Lai Hong Lounge Reviews

Awesome food and fun ambiance! We were the only non-Asian customers and we consider that a plus! There is a lot going on here and you basically can't go wrong for food or price!

It was after a quick morning meeting, the chair surprised the group with a luncheon. She took six of us to Lai Hong Lounge for dim sum lunch. The place was pack and crowd during this time. However, it was not long when we were given a table for six, We were prompty seated and menu was given to one of the lead. He and chair selected and checked off ten or more plates. I though we would need a big plate of stirred fried beef noodle. However , I was wrong. There was plenty of food on the small plates. The dishes came in series: beef rice noodle, black bean ribs, diarrean custard, hai gow, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, etc. And there were a few food items l. It was not bad at all. The service was ok during the busy lunch hour. If one wants to eat at Lai Hong Lounge, go there early though they take rsvp.

Lai Hong Lounge has very good dim sum and other Chinese food. Unfortunately the service is terrible. Our wait was close to an hour and it was poorly supervised. The service at the table was not good either. The food is good especially the dim sum

We arrived about an hour before lunch end. The place was packed with local Chinese guests. There was about a dozen more waiting for tables. We got a number from the hostess, indicating 12 numbers ahead of us. So we settled against the wall to wait, until the hostess began saying something I didn't understand. She was asking if we minded sharing a table with others since the wait would be long. Not minding at all, we were escorted with 6 other people to a large table. I'm used to community tables, even use them in my own restaurant. I know that everyone orders their own meals, gets their own checks, and pays however they want. You get a menu and a sharpie. Just write on the menu what you want. Dim sum is one one side, entrees on the other. The portions are huge and fabulous. Hand the menu to the server and sit back and wait for the food to arrive. It comes in waves, so you have a chance to eat each dish before another arrives. Eventually, though....it's catches up to you, and you just graze. I had a pretty good idea what I was ordering, which is a good thing. The waiters are moving pretty fast, delivering food, so not much time to ask questions. The food is fabulous.

My wife and I ate dim sum for lunch at Lai Hong during our recent visit. There are no carts but instead you mark on a doubled side plastic covered sheet the dished of dim sum you want. Service was kind of slow but prices weren't too bad. The food is freshly prepared and pretty decent.

Enjoyed the dim sum here. Nice atmosphere and great service. The servers helped us navigate the menu. We enjoyed the bbq pork buns and shrimp dumplings and sui mai. Overall excellent

We were looking for a dim sum place for dinner, but many places in Chinatown were already closed for the day. Stumbled upon Lai Hong, and I'm so glad we did! The food was delicious, with tons of options to choose from. The waitress was very helpful and guided us to pick a good combination of dishes. Very reasonably priced (especially for San Francisco). Can't wait to go back on a future trip! P.S. Get the little piggies for dessert... cute and yummy!

Upon arriving we given a number and was told the wait was about 35 mins; however it was more like 1 hour and 15 mins. We ordered the usual dim sum dishes, ha cao, siu Mai, etc. it was good but nothing special. One of our dishes didn't make it out and we asked the server to remove it from our check. Service lacks, we asked the server to give us hot mustard, but then she forgot. We ended up asking another server who finally brought it out to us. I don't think the wait for the quality of service with average food is worth a visit.

Large selection of dim sum and a large menu overall. The food was very good and portions are quite large. The restaurant itself could use some updating and maybe some deep cleaning.

Lai Hong is owned by the same people as Hong Kong Lounge. We came here for dinner on a Thursday night and it was fairly quiet. They have a Chef Special of $69.99 for 4 which includes a soup of the day, a choice of either Imperial Peking duck (which we picked) or Minced Garlic Steamed Lobster; then you can pick four other dishes (from over 30 items) for your meal. We ordered WuXi pork ribs, salt and pepper calamari, pork belly with steamed vegetables (kow yuke mu choi), and sautéed beef with fresh lily. We also ordered the sautéed pea shoots. Not sure what the soup of the day was called, but it had a delicious broth. All the dishes were nicely prepared and had good presentation. Food was tasty. They gave us some kind of complimentary dessert at the end (coconut pudding with red bean?). We came back here another day for dim sum (on Tuesday). It was very crowded. Everything was really good. We had pork siu mai, shrimp dumpling, pan fried turnip cake, bean tamale, chiu Zhou dumpling, steamed chicken feet, baked pork buns, noodle roll in XO sauce, shrimp noodle roll, and beef noodle roll. Come when it opens or you will probably have a wait before being seated.

We noticed a long line here on a Sunday morning so we tried it for dinner. The food was excellent, service was fantastic and atmosphere was lovely. The tea was complimentary and delicious. My favorite dishes were the beef curry dumplings, shrimp dumplings and pan fried pot stickers. I would absolutely return and recommend to others.

A bit off the main Chinatown strip but we'll worth the walk. Helpful staff and lots of Chinese patrons (always a good sign!!) Tasty Dim Sum and delicious chef specials. Highly recommend.

