It was a literal dark and stormy night so between squalls I geared up and headed down Guerrero toward 17th Street and swung down to Valencia for another perfect simple dining experience at Bao. I walked into the restaurant about 45 minutes before closing time at 9:30 PM and several other diners came in after I was seated. The unsettled weather made the people hungry for dumplings. Bao is warm and woody and serene on the inside, a great counterpoint to the bustle of Valencia at every hour. Upon entering there is a large window looking on to the kitchen prep area where culinary experts are often at work constructing the food diners later enjoy on their plates. Tonight a couple of wizards were in the process of making chicken potstickers. Even being vegetarian, just seeing how the dumplings and other items are made is like seeing secrets being shared. I love it and it sets the vibe for the restaurant. My order consisted of the steamed vegetarian buns and sautéed string beans. The buns come out beautifully presented and taste even better: the bun itself is just slightly sweet and that sweetness adds an amazing dimension to the chopped fresh vegetables inside. Can't tell you what any of these veggies are individually and I don't care, they are so good. Next came the sautéed string beans and the sear on the beans themselves was perfect and smoky and delicious. The crispness of the sautee makes the string beans a lovely pairing with the soft yummy of the steamed buns. Last came the sesame balls as a sweet meal ending. I love donuts and fresh-made sesame balls are similar to a donut hole just with a filling that is actually food and so sweetly tasty. The outer fry was crisp and the insides absolutely perfect. Three dishes, all fantastic, and I walk home happy and thankful to Bao for a great simple meal! read more

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I love watching them make dumplings in the window. This is a great location on Valencia with some nice outdoor seating. I love people-watching in the Mission! This is slightly more upscale Chinese/dumplings/dim sum than I'm used to (I usually go to Chinatown.) I like their - Steamed Sweet Red Bean Bao, Steamed Sweet Egg Custard Bao, (very Instagrammable and not overly-sweet.) - Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings. Pretty good - Sichuan Xiao Long Bao and Shanghai Xiao Long Bao: must-get! - shiu mai and har gow: my must-gets at any dumpling/dim sum place. Interior is polished and clean. Nice to bike to or go to before or after Dolores Park. Service is fine. I keep coming back! read more

Bao - Steamed Sweet Red Bean Bao (3) and Steamed Sweet Egg Custard Bao (3) - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

It pains me to give 2 stars because I was so unbelievably excited to come here. The staff was great and friendly, no complaints at all there! And the fried rice we got was yummy. However, when it came to the soup dumplings, we were pretty disappointed. I got the vegetarian dumplings and my boyfriend got chicken soup dumplings. Each single dumpling was in their own foil tins - and every single dumpling we tried to take out of the tin got stuck, tore, and spilled all of the soup and most of the contents into the table/ steamer baskets. It was a mess. I can see how this could happen if you don't eat the dumplings fast enough, but we were eating these within seconds of getting the food and they still got stuck and tore. In addition, my vegetarian dumplings had little to no flavor. My boyfriend said his chicken dumplings had good flavor, though. We got lots of recommendations for this restaurant but unfortunately we won't be going back. read more

Clean, handmade fresh dim sum. Watch them make it in front of the house. heir kimchee beef potstickers and beef stir fries are delicious. Their chicken baos are a little heavy on the bao but the filling is yummy. Service is great. Have been here a few times now and will continue to come back. read more

For two people we definitely stuffed ourselves full with this order. No wait time at 7pm, we sat and ordered quickly. My partner is pescatarian so previous dumpling restaurants have had extremely bland tasting vegetable bao or no consideration for that diet The vegetable bao here was flavourful, maybe strongly of mushroom but it did have flavour! And so this gives it some plus points. Bi Feng har gow is basically deep fried har gow. Usually deep frying things makes them better but this was a miss for me. Other dumpling dishes were pretty decent, nothing to write home about but made well, solid tastes The green beans were excellently cooked. Great flavour. Would be back again! read more

