In dreams I imagine the little flecks of sugar on top of a beautiful yellow bun. I slowly take in the fresh baked aroma with the slightest hint of char sui. I take a bite and savor the flavors and textures swirling in my mouth. This is one of my favorite dreams till I awake and realize I’m 500 miles away from Lai Hong Lounge…
This place has the best baked char siu boa I have ever found. The pastry shell is the perfect sweetness. Reminds me of the best concha I have ever had. The sweetness is balanced by the delicious chunks of char sui inside.
It’s like they crossed a concha with char siu boa filling. Amazing how delicious it is. 🙂 This visit I order enough baked char siu boa for breakfast and the next day!
The har gow are huge and have excellent shrimp flavor. The rice based wrapper was good and added another dimension to the flavors.
Pork and shrimp siu mei was steaming hot and bursting with flavor. Fresh pork and shrimp flavor was delicious while the shrimp roe put the flavors over the top.
There is always a wait to get a table at this place during lunch but it’s worth it. The baked char sui boa draw me here through time and space. 🙂 Also I like how fresh everything is. The dim sum is cooked to order. 🙂 I would eat here every weekend if I lived in town. I posted about my 2018 visit here.
Lai Hong Lounge
1416 Powell St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 397-2290
Second stop San Francisco road trip 2019 Aptos
First stop San Francisco road trip 2019 Rolling Hills Estates
The char sui boa is absolutely perfect! Nobody else compares! Too bad they don’t deliver super long distances.
We can go on a road trip to get more!
Went to Lai Hong in my pre-blogging days and enjoyed it and the parent restaurant Hong Kong Lounge. It’s nice that they got a Michelin Bib Gourmet listing.
Kirk,
I didn’t know they were Michelin Bib Gourmet listed. Thanks for the info! Next visit I’ll have to give Hong Kong Lounge a try.
Is it cart service? Freshly made dim sum is the best. I can’t believe how many buns you ordered! What are the parking options here – i bet street parking is disaster.
You order off the menu. There is a wait as they have to cook it for you. Those buns are so awesome I wanted a bunch for the next day too. 🙂
You can park in the street or in a paid lot. The last few years I’ve had to use the paid lot.