Just perfect. This was my first time.I even forgot to take a picture. Just lost my mind then finished all dishes.I will come back here for next biz trip then make sure that take pics with my dslr.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Xiao Long Bao, Steamed Dumplings, Sesame Balls, Dry Fried Chicken Wings, Dim Sum
Michael Chang
Came here with some co-workers for lunch. The restaurant was crowded. Fortunately, we had made a reservation in advance so we were seated almost immediately.Half of us ordered the Dan Dan Noodles while the other half ordered the beef noodle soup. My Dan Dan Noodles were decent, but the numb-inducing spice that normally accompanies Dan Dan Noodles was missing. So too was the nutty flavor. I was a bit disappointed. My co-workers seemed to enjoy the beef noodle soup so maybe that's the better dish to order.Service was friendly, but the food took a long time to be served. Also, the Dan Dan Noodles came out about 10 minutes before the beef noodle soup so half of us sat there waiting as our food got cold.The restaurant is extremely noisy so it's difficult to have a conversation. I won't be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Dawn Miller-Bergemann
Very good. Staff was great. Will be
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leilua L.
This place had a upscale vibe with great music and attentive staff. Everyone was very friendly and I had the bbq pork buns and Pork Sheng Jian Bao and everything was SOOO AMAZING! I wish I lived closer I would be broke from eating here everyday of my life! The bbq pork buns were so fluffy with a hint of sweetness and a savory inside of bbq pork. The soup dumplings had a crunchier pan fried bottom with flavorful soup and meat on the inside. The Oolong tea was very good as well I didn't need sugar at all it was just good quality tea. They even brought a dessert sesame ball for free at the end of my meal and i left so full and satisfied! If you read to the bottom of this, hesitate no further and just do yourself a favor and check this place out, you WONT regret it.
Samuel G.
I have walked past this place and seen it empty many times. I finally tried it last night and it was AWESOME: - The lava egg custard tarts are legitimately the best new thing I have eaten in months if not a year or more - The dumplings (we had pork siu mai and shrimp dumplings) were high quality - I had the chrysanthemum tea which was high quality and very cheap; my wife had the White Haven wine which is excellent (and hard to find on menus) - The service was excellent; the staff were very friendly and kind - Solid dan dan noodles Eat here!
Julian R.
We stopped by to visit a friend in the Downtown SF area and came across this great restaurant called Village Tea House. We ordered the Pork Xiao Long Bao (4.5/5), Dan Dan Noodles (4.5/5), Chili Oil Wontons (5/5), Shrimp Woodear Chive Dumplings (4/5), and the Pork Sheng Jian Bao (5/5). The service was great and the server was super sweet. She told us about their special drink (Hong Kong Milk Tea, 4.5/5) which was not on the menu. We ordered one and thought it was amazing! The tea was not overpowering in any way and was great (also not too sweet which I personally prefer) The restaurant was small, but not too small and is aesthetically pleasing. The greenery and dark wood style was perfect for lunch. We sat in the corner at a round table where we sat on these tree-like stumps that were so unique. The service was quick and easy to order. MUST TRYS: Chili Oil Wontons (5/5): The chili oil wontons was my favorite dish from here, and I was expecting it to just taste like the chili oil provided on the table. However, there were many different flavors in this dish and you could taste a slight sweetness to it. The wontons itself were soft and it melts right into your mouth. Pork Sheng Jian Bao (5/5): I loved this dish as well, the crunch of the outside and it is also aesthetically pleasing. The outside is crunchy while the middle is very soft. I enjoyed the balance between the two. WARNING: the soup was very hot inside. I was not expecting any soup to be inside the sheng jian bao, but burnt my tongue a little when biting into it. I recommend taking a small bite and then emptying the soup into a soup spoon and add some vinegar into it. The soup was great, and the meat inside was soft and flavorful. I dipped this in vinegar and the sourness paired well with the sheng jian bao. Recommended: Pork Xiao Long Bao (4.5/5): I really liked this dish, and I do not have much to complain about it. I thought there was a lot of soup inside (which I like) and it tasted great. I personally thought the xiao long bao was a little too soft, and wish it had a more chewy outside like I have had at other restaurants. I cannot complain much about this dish because it was still great. The meat inside was good and the soup. Dan Dan Noodles (4.5/5): I enjoyed the dan dan noodles thoroughly and felt like this had a more peanut-y taste to it than most dan dan noodles I have tried (which is why I liked it so much). It was unique in that aspect and I would recommend it to anyone who likes dan dan noodles. Optional: Shrimp Woodear Chive Dumplings (4/5): This dish was good, but to me was not anything that stood out. I thought it just tasted like regular dumplings, but I thought that the presentation of it and the color was appealing when it came out. I do not think there was anything special to this dish and would personally say that you can skip it. I would definitely come back to this restaurant to try the beef brisket noodle soup, green onion pancake, and maybe some of the "Wok" options on the menu.
