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Good Luck Dim Sum
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
736 Clement St(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighbourhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 386-3388
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 7 am - 6:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
737 reviews for Good Luck Dim Sum
Review Highlights
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"Great prices (3 pork buns for 1.60." In 86 reviews -
"I will definitely come back for the har gow." In 68 reviews -
"Best take-out dim sum I've found in SF to-date." In 15 reviews
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737 reviews in English
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Review from Jessie M.
5/15/2012
This place is SO dangerous.
You guys... I spent $9 total. You want to know how much food I got? WAY TOO FREAKING MUCH. I got 3 giant bbq pork buns, 3 giant pork potstickers, 3 crystal dumplings (best), 3 har gow shrimp dumplings, 3 other ones, and i swear something else I just can't recall because I immediately went into a food coma.
Long wait, but worth it for the price and the food! I had two and a half meals from this $9 order. Why isn't this next door? Oh right, because I would die from being too fat. -
Review from Subrosa I.
Palo Alto, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
FOOD: Great tasting dim sum dishes. Love the shu mai, beef balls, and daikon cakes.
SERVICE: Very efficient. No dilatory carts or crotchety waitresses here. You simply pick out the dim sum dishes that you like from the display case at the front of the restaurant.
PRICE: Excellent value. We stuffed ourselves to the gills, even had leftovers, and the bill only averaged out to about $5 per person.
PARKING: Parking in this neighborhood is hellish. Be sure to bring plenty of coins for the thirsty meters. -
Review from Mary L.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I just ate my weight in dumplings for $7 and I am extremely pleased.
I was hesitant to try dim sum to go since my favorite thing about dim sum is waiting for the carts to go by and taking one of everything. But I had an unbelievable dumpling craving at 1pm on a Monday afternoon and only 30 mins to spare so I powerwalked to Good Luck. Seems like the lunch rush dies down around 1 so there were only a few people in line. I ordered shrimp dumplings, steamed pork dumplings, siu mai beef, and a pork bun. Everything was delicious. A little on the greasy side but it is take out after all. The price is the best part. All the basic menu items are 3 for $1.60. Pork buns are $.85. I over ordered since it was my first time but you can definitely leave satisfied for under $5. -
Review from Matthew L.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
Delicious, cheap dim sum. Like others have said this is the best take out dim sum place I've found in the city.
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Review from bennet a.
San Jose, CA
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
don't listen to me, i'm not a huge dim sum fan.
good value. -
Review from Sandra L.
I tried the pan seared garlic chive with shrimp dumpling. Yum! Haw gao was good as well. I ended up buying a bunch of fried goods and steamed goods for friends and family. I found that the steamed goods have a good texture. The rice paper does not rip apart. Its a little on the thick and chewy texture.
Their baked pork buns are pretty good. Also, its only $0.85 each.
5 star for food. 2 stars for service. Make sure you visit on off peak hours.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/23/2012
I came here on a rainy Chinese New Year eve to pick up dim sum for lunch but never got the chance.… Read more »
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Review from Jasmine J.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
Best dim sum in the entire Bay Area! Authentic to the core. Everyone whom I've
brought here with me, love this place.
I love how fast the service is, the line usually snakes all the way to the back of the
kitchen but nobody minds and everybody just waits and looks beyond happy when
they get their food.
I highly recommend! The owner is very nice and comes out every now and then
and talks to customers. Great food, great service! -
Review from Resa N.
Bay Area
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Here's what to expect during peak times. You walk in and squeeze through a long line of people waiting to order. While you stand in line, you circle the dim sum pieces you want on their pink pieces of paper (menu). 3pcs for 1.60 for your basic dumplings; har gau, shu mai, shrimp-chive dumplings, etc. 0.85 for pork buns, crepes, etc.
There's about 7 tables of 4...kind of a tight squeeze. So, if you plan on eating there, make sure someone saves a table. Speaking of... everyone is responsible for busing their own, so beware the tables may be sticky of soy sauce and or dim sum particles. The soy sauce dispenser and chili pot was practically empty.
