Dumplings and Buns

This is a quaint place that has a personable touch. It’s worth the wait! You order everything up front then have a seat and they will bring the food to you. No number needed, they remember you and the order.
I bought a groupon deal, so we had $ 30 to try lots of different items. We got the dumplings, chicken salad, chicken wonton soup, dragon ryujin wings and a couple of the sweet dessert buns. Everything is super fresh and handmade. All items were tasty with the perfect amount of everything.
The owner even came over to make sure everything was good and tasty. She’s super sweet and really enjoys hearing feedback from everyone. Definitely will be coming back!

I can’t imagine how this business stays afloat with the surplus of authentic chinese eats in the bay area as competition. I should of listened to my first instincts and taken the 2 down to clement. I deserve it for being lazy.
The food here was really bad!
I wasted money and virtually skipped dinner. I had 2 bites of dragon wings, a couple spoonfuls of fried rice and just 1 overcooked pork won ton. I shouldn’t have discarded the meal but I was not happy. My dinner ended up being a glass of milk as I grudgingly watched a red box special. The girl at the counter was clearly having a bad day and I don’t think she said a word to me except for” $ 21.76 «without glancing upward. I figure, she is probably aware of the establishments impending doom and in that case, I can’t say I blame her.

I should be beat with a feather duster for coming here. I knew it was a bad idea, but couldn’t help myself.
The interior of this business is nice, very clean and welcoming. It’s not your typical hole in the wall Asian joint. I came in around 5pm on a Saturday and the woman behind the counter didn’t know what they buns they had available. I ended up with 2 custard buns and 2 boozer buns. The dim sum they had displayed, which they probably shouldn’t do anymore, was dried up and looked unappetizing. I left with $ 9 less and 4 mini buns. These were nowhere near the size of traditional buns you’d get elsewhere. They were definitely catering towards the non-​asian crowd who don’t know any better. Again, I should be beat with a feather duster. My Grandmother would slap me silly for walking into this place.
The buns weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either. It was about two bites, mostly bread. The ratio of bread to filling was way off. Sadly, I knew I wasn’t getting a value but I just wanted to give them a taste. I’ll stick to the greasy hole in the walls, better value and taste.

In theory Dumplings and Buns sounds wonderful, but in reality it’s a sad, sad Asian fusion experience.
First issue, my friends and I noticed a big lack of organization and delivery of the actual food. If my friend hadn’t asked, my food would have shown up 20 – 30 minutes after theirs got there (and they had finished eating).
I was willing to still give them a shot even though my friends had almost finished their food by the time mine arrived, I mean maybe their food is amazing. Let’s break it down:
BBQ pork buns — a lame excuse for pork buns. Lack of flavor, way too many onions, not enough pork. Save your $ 2/​small bun and go to dim sum!
Chicken wonton soup — while a nice flavor, still lacking in overall quality.
All in all, service was a big issue and then the food was not even that good. I could see someone coming in here and having a slightly better experience which just speaks to the inconsistency at this shop.
I’m not going back again.

4 dumplings plus 1 bao — under $ 6
Baked Pork Bau — def not char sui (bbq pork) has a sweet southern style BBQ taste to it. Too much onion. Dough okay, good texture not too doughy and not overall sweet. May need an egg glaze to give sheen and that yummy little crunchy at more traditional dim sum houses.
Chicken dumpling — dough waaayyy too thick and gummy. chicken okay
Vegetable dumpling — again dough too thick and gummy. Veg was actually good. Nice taste and crunch from water chestnuts.
Pork dumpling — same dough problem and tasted exactly like the chicken — okay.
Overall good thing this place is in Pac Heights because there’s no way this place could compete with any other dim sum to go restaurants all over the city. Honestly this is accessible dim sum for people who aren’t adventurous enough to wander into China Town, Irving, or even Clement. I doubt I’ll be back.
price for 4 dumplings = $ 3.75, at good luck dim sum 3 dumplings for $ 1.60 that blow these out of the water — your taste buds…

