being a solitary diner having dim sum on your own is that you can't have much variety. Maybe like one basket. Seems lonely, doesn't it? It's like reading the cooking directions for Soup for One. "Heat it up. Don't heat it up. Who cares? You live alone." That was kinda how I felt randomly walking into this corner spot in the Lower Haight. The menu had a page and a half of dim sum choices.
None of them were too adventurous. Presented in sets of eight, six, and four. I decided to go for the $9 Classic Siu Mai because it represented a steamer basket of four stuffed with minced pork, shiitake mushrooms, and shrimp (photo: https://yelp.to/AlATEH7R7q). Pretty yummy since I hadn't had any sort of dumplings since my late fall trip to Hong Kong. Of course that wasn't enough for my ample appetite.
You knew it. I knew it. We all knew it. So I ordered the $13 Beef Fried Rice (photo: https://yelp.to/PACsSfG3Wk). Simple. Good. Packed with homestyle flavor with beef, carrot, peas, carrots, corn, green onion, egg, and lettuce. Dare I say it was more satisfying than the siu mai. I'd definitely order it again. There were plenty other temptations, some predictable (Kung Pao Chicken), others less expected (Korean BBQ Beef Ribs).
FOOD - 4 stars...dim sum for one is possible, but the beef fried rice was the scene stealer
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...more room than you'd expect
SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty quick
TOTAL - 4 stars...not just a dumpling house
RELATED - Exploring the Haight? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2YK1e99