Steam

Palo Alto's go-to dim sum restaurant with a broad menu of steamed and fried dumplings, rice noodles, and Taiwanese specialties.

Steam makes a dim sum meal easy to build on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. Shrimp har gow, pork-and-shrimp siu mai, Shanghai pork dumplings, and steamed barbecue pork buns offer a range of fillings and wrappers. We like that a table can compare several small dishes instead of organizing the meal around a single entrée. Pea-shoot and mushroom dumplings bring vegetarian choices into the mix, while pan-fried chicken buns and salt-and-pepper tofu add contrasting textures. Beef chow fun, scallion-oil noodles, and larger meat and vegetable dishes can make the order more substantial. Sweet sesame balls, custard buns, and sponge cake extend the dim sum format through dessert. Steam's appeal is this combination of small plates and full dishes, making it possible to order a few favorites or turn a shared meal into a wider tasting.