Xiao Long Bao At Yank Sing, A Delight Of The Heart

Yank Sing (said to mean "a delight of the heart"), the popular dim sum restaurant in the financial district, was founded by Alice Chan in 1958. This third-generation family-run restaurant creates almost 100 items a day that are rolled out into the dining room. On weekends, the crowd spills out into the Rincon Atrium, where long catering tables are set up with white tablecloths a little farther from their normal squeaky journeys inside.

Stepping into a conversation about San Francisco's best dim sum with a visit to Yank Sing is dangerous, but complimenting the merits of its xiao long bao, well, that's well-tread ground — after all, SFWeekly included them in SFoodie's 92 just a few years ago. Thin dumpling skin, pursed plump dumplings, a dash of vinegar, perfection. Wait, was that a xiao long bao haiku? And for these reasons this dish made my list of most memorable meals of 2011.

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