HK Lounge Bistro.

HK Lounge Bistro

A fire took Hong Kong Lounge II off Geary Boulevard in 2019. The kitchen reopened in SoMa in 2023 under a shorter name. The dining room is a sliver. James Yuen Leong Parry sends his chef friends here from the Happy Crane.

Why go

Parry cooks and owns the Happy Crane in Hayes Valley. He grew up between London and Hong Kong. He has cooked in MICHELIN-starred kitchens including Benu, and the Chronicle put his own room at No. 61 on its 2026 Top 100. Parry keeps no standing dim sum order. He says he can taste when a kitchen makes dim sum to order, and that this one does it consistently.1

Cantonese classics cover most tables here, pork and shrimp siu mai and steamed pork buns among them. The baked pork buns come under a crackling top. Salt and pepper soft shell crab and garlicky pea shoots sit further down. At dinner the kitchen goes large format: crisp-skinned roast duck, steamed seabass, glazed coffee baby back ribs.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the roast duck, chive and peanut dumplings. Paolo Bicchieri writes that they are not to be skipped.3
• Order: the Shanghai dumplings, filled with broth and crab meat.
• Avoid: lunch without a booking. Eater says to reserve on the website or turn up early.

What locals & experts say

• James Yuen Leong Parry, chef and owner of the Happy Crane, in the San Francisco Standard, April 2026: In my opinion, it's the highest level of dim sum execution in the city. It's always busy, the service is polished and attentive, and everything feels incredibly fresh.1
• The MICHELIN Guide California inspector: You're likely to find this modest yet tidily appointed SoMa spot full of regulars during lunch hours, as it's one of the city's most cherished Cantonese establishments.2
• Christopher Kostow, chef at the Charter Oak, Ciccio and Loveski, names it in the same panel among the San Francisco dim sum rooms he remembers fondly.1

Good to know

• Closed: Tuesday.
• Corkage: $25 a bottle.
• Where: 1136 Folsom Street, in SoMa.
• The name: Hong Kong Lounge on Geary Boulevard is a different business.

Verdict

should-visit — Go as two.