Normally, I would write this in the "Tips" section but it's no longer available. I am sad to share that this restaurant will close on 6/15/25, final day of service. The owners, the Shen family, are retiring. When they opened in 2008, replacing two popular Chinese western food restaurants, they were a refreshing addition to the mainly Cantonese cuisine Chinatown community. There was only a small Shanghai literal hole in the wall spot across the street that closed many years ago. The mom did the cooking while the daughter ran the front of the house, literally producing home style Shanghainese cuisine. They have regular normal northern cuisine favorites like hot & sour soup and mapo tofu, small bites like XLB (soup dumplings), green onion pancakes, and Sheng jian bao (pan fried dumplings). I often had family style dinners here enjoying Shanghai staples like Lion's head meatballs, Shanghai stir fried shrimp (use that blank vinegar), braised pork shank, and stir-fried eel. Never had the pleasure in trying their Dong Po pork. Get their steamed rice with bacon and vegetable to accompany those saucy dishes. With their departure, I do not know of any authentic Shanghai restaurants in San Francisco... clue me in if you think of one. The closest that comes to mind now is in San Mateo off the top of my head. Thank you, Bund Shanghai and Shen Family for providing my family, my coworkers, and me many meals over the years. You will be sorely missed but enjoy your retirement. read more

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An institution is going away! If you're reading this then I want you to know that the last day of operation is June 15, 2025. The chef is retiring, so wish them a congrats and farewell if you're stopping by soon. I can definitely taste the authenticity behind the dishes. While I thought the crab sauce tofu was a bit too sweet and the rice cakes too salty, there wasn't a single bad dish. It's hard to find Shanghainese food in DTSF and I'm sad to see this one go. If you find yourself here, do order the stir-fried eel, XLB, pickle and ham steamed rice, and the Sheng Jian Bao. Overall, it was worth a visit and hope the area gets more Shanghai cuisine in the near future. read more

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Came here on a whim to try out their Shanghainese food. We heard that the owner is retiring this month though - be sure to check this spot out for some delicious food and support them before the owner closes shop! I really liked their chinese spinach and tofu soup (they use shepherds purse), cabbage and pork dumplings, Shanghai eel, and steamed rice with bacon and vegetables. If you're in the area and want some Shanghai home style cooking, this is your spot! read more

Bund Shanghai - Shanghai eel - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

A very comfortable and homey mom and pop shop. Really good food and friendly service! We ordered the zha jiang noodles and they were solid, could've used a little more flavor but not bad. I personally wasn't too impressed with the beef pot stickers but my aunt enjoyed it a lot! The xiao long bao was interesting, not the best I've ever had. I didn't like that there were still meat chunks, I'd prefer everything minced so there's a consistent texture. My personal favorite was the rice with bacon and vegetables. SO GOOD! Umami and filling. Highly recommend ordering and sharing. I also really liked the bean curd with pork slices! It was a colorful and delicious dish. The bean curd and pork were savory itself but with the sauce it was slightly sweet. read more

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Tasty spot for authentic chinese food! We ordered the egg plant dish, mushu pork, xiao long Bao, and pan friend baos. The mushu pork was by far our favorite, followed closely by the eggplant. The ciao long Bao were good, but the skin was on the tougher side. The pan fried buns were also generously portioned and delicious. We ended up paying $25 pp. read more

Bund Shanghai - Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Overall, my family and I were very happy with this restaurant experience! We went right when it opened and were the first people there. The place gave an authentic, Chinatown restaurant feel, nothing fancy or modern about it. Our server was exceptionally helpful and friendly. She made it feel like we came to visit out of town family for dinner. It was our first time so she gave us some suggestions and we listened! We tried the Xiao Long Buns, Thick Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Hot & Sour Soup, Beef & Broccoli and Garlic Fried Chicken. The food came fast and went fast ! It was sooo delicious. I look forward to coming back the next time I'm in SF! read more

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The more famous place across the street had a line stretching out to the sidewalk and my time was short, so I ate at this quiet, not very full restaurant instead. And I'm glad I tried it: it was pretty good. My dish was Mongolian lamb, nice change from the usual beef. The meat was fairly dry, but it was well-seasoned and marinated to make up for it. Lots of both onions and scallions. Also pieces of ginger along with the chili pods. (They warned me it was spicy: I found it not particularly so; perhaps they're used to Westerners being spice wimps.) Steamed rice along with was very tasty and sufficiently sticky to be edible with the plastic chopsticks. read more