Virginia C.
Food was well presented. We ordered a variety of dim sum for a birthday lunch. The service we received was spectacular.
Amy L.
Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 TL;DR: Randomly came across this place with a few friends & decided to give it a shot, and we were pleasantry surprised. Everything we got was pretty good, the service was fast, and it's fairly reasonably priced (esp for SF). Would def come back here! Dan Dan Noodles: *5/5*: Really flavorful, you can already tell by looking at the color of the sauce/broth. Compared to traditional dan dan noodles, it is on the sweeter side but I really liked that. Would've preferred if there was veggies in this dish to cut the richness but still delicious. Also wish portion was a little bigger Xiao Long Bao: *4/5*: The filling is really good, soft, and savory. There's perfect amount, if not a lot, of soup inside the dumpling. The wrapping was delicious but a little too thick on the top. Overall, pretty decent. Shrimp Paste Doughnut: *5/5*: I always order this when I see it on the menu. The doughnut is nice and crispy and there was a hefty filling of shrimp paste on top. Could've used more sauce, as ours barely had any on it. But great dish to order as a shareable app -- won't be disappointed.
Giovanna R.
Ok overall. Service was great, food is standard, and ambiance was ok. It's been on my list for a while due to some of the items that stood out to me via pics. Not sure I'd return unfortunately. If I did, it would be for a snack or something like that.
Tiffany D.
Contemporary decor of East meets West when dining. Pleasantly surprised that this place exists. It can be easily missed from walking by. I adore their Pork Sheng Ji Bao - it had the right amount of dough layer and soupiness. My favorite dumpling here. Their other steamed dumplings were of the norm. Dan Dan noodle sauce is something unique and makes one slurp for more to embrace that flavor. Beef noodle soup was solid and their beef was tender. Their green onion pancake was thinly crisp and tasty. Stuffed eggplant tofu and string beans were spot on. Sesame balls were freshly fried and were complimentary to us. Steamed egg custard buns, were soft and just the right amount of sweetness. Service was superbly attentive and nice! Yummy tapa bite sized dishes and great for casual gathering kind of dining.
My colleagues and I came here for lunch and ordered food to-go. Their dumplings & fried rice were delicious! I wish we had time to sit down because the staff were very welcoming and quick to serve us.
Xiu L.
Had the popular chicken nuggets walnut prawns etc. everything was very good. Service is attentive. It's a bit loud when it's full but mostly a pretty chill place.
Angelica S.
Hidden gem of a place. Very attentive staff and the chef's skills are top notch. XLB are some of the best I have ever had. I recommend this place to all my friends!
Eisar Lipkovitz
Very solid Chinese food, everything we tried was fresh and not greasy.My only gripe is that the flavors were a bit muted, probably catering to the lunch crowd in the area and tourists.We had the scallion pancakes, mapo Tufo, pan fried shrimp and chives and green beans. I wish the beans and mapo were spicier and stronger flavored, however the beans were super crisp and everything was clearly cooked to order
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Zilan Z.
I wasn't expecting too much when I came here for dinner. The first thing i noticed was how well decorated it was, i loved the interior design. We decided to order a variety of dishes to test out what was good. Hot and sour soup - one of the better ones i've had! It has more ingredients which is what i like Pork sheng jian bao - it is difficult finding a place that makes these correctly but this place does this so well! Beef brisket soup - not as good compared to the other foods Lazhi chicken - very good and will order again!
