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In the past weeks, I have had horrible dining experiences with poor service. Like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail, hope is the only element I can truly count on. After an exhausting search, wiping the sweat off my forehead, I found one. Truly, a first-rate dim sum restaurant along with a welcoming staff is hard to find. Mayflower Restaurant delivers all of this and at a neighborhood price. Walk through the fresh seafood tank, and you will find a sea of diners sipping tea, searching for their next dim sum conquest, and reading Chinese newspaper. Although parking is scarce and the wait may be long, the delicious end prizes are well worth the wait.

Ambiance: When our number was called, a smiling host escorted our party to the table. A few selections of tea are available, but jasmine with just the right level bitterness and cooling effect pairs well with dim sum. Loud noises fill the restaurant as patrons holler to get attention of the dim sum servers dressed in charming vests. Aside from discussing food, the staff and patrons cheerfully chat with each other from topics such as politics to the high cost of housing. From the numerous times I have been at Mayflower, the servers welcome questions and offer suggestions according to taste and texture.

Best Seat: March toward the corner table by the window for a panoramic view of the neighborhood Russian church and local street business.
Fried: Meant to be eaten family style, dim sum encompasses not just different flavors and textures, but distinct cooking methods are used to enhance taste from steaming to pan frying. Near the side wall, a mini pan fried station serves made to order pan fried dishes. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the rice noodle roll with a few sprinkles of dried shrimp acting as a savory enhancer ($2.15) is served best with a touch of sweet hoisen sauce. Filled with shrimp and bamboo shoot mixture, the crisp spring roll ($2.15) skin shatters with one bite.
Steamed: Served in a bamboo rack like most steamed items, the siu mai (mushroom and pork mixture topped with fish roe wrapped wonton skin-$2.15) cleverly demonstrates a chewy texture from the wonton skin that goes well with the meaty filling. Soaked in a sweet and savory sauce with a slight bitter taste from black bean, the steamed chicken feet ($2.15) resemble the texture of bone marrow. Slightly sticky translucent skin wrapped in a plump shrimp and bamboo filling, the shrimp dumpling ($2.75) heightens with a slather of yellow mustard. With a buttery texture, comfort food lovers should order the steamed turnip cake (diced turnip served in a sweet soy sauce -$2.75) which literally melts in your mouth. Dunked in black vinegar for tartness, the shao lung boa (minced pork filling wrapped in a thin wonton like skin -$2.75) allows patrons to experience a rushing burst of scorching soup surprising the palate caused by the slightest puncture.
House special: Served uniquely at Mayflower, the chef shows their creative side by combing two dim sum dishes into one spectacular bean curd rice noodle dish. The perfect combination of soft and crispy, the deep fried bean curd shrimp roll ($4.75) is cleverly wrapped in rice noodle accented with a sesame sauce for required sweetness. For a rustic selection, the rice clay pot (marinated chicken with sliced mushroom-$3.90) rounds out a good meal. The rice is flavored from the aroma of earthy mushroom and seasoned chicken during the cooking process. The pineapple crusted pork bun ($2.90) demonstrates the balance of sweet and savory flavor. The sweet flaky crust blends well with the inside filling, chopped pork bathed in sweat, sour, and tangy BBQ sauce. Rewarding my taste buds after a few passages through savory town, a silky tofu bathed in a sweet thin brown sugar syrup ($2.15) makes a great light dessert.
Dim sum industry: Albert Yau, manager of the Mayflower Restaurant group, explains that dim sum has been popular because it offers “small portions and more choices.” Diners can sample a myriad of flavors and textures at reasonable prices. For the entire meal, I spent $36 for three people. The Mayflower décor does not exhibit luxury or gala. Instead, it serves as a casual gathering place to experience delicious dim sum in a neighborhood setting without the hefty price found at Koi Palace or Yang Sing.

Consultant hat.
The margin for dim sum is very high. Food cost is around 20% for most dishes. Take the shrimp dumpling as a good example.
Lets do the math. Comes in four per bamboo pricing around $2.50
(20% X 2.50) = $.50
Meaning, we have $.50 for food cost.
$.03 =wheat flour and potato starch
$.20 = filling (shrimp,bamboo shoot)
$.12 = labor (.05 for salary .05 for workers insurance)
$.05 = plate cost (use of bamboo steamer)
$.10 = fixed cost (rent, electricity, water, gas)

Total equal $.50

so for every shrimp dumpling order, you get $2.00 in net profit. Although margins are high, great dim sum chefs are hard to find. Their salary will likely range range from $55,000 to $65,000. Dim sum is an art. Shrimp dumpling requires the right consistency.
Restaurants such as Mayflower serve dim sum not as a profit maker but to build branding and loyal customers. Most of the money is made from filling tables for dinner.

6255 Geary Boulevard
(between 26th Ave & 27th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 387-8338
Prices between ($12 and up)