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I ordered vegetarian xiao long bao and salt and pepper veggies from them. It was a nearly 30 wait for them to get my food ready, but a person who ordered after me got their takeout first. I'm not sure if it's because the restaurant makes fewer of the vegetarian items than the meat ones? Vegetarian xiao long bao: It was so-so, the insides weren't adequately seasoned or flavorful. I wish they made a version that was more comparable to the meat version since I was disappointed by this and would not recommend it. Salt and pepper veggie: It does taste like salt and pepper tofu in flavor profile, but with battered vegetables, kind of like tempura. Pretty good. I liked the kabocha, there's also mushrooms, green beans. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. read more

Bao - Salt and pepper veggie - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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On a Saturday night, our group of 4 waited 30 minutes before being seated on the farthest inside table. Shanghai Xiao Long Bao: Broth was delicious and bao wrapper was tasty and not sticky! Steamed BBQ Pork Bun: soft, fluffy bun with good pork savory filling. Steamed Shrimp Har Gow: nothing too special, but juicy shrimp Spicy Wontons: This was one of my personal favorites since the chili oil was not too spicy, but it complemented the silky texture of the wontons. Stir-fried String Beans: Good & garlicky Pan-Fried Pork Pot Stickers: The pot stickers were slightly difficult to separate since the crispy skin stuck together, but they were deliciously crispy Chicken Fried Rice: We ordered this later into the night as we felt there wasn't enough food, and the fried rice hit the spot for filling up our stomachs! Steamed Egg Custard Bao: Pillowy, cute decoration on the outside and sweet (but not too sweet) egg taste on the inside! read more

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The sweet buns are so CUTE and heavenly tasting. We had some of these catered to a company event. I tried the sesame bun (black swirl) and the lava bun (panda shaped). So I suppose this review is based off those two flavors only. They are fluffy and fresh and I 100% approve of the filling to bun ratio. read more

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Wanted to get some dumplings today so I came back to Bao. The food was good, but I found the Singapore noodles to be a bit salty this time.. I ordered a shao long bao,pork and shrimp shims in, Singapore noodles, pepper beef. See photos. I came around 2 pm on Sunday and they close lunch at 2:30 pm. I didn't have to wait for a table. You order by writing in a menu piece of paper. I ordered a bit much. Sinnpire Noodles came first. (Odd because I thought dumpling would come out first) I also got pepper beef, shao long bao, and shunning with pork and shrimp. No complaints except the Singapore noodles was a bit salty. Service was good. As for ambiance, they have outside seating as well inside. read more

Bao - Shao long bao, Steamed Pork & Shrimp Shumai (4) - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Visited Bao with some work friends. Great selections of dim sum. Tasty and very cutesy. I love the panda face baos, the coconut bunnies and the corn shaped pudding is just adorable. Besides being cute, all the dim sum tasted delicious. I also like the xLB. On par with another restaurant that's known for xLBs. Service was courteous. And the ambiance is lovely. Friends and I had a great time. Located on Valencia and 17th St. read more

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We arrived about an hour before closing. They were preparing to close. There was one other party there wrapping up their dinner. It took the staff a while to take our order. The wonton soup dumplings were average. The pot stickers greasy not my favorite. The sesame donuts were the highlight. The decor was standard. I probably will not return. Not good, not bad. read more

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I had a really great experience here! The service was fast and efficient!! I barely had to wait, and everyone I spoke with was friendly and attentive. It's nice to see a place that actually delivers on both quality and speed. Everything was clean and well-organized, which made the whole visit even better. They also have a ton of options, so whether you're in the mood for something classic or want to try something new, you'll definitely find it here. The menu makes it easy to mix things up each time you go. Overall, a solid spot that I'd happily come back to again. read more

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An excellent spot to enjoy authentic Chinese food. The space is small but pleasant, the food is exquisite, and they also offer a great menu at very reasonable prices. Always a good place to come back to. read more

