18 Restaurants for Juicy Dumplings in San Francisco
Where to feast on the city’s best dough

Dumplings are one of the world’s most perfect foods, but not all dumplings are created equal. Fortunately, for those who know where to look, San Francisco is home to some of the finest specimens around: dumplings with delicately thin (or satisfyingly toothsome) handmade wrappers, juicy fillings, and, sometimes, crispy pan-fried bottoms. The strength of San Francisco’s dumpling scene lies in its great variety, from Nepalese momos and Mongolian buuz to Shanghainese xiao long bao and any number of other regionally specific Chinese boiled and steamed delicacies.

Follow this guide to 18 of the city’s favorite dumpling spots, and you’ll never be starved for tasty (and often exceptionally affordable) dumplings — and you’ll know exactly what to order if you want to experience the best that each restaurant has to offer.

CHINA LIVE: The first-level Market restaurant in George Chen’s years-in-the-making Chinese food emporium knows no regional boundaries, which means that, dumpling-wise, the menu ranges from Dongbei-style long potstickers to Sichuan-style “working hands” wontons in chili oil and the exceptionally juicy, not-technically-a-dumpling pan-fried buns known as sheng jian bao. – Eater San Francisco (09.22.22)