The food was delicious and the service was great. We had the Duck, Pork Bao, Lobster dumplings and chicken dumplings. Their Oolong tea is amazing. Our waiter was great at explaining the menu, and was great at accommodating our toddler. read more

Is there a law that says food can't taste THIS good without some sort of warning label? You know, something along the lines of: "WARNING: Excessive deliciousness may cause your brain to go into shock from an overload of endorphins." No? Well, there SHOULD be one at this restaurant! We stopped by for some Sunday dim sum, and DAMN! Did this place knock it out of the park! First off, the ambiance was AMAZING! Sitting outside next to the ocean with that cool coastal breeze rolling through on a beautiful Sunday afternoon? Chef's kiss! Honestly, the weather alone was already setting us up for a great experience before the excellent service. But the food? Oh, it took things to a whole different level! Steamed Dumplings (XLB): 100/10!!! The flavors were absolutely SPOT ON! The skin was incredibly thin and delicate, making every bite a perfect balance of juicy filling and soft wrapper. Just the right thickness to soak up a little dipping sauce without overpowering the dumpling itself. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! The Rest of the Dim Sum: Everything pictured below absolutely delivered! Not a single disappointing dish in the bunch. Black Swan Taro Puff: Now THIS was probably the most interesting dish I had during the entire meal! The texture was unlike anything else we ordered, but the filling? DIVINE! The combination of century egg and chicken created this incredible explosion of savory flavors. It's one of those combinations you wouldn't necessarily expect to work so beautifully together, but somehow, it just DOES! Every bite was a little adventure. Absolutely loved the creativity behind this one! Peking Duck: Let's just say a picture is worth a thousand words. 10/10. NO NOTES! Final Thoughts: Between the incredible food, beautiful oceanfront ambiance, and that perfect Sunday afternoon breeze, this was easily one of the highlights of our trip. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared, and the flavors were just phenomenal. I genuinely cannot wait to return to San Francisco, even if it's just for another meal here! And seriously, someone needs to look into that warning label. This level of deliciousness should come with a disclaimer! read more

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Modern dim sum in the heart of Ghirardelli square! If you're a sauce lover, you'll appreciate the palette dining ware to accommodate the different sauces. Interior was thriving, vibrant, colorful. Servers were attentive and helpful in recommending volume and dishes. Went for my birthday with the fam and we threw down with a ton of dumpling orders and a variety of entrees, including vegan friendly options for the hubz. Can't remember everything but I liked the seafood (crab, shrimp, scallop) truffle dim sum and appreciated how everything wasn't too salty. They also get creativity points for the sampler palette XLBs. The crispy seafood noodles were also a fave. You can get parking validation- 50% off M-Th and Fri and the weekend is $6 off. I recommend getting a spot hero parking spot on the weekends for a better discount. $9 for 3 hours. read more

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I hate to leave such a low review but unfortunately my visit did leave me with a poor perception. I made a res for myself at their opening time (11:30a) and came early (around 11:10a) to wait since I was in a bit of a hurry and wanted to be in/out within 45 mins, ideally not longer than an hour. The check in process was a little chaotic but moved fast and I did get seated right away. I was planning to order as soon as I was seated, but oddly, no server ever came after that. Someone did come pour me water about 10 mins after being seated, but that was it as far as staffing. About 5 min after the water I figured out that you can order with the QR code on the table -- i ended up putting in an order for just the truffle duck fried rice ($34) which sounded good. I waited another 15min or so (now about 30 min after being seated), and still no one had come talk to me and the food hadn't come. By that point, other people who came in after me had been seated and were already eating, so I flagged a passing waiter to confirm I could order that way, and they said I could. I waited another 10 min (by now it's been like 40 mins since I was seated; everyone around me has been served and some people are finishing/leaving). I flagged someone to ask about the status of my order. She said she'd check. I waited another 5-7 min before I flagged another waiter to ask again, and he said he would check. Shortly after, the first staff member I'd asked came back to tell me "there was a bit of a delay, it would be about 10 more minutes." I didn't get an explanation for it beyond that, or any other acknowledgement of it. The food did in fact come about 10 min later - a whopping 50 mins after I initially came into the restaurant. I ate fast and was full within about 5 minutes. No one checked in to ask how the food was or if I needed anything else in that time, but I flagged someone to ask for a to go container and for the bill. When I received the bill, I flagged someone again to request the "5% included surcharge" be removed, because at this point I still have no idea who is supposed to be my server, or what additional service I'm being charged for. She said she'd ask her manager, but they did take it off. Ended up walking out at 12:50pm after that. All in all - it was the strangest and least attentive staffing experience I've ever had in a restaurant. I left the place wishing I'd eaten at home because I didn't feel very cared for (or even noticed?) as a customer. I'm seeing other reviews that the staff was great, so I'm wondering if there was something unusual going on that day. That said, the place is pretty inside and has nice/clean bathrooms, and the food was pretty good with a decent portion size. The rice bowl was $37 including tax; for the portion size it isn't too bad. But I was just really off-put by the work flow. read more