I hate writing this in part because I was hoping so badly that it would terrific. Unfortunately it was not. Some of the items were simply cold. The chow mein was undercooked. The pan fried shrimp and chive are really bad. Normally one of my favorites, the type of dumpling they use is chewy and bad. The dough used for shrimp and chive dumplings is unlike anything I've ever seen, and possibly the worst item I've ever had for dim sum. They are a thick white and pasty dough. Strangely similar to gnocchi. With so many great options in the city this is easily one you should pass up.

First time eat here. Me & friend love all the food we had here. Were there on Wednesday night the seat available, no need to wait

First ever meal at a dim sum restsurant. I can only say WOW! It is like a tapas restaurant for Chinese/Cantonese food. Got to try a wide range of food not available in the Midwest.

Admitting up front we’d never had this kind of food before ... we absolutely loved it! The restaurant itself was pleasant and the staff friendly, even if very busy. I’d read that the tea on the table was charged, even if you did not ask for it, but we were freezing from the tour bus and it was really tasty. I’d also read how you order (sharpie on laminated menu) and I’m glad because no one explained it. We ordered shrimp dumplings, purple yam buns, curry beef buns and shrimp rice balls, and it was all delicious. The fried shrimp dumplings (served with butter) were our table’s favorite. We all thought the food was great - delicious and well presented - so it was a surprise the check was only $24! Great value, and everyone left full and happy.

We returned to this restaurant many times during our 10 day stay in San Francisco. We have eaten in many Chinese restaurants and sampled a lot of dim sum. This is the most remarkable purveyor of dim sum we have experienced! Yes, the restaurant stays crowded from 10 am to after 2 pm (we always went at lunch time), and there is usually a rather long wait to get a table ( 1/2 hour to 45 mins. usually for us), but the food is so outstanding that to use the wait is worth it. We enjoyed many items off the menu, which includes some a nice wide variety of dim sum treats. We most highly recommend this restaurant for the experience of dim sum food at its best.

Having the Michelin Rating I was expecting big things and was certainly not disappointed. From the time you walk in we were reminded of our journeys to China and Hong Kong. The feel, the smells and local language being spoken. The Yum Cha is extensive in range. The food was quick and fresh and the prices were very competitive. A must visit place in San Francisco! Yum Yum Cha!

Worth the walk and worth the wait!!! Everything we ordered was excellent. Go early, restaurant is fairly large for first seating!!!

We visited around 7 pm on a Sunday and were seated right away. The dim sum was really good, particularly the dumplings. Very reasonably priced too.

Never having Dim Sum before, I was excited to try it at Lai Hong Lounge, which is well known in the city. Unless you get there when they open, be prepared to wait in line. We arrived at 11:30 am and it took an hour before we were seated. Once inside, the tables were very close together; leaving very little elbow room. You're left with a menu and a Sharpie. You select what items you want and they bring them to you. While this restaurant serves more locals than tourists, I would have liked a bit more of a description of the dishes. For example, we ordered a bean tamale. One of the people I was with is a vegetarian, so we thought this would be a safe choice. It wasn't. We had a big package brought out, which they cut open. Spooning into the dish, there were huge chunks of what we think was pork. My biggest complaint would be they only bring you out one dish at a time. If you have a considerable amount of dishes, you're going to be having cold food if you wait for everything to arrive. Some dishes we picked weren't too good or very skimpy on the ingredients; other dishes were quite good. I would highly recommend the pork and chive dumplings, mushroom egg rolls, colorful vegetable fried rice and Chinese donuts. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I would return. For three people, the total bill came up to $57 which included 3 cans of soda and 7 dishes.

The food was unimpressive. Except for the vegetarian Egg Rolls which were nice and crisp, all the other dishes were sub par. We had, flat noodle, fried rice, BBQ Pork steam Buns, Pork Buns, Chicken Dumplings, Pot Stickers. Inexpensive but not worth it

Good old fashion Cantonese restaurant. Good value, we had a set menu for which cost only $69. Comes with authentic lotus roots soup, steam lobster, broccoli with mushrooms, baby cabbage with fish slices and half crisply chicken and tofu with long beans

We enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant. My husband and I are vegetarians while our son is a true carnivore. We started with the mushroom egg rolls, which I thought was the star of the dinner. Our son ordered the beef chow fun and really liked it, though he did comment it was slightly salty. My husband ordered The braised tofu with mushrooms. It had a very light sauce, not heavy or salty. I ordered a dish I can’t remember the name of at the servers suggestion. It was multiple mushroom varieties with an egg tofu (creamy and fried, cut into medallions) in a light sauce. It was different from any other dish I have had and very tasty. The staff was very nice! They chased us down when my husband forgot his phone.

We tried this place after it was recommended by by a local. We had to wait about a half an hour around lunchtime. They bring you tea to the table and never bring you water or asked us if we wanted anything else to drink, but we kinda expected this when there was no silverware on the table just chopsticks. This seems like a traditional Cantonese restaurant and weren't really expecting an Americanized version and were happy with the experience. The food was fantastic, and the service was a little slow but expected because of the time. Overall a great experience and the food was worth the visit....

The food is excellent, the service is fast but the wait time to get into the restaurant is long.it is better if you have a reservation, the waitress are always in a hurry but is understandable because the restaurant is always full.

Super good value for money and worth the 7 block-trek to the place (2 were uphill, yikes). Since I was solo, I was asked if ok to be seated with other people which was fine, and which was why I didn't have to wait too long as the place was packed. Worth a return visit to try the other dishes.