They have good service, but food is just okay. The plus is mthe food is cooked to order, so it comes put piping hot. We were the only customers, so that probably should have tipped us off, but also to give them benefit of doubt, we were there around 3:30 pm. read more

Bund Shanghai - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great food and even approved by my Shanghainese parents! We found this spot when in town because they had been craving Shanghainese cuisine. The chefs and servers were very kind and they seemed excited to be able to speak Shanghainese with some customers! For appetizers, we tried the kaofu, chicken with soy sauce, smoked fish, and jellyfish. Only the kaofu was a little bit too salty, but everything else was delicious. The biggest hit was probably the smoked fish -- it came out warm and was perfectly crispy. As a veggie, we had sautéed bok choy sprouts, which were great since they're in season right now. For entrees, we treated ourselves with the seasonal dish, which was a dungeness crab with stir fried rice cakes. This was one of the best ways I've eaten stir fried rice -- it was so flavorful and full of crab flavor. The yellow croaker and pickled veggie soup was also umami and not overly salty. Lastly, the shrimps were delicious and packed with a sweet flavor. For dessert, we wanted to try these, but I don't think they were as good as the dinner food. The pumpkin tart came out fresh as nice and crispy, but the pumpkin flavor was very mild. The small mochi in rice wine soup could've had more black sesame filling and more rice in the soup. Overall, the food is a bit pricey but worth it because of the quality and authentic Shanghainese cuisine. My parents said it was probably some of the best they've had outside of Shanghai! read more

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Bund Shanghai offers a lively taste of Shanghai right in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. Be prepared for a classic Chinese restaurant atmosphere - think lots of chatter, happy families, and a constant flow of people. If you happen to be visiting during a Chinatown night market event, expect a wait - this place gets popular! Contrary to the belief that people have regarding service at a Chinese restaurant, we had a pleasant experience. Our server was attentive and friendly. The service was fast despite how busy the restaurant was. Speaking of the menu, be aware that Shanghainese cuisine tends to run a bit sweeter than Cantonese food. This was true for most of our dishes: Xiao Long Bao: These delicate soup dumplings were a highlight. The broth was flavorful, and the pork was juicy, but the dough/wrapper was thick. Spicy Wontons: These weren't spicy at all, but they did pack a little kick. The pork filling was well-seasoned. Fried Small Yellow Fish in Rice Wine Sauce: This dish was a fun, crispy adventure. The tiny fish were cooked whole and had a slightly sweet glaze. It is a good choice for those who enjoy a bit of a fishy flavor. Yang Zhou Fried Rice: This classic dish was surprisingly good and not as oily as we were expecting. It was a good portion size to share between 3 of us. Lion's Head Pork Meatball in Soy Sauce: This hefty dish was a bit on the sweet side, but the pork meatball itself was melt-in-your-mouth tender and light. Hot and sour soup: The soup was sweet and not what we were expecting. It was okay overall. read more

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My friends and I visited this place on a Saturday for lunch and were seated right away. Our server was exceptionally friendly and helpful. They offer a wide variety of authentic dishes on the menu. Prices are reasonable but portion sizes are a bit on the smaller side. We ordered several Xiao Long Bao, Shanghai Thick Noodles, and Lamb Stir-Fried with Green Onion. The food arrived promptly and was all incredibly tasty. This has quickly become my go-to spot for an authentic meal in Chinatown! read more

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One of my most frequented restaurants in Chinatown! Been dining at Bund with family and friends 2-3 times a month for over ten years. The Shanghainese family that run Bund are so friendly and accommodating. Food has always been consistently delicious. My go-to's include: - Kaofu (appetizer) - Xiao long bao - Shanghai thick chow mien - House noodle with pork and scallion - Any of the stir-fried rice cakes - Salt and pepper fish filet - Braised pork shank (it's huge so best for large parties) - Any mu shu - Tofu and vegetables in clay pot - String beans Though I have only explored a fraction of their menu, I am sure you can't go wrong with any dish. I encourage everyone to visit Bund and to support this family-owned business! read more

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砂锅狮子头 4 soft, large, soup, cabbage, vermicelli, mushroom, bamboo, medium flavorful 上海油爆虾 4 large, vein still there, crispy edible skin, flavorful 蟹粉小笼包 4 large filling, crab visible, thick skin, not a lot of soup, flavorful 生煎包 4 large, no soup, not crispy, flavorful read more

