Yank Sing (Spear St.)

"Yank Sing is the city’s most famous dim sum spot and one of the only push cart holdouts left in the Bay. The decades-old restaurant is known to draw huge crowds for phenomenal kurobuta pork, Napa cabbage dumplings, steamed BBQ pork buns, and scallop siu mai. (Especially at the larger Spear Street location inside Rincon Center.) Our best advice: make sure you always have a large reserve of their house chili sauce on the table. It goes fast." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway

"SF has a glut of dim sum spots, but Yank Sing is one of the dwindling few that still has traditional push cart service. Family-owned and open since 1958, the restaurant has cycled through several locations before settling in its current place in SoMa (with another outpost nearby on Stevenson St.). Still, the menu has remained true to its classic dim sum roots years later. Carts zip around the dining room and tower with steamers of siu mai and har gow and baskets stuffed with lotus-wrapped sticky rice and spicy chicken feet. But besides a few standouts like the silken tofu, dry-fried string beans, and chili sauce, the atmosphere is the more compelling reason to visit Yank Sing. A Google-adjacent courtyard and towering glass atrium lead to a packed banquet hall, and the bow-tied servers running around make eating here feel not unlike accidentally crashing a wedding. While you could find better versions of many dishes at takeout dim sum spots in the city, Yank Sing is still a great pick for a lively lunch that requires shouting. Even if you’ll likely have to wait on weekends for a table. Food Rundown Steamed BBQ Pork Bun They’re sweet, tender, and smaller than what you’d find at places in the Richmond or Chinatown, but that’s OK. Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai Pork and shrimp siu mai can be as dense as golf balls, but these are tender, flavorful, and show that Yank Sing is working with high-quality ingredients. Scallop Siu Mai These are filled with scallops only, and we often like them more than the pork and shrimp version. Shanghai Kurobuta Pork Dumplings Getting these always tests our patience. We immediately want to dive right in despite knowing they're too hot to eat. Be better than us. Turnip Cake The turnip cakes are salty and a little fishy. If you want some filler between dishes, these are a good order, but there are better things on the menu. Silken Tofu With Pickled Turnips In Sesame Soy This is one of the best dishes on the menu. Even if you’re not a huge fan of tofu, you’ll want to drink the sesame soy that’s on the bottom through a straw. Sauteed String Beans The string beans are like popcorn—we could snack on them all day long. They come with dried shrimp and chilies, and the slight fishiness makes them even better." - Patrick Wong

"Since 1958, Yank Sing has become one of the city’s most well-known spots for dim sum. This third-generation, family-owned restaurant gives patrons a classic dining experience at both of its locations, but the Spear Street spot has proven to be more popular. Hail a push cart brimming with bamboo steamers and get your pick from over 100 rotating dishes, from barbecue pork buns to the Shanghai kurobuta pork dumplings to the scallop ball skewers." - Lena Park, Eater Staff

"Yank Sing is an upscale dim sum restaurant with two locations in San Francisco. Known for its high-quality dim sum experience, it has become a must-visit for those seeking traditional dim sum in the city." - Tim Newcomb

"The main draw of bringing your entire family to Yank Sing—aside from the dim sum, obviously—is the fact that the connected Rincon Center Atrium is a contained place for kids to run free while the adults take a load off in the restaurant. The Chinese spot in SoMa has solid BBQ pork buns, siu mai, and chow fun—all great things to preoccupy yourself with while pretending you’re not related to the kid yelling “Skibidi toilet!” at the top of their lungs." - julia chen 1, patrick wong