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We came to Palette for dinner as my friend was visiting and wanted to eat Peking Duck. I have been to the Palette in San Mateo a couple of times and enjoyed the food but I have to say this Ghirardelli Square location just wasn't as good. We got the half Peking duck, stir fried garlic pea tips and the XLB sampler to share and starting off the XLB lacked flavor. I could really taste the difference between pho, truffle, and tum yum pork and because the XLB was steamed in the serving spoons there was some water in the spoon which diluted the soup flavor. Pretty disappointing. The duck was tasty but like a lot of Peking ducks I wish there was more flavor in the meat itself. It was pretty bland so you really need the sweet bean sauce. I thought the pickled radish as a condiment was a bit odd and once I included it in the wrap, it was too sweet. I have to say the garlic pea sprout was my favorite dish. Super flavorful with a lot of garlic and with most vegetables, it's really done best when it's stir fried with a generous amount of oil, and this ended up being super tasty. read more

Palette Tea House - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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There are a surprising number of shops and eateries around Ghirardelli square that are more than just tourist traps. Palette has some kind of Michilan recognition, and it's not hard to see why. The interior is very stylish and clean - I love those ceiling decorations. I also love that the tables are close but not too close, to each other. We engaged with the customers on both sides of us. We were looking for vegetarian options, and they didn't disappoint. There's even a not that some meat dishes can be made vegetarian. We got the veggie spring rolls, somewhat spicy Impossible mapo tofu (one neighbor recommended) and one other vegetable dumpling that I can recall the name of. All were excellent. We also got a boba milk tea and a small bottle of sake. It was a somewhat pricey lunch, but not beyond expectations for the area. read more

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Beautiful space, generous portions, and a tea selection that deserves its own spotlight. Came in with The Kid and one of her friends and had a great experience from start to finish. We had reservations, arrived a little early, and were seated right away. We ordered the XO Wagyu Beef Fried Rice, made with minced Wagyu, egg, XO sauce, and scallion, along with the Wagyu Beef Chow Fun, which comes with wok-seared Wagyu, flat rice noodles, and bean sprouts. We also had the Pork Soup Dumplings. Everything was flavorful, and the portions were generous--one order of the fried rice and chow fun was enough for the three of us to share and still take leftovers home. The tea selection was one of my favorite parts. I had the Iron Goddess, The Kid had the Milk Aroma Oolong, and her friend had the classic Oolong. All three were delicious and made the meal feel even more complete. I also tried one of their mocktails from the menu--the Lucky Red Horse- and it was a fun addition to the meal. Service was great, the space is beautiful, and the overall experience felt polished without being stuffy. Between the dim sum, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and tea selection, there's still so much left to try. Definitely looking forward to coming back again. read more

