Stick & Steam

I tried the pan-fried soup dumplings (4 for $10), and while they were decent, they didn't justify the price. The crispy fried chicken rice plate was also disappointing because the chicken was overcooked and dry.Overall, the food didn't stand out, and with the prices, I'm not sure I'll be returning.

FLAVOR (3/5): Their beef chow fun was just okay, wouldn't say it's anything special beyond your typical. The hainanese chicken rice was good, chicken was juicy and rice was flavorful. The green beans had a good char to them it definitely needs to be paired with something. I would pass on the salted yolk fish skin, it's crispy but should be more of a snack than with your dinner meal. INSTAGRAM WORTHY (3/5): The plating of the food was fine and the restaurant is small but very tidy! SERVICE (4/5): Canto speaking folks running the business here and they're very friendly. They allowed for us to sit in the corner with less distractions because we had a service dog with us. When my mom was looking bathroom they were able to help guide her and told her to be careful when walking which I thought was super sweet towards the elders. TAKEAWAYS: Good pit stop if you're coming to and from SFO. They also seem to have frozen items for home if that's your cup of tea!

The first thing you'll notice is the dirty dining area. Sticky tables. Sticky chairs .Then you'll notice the prices. For dim sum, it's about 50% more expensive than any other spots in Millbrae. Then you'll notice the portions. Tiny little ha gow. Pai guat is about 30% ribs and 70% taro. Sorry, who ordered taro? Then you'll take a bite and you notice the abysmal quality. Literally days old, reheated food that would have been discarded elsewhere. If your standard for dim sum is something you'd get at an airport or a mall food court in Indiana, you might find it acceptable. If you can stand the prices and the filthy tables.

Arrived around noon and the place was surprisingly busy. For the price and a quick meal it wasn't bad but the food leaves a lot to be desired. The restaurant wasn't too noisy but since it's small you probably can't sit around and enjoy your meal. It's more of a dash in and out kind of place. This is what we ordered:Ha gow 4/5: Came with 3 pieces. The skin was good and the shrimp tasted fresh. Not a huge dumpling but it wasn't bad for the price.Pork siu mai 3/5: Came with 3 pieces. The pork was pretty good but the sui mai looked so processed. Didn't like the look of it and the skin tasted too thick or processed or something that just threw it off.Sun suet geen (rolled tofu skin) 4/5: Only 2 of them. The filling wasn't bad but the gravy was a bit strong and salty.Chicken feet 4/5: 3 feet, nice and tender. Could have used some slices of jalepeno to give it that extra kick. Not bad for the price.Sampler XLB 3/5: 3 pieces. It was all right. Nothing special. The truffle was very slight, the crab had a few strands of crab. Okay if you just want to try different flavors but it wasn't amazing.XLB 5/5: 3 pieces. Probably a bit pricey for just 3 but it was nice and soupy. This was my favorite dish there but I would probably go somewhere else where I can get more for a better price point.Pork spareribs 1/5: This was the most disappointing as it was mainly taro root and not that many pieces of spare ribs. It was tender but didn't have that slight amount of oil to keep it moist so it was not smooth. Especially with all the taro which made it even more dry.Lava buns 3/5: Got 2 buns. It was nice and runny but the bun to lava ratio was more bread. It would have been better if there was more lava or less bun for a better balance. Considering we had 8 dishes and the cost was $42 without tip the price wasn't bad. However, you are getting smaller portions. Might be a good spot to try with the hubs since we don't eat as much but going with my son, we were both still a bit hungry after. