Yuanbao Jiaozi - Chinese dumplings, San Francisco

2110 Irving St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 702-6506
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: June 10, 2018

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Yuanbao Jiaozi is pretty unassuming from the outside.  Before the line starts to form outside, you might easily walk past it without a second thought.  The restaurant has been open for a few months, and focuses primarily on dumplings, one noodle dish, and a few side dishes.  While it's not very friendly for those whom require gluten-free diets, they do offer a few veggie side dishes.

Inside, the decorations are minimal.  One wall has a mural and the other is shown in the photo.  You'll be able to see the three ladies hand making dumplings and working the dough.   Overall, the food was very good, but service could use some improvements. 

- Marinated beef - The beef texture is right and the light brushing of chili oil paired nicely with the meat.  The meat is flavorful without being overpowering.  14 slices.  Good. $6.99

- House Special Beef Noodles (Spicy/Non-Spicy) - I ordered the non-spicy noodle soup this evening.  The noodles were excellent - al dente and cooked just right.  The noodles soaked up the broth without becoming soggy even as I got to the end of the bowl.  Marinated beef slices, beef stew cubes, and baby bok choy are served over the noodles in a flavorful broth that is just touch sweet.  It's a filling and delightful bowl.  Must try. $10.99

All dumpling dishes (14 dumplings) are available as Dumpling Soup (12 dumplings).

- Shiitake Mushroom & Fish Dumpling - 14 dumplings are served plain with dipping sauces (soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce) available on the table. The fish takes on the mushroom flavor more than anything else, so if you like mushroom, the delicate texture of the fish takes on this flavor well.  The skins are made on site, so they're thin and tender without falling apart.  Very good. $8.99

- Pork & Three Delicacies Dumpling - The photo would have looked the same as that for the mushroom and fish dumpling.  Inside the pork dumpling mix, there is also shrimp, green chives, and a little bamboo shoot. The chives stand out in this dumpling and the texture is more dense than the fish dumpling.  Very good.  With this dish, we were told that one dumpling unraveled during cooking, so they owed us one and to enjoy the others for now.  About ten minutes later, a whole plate came, so there was clearly some miscommunication occurred.  Another ten minutes later, when we were nearly done eating, the final one arrived with an apology. $8.99

- Tea - Each cup comes with a tea bag.  It appears that aside from tea, there aren't other drink options.   ~$1/cup

While the food is quite good, there is a lot of room for improving service.  The two ladies serving are friendly and polite, but some changes are simple - bring a serving spoon when you're serving up the dumplings as almost everyone is sharing the plate.  When you bring the cold water pitcher, bring a hot water pitcher to refill tea cups too.  Improve communication behind the scenes so that the dumpling incident above gets resolved seamlessly.  If you say you're bringing bowls for the noodle soup, then do it.  When you bring the check, use a glass or some kind of holder; include the prices for each item (that's part of the reason I don't know how much tea cost because it's not listed on the menu or on the check), and bring a copy of the credit card receipt for the customer.  Don't make customers wait for the check - 20 minutes of waiting is pretty slow.   Get these kinks worked out and tables will turn faster and patrons will be happier.  The food will keep people coming back for sure.