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We hosted our Chinese tea ceremony and wedding banquet at Palette Tea House, and it was a 10 out of 10 experience. We researched/toured/did tastings at several different restaurants in the area but ultimately picked Palette since they had the best food and ambiance, and we are so glad that we did. The food on the day of our event was amazing. Even better than the tasting that we did. All our guests raved about the food, even my relatives from China who are difficult to impress and one guest who had a different menu due to allergies. (We did select the highest tier of their banquet menu options, with a few modifications.) Service was impeccable - attentive, efficient, smooth. We loved working with the Palette team - from Mia who helped plan our event to all the day of staff. We also loved the ambiance of Palette. Even though the location is touristy, which makes parking difficult (the Ghirardelli garage is something like $20/hr), it's honestly much nicer than many other parts of town. Palette's banquet room was also very nice - spacious for our 50 guests, airy, lots of natural light. I really like the ceiling lights and decor that they have normally, and they added some extra hanging decor for our event. Again, 10 out of 10 experience. Highly recommend Palette Tea House for private events! read more

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Oh WOW. Not good. Super dirty. They made me taste the orange juice to check if it was orange juice.... Bizarre. Bartender totally butchered ordered. I cant even explain how bizarre this experience was. It was just really dirty and def a disregard to hospitality. read more

Palette Tea House - Horrible experience - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a really beautiful place and a cute shopping center. I really enjoyed it. The best part was the duck though. I was excited to find out. We also have one here in Las Vegas so I'll be checking it out next read more

We came in at 7 pm and the kitchen closes at 7:30, but no problem. We ordered some wine and our various dumplings. The mango kissed Seafood crispy came out first & it was so delicious & it really set the tone for a positive & flavorful dining experience My favorites were the classic Ha Gow Shrimp Dumplings & the Chicken Soup Dumplings "XLB", but everything we ordered was very good. Service was attentive and kind. The dining area is colorful, bright & upbeat. This location is also in Ghirardelli Square, so it is a fun, bustling area with lots to see and do before or after your meal. If you'd like a more authentic dim sum meal, perhaps you may enjoy heading to Chinatown to experience a more traditional set of dim sum offerings, but for our purposes today, this was more than adequate. Peace! read more

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Came to Palette tea house on a weekday night around 7pm. Turns out they closes at 7:30pm which seems really early for dinner. Food 2.5/5: the best thing is the fried rice there. We also got the cucumber salad, Peking duck set, and lava buns. The cucumber salad was med, marinate tasted like balsamic and not too much flavor like the usual kind you get in other Chinese restaurants. The Peking duck was the most disappointing, we had such high hope for how it looked and how nicely it was setup. However the duck was cold and the skin had zero crisp. Some pieces of skin was basically inedible, very tough and impossible to chew through almost like leather or plastic. Don't know how they managed that. (See video) Ambiance 5/5: the ambiance and decoration of the restaurant was beautiful though. You get a view of the Ghirardelli Square and the inside is nicely decorated with fun ceiling lights. Service 4/5: pretty efficient. You don't get a dedicated waiter and we had to try to flag down someone if we needed anything. However they are generally friendly and efficient when you get them. read more

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Made reservations for Mother's Day and it was a fun visit. Delicious dim sum in the perfect location for shopping and sundaes after! read more

Palette Tea House - Palette dim sum at Ghirardelli - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Strong five star experience. I came here for a work dinner and it felt like the food just kept coming. I wish I had a better memory of everything that I ate, but there was too much. I do remember that I absolutely loved the Peking duck. They came with very thin, I can only describe it as tortilla crêpe things that you would put it in. I love this so much better than the standard buns. I also loved the fried string beans. It was tempura fried and very light. It didn't taste greasy at all. Out of three places we went to dinner for work, this was my favorite by far. It is right in Ghirardelli Square so there's a lot of things you can walk around and do either before or after. Service was great. They were very attentive. The restaurant itself was very open and lit well. They had us in a back area so it was easy to chat with my coworkers. There wasn't a single dish I didn't like so I would highly recommend coming here. read more

We hosted our 35 person wedding lunch at Pallete and it was absolutely a pleasure to work with the team! We got in touch about a banquet reservation about 10 months in advance and locked in our reservation, then finalized the menu, drinks, tables and seating a few weeks before the event. We were able to choose from one of the banquet options and they were more than happy to substitute in some of our favorites like the salt and pepper calamari and taro puff swans. The event went off without any issues and the curtained off space was a perfect fit for our group. Everyone LOVED the food! Thanks so much! Can't wait to go back! read more