Bao - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

- 5/5 Xiao long bao: the baos have a slight stronger ginger flavor that is tasty. soup is delicious. -3.75/5 pan fried pork dumplings: the dumplings are tast but my dumpling were not completely pan fried. There were bottoms sections along with the skirt that were chewy. If they were perfectly pan fried it'd be 5/5 5/5 pork and shrimp shu mai: tasty im definitely ordering again 5/5 attentive service Ambiance is warm and woody. Overall, I'll be back ;) read more

Bao - Pan fried pork dumplings, Xiao long bao, and Shumai (top left to bottom right) - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good vegetarian and vegan options. I appreciate that the menu was clearly labeled with what's vegan, but I wish there would've been a symbol for vegetarian too (I initially overlooked some yummy bites that contain egg, but no meet). The service was fast and friendly and the space felt busy, but not too crowded or overwhelming when we dined in on a Saturday evening. read more

Bao - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved everything we ordered. The ambiance here screams comfort Asian food restaurant. Service is pretty quick too. I love the shrimp roast at dumpling time but the one here may have topped that. Custard buns were just okay. read more

Bao - Fried Shrimp Toast - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've given Bao two chances to win me over; the first time, shortly after they opened, was completely forgettable, hence my giving them a second shot via delivery. This order jogged my memory & now I'm documenting it so I don't inadvertently give them a third chance to disappoint me. I vaguely remember trying their XLB & Steamed Chicken Bao & not enjoying the flavors, but thinking perhaps I need to try more items to give them a fair assessment. Years passed & just recently I placed an order of overpriced Honey Black Pepper Beef; bland Pan Fried Chives & Shrimp Dumplings; Steamed Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaves that didn't taste the way I'm used to this dish tasting; & a Steamed Bao Special containing four different fillings, none of which I liked with the worst being the vegetarian. I'm always searching for what's familiar to me in every restaurant I try. I've been to enough dim sum spots to know that not every place's way of cooking is for me & that's ok; it might be someone else's cup o' tea. read more

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Oh my goodness what a great FIND. Just came out of a movie at the RoxIE around the corner and was so hungry. And I stumbled on this restaurant that had dim sum and regular Chinese food. I was so hungry. I ordered too much but I ate most of everything. The broccoli beef was amazing. Stirred fried green beans were amazing. The potstickers that were fried are like incredible! And the barbecue pork bun steam was so good. it's a little loud in here, but who cares the food is so effing good! I will most definitely come back. Wow Valencia Street has changed when living here 30 years ago. Or maybe it's even longer. But the array of the different types of restaurants and ethnic cuisines is incredible. But this place is super exceptional. You have to kind of look for it because it doesn't jump out at you. And from the outside you think why would I go in here? But the food is phenomenal. I love it. read more

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The dumplings are good but the first time I came here my friend and I felt forced to eat every last thing, despite being full. And the second time I noticed the lighting is awful. There is no ambience whatsoever. I'd rather get dumplings in the Richmond or Sunset district for affordability. read more

Oh my god! I love this place!! Can't believe it took me so long to try it out. I've been on the hunt for vegetarian soup dumplings for so long and finally got to try it here and loved it!! They have so many vegetarian options and we tried all of them, and every single one was delicious!! It was pretty good easy to find a table for early dinner but got pretty crowded during the peak hours. The service was amazing with very attentive staff who cleared the table very quickly between dishes and had a good pace in bringing the food out. I highly recommend trying out different types of dumplings and dim sums and also trying the dessert ones. I won't stop raving about this place to my friends and so many have tried it since then and have all loved it! I will definitely be coming back often! read more

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Great restaurant! My mom and I had a lovely time here. The servers were friendly and attentive, and the ambience was inviting. Some food highlights were the pork potstickers and the kimchi beef bao. The dessert bao looked so cute! Will definitely be back :) read more

