Good Mong Kok (Chinatown)
With a flourishing and deeply historic Chinatown, San Francisco is known worldwide for having incredible options for Chinese food. In particular, dim sum, or orders of various small plates of food, is a popular choice with fierce competition in the city. However, amidst the competition, Good Mong Kok has stood out to locals for its quality and convenience for years.
Located on the busy Stockton St. in the heart of SF Chinatown, Good Mong Kok opens early in the day at 7 AM. While this may seem early to many, customers flock in right at the shop’s opening, drawing in large lines daily for the freshly made dim sum. From our past experiences, visiting even in the late morning means that some items are already sold out for the day, a testament to the shop’s legendary popularity.
Upon arrival, there is no formal ticketing process or queue, other than simply standing in line and waiting for your turn. On an average morning a bit after opening, guests can expect to wait anywhere from twenty-five minutes to close to an hour. Due to the amount of guests, the staff tries their best to process orders quickly and shuffle people in and out as quickly as possible. As such, it is good to know what you want ahead of time.
The menu itself is pretty straightforward and prices are very affordable. As the shop offers a wide range of items ranging from dumplings to baked goods, it is easy to try a variety of things without spending too much. In addition, due to the shop’s compact layout, there are no seats and all orders are packaged as takeout. Cash and card are both accepted, and one should be ready to bump elbows as customers try to walk in and out of the singular door as you order.
Some of their most popular items include the shui mai dumplings, pan fried scallion cake, sticky rice roll, and baked BBQ bun. Some of our personal favorites are the sweet melon bun, har gow dumplings, shrimp wontons, and sesame balls. Their offerings are delicious, and you cannot go wrong with most items.
As a perfect morning meal option or something to visit friends on the weekend, Good Mong Kok is one of SF Chinatown’s best neighborhood dim sum restaurants. The consistent lines and delicious food are noteworthy, and the shop is truly one of the hallmarks of San Francisco’s culinary scene.