Great food, authentic food, cheap food, good hospitality. Went back the next night because I couldn't get enough!

Come early, they open at 10:30am or after lunch cause this place fills up quick. Recommend ordering everything at once so you aren't left waiting to do another round or get one more thing and wait half an hour for it. They will time it so dishes come out incrementally. We ordered a total of four dishes. The shrimp dumpling, sticky rice with filling, pig custard buns and mushroom egg roll. Be careful it all comes out HOT! You can wait a moment to let it cool once you open certain ones. The shrimp dumpling will have a bit of juice from the shrimp do bite carefully. All of these are most excellent. If the waiter offers to cut certain dishes do it. It helps cool it off. My only issue with this Michelin rated restaurant is it smells a little bit like kitty litter. Eventually the food smells override it. We were here early so we smelled before the food.

Its popularity with ethnic Cantonese is a testimony of the quality of their dim sum. We had over 10 dishes and we liked all of them. They do offer dishes without meat. Do miss their egg custards for dessert. It is the best Pastel de Nata west of Belem (minus the cinnamon). Prices are very reasonable. Menu is both in English and Chinese. It is very crowded weekdays or weekends. They do not take reservations, it is first come, first serve. It is best to avoid their peak time which is 11AM to 12:30. Getting in line for a table can be confusing as they consider the size of your party and they typically call out in Cantonese. If you are Cantonese challenged, stay within the line of sight of the hostess. She will get you when your turn comes. Once you are at your table, we will be rewarded by one of the best dim sums in town.

I told my host, my aunt that these were the best egg tarts outside of Asia. She gave me a cynical look, took a bite and quickly agreed. We did take-out which is never as good as dining in, but still - everything was delicious and tasty. One observation - the dimsum sizes here are larger than in Asia. However, they are still not as large as the ones I ate in SF in the early 1970's when a char siu pau was about 5 inches in diameter. Good bet for dining in.

Ice cold beer and beautiful Chinese food. The waitress was kind enough to advise that we'd ordered too much food and was correct when we still had plenty left after reducing our order. The Honey Walnut Prawns were quite possibly the most incredible thing I've ever had in a Chinese restaurant - not much to look at but the most incredible taste.

We arrived at Lai Hong at 2:30 and thought we were too late as the dim sum closed at 2:30 pm. When we went inside the restaurant was still absolutely full. We were escorted to a table right away and we ordered our dishes- honey BBQ ribs, shrimp dumplings, sticky rice, pork shui Mai and salt and pepper chicken wings. The 5 ribs were 4" long and the meat fell off the bone, 6 wings were large and spicy, rice wrapped in leaves were large and tasty. Shrimps dumplings had 3 shrimps in each and pork were hot and very good. We are from Vancouver, Canada and have eaten very good dim sum at many restaurants at home ; the dim sum we ate at Lai Hong was excellent with low prices and good value. Definitely recommended.

Best dim sum in town. Taste yourself to appreciate. Ample parking around the restaurant, Vallejo St Dinner is good also with quiet atmosphere

We stopped here for dim sum after reading all the great reviews. We were not disappointed! The dim sum was excellent. The place was packed with locals, which indicated to us that this place was good. There was long wait, but since there was only 2 of us and we were willing to share a big table with others, we got seated right away. We ate our fill with 4-5 dishes and our bill only came out to $25. A-MA-ZING for being in San Francisco!

"Hello, are you open?" Those were our words to an empty room. Soon a woman appeared in this basic looking restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. She sat us down to a clean table and presented us a new fresh menu, complete with great pictures of the extensive selection. We ordered off the dim sum menu and regular selections: Chinese Broccoli, Eggplant, and Sweet and Sour Chicken were over the top! Only one other duo joined the restaurant the rest of that evening. But we completely understand why the Michelin Star rating! Please try this place from the myriad of choices!

I had Sunday brunch here. Food is fantastic to say little. I would have gone on and on and on eating everything on the menu.

Dim sum in Chinatown. Show up early to beat the wait and expect service to be slow as they are very busy. Try the chicken and pork dumplings as they are superb.

This place was very crowded and it was full of Chinese people. We had to wait approx 15 minutes (we arrived at 11.30) and the waiting line grew bigger after we arrived. The dimsum was delicious and reasonably priced.

A friend visiting from Vancouver, Canada (known for having good Hong Kong style dim sum) said this place has dim sum matching that of Vancouver. A friend who owns a business in Chinatown said this place has the best dim sum in Chinatown. So we decided to give them a try. We were disappointed. Did we go to the same place our 2 friends went to? I normally try 3 tester dishes when trying a new dim sum place: steam char siu bun, ha gow (steam shrimp dumpling) and char siu wrapped in rice noodle with soy sauce. If these 3 tester dishes pass my test, I would rate the restaurant pretty good as in my opinion, these are some of the most commonly ordered yet difficult to prepare dim sum items. Unfortunately, all 3 did not pass the test. The steam char siu bun had a "musty" smell and taste, and the filling sparse and lack sauce. The ha gow had decent shrimp filling but the wrapping skin was thick, chewy and sticky. The rice noodle char siu lacked char siu filling and the rice noodle skin was way too thick and chewy. We also ordered steamed chicken feet in black bean sauce which lacked flavor and the chicken feet was gooey tasting. The only redeeming dim sum dish is the steamed chicken bun which had tasty chicken filling and good bun texture. It was a disappointing surprise to us that with such good recommendations coming from friends who know good dim sum, that we experienced such average quality dim sum. For good dim sum in Chinatown, I would recommend going to Great Eastern on Jackson St (made famous by Obama eating there) or Begoni Bistro, also on Jackson St...