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we don't live too far from this restaurant every time we passed by it's always busy , we had been this restaurant many time. all the dumplings fresh made in house and the staff very nice , we like coming to this restaurant! read more

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Always hot fresh and delicious! Can be pricey but the portions are huge and we always leave with leftovers. Everything is quality, no complaints. read more

Bao - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved the xiao long bao and Singaporean noodles here! Such a gem in the Mission where there aren't many homestyle Chinese spots and Bao really exceeded expectations for me. We got both the traditional and Sichuan spicy xiao long baos and both were great. I love how the soup broth is slightly sweeter than other dumpling places and the Sichuan soup dumplings had a great mala fragrance without being too spicy and overpowering. We also got the har gao, Singaporean fried noodles, and lava custard buns to share. The noodles were great as well and really flavorful with turmeric and curry powder. I wish the lava custard buns were more runny and had more salted egg yolk but overall a really solid dumpling spot in the city where dumpling restaurants are so ubiquitous! read more

Bao - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food is delicious. There are many different dumplings to chose from. I went with the shrimp chives, which were so scrumptious and the chives complimented the shrimp perfectly. The skin was soft yet a little crispy on the outside. Def worth a try. We also got the Baked BBQ Pork Bao. The bread is crispy and sweet and filled with a lots of bbq pork. The order comes with 3 and it's plenty. My husband and I love coming here because they offer so many veggie options for him as well. His favorite are the vegetarian dumplings and the red bean bao. He never likes to share because of how yummy the food is. Staff is nice. We always sit outside cause we usually bring our service dog. They had heaters outside for cold days and lots of seats and tables. read more

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I came here for the first time with a friend who'd already tried it and recommended it. We got an assortment of dim sum items, such as steamed bbq pork bao, xiaolongbao, and har gow. Everything was pretty good, especially the har gow, which tasted more flavorful here than at other places I've been to. read more

Bao - menu - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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(4+) really really good. The truffled beef buns were Amazing. Soft flaky dough, moist, delicate. Sweet bean bao - excellent. Both the shrimp dumplings and soup dumplings were very very good (but not quite as good as the famous dim sum place downtown). Shrimp was plentiful; soup dumplings scrumptious (a bit difficult to eat, no scallions, which is common with this dish). My friend loved his spicy Szechuan dumplings. Jasmine tea was good. Noodle dish next to us looked great. Watching kitchen staff make food is fun. Atmosphere is average; wait staff effective but not particularly friendly or warm, nor all that service oriented. read more

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Bao feels like dumpling home, but with larger portions and without the wait. My bf and I stopped by on a Friday night and despite the packed restaurant, were seated within 10-15 minutes. We shared table but it still felt intimate enough. As usual we over ordered, but mostly because the portions were a lot larger than we were expecting (which was great!) Strings beans 4/5- undercooked but otherwise amazing flavor Kimchi beef dumplings 5/5- a get this every time I see this on a menu. Made perfectly. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside Shanghai chicken fried noodle 5/5- chewy noodles, good amount of chicken and veggies, not too salty Honey walnut prawn 4/5- while not the main point of the dish, walnuts weren't quite roasted and could have been sweeter Coconut bunnies 5/5- pretty much just coconut jelly but is a super cute and unique dish idea Great service as well! Will definitely be back. read more

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This is a great spot for vegetarians. Plenty of options and nice Xiaolongbao veg dumplings. It tastes like Asian street food, so definitely not elevated cuisine, but great for a casual meal. The service was efficient and prompt. It's a pretty small restaurant, so it could also make sense to take out! read more

Ordered Shanghai chicken noodle, salt and pepper wings, baked truffle beef Bao and sichuan Xiao long Bao through Uber eats. The sichuan xlb was pretty good. It was juicy, meaty, and had good flavor. For the spice lovers out there, it wasn't really spicy. The baked truffle beef Bao was pretty good and unique. The salt and pepper wings had too much batter and not much salt and pepper flavor. Would not order again. The Shanghai chicken noodle was pretty good. Had a good "wok hay". read more