My friends took me for my birthday as they knew that I haven't been there. The place was packed! We ordered six dishes (photos shown) and all of them were delicious but my favorite was the string beans. I enjoyed my first experience but it was too loud to hold any conversation. If you're in Ghirardelli Square, worth trying. read more

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Out to a new place for dinner with family. Palette Tea House Server - Westley, was so good in helping us pick the best dishes and drinks. Jordan Chardonnay, 2022 Russian River CA Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Alexander Valley, CA Fort Point Villager IPA Dinner Chinese Olive Fried Rice Cumin Spicy Lamb "Longevity" Noodle Palette Soup Dumpling "XLB" Sampler (5 Pieces) Chicken Soup Dumpling "XLB" (3 Pieces) Black Swan Tara Puff (2 Pieces) Lotus Wrap Abaline Sticky Rice Wok Fried Gai LAN and Shitake Mushroom Desert Steamed Custard Dumpling Durian Custard Bao Wow, I could not say which one was my favorite dish. Every dish was great. In addition to the deserts. The deco was real nice and colorful. The had Peking Ducks all set for roasting on display. Must visit. read more

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Cute place near the water. Drinks were good and food was well portioned and they didn't skimp. Service was friendly and fast but we did go on a weekday in the afternoon. read more

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Haven't been here in years so this spot deserves an update. Location is in Ghirardelli Square, a huge tourist spot, and surprisingly, it wasn't busy. I originally booked a reservation assuming that it was going to be extra busy given that the Chinese New Year parade festivities were going on, which also means, everybody was out and about, especially tourists. Anyway, we were seated immediately and our waiter attended to us as soon as we sat down. Aside from that, the interior decor didn't change much at all, but I think the menu did. Great service as usual and good food. We ordered the Wagyu beef fried rice, wagyu pot stickers, wagyu beef with veggies, pork soup dumplings, lobster, and the swan shaped dumplings. Everything was tasty, except my man didn't like the swan shaped ones. Overall, great place to eat dinner. Prices were reasonable considering the location. read more

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We came here because it's the sibling restaurant of Dragon Beaux, which I tried first, and ordered an assortment of dishes, including the crispy ha gow, fish fillets, sakura shrimp fried rice, pan fried buns, and a cocktail each. Everything was very tasty with an Asian fusion flair, but the sakura shrimp fried rice was by far the star of the show in my opinion. Definitely a good option if you like seafood like me. I could keep eating it indefinitely. The ambiance of the restaurant inside Ghirardelli Square was also really nice, and I loved the unique palette aesthetic. The meal felt like a work of art. I've only come back once since my original visit because it's tucked out of the way, and there's not a lot of parking or transit options. I think it's worth checking out though, and if I'm in the neighborhood again, I'd swing by if for no other reason than to grab some more sakura shrimp fried rice to-go. read more

Palette Tea House - cocktails - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I lovedddd this restaurant! I made reservations prior to arrival, I definitely recommend that. There was a line when I got there. The restaurant is so clean and beautifully decorated. The waiter was nice and checked on us frequently. All the food was amazing and I already want to go back and try more. I ordered the pork buns, wagu fried rice, a shrimp and pork, and 2 samplers. I also got a lychee drink called eye candy that's was to die for. read more

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Stopped by here during Mother's day weekend and it was busy! Luckily we were able to snag a reservation. My favorite dishes were the peking duck, jelly fish salad, and pea sprouts with garlic. The dim sum dishes were good, but I like the taste of traditional dim sum more. read more

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Very nice dining experience and certainly feels upscale. I really liked the interiors and decor. The theme of colorful palette of dishes was a fun touch. My favorite dishes were the turnip cake, Iberian char siu, and dessert buns. Soup dumplings didn't have much soup but presentation was nice. It is definitely not a traditional dim sum experience, which you would get more eating in Chinatown, but it will hit the spot if you're looking for an innovative modern take. read more