If you're looking for good Shanghainese food this will hit the spot! We walked in around 6:30pm on Sunday and were seated immediately. We ordered the stir fried eel, Shanghai thick chow mein, and pan friend pork. A little bit oily, but all were delicious. Will happily go back again to try the rest of the menu! read more

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We dropped by for lunch looking for some authentic Shanghai dishes. This restaurant has been around for as long as I can remember. The decor is a bit tired but the food and service is great! We need to support local restaurants to keep their business running. The Dan Dan noodles was spicy and tasty, the soup dumplings came and I couldn't get a picture fast enough before they were eaten. All the other dishes were satisfying, no complaints. We will be back to try other dishes! read more

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Honestly a pretty good place if you know what to order! I thought it was good food and at a really reasonable price point: the 4 of us split 5 dishes and it came out to about $20-25 per person after tip (and we were stuffed)! We ordered: - Spinach and tofu soup w/pork (5/5): this was amazing. the soup was hearty and thick, with tons of umami flavor. We asked for some extra white pepper and it was a delicious addition! A gigantic bowl of this was only $10, and the 4 of us had two bowls each and spare. - Stir fried rice cake with pickles and pork (4/5): This was just okay, I wish there was some more stuff besides just pickles and pork. Quite oily but that's normal for this dish. - Soft tofu with crab sauce (5/5): this was surprisingly good, and you could see all the chunks of real crab meat. Would be great with rice. - Pan fried pork buns (3/5): These had potential, but the bun was too thick and it lacked juice on the inside. - Sweet and Sour pork ribs (3/5): not much meat, and the flavor was a bit underdeveloped. The dishes don't come with rice, and tea is also extra! Service was fast and no frills, they accept credit card. read more

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Solid Chinese food spot! I came with a group of 4 and we were all highly satisfied with all the dishes. The service was decent and we were all starving and everything was very delicious and perfectly cooked! Highly recommend trying the jellyfish the texture was super crispy and chewy and it was a great appetizer. read more

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Food was amazing and service was awesome. This place is as authentic as it gets! The pricing was great and our party left stuffed! I would really recommend the xlb, meatballs, and ordering some of their cold dishes. The tea was amazing and one of the best places you could go for Shanghainese food in SF read more

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Having come here for well over a decade now, I can confidently say that Bund Shanghai is a great go-to restaurant in the SF chinatown area. They serve a variety of Shanghainese cuisine with good flavors and quality. Everything from their dan dan noodles, smoked fish, ham and veggie rice, potstickers, and soup dumplings are all good. I enjoy their fried rices, soups, and variety of noodles dishes. The place is great for both small and large groups and has a traditional casual atmosphere. read more

I'm not sure why this place is always so quiet!! I've been coming here for years when I want something different from Cantonese food in CT. Food is always great, service great, price is perfect. Don't be scared from the quietness of the restaurant - the food is legit! Recommend: Dan dan noodles (if you're into spicy soups - GET THIS!) Mapo tofu XLB Rice cake with spinach and chinese ham Other dishes I've had are pretty good too. read more

My wife is Shanghainese, and this is her favorite restaurant. My daughter's too! We love especially their (these are some of the most famous dishes in Shanghai cuisine) - Shanghai style stir-fried shrimps - Soft tofu in crab sauce - steamed rice with bacon and vegetable (comes in a clay pot) The staff is kind and unfailingly sweet to our kids. read more

The soup dumplings have the best crab flavor I've ever tasted! The only drawback is that not all of the *soup* dumplings had soup in them. The shanghai style fried noodles were also delicious albeit quite salty. The hot and sour soup was not as hot or as sour as I'd like and I wouldn't recommend it. All in all, the soup dumplings were memorable and I would come back again for those alone. Note that they're quite popular so make reservations or expect to wait. I came during the holidays when they claimed to be unusually busy and was given a wait estimate of one hour. read more

Before the pandemic this used to be a fun place to go for lunch with colleagues and share a bunch of food. Now that I'm working from home, I can really only choose a few dishes at a time and need to think about what would work as leftovers. Thankfully, the braised pork shank is a large portion that is guaranteed to be delicious fresh out of the kitchen and reheated for many leftover meals later. Braised Pork Shank: The first time I had this dish was in quaint village filled with canals outside of Shanghai. It's been over a decade since then, but I've always remembered this dish. Happy that it's available from a restaurant in Chinatown for takeout (with ample order ahead time). Tastes pretty similar (of what I can remember) and the huge portion means tons of leftovers. Love how tender the meat is. You can just pull it into shreds using a fork. But first, you gotta dip it in the flavorful sauce. The bok choy was a nice touch since bitter greens do a great job of offsetting the fatty richness. Shanghai Thick Chow Mein: Love the large size and springy texture of these noodles. Definitely fun to eat and slurp. The flavoring is a bit bland though, which might be an issue just eating these alone, but it actually works well alongside the pork shank. Turns into a nice carb accompaniment, that's a little more exciting that regular old white rice. There were little bits of meat in here too, but pretty minimal. read more

