dim sum request

[dogface]

Will be taking six adventurous eaters along with two little guys for a Sunday brunch of dim sum. Looking for a place outside Chinatown but in San Francisco that still has carts. Read many reviews and everyone seems to have very differing opinions on some of the same places. Would like reasonably priced clean place where we can continuously order until they have to wheel us out.

Would appreciate all responses from dim sum loving people.

Thanks

[doubledeuce80]

I would look into Hong Kong Lounge. I thought it was excellent and it's my Cantonese girlfriend's, parents, siblings, cousins, and friends favorite place. Supposed to be authentic.

[sfbing]

I love HKL , but it is a menu only place which isn't what the OP wanted. Also, the wait can get kind of crazy on the weekends.

[RWCFoodie]

dd80 & sfbing: Are you speaking of "Hong Kong Flower Lounge" in Millbrae or is there a place just called "Hong Kong Lounge"? If so, where is it?

[Windy]

Hong Kong Lounge is the site of the original HKFL on Geary & 19th.

Mayflower spun off from it, HKFL moved to Millbrae, it became something else, Mayflower bought HKFL in Millbrae. Hong Kong Lounge opened about 2 years ago.

I wasn't impressed the one time I went, but it's very popular.

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Hong Kong Lounge
5322 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94121

[RWCFoodie]

Windy, thanks for the explanation. Haven't been to HKFL/Millbrae in quite some time. We liked it before the ownership change. Will have to try it one of these days... Any further comments?

[Windy]

I've only had dinner since the ownership change, and it was okay rather than great. For years it was one of the most consistent restaurants in this area.

I've been branching out to other Millbrae and SF dim sum so haven't been in a while. Maybe it's time to go back.

[RWCFoodie]

Tks...

[dogface]

i seem to be no closer to finding a place then when i first posted this...will probably just go to Clement or Geary about 30 minutes before everyone else arrives and look around what looks like the best place

thanks for the replies

[Robert Lauriston]

The parking situation around the good cheap dim sum places (which can change from one month to the next depending on chef and owner changes) is such that driving around isn't a very fun way to find one.

[dogface]

i apologize to one and all...i was wrong about carts as i had them confused with trays...just wanted the experience of picking the items out as they walk around

[RWCFoodie]

Haven't been there since they changed hands a couple of years ago, but didn't Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae have carts?

[Windy]

Yes, carts and trays, with a mix of ordering from the menu and pointing at what's rotating on the floor. They're now owned by the Mayflower people, who spun off from the original HKFL 15+ years ago.

[chefj]

Mayflower in the Richmond district of SF sounds like it may fit your bill. http://www.mayflower-seafood.com/inde... it is out of any real Chinatown business districts. They do not have cart service but do have tray service.
They have some great stuff, 腐皮捲, fu pei gyun wraped with a fresh rice noodle sheet is one of my favorite as well as the stir-fried radish cake with egg and preserved vegetable, Lo Bak Goh Chow.

[dogface]

thanks, but the family really likes the cart aspect of the dim sum experience...see it - eat it

[Windy]

Trays are the same experience. They don't have room for carts.

[Windy]

We often take a few kids to S&T on Noriega & 33rd(ish). Parking is easy, food is delicious and cheap. Trays, not carts and checkoff menus. No photos. The pumpkin with egg yolk is especially good. Close to the beach, GG Park, and the zoo.

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S&T Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant
2578 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

[Glencora]

I recently waited 45 minutes on a weekday for takeout from Mayflower. Not sure if that's typical. On the plus side, parking was easy, food very good.

[whinendine]

A couple of months ago, we went to "Hung To Seafood" in South San Francisco and I was really impressed. I've been there before and liked it, but last time it was really, really good. They have a parking lot, but it does get crowded there. Our strategy is to go early.

Sorry, I have no help within SF. It's just too hard to park so we don't even try.

[Robert Lauriston]

Hung To is good. If dogface is on the Peninsula or in the East Bay, it doesn't make sense to drive into SF for dim sum.