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We visited SF over the Labor Day weekend. Saw recommendations for dim sum at the Palette Tea House, so we thought we'd give it a try. I have to say that it exceeded our expectations! Every dish we ordered was superb! Amazing flavors and great presentations. Servers were attentive and friendly. I liked the restaurant decor and atmosphere. It's definitely a family-friendly restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

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Elevated dim sum in the heart of Ghirardelli square. Selection is limited in the classic dishes: no crepe rolls, porridge, or barbecue items. Vegetarian egg rolls: crunchy, inside was filled with carrots, cabbage. Chicken and mushroom siu mai: not a favorite, would prefer the chewiness of a pork Chicken claw with kabocha squash: 3 pieces with three pieces of squash. Black bean pork rib with taro: could have been steamed for a bit longer, chewy texture Pork XLB: love the presentation of individual spoons for the dumpling, pork was gingery, top dish of the day Lotus wrap abalone sticky rice: comes out in a log with 1 piece of abalone on top. Two color rice, enjoyable dish Steamed custard dumpling: they did not have this in a bao vecustard was decadent but the skin was thick for the dumpling. Place can be difficult to find. Open dining space where it does not feel cramped. Interior is beautifully designed. A Cantonese speaking server assisted us and we were grateful because a few in my party required assistance for the menu. the portions can be small for the price, wish they would expand the menu for more dim classics. 5% service change unless you let them know you want to tip instead. "Hello I would like to tip in place of the service charge please" read more

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I loved their food so much, I eat here twice in one week! However, on our second trip, we had an unexpected plus one. A cockroach crawled up from under our table! I can understand that it's next to the beach, however, paying 20-30 dollars a plate, i think it's fair to expect a clean and non-infested dining area. Anyway, we asked to speak to the manager but he never came. Im pretty disappointed today.. read more

Officially my new favorite dim sum in the Bay Area!!! Yes, it is expensive AF but well worth the price because of the quality of food, attentive service, ambiance, and booking ease. We actually came here TWICE during the Thanksgiving holiday because we loved it so much. My family is considering making this a Thanksgiving tradition (who needs turkey when you can have Peking-style roast duck?!). Our favorites are the jumbo scallop-topped siu mai, the savory turnip cake (it rivals the ones I have had in Hong Kong!), calamari (the squid was so tender we thought it was fish!), and their lotus-leaf abalone sticky rice. And as much as I enjoyed their XLB (just the standard ones are enough!) Wagyu fried rice, roast pork and aforementioned Peking duck crepes, my opinion is that anything with seafood here shines! Parking is a pain but if you time things right you can avoid crowds. I also love how Palette offers their fancy dim sum all day, in case that is how you roll! read more

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Next-level, elevated dim sum experience! From the moment we walked in, we were blown away by the beautiful ambiance, vibrant colors, and stylish décor. Every detail created such a warm and inviting atmosphere. The food was absolutely exceptional. Every dish was beautifully presented, fresh, flavorful, and unlike any dim sum we've had before. You can truly tell the chefs take great pride in every plate. A special thank you to our server, Henry, who made our experience even better. He was incredibly professional, friendly, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about gluten-free options, which gave our family complete confidence dining there. As someone with multiple food sensitivities and a husband with celiac disease, that level of care means everything to us. If you're looking for an elevated dim sum experience with outstanding food, impeccable service, and a gorgeous atmosphere, this is the place. Highly recommend, and we can't wait to return! read more

Palette Tea House - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Enjoyed eating here for both dinner and lunch. Love the palette plates. The food was a work of art. I definitely would go back. read more

Palette Tea House - Durian puffs - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We truly cannot say enough amazing things about Palette Tea House! We had the pleasure of hosting our wedding reception here, and from the very beginning of the planning process to the big day itself, everything was beyond what we could have imagined. And that is due to the amazing team, Dennis and Mia, who were absolutely incredible throughout our entire wedding planning journey. From the countless emails, questions, and little details to making sure everything came together perfectly. They were both so patient, accommodating, attentive, and genuinely wonderful to work with. The food was absolutely delicious! The biggest highlight of the night was definitely the dim sum passed around during cocktail hour! It was easily everyone's favorite, and we received so many compliments from our family and friends. We cannot recommend this place enough, whether you're looking for an incredible dining experience or a beautiful venue to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Made reservations here for Christmas Eve. The classic dim sum dishes were just okay--we still prefer dim sum from H&L Peninsula. The real standouts were the Peking duck, sea bass, lobster, and crab. We also loved the unagi crepe and the rainbow roll. The fusion-style honey walnut prawns weren't our favorite, but I'd definitely come back to try the truffle menu. Surprisingly, the service was excellent--much better than what you usually expect at most Asian restaurants. read more