Excellent food, good quality, large menu with many choices. Friendly service and great prices. The place was packed with locals at 11:30 on a Wed. We waited about 30 min for a table but it was definitely worth the wait.

If dim sum is what you seek- this is it. End of. Authentic. Buzzy. Delicious. Mostly filled with Chinese families- definitely not a tourist trap. Lots of dishes that your local Chinese joint does not have. You are going for the fantastic food- not the decor...

Very good dimsum. You know it's good when the restaurant fills up in less than 30 minutes and 90% of them are locals. Everything came out in a timely manner. The Kung Pao chicken was really good but could have been a little spicier. Would definitely go back.

Got there 20 minutes before they closed after long day. They were gracious and we had a delicious meal...half Peking duck that melted in my mouth but had perfect crisp skin. The dim sum was great. Definitely would recommend and a nice atmosphere.

Rave or rant? RAVE Coming from New York, finding a place to rave about its dim sum is hard to find. This is it! Asked at our hotel for a non-tourist restaurant. This certainly was true here. The menu included items that were not just "americanized". Wonton soup with shrimp dumplings was light and not salty. Everything was fresh and seemed to be prepared when ordered. We arrived at approximately 11:30am on a Saturday and had to wait about a half an hour. Well worth it.

Family style serving, they do combine dishes, it's busy, I recommend to make reservations if you don't have a lot of time.

Went there with friends. THe food was superb. The lady at the desk helped us select the dishes. All were very good. THe service was excellent. Very clean. Will certainly go back soon.

Lai Hong is nothing to look at from outside but on the recommendation of our AirBnB host (thanks Irene!) we went. There were maybe 3 tables with Western diners, the rest were all Chinese which was a positive sign. The waiter was superb; bringing us the picture menu (whilst trying not to feel like an incompetent, it really helped) and suggesting we had over-ordered by two dishes (actually it was 2 1/2). The food delicious and really good value. I cannot recommend this place enough. We will definitely eat there again when we make it back to SF.

We were excited to try an authentic Chinese restaurant whilst in San Fran, but were majorly disappointed. On arrival at the restaurant we were seated almost instantly, it was 6pm ish so before the main dinner rush. It took a while to be served, and even after our food order was taken we weren’t offered a drink. The male server was pushy and rude. We wanted to order some dim sum for starter and a main course of chicken curry and rice. He explained the main dish didn’t come with rice so we ordered a portion separately. Making it clear we wanted them together. 5-10 mins passed and they bought out the chicken curry. But no rice. And no dim sum which we’d requested come first. We waited and waited until the food eventually went cold and still nothing. So we called over the server (who had not once come back to check up on us) and asked about the rice. He was very snappy and told us they came out separately and the chicken took 5 mins but the rice took 20 min. We asked why he didn’t explain this when he took our order. & asked why the chicken wasn’t just cooked 5 mins before the rice was finished. We had no issue waiting if we knew the process. But he merely replied the chefs are busy acting like we were asking for the earth. He got very defensive during the whole conversation and it was a very embarrassing experience, with the table next to us watching the whole exchange. He continued his rudeness basically blaming us. When we’d been very specific from the start and he had not explained otherwise, or set any other expectations. In the end my boyfriend was so annoyed that he said we would be leaving. Not the evening we were expecting. Ruined our last night in San Fran :(

Don't go if you require cool American ambiance. You MUST go if you want Authentic Dim Sum as you would get it in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. Perfect Har Gow shrimp dumpling, Steamed Bun with Crispy Pork Belly, Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings, etc. Pea Shoots in garlic are delicious vegetable choice. Just know that this is a crowded, noisy place with local Chinese socializing chatting at full volume. Love It!

While this can be quite a wait, it is a treat worth waiting for! I went for lunch (keep an eye on the opening hours) and was seated at a table to share after about 20 minutes. The food arrived quickly and was as delicious as it comes! I sampled a variety of dishes and really liked all of them; especially the cripy pork belly slices and the taro and pork buns were excellent! Of course you have to be able to handle the genuine atmosphere of this busy place, but the food focused most of my attention anyhow. A word of advice: It is easy to get carried away when checking items off the menu to order, but 3-4 of the dishes will generally do even for a hungry person.

Went on a Monday for lunch. Place was packed with locals. 10 minute wait worth it though. Varied menu with pictures and English subtitles. You mark what you want with a Sharpie pen. Fast service. Food was good. Large servings for price. Fried rice was excellent. Tea but No water unless you ask for it. Limited bar. And only chopsticks. We asked for forks, but never got them so had to hoard large serving spoons for the four of us. They are probably still laughing about us. Fun experience.