Onto the food. It was.... GOOD. LOVE the har gau. Love the shrimp-chive dumpling. Liked the chicken shu mai. The deep fried dumpling was OK. It wasn't what I expected. It was crispy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside. My friends didn't like it at all but it was OK. The dry shrimp crepe was tasty and the baked pork bun was OK.
Would I go and eat there again? No. But I will def go back and pick up some delicious dim sum and eat em somewhere else. -
Review from Alyssa G.
2/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Ugh, whyyyy did you disappoint me? I wanted to love Good Luck but I can't.
Yes, the food is insanely cheap.
Yes, the food is delicious and not overly greasy.
Yes, Good Luck is a stone's-throw away from my house, so convenient.
No, service is not fast. I came here for lunch and there were 2 people ahead of me. I've been told there is usually a line out the door, and you'll wait at least 30 minutes. But, with 2 people ahead of me, it took nearly 20 minutes! To pack up food that was already hot!
No, service is not friendly. Don't expect smiles or warm welcomes here.
No, the place is not clean. When one of the employees is hocking a loogie into a nearby trash can, it definitely takes you aback.
What I'd eat again:
Shrimp dumplings - my favorite, 6 for $1. Done and done.
Pork pot stickers - delicious, good combo of meat and veggies (chives?)
What I'd skip:
BBQ pork bun - the meat was a bit too sweet for my taste.
So darn cheap though. $11 for lunch for 2 people, and we still had a ton of leftovers.Listed in: SF Ethnic Restaurants
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Review from Rebecca C.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
When everyone is lining up to buy dim sum coming out of big steaming baskets and yelling in Chinese to get them, you know the place is good! More for takeout than eating in (ambience is a bit lacking), dirt cheap. My favorites are steamed shrimp and chive dumpling and baked shrimp and chive bun (which has a more sticky texture to the outer layer of bun) . Even though I am mildly allergic to shrimp, I overcome it to order these dishes as comfort food post surgery!
Also the other two worth getting is roasted BBQ pork bun (cha shao bao in mandarin) porridge with pork and fermented eggs. -
Review from Tomas V.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2012
after 8 years of eating here...
the ladies remember my fat face..
they smile...
i know what they're gonna ask me
they know i have my order together
they know i know one order means 3 pieces
i know to have my money ready
i know how to answer their questions quick and easy
"to go" "for here" "yes, one order each" "bag is okay - no box"
without being snobby and in the nicest way possible: don't come here with questions, weird requests or stupid substitutions.
what you see is what you get. you put it in your mouth and let the magic unfold. relax.
it's all great stuff. better dim sum than many if not all of the sitdown dim sum restaurants in the area
if fat Chinese cops come here, you should too.
love love love it.
i dunno why but I feel compelled to custom-make them some pens for their pen tray so that it never runs out and people can work on their order ahead of time. -
Review from Eric M.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
Cold dim sum and pretty dirty inside. The plastic trays are the dirtiest thing I've ever seen. There are lots of choices for dim sum in inner richmond and it looks like 4 stars for this place are the result of the Cheescake Factory White Yelp voters who don't know any better. Now I'm on a mission to find a real 4 star dim sum place in the city.
They do not serve dim sum from the cart. It is an order at the counter kind of place. -
Review from K H.
Berkeley, CA
4/8/2012
Yeah, it's cheap but ... I still don't get why this place has four stars.
The food was cold and most of the items were not good at all. -
Review from Dave S.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/27/2012
"It's all that and dim sum"
That was the last thing Ky-Yo said before I punched him in the mouth and knocked him out.
Okay, that didn't really happen. In fact, I didn't really punch him at all but that lame joke is especially annoying on a hangover morning.
Good Luck Dim Sum does offer great dim sum! In fact we get food here every time we are in SF and as such we are used to waiting in long, long, long lines to place our order.