Just perfect. This was my first time.I even forgot to take a picture. Just lost my mind then finished all dishes.I will come back here for next biz trip then make sure that take pics with my dslr.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Xiao Long Bao, Steamed Dumplings, Sesame Balls, Dry Fried Chicken Wings, Dim Sum
Came here with some co-workers for lunch. The restaurant was crowded. Fortunately, we had made a reservation in advance so we were seated almost immediately.Half of us ordered the Dan Dan Noodles while the other half ordered the beef noodle soup. My Dan Dan Noodles were decent, but the numb-inducing spice that normally accompanies Dan Dan Noodles was missing. So too was the nutty flavor. I was a bit disappointed. My co-workers seemed to enjoy the beef noodle soup so maybe that's the better dish to order.Service was friendly, but the food took a long time to be served. Also, the Dan Dan Noodles came out about 10 minutes before the beef noodle soup so half of us sat there waiting as our food got cold.The restaurant is extremely noisy so it's difficult to have a conversation. I won't be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Very good. Staff was great. Will be
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place had a upscale vibe with great music and attentive staff. Everyone was very friendly and I had the bbq pork buns and Pork Sheng Jian Bao and everything was SOOO AMAZING! I wish I lived closer I would be broke from eating here everyday of my life! The bbq pork buns were so fluffy with a hint of sweetness and a savory inside of bbq pork. The soup dumplings had a crunchier pan fried bottom with flavorful soup and meat on the inside. The Oolong tea was very good as well I didn't need sugar at all it was just good quality tea. They even brought a dessert sesame ball for free at the end of my meal and i left so full and satisfied! If you read to the bottom of this, hesitate no further and just do yourself a favor and check this place out, you WONT regret it.
I have walked past this place and seen it empty many times. I finally tried it last night and it was AWESOME: - The lava egg custard tarts are legitimately the best new thing I have eaten in months if not a year or more - The dumplings (we had pork siu mai and shrimp dumplings) were high quality - I had the chrysanthemum tea which was high quality and very cheap; my wife had the White Haven wine which is excellent (and hard to find on menus) - The service was excellent; the staff were very friendly and kind - Solid dan dan noodles Eat here!
We stopped by to visit a friend in the Downtown SF area and came across this great restaurant called Village Tea House. We ordered the Pork Xiao Long Bao (4.5/5), Dan Dan Noodles (4.5/5), Chili Oil Wontons (5/5), Shrimp Woodear Chive Dumplings (4/5), and the Pork Sheng Jian Bao (5/5). The service was great and the server was super sweet. She told us about their special drink (Hong Kong Milk Tea, 4.5/5) which was not on the menu. We ordered one and thought it was amazing! The tea was not overpowering in any way and was great (also not too sweet which I personally prefer) The restaurant was small, but not too small and is aesthetically pleasing. The greenery and dark wood style was perfect for lunch. We sat in the corner at a round table where we sat on these tree-like stumps that were so unique. The service was quick and easy to order. MUST TRYS: Chili Oil Wontons (5/5): The chili oil wontons was my favorite dish from here, and I was expecting it to just taste like the chili oil provided on the table. However, there were many different flavors in this dish and you could taste a slight sweetness to it. The wontons itself were soft and it melts right into your mouth. Pork Sheng Jian Bao (5/5): I loved this dish as well, the crunch of the outside and it is also aesthetically pleasing. The outside is crunchy while the middle is very soft. I enjoyed the balance between the two. WARNING: the soup was very hot inside. I was not expecting any soup to be inside the sheng jian bao, but burnt my tongue a little when biting into it. I recommend taking a small bite and then emptying the soup into a soup spoon and add some vinegar into it. The soup was great, and the meat inside was soft and flavorful. I dipped this in vinegar and the sourness paired well with the sheng jian bao. Recommended: Pork Xiao Long Bao (4.5/5): I really liked this dish, and I do not have much to complain about it. I thought there was a lot of soup inside (which I like) and it tasted great. I personally thought the xiao long bao was a little too soft, and wish it had a more chewy outside like I have had at other restaurants. I cannot complain much about this dish because it was still great. The meat inside was good and the soup. Dan Dan Noodles (4.5/5): I enjoyed the dan dan noodles thoroughly and felt like this had a more peanut-y taste to it than most dan dan noodles I have tried (which is why I liked it so much). It was unique in that aspect and I would recommend it to anyone who likes dan dan noodles. Optional: Shrimp Woodear Chive Dumplings (4/5): This dish was good, but to me was not anything that stood out. I thought it just tasted like regular dumplings, but I thought that the presentation of it and the color was appealing when it came out. I do not think there was anything special to this dish and would personally say that you can skip it. I would definitely come back to this restaurant to try the beef brisket noodle soup, green onion pancake, and maybe some of the "Wok" options on the menu.