I was super excited to see that a dim sum place opened up right down the street from my house. I stopped in one night for dinner and ordered the salad and dumping combo with the Chinese chicken salad and three steamed pork pot stickers and one baked pork bun on the side.
The salad was pretty basic and kind of boring. It came with kind of wilted lettuce, cilantro, chicken, and canned mandarin oranges, the dressing was kind of oily. What this salad was really missing was a bit of crunch, it would have benefited from some nuts or crispy wontons on top.
The steamed pork pot stickers were gross. The wonton was really thick and bland and there was barely any filling inside of them. The sauce they were served with was my favorite part of this meal. It was slightly spicy and covered the blandness of the pot sticker.
The steamed pork bun was just ok. There was a lot of bread and very minimal filling.
I might be willing to give this place a second shot in the future, I understand that they are a new establishment and are trying to iron the kinks, but I will not be rushing back any time soon.

I have really enjoyed their dumplings, and the price is just right. Generally, the dumplings are fresh, but every once in a while I’ll have an order that has lost a considerable amount of moisture.
I haven’t ordered their savory buns since I first tried them (a few times), but I do however love their chocolate sweet bun.
They stopped selling the Sokenbicha bottled tea. That was my favorite.
I’d be open to seeing different types of dim sum dumplings on the menu as well. Dumplings are the slightly healthier option over their savory and sweet buns.

I only tried the sweet custard buns. I thought they were very yummy and they were still warm. I highly recommend the vanilla. It’s the standard yellow custard with a kick of vanilla. I ate it so fast I almost choked. I’ll be back to try the dumpling, savory buns and other custard buns another time.
Btw, people always complain about the prices in Pac Heights. Every place in this neighborhood is pricy. Given that you can buy 6 buns for $ 10 isn’t bad… considering people pay $ 3.50 for a cupcake. I love the fact this place will save me a trip from Chinatown. Seriously, Chinatown is my least favorite place in SF… parking is impossible, everyone can’t drive, old people push you, it smells, etc. (I’m Chinese and don’t even like going there)

In-​and-​out dim sum fare but at Yank Sing prices!
+ Mix and match three dim sum dumplings for like $ 5. Got the veggie, chicken and shrimp. The other choice is pork. They have that translucent skin which is standard of most dim sum places. Palatable but not exactly memorable.
+ Great staff. All attentive and check-​in and check-​out was seamless
+ Dessert is like $ 2 for a custard bun. It’s a nice alternative to the fro yo that is popping up too much on the Fillmore strip. Select vanilla, chocolate or orange and ginger. That day there was chocolate peanut butter as a special.
— Great concept and alternative to the standard fare in the hood but I’m not sure I’d go back for it unless I was just seriously craving for dim sum which means never really filling up for the price I pay.

Great idea, poor execution.
The dumplings are the dim sum variety with the translucent chewy skin. However Dumpling and Buns’ version is made without any technique involved; it’s almost barbaric how it’s put together. Thick skin that is not pleated, but just folded over so it’s a half moon shape with no more than a teaspoon of filling each. I had one dumpling that was sitting in the steamer so long, the skin was dry and hard on one side. Gross. I also ordered the BBQ Pork bun and if you are familiar with this type of bun, you’ll be sorely disappointed. D&B’s is like eating a big white roll with some meat inside; it’s just pure doughy-​ness. A true BBQ pork bun is delicate and light (brioche like) with a glazed sticky topping and tons of meat inside.
Not worth a trip. Save your dollars and go elsewhere.

Fusion dim sum! Super cute and amazing idea, I’m surprised it wasn’t done earlier! This place is great for a quick bite to eat while you’re out and about shopping and tired of the standard fare. My personal favorites are the sweet buns. The pastry is perfectly baked and the filling is delicious. The savory items are super tasty too – my favorite are the dumplings. The wrapper has the perfect texture and the filling is amazing – I love the sauce for it too!
Sure, things here aren’t your regular dim sum prices, but many of us pay ~$ 3 for a cupcake (!!!) without complaining, and we all know those aren’t going to fill you up (or at least you shouldn’t fill up on those).
The store itself is very cute and clean, definitely way comfier than Chinatown! Can’t wait until the next time I go back!