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Food is okay but I would not recommend coming here if you're not ready to wait for 45 minutes for your order and still get ignored. I get it sometimes orders take time but not your basic eggplants and white rice. Empty during lunchtime rush should have been already a sign for me. I might give them a second chance when I have three hours of my life to kill. read more

Went with the boys for a night out, stumbled on this place. Chow mein was awesome rice was great, beef was wonderful! They serve tea so you know it is authentic! Staff was caring and the. Heck wasn't too expensive for a party of 4 ! Definitely go see this place!!!!!!!!! read more

Don't get the low reviews. My husband and in-laws are from Shanghai and Hing Kong. This is the only Chinese restaurant they all agree upon. It's our go to for every birthday, anniversary, graduation, promotion and Chinese New Year activities. Rice cakes are authentic Shanghainese. My brother in law ran a restaurant in Shanghai for 20 years before moving to SF. He vouches for authenticity of their dishes read more

糟溜鱼片 - stir fried fish fillet in wine sauce - the taste is inconsistent. Personally I wouldn't chance it again for $18.

Popped by for a casual meal on a weekday without any prior Yelping or Googling (a foreign concept these days), and my friend and I were pleasantly surprised! We were seated/served promptly, and the atmosphere was quiet and homey. For two, we ordered (warning: carbs galore): Small pan fried pork buns: porky, flavorful, and juicy! A bit too dough-ey for my taste though. Rice cake stir fried with pork and cabbage: highly recommend! The rice cakes were so fluffy and didn't taste too heavy, and the sauce was the perfect thickness. Overall, a filling meal that was less than $15 pp. Would definitely dine here again for a lil slice of comfort Chinese. read more

Bund Shanghai - Rice Cake Stir Fried with Pork and Cabbage - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Suffice to say, I plan to return over and over. This is now the place for genuinely spicy Mongolian beef. The heat was wonderful. Plenty of delicious spiciness with scallions and onions too. The sweet and sour soup was also on point. Service was prompt and very courteous. Definitely a gem in Chinatown. read more

Bund Shanghai - Sweet and sour soup - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We came to Bund Shanghai because Sam Wo isn't allowing indoor diners. We're happy we came here instead. When we arrived, we were seated quickly and given hot tea and water. The tea was delicious. We ordered several dishes; the Shanghai thick chow mein, soup dumplings and scallion pancakes. The noodles were good, the scallion pancakes were okay, but the soup dumplings were out of sight! Bund Shanghai was worth the visit and offered very reasonable prices! For reference, we snagged a photo of the noodles but the soup dumplings weren't around long enough to consider taking a photo :) read more

Bund Shanghai - Shanghainese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was our second visit to Bund Shanghai within two weeks. Last time we came with a large family right after Christmas. The food was so good that we decided to come back as soon as possible. We really enjoyed both the food and kind hospitality. The owner, Ring, remembered us well. We ordered Kung Pao Fish, Egg Plants with Garlic, and Chive and Shrimp Dumplings. Combined with wine and hot Jasmine tea it was an excellent dinner on a cold rainy weekend in January. As a second generation continuous business in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, Bund owners pride themselves for offering authentic Shanghai cuisine (i.e. not fusion). That being said, their food is neither greasy nor heavy. And it tastes really good! We will definitely come back over and over again. read more

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Dined for dinner on a Sunday. Flavors and Service were amazing. If you're looking for a place with authentic Shanghainese flavors, this is the place! Price for everything was very reasonable. Pine nut fish - This seems to be one of the few restaurants in SF that has it. It's a whole fried fish with a sweet and sour sauce, that's topped with pine nuts. Shanghai style fried rice cake w/ pork and cabbage had a very authentic Shanghai-style home cooking depth of flavor. Stir fried pea shoots - garlicky and crunchy taste cooked to perfection. Portion size was more generous than other restaurants in the area. read more