In San Francisco's Chinatown. We filled up on a lot of very tasty treats, then I was surprised at how little the bill was. My only complaint is that the tables are not very strong when folded out to make them larger. You don’t want to lean on the edge of the table.

Truthfully I was torn between Lai Hong and City View for a dim sum extravaganza, and we ended up here simply because they opened earlier, and were glad we did. The wait staff was friendly and patient with us being the only non-Asian diners. The hostess cautioned us that we were ordering too much food, so we cancelled the soup, but it came anyway: succulent wontons bursting with shrimp in broth that was fine but unexceptional. The house special honey ribs seemed like a good idea (sweet, deep fried spareribs) but were almost entirely fat with no meat. Everything else was excellent. We particularly liked the BBQ pork baked buns and the pork noodle roll. I was a big fan of the chicken soy sauce noodles as well (see? Too much food ... and there was more too ...). Overall I would recommend - and go with more than two people. Expect to wait in line. We were there a few minutes before they opened and there were already several people waiting. By the time we left, the huge dining room was full and people were waiting for space at shared tables.

Michelin dim sum spot in Chinatown. Came here for dim sum with a couple of other friends. They give you a ticket and will call your number once your table is ready. It took approximately 20 minutes for us to get a spot on a Sunday morning around 11:30am. Indoor dining only. You order through a paper menu. There is tea service. Credit cards accepted. It is good for big groups but the space is cramped. They have various dumpling combos where the dumplings look like cute animals. The baked BBQ pork buns were my favorite. The exterior is different from the typical honey covered soft buns, as it was a little crunchier, but it was still very pillowy. The shrimp rice noodles were also another standout. They have heftier dishes available if you won’t want to do just dim sum.

Went over there as they opened around 9 AM. Early start but this place filled up pretty quickly. Great selections of dim sum choices. But all 5 dim sum dishes we ordered were absolutely delicious. Particularly, I had 3 dim sums this past weekend including one at this Lai Hong Lounge. I rate this was the best. Strongly recommend this place when anyone visits in SF.

Try to arrange for an early seating without the crowd on Sunday am. The sound level was a hum and tables spaciously apart. the decor is just calm on the eyes. Clean an uncluttered. We had a table for ten which is only way to reserve a table. Check your orders on a slip and wait for the parade of dishes which came at a leisurely pace to savor. As a dim sum parlor this one is very informal with friendly and attentive service that doesn't break the bank. No need to quibble about what individual standards are of the dishes should be. Please it's only dim sum and one should pay attention to the food quality and accept the preparation of the chef. Don't forget to bring good company and not fussy eaters.

Got to the restaurant a little after 9:30 on Sunday morning. No line yet but they were already 75% full. We were the first non-Chinese in the place but were soon joined by a few others. There are no carts, you order from a two sided plastic coated card with dish names in both English & Chinese. When they saw we were struggling, they brought us a picture menu that was not a match to the plastic card but it was helpful. Most staff spoke no English but when they realized our needs, they brought over a hostess who was bi-lingual. Each dish was made to order & was served very hot. All dishes seemed to have less salt than prior experiences. All choices were good to excellent. Service was great. We split our selections between things we knew & adventures by asking what were people at nearby tables eating. We definitely would come again and be more adventurous.

Well you can tell by the number of Oriental people both inside and outside that this is a well frequented restaurant. This is NOT a push cart Dim Sum Restaurant. You have to order off a laminated menu - which has pictures and is pretty descriptive especially for those of us who do not speak the language. Good Food - Good Service - We were looking for good Dim Sum and not Ambiance so where not disappointed by the lack of Ambiance. Get there at least 30 minutes before you want to eat as this place is crowded and always has a wait. Worth the Wait !!

At the former Sinoloa and Lychee Garden site, Lai Hong has classical HK service and quality dim sum. the selection is one of the largest I have seen. Dinner is outstanding, the restaurant is small compared to others I Chinatown but the decor is great.

We wanted to go to Yank Sing but it was fully booked so we reserved a table at Lai Hong Lounge. While we were on our way, they called us to confirm we are coming as the queue has started building up outside the restaurant. We were about five mins late and was glad they hold the table for us despite the queue outside. The food was great, most of the dim sum we ordered was fresh, nicely done, delicious, except the xiao long pau was not as delicate as it should be. The service was very good despite the restaurant being full house. They added the service charge to the bill at 15% so it is not at the discretion of the customer but we gladly paid the 15%. The bill was also more than reasonable. We will be back!

Unusual for us to get dim sum for dinner. Cooked to order, not off a rolling cart. The soup dumplings were just amazing. Skip the Peking duck, we've had better. Our waitstaff was very nice. We were totally sated for not a lot of money. Wish we had gone with a large group to taste even more on the huge menu. We would recommend and would go back.

We went as a big group, two family together. It was a weekend so it was very busy, definitely require reservation. However the service was quite fast and very efficient. It is not a romantic place or when you need to impress somebody, it is a wholesome, down to earth classic Dim Sum eatery with unpretentious food with fresh ingredients, freshly made to order. The egg yolk bun was particularly a stand out, outside is piping hot, soft, inside is runny, just what it is supposed to be! Don't expect to be pampered, no great ambience nor fine table wares but great food you will get. We eat here every time we visit San Francisco!