Ky-Yo speaks Chinese (or at least he tells us he does. Hmmm, no one else in our house speaks Chinese so how do we know he is telling the truth?) . . . . .
Well, our orders are usually quite large and include things like Su Mui Xia, Sioban, some kind of dumplings. BBQ pork buns, sesame balls with something inside and dammit Ky-Yo, if you REALLY DO speak Chinese, translate what all this good food is for me!
I usually just end up pointing out what I want . . .it all looks good to me!
Anyway, if you are in the Inner Richmond District and craving dim sum, you can't go wrong with Good Luck Dim Sum! -
Review from Dizz T.
West Covina, CA
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bad service, no smile, good food though. A bit too oily, dumplings not too tasty, but the bbq pork steambun is a must!!
Do not touch those pink boxes too... those ladies server will give u the dirtiest stare. -
Review from Andrew M.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good Luck Dim Sum is a powerful mirage that will satisfy those in the hunt for a bargain meal, but will disappoint dim sum connoisseurs.
The overflowing crowd, composed of Chinese folks seemingly knowledgeable about quality dim sum and non-Chinese folks drawn in by the little Zagat sticker posted on the window, creates an irresistible urge to line up. The steamers full of piping-hot buns and dumplings and windows teeming with pastry options give a sense of assurance in a good experience at Good Luck.
However, the pile of dim sum resulting from ordering with empty stomachs provided few winners. The bread to meat ratio in the cha siu bao (bbq pork bun) was overwhelmingly in favor of the bread - same story regarding the meat and chives bun; the siu mai (pork dumpling) was a congealed mass of grease and under-seasoned pork; and the lo bak goh (turnip cake) lacked the necessary layer of crispiness and flavor.
The lone high note was the dan tat, which featured a buttery, flaky crust and soft, rich egg interior.
Would try the myriad of options available on Clement Street before returning to Good Luck Dim Sum. -
Review from Jeanne C.
Updated - 2/13/2012
What I love about Good Luck Dimsum, is that you can feed a family of four for lunch for a mere $9. That's what I call a steal. The sticky chicken rice wrapped in lotus leaves is really good, and only $2 a pop. My favorites are the pork shu mai, ha gao, and char siu bao. You get three pieces for $1.60 for most items. Other specialty items like egg custard are $0.65 each.
Be prepared to queue up on the weekends, especially in the late morning hours. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get through the line.
Oh, and you don't need to get a pink box for $0.20.... they'll stick them in plastic bags for you so don't freak out.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2010
Be prepared for a long line. You get a piece of paper and pre-order what you want, and when you get… Read more »
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Review from P L.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
Darn good dim sum out of the restaurants.
Their haam shui gook is the best I ever had. Other dim sum food were pretty good too.
The sad part = far from China town and sometimes they are sold out of certain things. But still a fan -
Review from Christopher L.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2012
The dim sum is cracking. The wait on the weekends sucks. The line reminds me of the DMV. The best time to come is after work on the weekdays
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Review from Vanessa L.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2012
Even though my husband loved this place...this is my review! I am just convinced that I don't like Chinese food. I love dumplings so I thought this would be a safe bet! I ordered the egg rolls (just in case) and I'm glad I did because you can't go wrong with egg rolls! After looking at my chicken dumplings, I'm convinced it isn't chicken (clearly I have no proof of this but my picky eyeballs). I couldn't even make myself take a bite...too scared!
Anyway, this place is CHEAP! Cheap is actually an understatement. We ordered two trays full of food (enough for 3 meals, at least) and our total was $13! -
Review from L K.
Fresno, CA
4/17/2012
Great price for dim sum. $12 last me and my husband 3 meals.soy sauce is so good. Ghetto restaurant but whatever food was great.
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Review from Benny C.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012
Never coming back here.
