The original United Dumplings has been on Cortland in Bernal since late 2020, but my first time trying their food was just last year at their Oakland location. Women-owned, United Dumplings offers a mix of tradition and innovation, and it all tastes authentically great. I was blown away by the quality of the dumplings and the variety of offerings — of not just dumplings but the myriad noodles, rice, veggie, and tofu options. I was overjoyed to learn (very belatedly) that we had one so close to the Mission. The original is a bit more casual and spare than its East Bay cousin, but the menus seem to be identical. (There’s also another outpost in the Marina.)
Pea shoots I tried in Oakland were a favorite, so I had to have them here.
They were so abundantly garlicky, and so lusciously creamy, they almost seemed as if they’d been cooked in butter. We initially thought they were even better than the ones in Oakland, but soon discovered that these had not been properly trimmed and the stems were thick and very difficult to chew. Like panda bears gnawing on bamboo we were, picking out strands of shoot stems from our teeth. Unfortunate, but an easy fix — just cut the stems out before you eat. (We did mention this to our server after we were done with the meal.)
Ground pork and shrimp Sichuan dumplings in chili oil came next.
These were all you could want in the genre — oily, slippery, silky, and a bit spicy. Sexy little mofos!
Next came the chicken soup dumplings.
United Dumplings prides itself on making authentic, properly pleated XLB, with their thin skins encasing steaming hot broth and a tender nugget of gingery chicken. Another favorite.
A chilly evening called for a big bowl of California braised beef soup and noodles.
Deeply aromatic, five-spicey and super beefy, good springy noodles, this soup was at first a delight … but sadly the meat itself was quite tough and chewy, except for the pieces with a bit of fat/connective tissue on them (those bites were absolutely delicious). We mentioned this to our server as well, who seemed receptive to hearing constructive notes for the kitchen. It’s a shame to mar an excellent broth like this with overcooked beef. But truth be told, we finished the entire bowl.
Lobster wontons were the last item we ordered.
These golden fried shells envelope a glistening quenelle of minced lobster, scallop, and shrimp, but the lovely lobster flavor really shone through. Splendid. First time ever seeing these on a menu, and I’d get them again and again.
The menu spans dumplings of all stripes, of course — Korean beef dumplings, crab meat XLB, Chinese BBQ pork bao — as well as dan dan noodles (a fantastic rendition I tried in Oakland), five-spice silken tofu, sauteed green spring beans, mushroom tempura, wings, Mongolian beef, kimchi fried rice, etc. Having now tried a number of these, even with the couple of missteps, I feel safe in saying that the women at United Dumplings excel at their craft.
I loved the dumplings here better than any I’ve had in our own neighborhood (yes, I said it!), but thank goodness United Dumplings is so close by. Be not afraid to venture out of the Mission now and then!
United Dumplings, 525 Cortland Ave., San Francisco
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