Looking for an authentic Chinese meal that also accommodated a vegetarian. The meal was fresh, tasty and excellent. Good service and a relaxed vibe. Overall an excellent meal and experience. A really varied and interesting menu too.

We walked to this Restuarant from our hotel and what a pleasure the meal was! We started with the pork steamed dumplings and they were perfect! Fluffy pillows with a yummy filling. We split a large bowl of hot & sour soup which was excellent. Just the right amount of heat. We also managed to eat the broccoli & beef which was so much better than any other restaurant's in my opinion, & most of the seafood chow fun; again, excellent. We were early for dinner (we had arrived earlier from the east coast so it felt a lot later) & local Chinese people were the customers; always a good sign. Tourists soon starting filtering in; the word is out, this restaurant is so good! Plus; all of the above mentioned food & 2 beers cost $51! What a bargain!

Had been to this restaurant for dim sum approximately 4 years ago and it was very good then. Returned 4 years later and it was still very good. Recommended by another business in Chinatown. We arrived and the restaurant was busy but we were able to get a table for four. We ordered our dim sum plates via table menu. I am sorry I did not take any pics because I forgot and the feast was on. We enjoyed the Bunny shrimp dumplings, shrimp dumplings, pork and shrimp six mai, fried pork puffs, beef noodle roll, shrimp noodle, roll, steamed chicken feet and seafood fried noodles. We ate it all.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Lai Hong Lounge. We had toured the city all day, so we were especially hungry and tried several dishes. My favorite dish was the pan fried pot stickers filled with pork. They were crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. I would have ordered more of those if we hadn’t ordered so much more. The wonton soup was great and included delicious spinach (?) leaves. The chicken in the clay pot was my husband’s favorite. The owner told us they both roasted and sautéed it; it was succulent. Lastly, the vegetables with prawns and shrimp was quite tasty. The vegetables were very fresh. Not only did we enjoy the meal, but we also enjoyed chatting with the young owner. He was quite friendly as well as attentive to the customers. Overall, this was a delicious, relaxing experience.

Not located in china town, which may or may not be a positive for you. We found they had a wide menu, and the place was filled with mostly locals. Food was well presented and tasted great.

I checked out a few places in Chinatown and this was one of the better dim sum place i've been to in San Francisco. Easy to find, just down Powell street after jumping off at a cable car stop and walking three blocks north. Place is packed and has the distinct feeling very much like a Hong Kong dim sum restaurant: perpetually noisy with the clinking of dishes and loud rapid fire cantonese being yelled by seemingly everyone, customers crowded in to every open space imaginable like sardines irregardless of parties and personal comfort, and a complete clientele of seemingly FOB southern Chinese. I felt like i was back in Hong Kong for the hour i was there. So it's a typical dim sum place, but instead of the roaming cars with dim sum on them, you order from a laminated menu, placing marks next to the dim sum you want to eat. the dishes arrive pretty quickly, though generally pell-mell. That being said, the dim sum was good, not as good as many place here in Honolulu's Chinatown (notably Mei Sum or Empress), but decent. Of note was the DURIAN PASTRIES. I loved them so much i asked for two more orders (eyes to big for my stomach and ended of taking it home in a doggy bag, but they were even good cold!!!) Would come back here again in a larger party, did feel a little odd when they sat an old local couple next to me right out of the blue.

This is one of the better dim sum places around Chinatown. Oftentimes, the wait time can be very long. If you happen to come in before or after the crowds, it's a little more relaxing and enjoyable. And, the service is a little better. The black marker menu system, with pictures, make for an easy ordering experience, especially for the novices. The prices are a little on the higher side, but the quality and freshness makes up for it.

Top notch Dim Sum at prices that are very competitive for the region. The black-pepper short-ribs were a bit chewy, but incredibly flavorful. On the outskirts of the main area of Chinatown, but worth the extra walking distance for delicious food.

Good dim sum restaurant, came here at around 2:00pm on Sunday and waited for about 10 minutes before we got seated. The restaurant is clean, plenty of tables for big groups. We were only two, so we didn't get to try a lot of things. We had the spicy cow stomach as an appetizer and it was absolutely delicious! The spiciness, the soy and coriander gives it an amazing taste. As for dumplings we had 3 types of dumplings, and they were all very good! the Beijing style, the pan fried and the #2 (I don't remember what is called). They were all very good, well stuffed and hot! The service is very fast and friendly, and each order is about 10 pieces and around $7!

This restaurant offers a picture menu of dim sum which you mark the number of items you want! Very clever! But even better is the taste! Delicious!

Great hole in the wall place. This restaurant actually won a Michelin award. We ordered about 10 dishes and each dish was delicious. My favorite were the cute pork buns, baked bbq pork bun and the crispy pork. We will definitely be back when in the area.

We were very excited when we arrived and found almost exclusively oriental clientele with a long waiting queue - normally a great sign, Not in this case... Being a large group we ordered a large selection. The quantities of each dish were huge, but the quality was hit or miss, with more misses than hits. Gao Choi Gao was inedible, Gnau Yip has all flavor bleached out of it and assorted meat super greasy. Fung Tsau and pork intestines were fine, Shu Mai and Har Gau middling.