Food was well presented. We ordered a variety of dim sum for a birthday lunch. The service we received was spectacular.
Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 4/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 TL;DR: Randomly came across this place with a few friends & decided to give it a shot, and we were pleasantry surprised. Everything we got was pretty good, the service was fast, and it's fairly reasonably priced (esp for SF). Would def come back here! Dan Dan Noodles: *5/5*: Really flavorful, you can already tell by looking at the color of the sauce/broth. Compared to traditional dan dan noodles, it is on the sweeter side but I really liked that. Would've preferred if there was veggies in this dish to cut the richness but still delicious. Also wish portion was a little bigger Xiao Long Bao: *4/5*: The filling is really good, soft, and savory. There's perfect amount, if not a lot, of soup inside the dumpling. The wrapping was delicious but a little too thick on the top. Overall, pretty decent. Shrimp Paste Doughnut: *5/5*: I always order this when I see it on the menu. The doughnut is nice and crispy and there was a hefty filling of shrimp paste on top. Could've used more sauce, as ours barely had any on it. But great dish to order as a shareable app -- won't be disappointed.
Ok overall. Service was great, food is standard, and ambiance was ok. It's been on my list for a while due to some of the items that stood out to me via pics. Not sure I'd return unfortunately. If I did, it would be for a snack or something like that.
Contemporary decor of East meets West when dining. Pleasantly surprised that this place exists. It can be easily missed from walking by. I adore their Pork Sheng Ji Bao - it had the right amount of dough layer and soupiness. My favorite dumpling here. Their other steamed dumplings were of the norm. Dan Dan noodle sauce is something unique and makes one slurp for more to embrace that flavor. Beef noodle soup was solid and their beef was tender. Their green onion pancake was thinly crisp and tasty. Stuffed eggplant tofu and string beans were spot on. Sesame balls were freshly fried and were complimentary to us. Steamed egg custard buns, were soft and just the right amount of sweetness. Service was superbly attentive and nice! Yummy tapa bite sized dishes and great for casual gathering kind of dining.
Restaurantji Recommends
My colleagues and I came here for lunch and ordered food to-go. Their dumplings & fried rice were delicious! I wish we had time to sit down because the staff were very welcoming and quick to serve us.
Had the popular chicken nuggets walnut prawns etc. everything was very good. Service is attentive. It's a bit loud when it's full but mostly a pretty chill place.
Hidden gem of a place. Very attentive staff and the chef's skills are top notch. XLB are some of the best I have ever had. I recommend this place to all my friends!
Very solid Chinese food, everything we tried was fresh and not greasy.My only gripe is that the flavors were a bit muted, probably catering to the lunch crowd in the area and tourists.We had the scallion pancakes, mapo Tufo, pan fried shrimp and chives and green beans. I wish the beans and mapo were spicier and stronger flavored, however the beans were super crisp and everything was clearly cooked to order
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I wasn't expecting too much when I came here for dinner. The first thing i noticed was how well decorated it was, i loved the interior design. We decided to order a variety of dishes to test out what was good. Hot and sour soup - one of the better ones i've had! It has more ingredients which is what i like Pork sheng jian bao - it is difficult finding a place that makes these correctly but this place does this so well! Beef brisket soup - not as good compared to the other foods Lazhi chicken - very good and will order again!