Food wasn't even that good. We waited 45+ minuets to order. Yeah, it was cheap, but by the time we got to eat the food was all cold. The ladies at the counter, though I'm sure were tired from a hard day of work, were extremely slow, EXTREMELY. Go across the street for equally 'good' dim sum with no wait and no hassle.
I guess for me it was nothing but Bad Luck Dim Sum (that was corny but i just had to) :P -
Review from Shantou K.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012
Whenever I go to Clement, this is place is usually what I look forward to. Dim sum is best for lunch, so I recommend getting it fresh in the morning or noon. It's especially crowded on the weekend mornings and noon. One of the best things about this place is that you can buy a load of dim sum for a mini party or the family. I advise you to grab the paper menu and mark down your order, otherwise it will get a bit difficult.
A lot of the items are $1.60 for 3 of each. But also items not within that range but still fairly cheap. If you don't wanna wait and sit in a fancy and expensive restaurant, this is the place for you. Really casual, cheap, and the quality of the dim sum is pretty good for casual dining. You can also sit in and eat too, but it's definitely different from other sit in dim sum places since it's casual.
What I like:
-Pan Fried Chive dumplings
-Fried taro root
-Shrimp Dumpling or Har Gao
I'd say the downside would be that sometimes they run out of certain dim sums and they make you improvise. Then they bring out a new batch, which may have something you possibly wanted before. Some of the ladies might seem mean, but that's just how their facial expressions just are. We're there for the food, not to see them smile, although it would be nice.
Overall, a great place for ordering to go or to get quick yummy dim sum. -
Review from aaron z.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2012
Cheap, good and sometimes fast .....that is a good start. It's about the food and that is it! No frills kind of place. Wait times are about 10 -20 mins. on a Saturday afternoon. Spartan interior, basic counter service where you get a tray of food to take to your table or a bag to take away. Simple prices, most standard dim sum are 3 pcs. for $ 1.60. The chive dumplings with shrimp and pork siu mai were excellent and 1 order each of those plus a sweet chicken sticky rice wrapped in a lotus leaf is plenty as lunch for one. Potstickers, large, cooked just right and plenty filled.
If you are out near the park museum hopping or biking, this is a good midday lunch detour to keep you going. -
Review from Dory H.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2012
I really, honestly, don't understand why everyone's crazy about this place. Perhaps I have really high standard for Dim Sum. Okay, so the food is cheap, but to be honest I don't think it's that great. It tastes like any other dim sum place on Clement. They really don't have that much variety in my opinion. Does it really worth the wait? I usually come here on weekends morning/brunch time and the wait is CRAZY! at least 30 mins wait. Not the cleanest restaurant, but I don't expect much from a cheap, to-go place. Also, very typical Chinese restaurant services, i.e. rude/ no service. And yes, it does help if you speak Cantonese because they understand you better.. but at the same time, sometimes I wish I don't understand what they are saying in Chinese......
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Review from Jen L.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Take-out dim sum--music to my ears. I love that I can buy enough dim sum here to feed a family of 4 for just $20. Of course, it usually takes the same amount to keep just E and I satiated...
Most of the time, you'll have to endure a loooong wait and some curtness from the women armed with tongs up at the front, but yummy AND cheap dim sum is worth it. Make sure you get some of the pan-fried chive dumplings. Just don't ever get the chicken feet--I love chicken feet, mind you, but the ones here are mushy, cold, and flavorless. Blech. -
Review from Christopher J.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great dim sum. I come here often. Even though I don't speak chinese, I just fill out the paper and write what I want. Otherwise, I'll have a language barrier trying to order. That's what happens when you're ABC.
Long lines but great Dim Sum here. Try the shark Fin Dumplings. BBQ pork buns are really good here.
Can't go wrong with the su mui.
Service? Well.. What do you expect. It's like a little chinatown in this area. You won't get A+ Service, but honestly, you just want the food, so go at it! -
Review from Wendy H.
