Dumpling Time Is San Francisco’s Newest Must-Try Dim Sum Spot

San Francisco is definitely a Mecca for some of the best dumplings you can find in the entire country. Many families have built impressive culinary temples that pay homage to the humble street food, like Koi Palace’s authentic take on traditional xiao long bao and Yank Sing’s mastery of crafting har gow, or shrimp dumplings.

For a newcomer to enter SF’s dim sum scene and challenge some of those time-honored establishments is going to require a lot of authenticity, some brash modern influences, and an assurance that the dumplings are just as, if not more, delicious as the best spots in the city.

Amongst locals in the area, Dumpling Time has already started to earn that recognition. Even though the restaurant has only been open a few months, it’s already gained acclaim from local news establishments for its fresh, modern take on traditional Xi’an dim sum. A variety of the dumplings you can find are in the video above, and they’re mainly the ones you’d typically expect to headline a top-notch San Francisco dim sum joint with the occasional twist.

Dumpling Time’s traditional har gow have been compared to Yank Sing’s, and their authentic Xi’an dumplings come from an unchanged family recipe. To appeal to more millennial crowds, tri-color dessert bao also grace the menu to get amazing Instagram shots. But what Dumpling Time boasts that nobody else in San Francisco offers yet is a spin on the famous giant xiao long bao, inspired by New York’s Drunken Dumpling that requires a straw to consume. Dumpling Time’s version is more refined, with more meat and less mess, showcasing a superiority to the original and a unique draw for the local dim sum crowds.

Between that massive dumpling of deliciousness and the many scrumptious traditional and modern delights on the menu, it’s clear that Dumpling Time is already beginning to cement itself as a San Francisco dim sum institution.