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Had heard about this restaurant from many friends so had to try it out. We ordered some green beans, Xlb and dessert buns. Everything was tasty, although I've been to other spots in the city with better XLB. I was also pretty disappointed with the portion size of the green beans. They were the most expensive menu item we ordered yet there were only a handful of beans. Enjoyed coming once but not sure if I would come again read more

Bao - Green Stir Fried String Beans - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Bao is an upscale dim sum restaurant that delivers on all your dumpling favorites without the intimidation of not having a Cantonese friend with you. Our group of ten were here for dinner and ordered a lot of things to share family style. I was surprised to see a large amount of vegan friendly options which are also indicated on the menu. I had my share of veggie XLB, pan fried dumplings, noodles, and eggplant-tofu stir-fry. Everything came out quickly and tasted great, with the dumplings having a nice wrapping texture and great fillings. You'll be paying a pretty penny here for the dishes. The SF pricing is real when a tray of six dumplings comes out to $15 - $20 each. It's easy to over order so be prepared to spend a bit more than you think. No reservations taken but if you arrive within an hour of opening for lunch or dinner, you shouldn't have issues getting a seat. read more

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Came to SF for a work conference and couldn't leave without trying this spot. I ordered the veggie xiao long bao, and it was fantastic! Each dumpling was perfect, stuffed with veggies and savory broth. The broth inside was light yet flavorful, making the bite comforting. Definitely, dip your dumplings in the spicy oils! Highly recommend for anyone looking for a delicious meat or vegetarian option! read more

Bao - Vegetarian Xiao Long Bao (6) - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We LOVE Bao!!!! As a vegetarian, I love that the veg food here does not seem like an afterthought. The chef put as much love in the veg dumplings as they did in the meat ones. Sooooooo many options and so flavorful too!! I love the sesame balls, literally all their dumplings. The service is fast and the staff is warm and welcoming. This is our go to dumpling place in the city! I love being able to see the cooks make the dumpling through the glass because I get to tell them (charades) how yummy the food was and their smile lights me up! read more

Super quick service and tasty dishes for our dinner. We ordered one plate of pan fried noodles, har gow, walnut shrimp, and crab soup dumplings. Everything was delicious and it was a perfect amount for two people. The dishes came out quickly and everyone was attentive. The restaurant is super cute and great for a large group, solo dining or a quick takeaway! read more

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Absolutely amazing food with speedy service! $90 for 3 which is very affordable (I think) for SF and my food was served within 15 mins after ordering. We sat outside because I brought my dog but the heater kept us warm. Everything was fresh and steaming hot. Sticky rice wrap 5/5: juicy meat is well-marinated is perfect for sticky rice Chives dumplings 5/5: ahh the crunchiness but still moist in the inside Har gow 5/5: fresh shrimp complimented well with a thick-enough wrap Xiao Long Bao 5/5: steaming hot goodness warm my tummy on a windy night, I love that it comes with red vinegar which goes so well with the baos Special sweet baos 5/5: each bao is so distinctive, my favorite is the custard and lava, but the rest is also really good! plus it looks so cute! Swan puff 2/5: the only downvote in this meal, it looks lovely but the outside is so oily we couldn't finish it, filling is fresh with sweet and sour mango bits! We had fun and will come back! (if parking in SF is less a hassle!) read more

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Amazing food quality! We tried their dessert bao specials and was pleasantly surprised with how soft the baos were! The fried shrimp toast was a star with flavorful shrimp and perfectly crispy you tiao outside. The spicy wontons were also delicious and packed with flavor! The portion sizes were also decent and prices were not horrible! The interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and ambiance is overall nice but can get a little bit loud with how closely seated everyone is-- but totally expected with SF spaces read more

