Polydish city guide

Best Cantonese Har Gow in San Francisco

“A proper har gow has a precise number of pleats — traditionally at least seven — and dim sum chefs are judged by diners on this detail alone.”

What the real thing tastes like

Whole shrimp are wrapped in a wheat-starch-and-tapioca-starch dough (not wheat flour, which would turn opaque and chewy), hand-pleated into a specific fold count, and steamed until the wrapper turns translucent enough to see the pink shrimp through it. The wrapper's thinness without tearing is one of the hardest skills in dim sum kitchens.

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Reviewers judge wrapper translucency and thinness (should be barely there, never gummy or thick) alongside shrimp freshness and snap. Torn or overly thick wrappers are treated as a clear sign of a rushed or inexperienced kitchen.

Order it here when it has

delicate thin wrapper
fresh snappy shrimp
beautifully pleated

Walk away when you see

wrapper tears if mishandled
small portions
bland without dip

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