Friday night. Around 6PM. And you run out of almost everything on your menu? That’s peak dinner time! Workers clueless on when new buns and dumplings are coming out. Makes me believe they opened too soon before they got all the kinks out.
Sizes are ridiculously small for the price. I guess that’s what you can get away with by planting yourself in the trendy Fillmore/​Pac Heights area.
Tried the chicken dumplings since that’s all that they had at the time and they were nothing to write home about. The BBQ pork bao was miniscule compared to one you can get in Chinatown. The May’s Favorite Amaretto Boozer Bun which we waited patiently for was only a glimmer of light in otherwise a deep disappointment of a visit.
Just head to Chinatown. You’ll get buns triple the size for half the price and the same amount of wait time if not less.

After almost a week of boycotting this place for whatever reason, I decided to give it a try. The place was clean — almost too clean. SInce food options were lacking (only a fraction of menu available each day), I guess they concentrated on creating a façade of Chinese offerings. However, nice woman behind the cash register informed me that they will «really open» next week, AND get a communal table. Stay tuned…
Soba noodle salad with tofu (vegetarian, not vegan): I did not like this, but to their credit, it was edible. It came pre-​packaged, and was just bland.
Veg dumplings: chewy, but mushroom filling was nice. I think I liked the sauce it came with more, and would prob purchase just the sauce next time (if they bottled and sold it) rather than the actual dumplings.
Chocolate bun: Hello unexpected aftertaste!
Amaretto bun: Ok… I could’ve eaten 100 of them. I literally had to leave so that I wouldn’t order more. Next time, I will be ready… stretchy pants and all.
Overall, what underwhelmed me more than the mediocre food and upper Fillmore pricing was the unpreparedness of the staff. Yes, they were really nice, but they lacked professionalism. For example, as the cashier was taking our order, another employee interrupted her (with no apology to me) and asked her where [other worker] went? — twice!). Now, that incident did not affect my «experience» per se, but it did signal that maybe they should have forgone this so-​called «soft open» and have just opened when they were fully ready — food and staff and all.

The space feels empty and the display cases are empty as well. The menu offerings were very limited: chicken, pork or veg dumplings, $ 3.75; baked savory buns: pork & chicken $ 2, vanilla sweet custard bun $ 2, vegan soba noodle salad. The baked buns are ½ the size of the usual Chinese baked buns. They also sell sauces, dressings, and drinks.
* Steamed pork dumplings ($ 3.75): 3 translucent, moon shaped, chewy, flat dumplings filled with a sweet and savory mixture of pork, shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts. It reminded me of the filling for those deep fried pork stuffed glutinuous rice balls, haam sui gau. The starchy skin was very oily. The dipping sauce tasted like plain soy sauce, too salty. I liked the filling, not the wrapper.
* Baked Chicken bun — the dough was very soft and dense and seemed undercooked. The filling tasted similar to the filling for the pork dumplings, only with diced chicken instead of pork, and once again, water chestnuts, shitake mushroom, and scallion.
* Baked vanilla bun — doughy again, but with a crunchier top piece, the creamy sweet custard was nice but the dough seemed underbaked.
Order online from their website.

The Most Rip-​Off Buns Ever!
2 dollar Buns!
You’ll pay twice more and get twice smaller buns.
When I saw the size of the bun, I was like «WTF?»
Sadly disappointed.
The place is super clean so you feel safe, al least.
I know the funnky feeling every time you want to go in a dumpling place but many Chinese restaurants are lookin’ pretty dangerous and filthy as fxxx and you don’t feel safe to eat anything in there.
I know the feeling.
But it is very clean here. They must see the new movie contagion.
Loved the movie!
I understand the place trying get a high-​end Chinese take out place but it isn’t working because:
1. Who wants high-​end Chinese food in U. S? People wants CCC, Cheap Chinese Crap. Chinese is cheap food, period. Nothing more than that, nothing less than that.
2. Most Chinese take out places have 1 woman who takes care of casher and server, 2 jobs. But here has 2 persons, casher and server. They can not do 2 jobs. That is the reason the price is twice high than any other dumplings and Buns. Of course, the rent must be very high.
Well, Most Chinese take out places who does 2 jobs are very much Chinese women from China. They may not finish school but they can do multiple things with counting money at once.
There are so many dumbass college graduates don’t know how to count, no matter what, text messaging while driving on the freeway and crash cars.
Do we still need higher education? For what?
To me, higher education is such BS.
So, why I have to go back there for Bullshit Buns?
The place Sucks same as the Saigon sandwich shop on Filmore.
I think I learned something.
If you find a super clean Chinese place.
You end up paying more for that.
They think they can charge for clean Chinese food.
Laurence H. said:
«Cheap Chinese Crap is still better than most Western food. Also, there are also an abundance of better quality Chinese restaurants that will cost you more than $ 10. Chinese cuisine along with French, Japanese, and Italian is considered world-​class. You might want to try South Sea, Koi Palace or Mayflower and find that Chinese food is more than sweet and sour pork…»
What I ment to say that was What the FXXX with the 2 dollar Bun?
Because on upper Filmore?
Maybe most Asian place on Filmore are Rip-​Off, include the Japo restrant callsTen-​Ichi and the Pseudo Viet sandwich shop.
I’m just sayin’.