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Came here for dinner after an afternoon at Mission Dolores Park, which this restaurant was quite close to :) My friend and I got the fried shrimp toast, sweet bao special, pan-fried seafood dumplings, and the spicy wontons - definitely enough for two people. The pricing was also very reasonable! The ambiance was nice as well - the restaurant was very pretty and well-decorated. There is a decent amount of seating within the restaurant and there is outdoor seating as well! The service was good as well- servers were attentive to water refills and if we wanted to order more food. Food review summary: Spicy wontons 9/10 I really liked the chili oil they used for this dish. The filling was a bit chewier than I would like though. For reference, the filling contains shrimp and pork! Fried shrimp toast 10/10 Very crunchy and I really enjoyed the sauce they used! The shrimp was very tasty as well! One of my favorite dishes for sure! Sweet bao special 9/10 These baos were so so so cute! I love them so much, and the filling inside was so good as well. I really enjoyed the black sesame, salted egg yolk, and egg custard filling, but the red bean filling was a bit on the sweeter side for me. Seafood dumplings (pan-fried) 10/10 This was definitely one of my favorite dishes as well! I loved the filling of scallop, shrimp, and crab meat. My friend is not a big fan of seafood, but she really enjoyed the filling as well :) Overall, very enjoyable and I would definitely come again as well as recommend ! read more

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Found this place just scrolling through Yelp and saw that they made VEGETARIAN xiao long tang bao (soup dumplings), and I knew I HAD to try it. I don't think I've seen a place in the US that makes veggie xiao long bao and even in Taiwan there are only a handful of (very, very good) places. We arrived just before the dinner rush and were seated immediately. Service was pretty attentive and friendly. They did a nice job with the decor -- reminded me a lot of the Chinese places in the 626. Everything is on the pricier side, but we decided to try a bunch of stuff to get a holistic experience. They have a veggie option for nearly every section, which is awesome. The food takes a little while but you can just stand at the window and watch them make the dumplings while you wait. The vegetarian xiao long bao was pretty solid! 7/10 -- I liked the ingredients they used and the flavor. The skin was thin and QQ. I wish the quality of each dumpling was more consistent; some had soup and some were just dry. They would also stick to the little foil cups and pretty consistently ripped. Hopefully they can make some tweaks and these dumps are gonna be perfect! My husband got the regular xiao long bao and said that it was lacking in flavor. He did get soup in all his dumplings but they similarly would rip and get stuck on the foil cups. He said he prefers the frozen Mila xiao long bao and would probably give these a 5.5/10. The potstickers were pretty tasty (although I think they could've browned the corn starch skirt more) and so were the steamed dumplings. They do a good job with the skin on each and I appreciate that they switch up the ingredients in the filling rather than being lazy and reusing the same thing for different dishes. I liked both and give these 7/10 only because it's so expensive ($9 for three). The veggie baos were very fluffy and I liked the mushroom filling. I think if the bread layer were a bit thinner and there was more filling, this could be a solid 8/10. The sweet baos were good and very cute! Lava egg yolk could have been runnier and the sesame bao would taste a lot better if they stuck with just sesame paste rather than trying to thicken it with corn starch (or something similar). Would give these 7/10 for the cute presentation and overall fluffiness of each bao. Overall pretty good quality food -- you can tell they did put effort into each dish. I'd definitely come back to get my veggie xiao long bao fix! read more

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Really overpriced. And the menu doesn't have the price for a lot of the items. Is this a trick to rip off customers ? The letters on the menu was so damn small you barely can read anything there. Service was a bit slow consider there were only one other table at the time I was there. Ordered Shanghai Chicken Noodle. The chicken was very very little, mostly noodle and cabbage. I was shocked that they charged $22 for a plate of 'nothing special almost no chicken noodle'. A small 6 piieces spicy wontons cost $10. Total 2 dishes cost about $40 incl tips. The food was fresh, but not worth to come back and overpaid for mediocre food. read more

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