Updated - 12/31/2011
I see I am progressively downgrading them. I've been a loyal customer since they opened 10 years ago. Food is still good. Service is horrible. Yesterday I waited almost an hour to get my order. This was an off hour (3:00 PM) not lunch or dinner service.
When I came in, the line was maybe near the second row of tables. However as I waited endlessly, the line was backed right into the kitchen! I noticed that they have two new gals serving the dim sum. I don't blame the other gals who used to work here. Good Luck is more stressful than working at Mickey D's.
Anyway the new girls were obviously unseasoned because they took sooo long to fill the orders and add up the costs. It also didn't help that there were many ignorant people who didn't know how to order. Hello. it says 3 for $1.60 so, yes, you get three of the same thing. This one lady kept going yes yes three until the server pointed it out to her that she will get three of the same. Then she goes, no I want one of each. WTF?!?! What does 3 for $1.60 mean?
It also didn't help that the third (the more senior employee) decided to up and take her lunch break in the middle of this mess. Watching her meander with her lunch plate, then come back and wash a knife to cut her apple was painful if you've been standing for so long.
When she got back from her lunch she had the nerve to bitch and moan to the other two gals about the counter (near the sink) being "wet" and how the two gals were sloppy. One of the gals said, "The lines have been backed up to the kitchen since this morning. When do we have time to wipe down the counter?" Yeah I understood every word that was exchanged.
I do have to say that I was entertained while I was in line. One lady saw her friend waiting in line for crispy sugar cake (she was behind me) and she just parked herself next to her. Yeah she cut in line. The gal behind them started making a fuss "It's not fair!" No fighting because the line cutter decided to go to the back of the line. If the line cutter continued to stay in line I perversely was planning to buy up the remaining sugar cakes to teach them a lesson (haha).
Note: next time call in your order. You can bypass the line and skip out the store while the others wait in vain.
I wished the other dim sum places in Clement will rise to the occasion and steal some of their business but so far no dice.Listed in: Mmm Good..., Chinese Food
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/8/2011
They now charge 20 cents per box - regardless of your order. I know the economy is the pits but… Read more »
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Review from Emma H.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is cheap as hell and really good. You can see the large team of people in the back busting out all of the Dim Sum, it sells so quick that it's all fresh. It's super casual and quick- the line gets long but it goes pretty fast. they ask you to pay $.50 for a to-go box which I think is funny and it doesn't bother me, but some dude in there was really pissed about it lol. Could be a little cleaner. Can't beat the prices- my husband and I paid $8 to feed both of us hungry eaters lunch. I will be back.
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Review from Austin C.
11/14/2011
First, don't listen to David D.
I'm especially happy to see old white people chowing down with other old chinese people. It's a good sight to see. -
Review from Nicole S.
San Diego, CA
4/2/2012
Overrated. The food was ehh (though the pork buns were delish) and the wait was terrible (45 minutes I won't get back). The atmosphere is typical of a take out dim sum place (read: smelly and terrible). Gets points for the yummy pork buns and super cheap food. Besides that, not worth the wait.
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Review from Shirley F.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2011
I came back to America for 5 days and was expecting some hella, damn good Shumai from here. But this place disappointed me. The beef shumai here are dry and small. The food is cheap. But ALL dim sum places are cheap. I'll be surprised if you can find me an expensive dim sum shop.
And lastly, the workers there HATE their job. -
Review from Tessa M.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2012
Great dim-sum! Will go out of my way for the baked BBQ pork buns here. Speedy, albeit a little-bit-pushy service but they seem to deal with a lot of people who have decision-making problems rather consistently and they keep the line MOVING despite this so you can get your food faster. Understandable that when the powers of tasty and affordable combine, you get a consistent line out of the door. I've been to the other dim sum stops on Clement and always wish I had just gone to Good Luck, it's the best.
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Review from Jamie B.