I wanted to go to burger king down the street after my $ 12 lunch to get a decent sized bun to fill my tummy…
Another mediocre fillmore establishment.
Pork dumplings: dim sum style with clear skin. I’m really disappointed in the flavor and content of the dumplings. They were cold and unimpressive.
Chicken dumplings: same. flavor is slightly more complex than pork, but still can’t even remotely justify the outrageous fillmore real estate (3 for $ 3.75)
Pork buns: tiny and again, disappointing.
Vanilla buns: COLD and tiny. repeating the theme. I’ve had much, much, much better.
I’m really sad to give such a bad review for a local business. The service is excellent, hence the extra star. Will probably never return again for food.

Pricey Asian food boggles my mind.
Yet, I keep coming back for more. Tried this spot while in the neighborhood. The chicken dumplings were really good — but 3 for $ 3.75 is a little on the pricey side, no matter HOW good it is. A pork bun (think char siu bao) the size of a golf ball… was twice the price it is in Chinatown… and wasn’t significantly better — actually, it wasn’t better at all.
I give them credit for giving away buns while folks had to wait for their orders… but unfortunately, I can’t see this establishment around for the long run.

If you want more bang for your buck, go to a dim sum place in Chinatown (or Clement Street or Irving Street, etc.) because you’ll pay less and get more. These buns are $ 2 each and much smaller than what you’d get one of these other places.
I had a BBQ Pork Bun and a Sweet Vanilla Custard Bun. The BBQ Pork Bun was okay. It was a little small for my taste and I seriously did not see any meat in mine. I’m sure there was some in there because it had the taste (at least a little) but it wasn’t bursting with meat like most are. The Vanilla Custard Bun was good. It had the pineapple crusty stuff on the top (which I love) and the vanilla custard filling was different. I’m not sure I’d get a chocolate filled one. Growing up eating dim sum, having a chocolate filled bun seems weird.
Not sure I’d go back simply because I’m all about value, but not too bad.

I was the first one to order and my number is 0. Ha!
Came here for their pre opening event. It’s pretty warm in there even with their door open.
pork dumpling– YUM!
pea shoot dumpling– not my cup of tea. I’m sure vegetarians would like this one
pork bun– I guess I’m used to the ones you get at Chinese dim sum places. This one was pretty small and honestly I couldn’t even see any pork inside. What I did see and taste was the sauce and loads of onions.
chocolate custard– this one was the BEST! I loved the sugar crusted coating on top. The bun itself had just the right amount of sweetness to it. The chocolate custard was really good. They need to put in more chocolate filling. There was maybe only ¹⁄₈^th filled.
Everyone was friendly. Will definitely come back to buy more custard buns. I also want to try their other menu items they’ll be offering.

Great soft open party! Friendly service that handled the rush well with a smile.
Pea shoot dumpling had a lot of flavor for veggie, the pork less so. The «skin» could be thinner, more delicate.
BBQ Pork Bao had a delicious filling without lots of goo — wish the bun wasn’t undercooked, probably bc of the rush of customers.
The hits were the sweet custard buns — heaven! I restrained & only bought 1 vanilla & 2 chocolate — OMG, deeelish! The crust on top was perfect! Just wish there was more chocolate — because there is never enough chocolate.