Shanghai Dumpling King
Chinese restaurant · Duboce Triangle ·
Soup dumplings, rice cakes, and spicy wontons are highlights
Soup dumplings, rice cakes, and spicy wontons are highlights
"On Monday nights when it seems like half the restaurants in the area—and the rest of the city—are closed and you want to stave off “big fog blues,” the answer is Shanghai Dumpling King and their huge bowls of creamy chicken and corn soup. This spot in Duboce Triangle serves generously portioned Chinese comfort dishes, from delicate soup dumplings to crispy salt and pepper fish. A trip here is never complete without their saucy stir-fried rice cakes loaded with pork and cabbage—they alone are the sole reason to look forward to the start of the week." - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
"Duboce Triangle is lucky to play host to Shanghai Dumpling King and its numerous items that cost less than $12. From the tofu thread salad ($8) to the green onion pancake (also $8) to the plentiful dumpling choices (almost all just a hair over $10) this is the go-to place for dumpling and deal lovers alike." - Dianne de Guzman
"Not one, but two rice cake dishes were core memories of 2022. We'll never forget the first time we ate the stir-fried one from Shanghai Dumpling King in the Castro. More comforting than a knit balaclava, this was the best thing we spent $13 on all year (even better than the set of bok choy-shaped chopstick holders we impulse-bought over the summer). Slightly crisp rice cakes are the ideal vehicle for saucy chunks of pork and cabbage. We’ve never seen anything fly off a plate faster." - julia chen 1, lani conway
"At this Chinese spot in Duboce Triangle, you’ll descend into a dining room that’s slightly below street level, plop down into a seat, and clear a plate of stir-fried rice cakes in no time. The spot is built for casual dinners when everything in your fridge is looking questionable at best, and you’ll definitely have leftovers—be sure to have the xiao long bao on the table, along with the salt and pepper fish with a light and crunchy batter." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong
"This casual Shanghainese spot just opened a second outpost in Duboce Triangle, meaning there’s another place to get their fantastic stir-fried rice cakes—the standout of any meal here. The dish is loaded up with tender chunks of pork, saucy cabbage, and rice cakes that have just the right chewy-to-crispy ratio. To go with it, you can also order an assortment of steamed, boiled, or pan-fried dumplings, or larger entrées like salt and pepper fish or slightly sweet chicken and corn soup. Food Rundown Stir-Fried Rice Cakes We’ve Pavlov’s dog-ed ourselves into associating this dish with this restaurant, and you should, too. The pile of charred, salty-sweet rice cakes is a must-order. photo credit: Sarah Felker Xiao Long Bao Good, but inconsistent. Sometimes, they’re as they should be—soupy and well-balanced—and other times, there’s so much filling it soaks up the soup and overpowers the bite. photo credit: Sarah Felker Chicken & Corn Soup An ideal, shareable antidote to a chilly SF evening. Though theoretically speaking, we could polish off an entire bowl in one sitting." - Julia Chen