Los Altos, CA
5/3/2012
I haven't been here in over a year, but it has never been far from my mind. When I think of the perfect Dim Sum place, this little hole in the wall always comes first to mind. There's no waiting for the good dish to come carting around because it's a take out place, so service is quick and easy. Fill out the card, pay the price, and enjoy some delicious dim sum.
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Review from Dom G.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cheap and Good Dim Sum - not the best but very decent.
And that's why you always see the long line at this place everyday. Even right when they open their door in the early morning. -
Review from Tina R.
Daly City, CA
1/12/2012
Dim Sum is so good, but service is so bad.
We order in a way so we can have three separate containers. The lady who helped take our orders kept putting our dim sum in smaller containers and the dim sum would be squished together. A few miscommunications here and there.
During this trip, we asked for few pieces of extra paper in the box, but they said they were going to charge extra. We were really annoyed, but fine with that. But they never gave us any, so we were like forget it. It was such a long wait already. I know that they want to make and much profit as they can, but a come on, just a few pieces of paper!! -
Review from Therese M.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/17/2012
This was my second trip to this place and I will never go there again. The food is awful. The potstickers cold and bland, shumai just a gaggy lump of chicken, no ginger,or seasonong. Why its Zagat rated is way beyond comprehension.
The staff is beyond rude, I needed to get something for the leftovers, and couldn't get anyone's attention, so I tried to get a little foil (which was in a roll, out in the open) to wrap the things in and had two women screaming at me in Chinese and obviously berating me. My first trip was not that much different, as I didn't understand the ordering system, they were rude then.
If you want extraordinary dim sum, go to Ton Khiang on Geary. They never fail to please on every level. Pricier, but a better experience. -
Review from Katie S.
10/11/2011
I'm as Chinese as it gets, yet I absolutely hate dim sum. Its not that they don't taste good, its more like the experience growing up - spending the entire Sunday afternoon with my parents waiting forever for a table, then again waiting forever for the right dim sum lady to pass by, and if she's out, my weekend will pretty much be ruined and very much wasted. And the fact that I grew up in Hong Kong (where dim sum really originated from) and Sacramento Chinese food is very mediocre does not help with my dislike against dim sum. I honestly haven't been to a dim sum place since I was like 16, until yesterday, when I randomly walked in Good Luck Dim Sum with my grandpa.
1st thought to self: Holy crap! There's a long line! It must be good!
2nd thought: Holy crap! Its only $1.60 for 3 pieces!
3rd thought : Really? Holy crap its only $1.60 for 3 pieces!!
There must have been at least 8 people in line, but there were 4 Chinese ladies working behind the counter, so the line moved really quickly. While you're in line, you can grab a sheet menu which has all the items they offer and you can circle whatever you want. If this is gonna be your first time here, I highly suggest ordering a piece of almost everything, grabbing an extra menu, and put stars next to what you liked best for when you come back, because you'll definitely want to. One thing I really like about the idea of to-go dim sum is that I don't have to wait for a table, and I can order just 1 piece of something, whereas at restaurants you would have to get a basket of 3 or 4 pieces.
We bought over $30 worth of stuff, of which, I particularly liked the BBQ pork bun, flower roll (steamed plain bun shaped like a big knot), and mochi (what they call the sweet rice puff with coconut and peanut). My grandpa said he would come back, and that says a lot since he is very picky when it comes to Chinese food. Btw, not everything is 3 for $1.60. Custard tart, egg yolk bun, mocha, lotus seed bun, etc etc are 65 cents each, and certain other items are $2.00 each or sold by the pound.
P.S. paper boxes are 20 cents extra! Otherwise they put everything in plastic bags. If you love trees and don't want your food mixed and meshed, bring containers! -
Review from Christina C.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 11/12/2011
"It's been a while.....but I still love you.....Sort of.....Not in that way, but in a different, better way, I'm sure." -- Britney Spears.
