Yank Sing Restaurants   

The San Francisco dim sum experience runs along certain lines. You pick a favorite palace and vow allegiance to it above all others. You get there in the late morning or early afternoon. You wait. You wait some more. You wonder if you should leave. You recall that one 'Seinfeld' where they waited for a table the whole episode. You take a look at the trolley laden with glistening goodies and decide to stay. When you're finally seated, you gorge yourself on steamed, fried, sauced and stuffed delicacies while the servers mark up your "bill" like a bingo card. You sigh in perfect contentment, quickly followed by a shudder of despair when the server adds up your total. That's pretty much the formula at Yank Sing, with a couple of innovations. The two locations both lurk in the heart of the Financial District, making them just as popular for business lunch as weekend brunch. That doesn't make it fast food, however: Lines are still long, and the polite, burgundy-uniformed staff still pushes trolleys of food to your table for you to choose. The only menu is at the other major twist: A takeout counter. You can pick up a la carte items or various combos at Yank Sing 2 Go, then eat them at your desk, on the waterfront, wherever. It's a popular choice, but table service is better as dim sum travels poorly. The kitchen sticks to the classics: Keep an eye out for (or ask servers about) a few standouts: Sliced Peking duck served DIY-sandwich-style with fluffy steamed buns, scallions and plum sauce; savory-sweet minced chicken in lettuce cups; juicy soft-shell crab with a mirepoix of scallions and peppers; a crowd-pleasing sweet barbecued pork bun. Speaking of crowds, Yank Sing rakes in the banquets and parties, both Chinese and Western. The gorgeous, skylit Rincon Center branch is especially popular -- you're better off trying the Stevenson Street location on any weekend in June. -- Julie Ross Also see: Yank Sing at 101 Spear St.