Mike L.
Yelp
With all due respect to the Forest Hill neighborhood, it's one of the last places I would think to find good noodles or dumplings. Don't get me wrong - it's a nice part of the city to live in, but despite how it's home to ChouChou, which has been a long time staple for French food on this side of SF, it's not exactly area known for its restaurants. So, you can imagine how pleasantly surprised (and delighted) I was by Dumpling Zone after my friends suggested we meet up here for lunch! So much so, in fact, that I couldn't help but come back multiple times since to try more!
Much like its surroundings, Dumpling Zone is a cozy, unassuming sort of spot. The small strip of businesses that it sits along is easy to pass by without noticing (I've certainly done it), but it kind of adds to their appeal - convenient to get to yet not packed with customers. What's more, the menu, with its mildly extensive array of dishes to offer, is awesome. In addition to the numerous varieties of their namesake dumplings, whether they be pan fried, teamed, or boiled, they also have a wide assortment of appetizers, soups, noodle soups, stir fried noodles, dry noodles, and vegetables to choose from. In short, a collection of dishes that really hit the spot on those cold, SF nights!
-- SHANGHAI PAN FRIED PORK BAO...$12.99
As fantastic as these looked (plump with golden, browned bottoms), they tasted more solid than spectacular. While I liked that the skins were relatively thin and not doughy, the filling didn't have that porky lusciousness that steamed xiao long baos typically have.
-- BRAISED BEEF NOODLE SOUP...$14.99
This felt (somewhat ) like a Cantonese beef stew noodle soup, but better. While I liked that they didn't skimp on the beef and the bite the noodles had, the soup was the star - flavorful with a nice richness/body to it. I do wish the beef had been more tender, though.
-- SHRIMP, PORK, AND CHIVE POTSTICKERS...$11.99
These aren't your typical potstickers, but in a positive way. Besides their elongated shape, I loved how juicy the filling was and that it had recognizable chunks of shrimp in it. The outside of them were a little oily, but not terribly so.
-- SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP...$14.99
Like the Braised Beef Noodle Soup, the noodles were just as good and this also had a fair amount of beef. It also had a lot more spice to it, too, and perhaps even a bit too much chili oil, but I wouldn't say it was ridiculously spicy either.
-- TAN TAN NOODLE...$13.99
Not quite what I expected, to be honest. Instead of the classic tongue numbing spiciness, the sauce was actually really sweet. That being said, it was still pretty decent enough, especially after adding some of their chili oil.
-- SHANGHAI XIAO LONG BAO...$7.99 (4pcs)
Although they weren't the best I've had, these were terrific! The skins had the perfect thickness to them and the filling in each piece was sizable. Plus, there was a good amount of soup in them, which delicious and just slightly fatty.
-- FRIED BEAN PASTE WITH PORK NOODLES...$13.99
This was...interesting. The black bean sauce was rather slick/oily, but it had an intense flavor to it that I really liked. Plus, the dollop of sauce they gave was spot on - enough to coat the noodles, but not so much as to drown everything.
-- CABBAGE & PORK DUMPLING...$8.99
Ehh...not too shabby, but hardly special. The skins were soft and each one was decent in size, but the inside of the dumplings were oddly watery. I assume that wasn't intended since, unfortunately, it ended up diluting down the taste.
While the food here has been mostly great, the thing I actually like most about this place is the service. Each time I've been here, the workers have all been awesome. More specifically, there's one guy in particular who is always here that is super friendly. Plus, I love how fast they get dishes out even when they have a steady crowd (can't say how it is when it's packed). Given that, the food, and how easy it is to find nearby street parking, Dumpling Zone is an awesome spot for a quick bite...both in Forest Hill and SF as a whole!
FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.