This was our last meal before we left SF for the weekend. They open at 10am on Mondays. We got there at 10:20am and it was full. So we had to wait an hour for the first round of people to finish eating and leave. Most of the people eating were Chinese senior citizens who like to chat over dim sum- so they were not leaving any time soon. So if you plan on eating here- just expect a very long wait. Food was very good once we sat down to eat. We gobbled it down and took most of it to go though- in order to make our flight. But I would go back next time I am in SF.

We visited on a Saturday morning and waited about 45 minutes. It was a great dim sum experience as there were many dishes I have never seen or tried before. Everything tasted good and was well executed. Service was typical for a Chinese restaurant which is generally hands off unless called over.

A local favorite dimsum place. Overall the food is good, creative fun dishes for kids like shrimp dumpling looks like a bunny or cute bao. The tofu skin wrap does not have a lot of meat so is the fried dough with pork. The bbq pork pastry is good and the beef rice wrap is good too. Would consider going back again.

Not the Dim Sum cart style restaurant. Instead you mark your selections on a list of menu items and everything is delivered hot and fresh to your table. Most everyone in the restaurant was Chinese; a good sign IMO! Prices are fair and portions are generous and I plan to eat there again!

Was excited to try this as it was our first Chinese food after being on the road in over a month. We were greeted in Cantonese, and the menu was in both Chinese and English. Felt similar to a traditional Chinese restaurant in SG or HK. Food wise, the congee was good and served in a large portion. Char Siew pao and radish cake were both decent too. Would visit again.

We met friends here tonight for some great dim sum and assorted other dishes. While the atmosphere is a little stark, food and service were great. The beef dumplings in particular were great and the prices are reasonable. The location is pretty convenient - a $10 cab ride from our hotel. I would definitely go back and recommend.

Very good at lunch for dim sum. Good selection, no carts. We liked it. The honey ribs were interesting, but not very tender.

This was our first lunch in San Francisco. After walking around Chinatown, we decided on dim sum. Although this place seemed to have mixed reviews, we liked that the decor was typical of Hong Kong or of a Chinese restaurant in NY in the 70s. There was not one thing we ordered that we didn't like. The pork pastry puff, broccoli with oyster sauce on the side, shrimp noodle roll, taro dumpling, steamed pork dumpling (soup inside so pierce carefully and sip) were extremely delicious. The scallion pancakes were flavorful (but greasy as all scallion pancakes are). The sticky rice in a lotus leaf was good but came at the end after we had the amazing coconut dumplings and fried sesame dumplings (both more like dessert and so good!), that it made the rice pale in comparison. It would have been better if the rice which had mushrooms in it was served at the start of the meal instead of at the end but it could be good for some folks who prefer a savory ending to their meal over a sweet one. The service was efficient and we didn't have to wait too long to eat on a Saturday afternoon at the height of lunchtime. It was an enjoyable experience and a wonderful way to kick off our trip and cuisine tour.

Visited on a Sunday morning. We had to take a ticket and wait for half an hour. The restaurant was packed full and noisy: just the atmosphere that a good dim sum house needs. The wait was well worthwhile. The range, size and quality of the dishes was exceptional, as was the price. Highly recommended if you're looking for great traditional dim sum experience.

This restaurant was recommended to us by a local who was working at the California Welcome Center at Pier 39. We had asked for a good place for dim sum in China Town that wasn’t touristy and he mentioned that he remembered going here as a child. Although the service was not great (reason for the 4), the food was very good and we enjoyed the experience. Tips: - When you enter, they will put your name on a list and give you a ticket with a number written on it. They will call out this number when your table is ready. To the left they have tables for 2 and 4 and to the right the larger group tables. After waiting about 20 minutes, we were able to get our requested table for 4. - They bring a pot of hot tea and each person who pours a cup is charged $1.30. In our party, I was the only one who drank it but since we poured everyone a cup, we were charged $5.30. I was expecting this as I’ve been to plenty of Asian countries. It tasted just like normal Chinese tea. They did not offer sugar, sweetener, iced water, or any other drink. There is a refrigerated case at the front that had soft drinks in it, so we could have ordered one, but my family insisted to me that they were fine (I was actually a little parched during the meal). When I looked around the restaurant, no one had another drink on the table, no water, no nothing — they were just drinking the hot tea. - You are given a Sharpie and one plastic menu for your table with pictures of most of the food items when you are seated (there are extra printed takeout menus with the same items at the front of the restaurant). The items are listed in English and Chinese. The food is not described on the menu, but we had no problems ordering from the names and pictures. You just mark how many of each item you want and then place the menu on the edge of the table (at least that is what we did). Most people in the restaurant appeared to be speaking Chinese (both wait staff and guests) and our receipt was in Chinese. - Don’t expect friendly service. It took a bit of effort to catch someone’s eye to indicate that we wanted to order and that we wanted them to take the menu. It seemed like the waiter kept scanning our area and missing us. Not sure if that was intentional or not. - Once you get the order placed, it starts coming out pretty quickly. One nice service feature is that they do ask if you want the larger items cut in half, which is nice when you’re sharing a pork bun. - The prices are very reasonable and much cheaper than what we paid for Din Tau Fung in Santa Clara. But then again, DTF’s food is also a bit better (not to mention the service). - Be sure to check their hours before you go as their lunch hour ends at 2:30 and then they reopen for dinner. Not clear if they have the same menu for dinner or not. We probably arrived around 12:30, maybe later, and there were plenty of folks that arrived after us. Overall, a fun authentic experience.

