Although the Palette Tea House is found closer to Fisherman’s Wharf than to Chinatown, it’s still a fantastic dim sum house, and its colorful, busy interior ensures that you’ll have a memorable meal. Its placement in Ghirardelli Square (home to the iconic Gold Rush chocolatier Ghirardelli), halfway between Fisherman’s Wharf and Fort Mason, means you can enjoy other walking-distance attractions, whether you're a visitor or a San Franciscan “playing tourist.”
Aesthetics rule the day here. The “palette” of the restaurant’s name refers to the plate you receive, shaped like an artist’s palette with five wells to hold differently colored sauces. It makes you feel like an artist preparing paints as you pour the sauces into your own palette. One of the standout dishes, a xiaolongbao sampler, also earns admiration for its five soup dumplings arranged in a rainbow array. The five dumplings have doughs colored red by beets, green by spinach, yellow by turmeric, black by squid ink and white. They each had different fillings and were absolutely delicious, served in a spoon-shaped vessel to catch the broth as you bite into them. We ordered the taro puff black swan with a delicate cracker neck that “floats” on an edible flower-strewn plate (though it is perhaps more beautiful to behold than to eat), and we found the hot and sour soup to be classically delicious.
I indulged on the dessert side with an espresso martini and Portuguese egg tart, while also stealing bites of my daughter’s mango pudding supreme with popping boba, coconut and fresh mango. Above us, large red lanterns glowed with Chinese characters for the names of the food, including BBQ pork bao and pork soup dumplings. General manager and part-owner Dennis Leung has created a beautiful space. Make sure to wander by the bathroom, too, to see attractive mosaic tiles in the hallway.
The vibe: Upbeat and upscale.
The food: Dim sum lovingly prepared to please the eye and stomach.
The drink: Plenty of tea options to guide you through the menu, plus sake, a full bar, wine, beer and signature cocktails like the Red Lantern or Jade & Juice.
Time Out tip: History buff or not, you’ll want to walk down the hill to the free, ship-shaped Maritime National Historic Park; its partnering visitor center on Jefferson Street offers fantastic exhibits in a 1907 warehouse.