[bbulkow]

Is there dim sum in Oakland worth eating? Richmond, emeryville, alameda ... but anything in oakland anymore?

[ernie in berkeley]

Legendary Palace is excellent, but nearly impossible parking and long waits on weekends.

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Legendary Palace
708 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607

[wolfe]

How is Peony?
http://restaurantpeony.com/
I was going to ask about First Cake but even Yers don't like it.

[shanghaikid]

on the weekend, the kitchen can't produce enough dim sum. result you sit for an hour at least without getting all your favs. you get full by ordering the chow mein, chow fun, etc.

[wolfe]

I guess that means it's good or is it the only game in town.

[rubadubgdub]

I was at Peony on Sunday, and sadly I have to take it off of my list as the top dim sum in E Bay. Dumpling wrappers were no better than what you can get at the various takeout places. Seemed to be a lot more prepared food choices (stuffed peppers/eggplants, meats, chicken feet) and sweets than dumplings. I'm not sure I ever saw a cart with har gow, siu mai go by. Cha siu bao was good though. Overall the food seemed to lack the finesse that I remembered from last visits although that was some time ago. We got there at 10a and the dining room was half empty. By the time we left @ 1115-1130, there still were no lines queued up. CNY prep or something I don't know?

[GH1618]

No need to park. Chinatown is a short walk from BART.

[dogface]

not every one has BART

[GH1618]

On the contrary, everyone who is contemplating driving to Oakland Chinatown has the option of driving to a BART station with sufficient parking instead.

[Robert Lauriston]

It's physically possible to drive to BART and take the train to Oakland for dim sum, but you'll get more bang for your buck if you just drive to East Ocean Seafood or one of the mall-land places.

[shanghaikid]

you also get more msg for your buck at east ocean.

[TopoTail]

I've enjoyed the dim sum at East Ocean in Alameda. They have carts.

[Robert Lauriston]

Yeah, East Ocean is why I don't keep up with the Oakland dim sum scene.

[Civil Bear]

...and plenty of parking.

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Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood
3199 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608

[Windy]

Hong Kong East Ocean in Emeryville is not the same (quality or restaurant) as East Ocean in Alameda. Still plenty of parking in Alameda.

[Robert Lauriston]

Yeah, no connection between East Ocean Seafood and HK East Ocean, the two are about as unlike as two dim sum places can be. The menu at EAS is so similar to Yank Sing's and has so many of YS's oddball dishes that I suspect the chef worked there.

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East Ocean Seafood
1713 Webster St, Alameda, CA 94501

[dogface]

Don't want the whole Chinatown experience - just great dim sum anywhere else in San Francisco that still has carts rather than the menu with pictures.

Thanks again

[wolfe]

"Don't want the whole Chinatown experience"
I'm not sure what that means. I could not tell the difference between my last Chinatown dim sum and Koi Palace. I was warned at both places they might call my # in Cantonese, they were both mobbed but the parking was easier in Daly City.

[dogface]

Just trying to avoid parking issues and higher costs associated with Chinatown. Looking for a neighborhood setting which is easier for the group of seven with three cars.

[wolfe]

I was led to believe that the cost of dim sum was higher outside of Chinatown, Yank Sing and Koi Palace being the examples. Parking was free in Daly City but damn hard to find for 3 cars in the avenues sometimes.

[Robert Lauriston]

City View might be a good choice, parking's usually easy on Sundays since the Financial District is deserted and the parking meters aren't running. It's not as cheap as the places in the highly competitive Richmond and Sunset districts, but parking can be a challenge out there.

[GH1618]

Do you consider City View on Commercial Street "outside Chinatown"?

[Robert Lauriston]

City View's pretty good, but I'm sure you can get better cheaper in the Richmond or Sunset.

[wolfe]

Then suggest something. My choices were City View and Koi Palace or Tai Wu but both are just south of the line and I'm not sure of the carts at Tai Wu.
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/11206...

[Windy]

There are carts at Tai Wu, but City View is as good and more convenient.