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The worst soup dumplings I've ever had . The braised whole carp was also terrible . The fish was smothered with a brown sauce which completely overwhelmed the fish . The snow pea shoots were ok and the Beef with ginger and green onions was good . Wont go back ! Total disappointment . read more

Happy and full! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIMING: - Empty for dinner on a Monday FOOD: 1. Shanghai soup dumplings - Texture: skin is chewier than I like (wish it was thinner too) - Meat: a decent amount and flavor - Soup: enough that it burst when we bit into it - Portion: great to share 2. Panfried pork buns - Texture: could've been fried more - Bun: thick bun. Soft but a little chewy - Meat: a decent amount and flavor - Portion: great to share 3. Crab and pork soup dumplings - Texture: softer than the Shanghai soup dumplings somehow - Meat: sweeter, I prefer this one more - Soup: enough that it burst when we bit into it - Portion: great to share 4. Dumpling in soup - Texture: soft and chewy - Meat: good amount, and delicious - Soup: unfortunately bland, but at least there was flavor in the dumplings - Portion: great to share SERVICE - Gave us space (especially in Chinatown) which was great WOULD RECOMMEND? - Yes read more

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One of the great things about Chinese restaurant is that they're often flexible with their menu. It's fairly easy for us to remove or substitute items so we may have a delicious vegan meal. We really appreciated the great flavors of the Shanghai noodles and the green onion pancakes. We loved the tofu clay pot because it was pretty light and healthy. Some days, you just want some tasty vegetables! Super nice staff also. I hope they do well and survive the pandemic. read more

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This was one of the very few restaurants in chinatown that opened past 5PM so my family and I decided to try it out. The portions here are large and I was very stuffed by the end of this. To preface, I've never had Shanghainese food before so I was new to the flavors. I would say that the food is less flavorful compared to the traditional Chinese food we all know. The food came out pretty quickly (besides the pork jowl) so definitely check this place out if you are in SF chinatown read more

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This so called Shanghai restaurant is NOT Shanghainese at all. The owners of the restaurant were friendly and the service was fine. However, I wouldn't recommend anyone who is looking for tasting authentic and fine Shanghainese cuisine to come to this place. It seems to me that the cook in the kitchen does not know how to cook Shanghainese food. Definitely wouldn't come again. read more

We ordered the Tomato and Eggs, Stir Fried Eel (pretty oily, but tasted good), Zha Jiang Noodles, Green Beans, and Green Onion Pancake (8 pieces). We also got regular Pork XLBs as well as the Crab and Pork XLBs. Their XLBs were just okay--for both types, the skin was a bit thick, and the filling was on the drier side. I would recommend all the dishes we got except the XLBs. Some other reviewers said that the service here is terrible, but on the night we went, the service seemed fine. We came on Lunar New Year. This restaurant was not as busy as the ones around it; without making a reservation beforehand, our group of 18 was seated immediately. The service was fine in that all the food didn't come too late, considering that it was probably a busy night for them (75% of the restaurant was filled by the time we got seated). The hot water also came quickly after we requested it. The only thing that would have deemed as "bad service" was the attitude of the main manager/waitress. When we raised our hand to order, she said in a rather curt and casual way, "you guys have to wait because I'm taking care of this other large table and managing the other workers" (or something along those lines). However, our food didn't come out too late (maybe ~15-20 min later). Overall, I'd come back here again, because I enjoyed the food, and the service was tolerable. read more

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Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, as I was catching up with family that I haven't seen in years. But having said that, I love that they have large round tables with huge lazy Susan's, so that the meals can be eaten family style!!! We were able to enjoy one another's company around a delicious meal! The food had such amazing flavors!!! We ordered 11 different dishes, so we enjoyed a diverse range of their offerings. We literally liked every single dish we tried! My only complaint is that their servings were a bit on the small side compared to most Chinese establishments that I've been to. After getting feedback from everyone, resounding favorites were the Shanghai thick chow mein (#34), sausage fried rice (#43), the green beans (#93) and sweet and sour chicken (#73). But seriously, we loved it all.... we just wished there would've been a little more read more

Visiting California and one of our stops was San Fran. There are so many places to choose from but I'm SO glad we chose Bund. Everything we tried was 5/5 and even my picky family loved everything! All the food was very fresh and the dumplings were not dry or soggy. Service was fast and nobody rushed us during our meal . The soup dumplings could have had a little more soup but they were delicious nonetheless. Dumplings and pork buns were the most delicious ones I have ever had Delicious large bowl of hot n sour soup We also had the sesame chicken which was SO crispy ! read more

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