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We had a lovely Christmas dim sum lunch here! We made reservations a few days in advance. There was a sizable line for walk-ins when we arrived but we were able to get seated pretty easily with reservations. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful- feels nice and open, with a cute palette theme going on. Service was prompt and to the point. It was pretty busy since it was Christmas. We ordered the peking chive dumplings, black swan taro puffs, siu mai, lobster butter dumplings, xo shrimp dumplings, and wagyu beef chow fun. Everything was so good!! I honestly couldn't pick a favorite. I was worried the taro puffs would be a little disappointing because they look so cute (sometimes there's a trade off with aesthetics and taste) but they were delicious. I would get everything again. I do wish the dishes came in even numbers since we were a party of 2 (some came in 3 or 5, making it harder to split) but the quality makes up for that. Overall, would recommend this place for a more upscale dim sum lunch if you're in the ghirardelli area! read more

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Came her for brunch to celebrate a wedding! This is the nicest dim sum place I've ever been to and also the most expensive. There were some classics we ordered like har gow and shumai. We also ordered uni and salmon roe congee, Peking duck, and their signature black swan puffs. The black swan puffs were crunchy, light and had a great inner filling of taro and shrimp I believe. The duck was tasty with crispy skin. The uni creaminess and roe in congee was super unique! Overall a great place for celebrations or special occasions however for every day dim sum it may be a bit on the pricier side! read more

Palette Tea House - Uni roe congee - Dim Sum Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Since Covid I've become a total homebody. 8 times out of 10, I really would rather eat at home. Thanks to meal deliveries now being so seamless, having takeout today is a far cry from what pizza & Chinese food delivery was back in the day. For all of you too young to remember... Once upon a time, if you wanted to order any food delivery, you had to call the actual restaurant, from a landline phone, & just wait. No live status reports, etc. The driver's were tipped in cash, in person! And the options really were only pizza or Chinese food. What a long way we've come! Delivery is now the zeitgeist of the post-Covid era. And there are some restaurants that take their delivery more seriously & go above & beyond. Places where something like everyday delivery has become an art form. Palette is one of those places. Each time I've tried Palette has been delivery. The standouts... Peking pork & chive dumplings (so good!) Jumbo scallop siu mai (hubs loves them) Lobster ha gow with butter sauce (delicious!) Salted egg lava bao (I could eat 10!) It seems every time I've driven by their Ghirardelli Square location, it's a bustling atmosphere & there's a crowd out front waiting. Good thing delivery has never been this good. Food 4 stars Presentation 5 stars 4 & 1/2 stars read more

The service was great and punctual, and the food is consistent. All in short, I'd recommend this place and will personally revisit. Truffle duck taro fried rice: It was really fragrant and nicely flavored. It will be perfect if it's a bit more moist. Dim sum: It's great and we don't regret getting two orders for 3 people! Radish cake: My favorite dish and will def get it again. The XO sauce on top of the crispy radish cake adds the kick to it. Chicken dim sum: I will personally skip this one next time. Nothing outstanding. Pork dim sum: This one doesn't stand out too much as well but is a better choice than chicken dim sum. Scallop dim sum: Will probably get this one next time too. The shrimp and scallop were big and nice. Taro pork ribs: My second favorite dish and is usually my must get at a dim sum restaurant. Seasoning is great, the taro is cooked very well that melts in your mouth. The portion is bigger than usual dim sum place. read more

