YH - BEIJING 颐和北京

"The city’s undisputed scallion pancake champ is YH-Beijing. The Lower Haight Chinese restaurant has perfected the art of translucent layers, a delicate crunch, and crackly edges that still have a satisfying chew. The versions here are on the thinner side, which means it’s easy to demolish an entire order on your own. Best to get one pancake per person." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez

"You’re at YH - Beijing not just for the fabulous dumplings, but also for the deep selection of Chinese dishes from a range of provinces. Think tofu-covered spicy mala beijing noodles, rich braised oxtail stew, and mangosteen buns served inside a lowkey fancy space. There's an a la carte section with more Americanized Chinese classics, but sticking just to those would be a mistake. The soups, noodles, and bao are where this place shines. " - ricky rodriguez, lani conway, julia chen 1

"YH Beijing is a duck enthusiast’s dream. For $88, this casual Lower Haight spot does a multi-course meal that uses an entire duck in four different ways, kicking off with crackly skin dipped in sugar. The second course has slices of meat swaddled in sweet bean sauce-smeared pancakes. Then you’ll get a neat heap of juicy minced duck served in lettuce cups that cut through the richness, and finish with milky mushroom soup made from the bones. It’s pre-orders only, so call to reserve at least 24 hours in advance." - julia chen 1

"This Lower Haight newcomer (in the former Wonderland space) has a whole section of its menu dedicated to “Beijing dim sum,” so that instead of the typical Cantonese classics, diners at YH Bejing can try Beijing-style pan-seared button meat pies, sesame biscuits, and beef pancake rolls — all worthy options for a northern Chinese-style morning meal." - Luke Tsai, Caleb Pershan, Eve Batey

"You’re at YH - Beijing not just for the fabulous dumplings, but also for the deep selection of Chinese dishes from a range of provinces. Think tofu-covered spicy mala beijing noodles, rich braised oxtail stew, and mangosteen buns served inside a lowkey fancy space. There's an a la carte section with more Americanized Chinese classics, but sticking just to those would be a mistake. The soups, noodles, and bao are where this place shines. Stick to those you’ll have a good time. photo credit: Melissa Zink photo credit: Melissa Zink Food Rundown photo credit: Melissa Zink Ma La Xiao Long Bao Rich, flavorful broth is the star of these bright red (wrapper-less) xiao long bao that are filled with delicious pork. They will disappear from the table instantly. photo credit: Melissa Zink Spicy Mala Beijing Noodles Covered in cubed tofu and beef, these noodles are layers and layers of sichuan peppercorn and mala. They’re creamy, savory and sweet in all the perfect ways. You’ll keep shoveling this into your mouth until you’re sad that they’re gone. Dry Sauteed String Beans These string beans are initially simple, but taste more complex as you get to the bottom of the bowl. There, the bean juice and dry spices come together to help you reach bean nirvana. photo credit: Melissa Zink Braised Oxtail Stew Prepare to be blown away by slow-cooked stew. Melt in your mouth oxtail, carrots, and radishes work side by side to create a rich umami-packed broth. If only we could get our hands on the ingredient list and replicate this at home. Instead, we’ll just use our teleporter to come and inhale this any time of day. photo credit: Melissa Zink Mangosteen Bun We wish they had more of a pronounced mangosteen flavor, instead of the small LaCroix-esque hint of mangosteen. But as massive mangosteen fans, we’re just excited that these are on the menu." - Ricky Rodriguez