Maybe her song didn't exactly say that....But it has been a while since I updated this review. It's been a while since I ate dim sum. I took a hiatus, like 3 years. During that time, I gained and lost 38 lbs. I ate all manners of dumpling, hamburger, yogurt, food. I didn't learn anything, yet here I am. 4 years older, not a bit wiser, and much more bitter.
I started dim sum again early October 2011. After realizing that my BF was never going to be a morning person, never accompany me to breakfast during the AM hours, and I am likely to starve waiting for him, I resolved to eat breakfast by myself. In the manner I am accustomed: hastily, rapidly, a bit embarrassed, loudly, alone, while grunting out my pleasure. It could describe any number of activities. This morning, I'm describing breakfast.
A few weeks ago, I reintroduced Good Luck Dim Sum to my mouth. I stood in line for over 20 minutes, pink order slip clutched in my hot little hands, and bought only 3 pieces of dim sum. That's about 1 piece every 7 minutes. It took me less time to snarf it down. The lady behind the counter looked at me funny. Since it was 7:30 am, I looked funny right back, albeit ignorantly-funny.
Good Luck is much tastier in so many ways to the other dim sum places. But it has its drawbacks.
1. Their bao, gar, buns, jook, etc is made with much higher quality ingredients, more love and attention. The rice wrappers on the steamed gar are never soggy, the fillings are dainty and well proportioned. The meat is well seasoned and flavorful. But, everything is smaller. Slightly smaller sized gar, slightly smaller sized bun, slightly smaller everything. But dainty.
2. They have a high turn over of food. People don't just buy 3 pieces (as I did), they buy 3 buckets. On early Sunday/Saturday mornings, orders keep coming out of the kitchen for banquet sized foil trays of dumplings, egg custards, bao and steamed goodness. Your piece of dim sum is probably not much older than 20 minutes. BUT this means you have to wait about 20 minutes in line since they fill so many phone orders of banquet quantity. I'm talking church-group sized quantities.
3. Efficient ordering system. The pink paper. It cuts down on the pointing and gesturing. Although some people still insist on human interaction. Maybe this person lives in isolation and has no friends, therefore they talk to as many service industry people as they can when let out of their cage. I've heard of people who really look forward to telemarketers to call so they can have a conversation with a human voice.
4. I can't quit this place. I will get out of bed at 7 am on a rainy, cold saturday morning and drive my hairy butt to Clement street just to get some of the fried stuffed dumplings. FRIED STUFFED DUMPLINGS! If ever perfection has been put in my mouth, it would be this. It is a savory meat filling wrapped in a slightly sweet mochi wrapper, and then DEEP FRIED. My brain just exploded from happiness. Sweet. And Savory. And fried. In a dumpling! If I ever lie about staying late at work, or going in early to work, it'll be because I'm sneaking a tete-a-tete with this fried stuffed dumpling. It's a homewrecker. In hooker heels.
Jook is ok. Very flavorful and the best out of all 3 dim sum places that I've tried. But. "Mom's is still the best." Snarf! This is a close 2nd. Let's just wait and see if the MSG coma hits hard and fast, I need a short nap before brunch with the kids and the parents.
UPDATE: my mouth. Is a dry desert. Of parched MSG-dessicated dryness. My kingdom for a drink of water to cleanse out my system. My kingdom. Oh. Parched.Listed in: Insomnia Cure (aka MSG)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/18/2008
Today was a pivotal moment in my life. A milestone, some might say. Analogous to late puberty if… Read more »
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Review from Brian J.
Updated - 2/17/2012
As I've eaten around town at dim sum places more and more, I realize that these take away dim sim places on Clement street are really not good, although Good Luck is the best of the lot. Their specialty, the har gao (xia jiao) usually runs out. Best to go early or the food might be as fresh, and if it's cold out, don't let them microwave, it makes the morsels a bit rubbery.
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/31/2009
Yes, the shrimp dumplings are great, but my God people, you really do highlight how San Franciscans… Read more »
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