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I love going to Koi place whenever I'm in town so I decided to check out their sister restaurant, which has a more "fine-dining" feel. I usually am skeptical about these types of places but I was thoroughly surprised about how good the food was. Majority of the dishes still have the Cantonese touch and was very flavorful. Pan fried radish cake with XO sauce - 5/5 Wow this was so good. The radish cake was perfectly pan fried and they were generous with putting xo sauce on top which cake the dish a nice kick. Highly recommend. Xiao long bao sampler - 5/5 Classic, very good. We also got the har gow, xo sauce noodles, and pan friend pork and chive dumplings. Everything was solid except I might skip out on the xo sauce noodles because the rice rolls weren't as crispy as I typically like them and it tasted a bit like chow mein ish with the bean sprouts. Nevertheless, this place is good but the price is a bit steep. Would come again for a nice occasion. read more

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Came by around 1pm and the place looked pretty empty, but the host told us there'd be about a 20-minute wait for an indoor table. It was a bit chilly outside, so we decided to wait--but luckily the host came back just a few minutes later and said a table would open up in about 5 minutes. Score! We ordered a mix of dishes, but IMO the durian bun was a miss--mostly bun with barely any filling. The real star of the show was the lava custard bun! I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of the inside because the filling practically spills out as soon as you take a bite (exactly how it should be!). The bun was super soft and fresh, and the lava custard was so, so good. Would come back just for that! read more

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Outstanding next level dim sum lunch. Every dish was good and satisfying. Favorites were the Iberico chashu and salty egg Dungeness crab. Sweet, savory and fatty pork with the perfect char and crunchy fresh crab with a umami finish that came right out of the shell without effort. Siumai and hagow were on point and the garlic stir fried pea shoots had wok hei. Can't wait to come again the next time I'm in the Bay Area. read more

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3.5 Stars A "higher end" dim sum experience - don't expect the traditional, authentic experience of a tea pot brought out in the beginning and ladies pushing around carts. The presentation of everything was beautiful but honestly, the flavor fell a bit flat. More pricey than traditional dim sum. I love the concept - the "palette" plates and the variety of sauces on the table. Dim Sum: -Soup Dumplings Sampler ($16 for 5 flavors) - the soup dumplings were honestly, just okay. I found them kind of flavorless and lacking in soup. -Wagyu Beef Chow Fun ($27) - Delicious, albeit pricey! Other items that were good - BBQ Pork Buns ($9), Fried Mochi Dumpling ($10, super cute and designed like pears), Abalone Sticky Rice ($10). Service was weirdly super sparse. They lost one of our order sheets and completely forgot it, and we had to reorder. Located in Ghiradelli Square. The interior is stylish. read more

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My friend and I wanted to try to Palette Tea House since they were participating in SF restaurant week. We made a reservation for Tuesday night dinner. The prix fixe menu looked good so we went ahead and ordered that. It was a dinner for two for $95. Supreme seafood soup (4/5): This had crab, shrimp, dried scallop, and silken egg. It was a good starter. It is the typical soup you'd get during an Asian banquet dinner. Chilled cucumber salad (3/5): This was an okay cucumber salad. The dressing wasn't my favorite. I like a garlic marinade usually. Wok fried wagyu steak (5/5): This was SO good. Very tender and medium rare. The flavor was great. It was a garlic soy. I was surprised by the portion size. The vegetables it was served on top of was interesting too. Black truffle duck fried rice (4/5): It was topped with black truffle and had shiitake mushrooms and little taro bits. I don't care of truffle too much but this was a good fried rice. Decent portion size as well! Not too salty or anything. Garlic pea tendrils (5/5): It was heavy on the garlic which I enjoyed. Very good texture as well. Nicely wok roasted. Portuguese egg tart (2/5): This was definitely not their strongest dish of the set. It was a little limp. It wasn't even caramelized at the top which is the signature for the Portuguese style. Overall, I enjoyed set menu! I didn't have a problem with any item. The space inside is nicely decorated and large so it is great for small and big groups. The regular menu seemed like they had a lot of other items like dumplings and peking duck. Would I come back? Not sure, there are so many other Chinese restaurants in the bay to try. Probably a good place for a work dinner since a lot of the patrons seemed like they were coworkers. read more

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