United Dumplings — Restaurant in San Francisco

Far and away the best dining experience I've had in my life, in terms of both food and service. Steven is the man! Somehow he knew what we wanted before we even knew it ourselves. I came here two days in a row, and I would have gone for a third if I was still in the city. To rank what I tried:

Pork Xio Long Bao (XLB) Very flavorful broth with a delicate dumpling casing. Texturally, they are super fun to eat. This is my new death row meal. Soy/vinegar/garlic sauce adds nice contrast to the rich broth. Chicken Wings These wings had an incredible batter that was shatteringly crispy and coated with the perfect amount of a sweet and tangy sauce. The meat was very tender and moist. These are probably the best wings I've ever had in my life. Dipping sauces would be a nice add. Dan Dan Noodles Crazy al dente noodles with a nutty, spicy sauce. Lots of garlic, onion and sesame flavor. Only would have liked more greens. Chicken XLB See pork xlb review. The broth is not as rich, and the meat is not as satisfying, but these are still excellent. Szechuan Dumplings Great flavor and texture from the green onion and peanuts with the classic numbing Szechuan spice. Would have maybe liked more heat. Scallop Chicken XLB The sea flavors of the scallop and roe paired perfectly with the savory chicken and broth. The chili sauce, reminiscent of gochujang, completes the dish. Potato Salad Raw potatoes julienned with a vinegar/soy sauce, chili flake, and green onion. Great with a Sapporo (or four), nice palate cleanser. Crisp and tangy. Sesame Red Bean Balls These taste fresh out of the fryer, with an awesome donut aroma. Intensely crisp and nutty exterior with a sweet and chewy mochi interior. Great way to end a meal, not too sweet or overwhelming. Bulgogi Dumplings Curry Fried Rice Good yellow curry flavor but in serious need of more heat. Rice was perfectly dry. The sweetness of the peas and pineapple were a solid pair with the savory rice and chicken. A chili sauce would have been a great addition.

Server Steven is who I want to be when I grow up. Very funny and open, the experience he created around the excellent food was a major highlight of my trip. Very grateful! And the prices are insanely modest. I would recommend United...

We got to the restaurant pretty early and got seated right away, both indoor and outdoor seating, though outdoor did not look like they had any heat lamps and it was cooooold out!

Overall super yummy, a few misses, very affordable, would definitely go again.

(+) Crispy Tofu - this was delicious and I think actually might have been my favorite of the night! (+) Shrimp Toast - never have had shrimp toast with powdered sugar on it, it was a little weird but it was really good - super crispy, loved the breading they had on it (+) Pork XLB - pretty standard goodness (+) Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles - These were yummy, definitely add chili to it though, otherwise it needs a little flavor (+) Spicy Sichuan Wonton in Red Oil - yummy (+) Grandma's Pork Dumplings - yummy (+) Fish Pot Stickers (+) Mimosamania! Unique flavors, I think it is more of a single serving mimosa rather than the 2 they say it is, but who cares, still yummy

( ) Korean BBQ Beef Dumplings - these were good but I wish the bulgogi stood out a bit more. I think they could have done something really neat with this and though they were good, fell a bit flat.

(-) Scallop & Chicken Bao - was kind of excited about this, it's different, that's for sure. Not sure if I liked it though, it was a lot, kinda weird to just have a whole scallop on top and it was also topped with Ikura which was odd and didn't really jive well with the flavors. (-) Singapore Curry Chicken Fried Rice - we should have passed on this, it was pretty bland and really just meh. (-) Mongolian Cumin Lamb - definitely could pass on this, not very cumin-y, not very much lamb, also doesn't really fit too well into the...

We really loved United Dumplings! Cute place with a lovely little outdoor parklet. The service was super fast, friendly, and attentive.

Food was really solid! Good to great flavors, nice presentation, generous servings.

Some of our favorites:

String beans: super yummy, rich flavors, lightly crunchy texture, just yum!

Crispy silken tofu: sooo pillowy soft and tender in this really thin delicate fried shell. The sauce was banging.

Xiao long bao: probably the most brothy Xiao long bao I've ever had. So juicy! I will say not the best broth I've had, but still really good. Could use a bit more flavor for my preference.

Dan dan noodles: yummy! Not much more to say, cool silky noodles, delicious meaty sauce, crunchy peanuts, just good!

Bulgogi dumplings: Dumplings texture was so good. Really soft, perfect filling amount.

Least favorite:

Chili wontons:. Just a bit boring, which is surprising. I've had this dish many places and this was one of the most mild I've ever tried. No heat at all, very little chili flavor, that smokiness you expect, just a bit bland.

Turkey shrimp dumplings:. Probably just personal preference on this one. We've never had anything like it so had to try, but just did not like at all. I tried it with several sauces trying to improve the flavor but it was a big no for me. The texture was good though, super juicy and...