Authentic, delicious dim sum , with the best egg tarts I have ever had! The restaurant doesn't have carts. Use the black marker on the table and check off what you want directly on the laminated menu. They deliver your items quickly.

We came here looking for Dim Sum and ended up not ordering Dim Sum. I ordered the Peking Duck and my boyfriend got the Crispy Chicken. Both dishes were delicious. I have had Peking Duck in Beijing and it was good, but when I had it in Beijing it was shaved into slices. Here I had to break off chunks to put in the buns provided (and in Beijing they gave us pancakes/crepes).

Came here with friends in search of good dimsum and after walking by several takeout dimsum places we found this place. We got in before the line started to form outside. Every item we had were very nice & on-point, good quality. Now we know where to get good dimsum in SF!

We walked through Chinatown and ended up having dinner here. The place was busy for a Wednesday night, but we were seated right away. The dim sum and mango dessert were delicious. The prices are very reasonable.

This place was recommended by a Chinatown local who takes her family there frequently. The waiter was very helpful being this was our first Dim Sum experience. We ordered more than we should have but nevertheless clean our plates. All the servings were delicious. The waiter informed us that the lunch crowd has a line going out the door so be prepared . We were the first ones for dinner when we arrived at 530p so no waiting. The inside of the restaurant has an elegant appeal. We will return on our next visit to SF

Our San Francisco relatives took us to this place - they love it, and so did we. There were five of us, and we had so many appetizers and a few main courses that I don't really remember what they all were - but I do remember being impressed. It was delicious and reaonably priced.

Not every restaurant is open every day of the year but this place is. My Daughter and I waited 40 minutes to get in and it was worth it. Stuffed mushrooms with shrimp, pork & shrimp dumplings and steamed pork buns were very good classic dim sum dishes. Spare ribs were very juicy and fatty were just fair. Turnip cake was very interesting and could serve 4 easily. We had 7 dishes & tea for only $40. Classic custard tarts were very good for dessert. We will go back often.

Told by our concierge to go here & was great! The restaurant was full & we shared a table with two Chinese families that didn't speak English. It was fun seeing what the food they ordered was & it was a very pleasant experience. Waiter was friendly & helpful in ordering. We tried the dim sum was very good & mushroom egg rolls were awesome. Had beef spare ribs a little fatty but good flavor. They bring ages items out at a time & Mark then off your order list as it comes out ( which is written in Chinese). I highly recommend it here.

It’s in the region of Chinatown but not in the center. Above average Chinese food. Toufu is good. BBQ pork is good. It’s not very busy. Don’t have to wait in line.

Highly recommend! Every dish was excellent. All the traditional dumplings and many new sich as Spinach Dumplings with a fabulous mushroom filling. If you like ribs def order the Coffee Pork Ribs. The Purple Yam Buns so pretty and tasty in their own way. Next time I’ll try the Curry Beef Dumplings and the Preserved veg and Beef Rice Noodles. Snapped a pic from another diner’s table and they loved the dish.

Our community group decided to have its Year of the Monkey , Lunar New Year's Dinner at Lai Hung Lounge, 1416 Powell and Broadway Street, in San Francisco. The same night as the annual parade where millions would be watching! The restaurant has special order menu, ranging from $198 to $498, a banquet set meals. The executive officers decided on the $198.00 order for 10 persons per table. These were the dishes: Special col cut appetizer platter, honey walnut tiger prawns, sautéed pumpkin diced beef, roast duck, honey pork ribs, sateed fish with greens, yang chow fried rice,, sun dried scallop bisque , ginger bok choy and dessert of the day ( which was red bean pudding). The above cost doesn't include gratuity or tax. And, it would charge a cork fee of $10.00 or cake cutting fee of $3.00. The services may have sufficient staffing for this busy night. The table didn't have tea pot ready or water ready. Though there was a bucket of ice! Delivery of the meal dishes were prompt. However, the quantity and the artistic presentation were not there. It seems the platters were big and tend to overwhelm a particular dish other than the roast duck or pork ribs. The appetizer platter was lacking in color and amount. Seems like there was not enough for our party of nine to try and taste the items. Same with the prawns, which I thought was small in size, and not described as "tiger prawns!" The tastes, presentations and customer services were about average. It may be because this was a busy day as millions came to San Francisco to view the New Year's parade. it may be the kitchen and floor staff were short of helps. I do know that its dim sum lunch is not bad, but that is another story. Otherwise, try its dinner or lunch not on busy holidays.

Recommend to us by Kevin at Park Central Hotel. Holy cow! Best dim sum I've ever had. I could stop eating. Ordered way too much, but that meant plenty of left overs! Off the beaten track, away from the tourist, and we'll worth it. We will be back!

A family visit, great service, and one the best dim sum ever. Everything we tried was at the highest level.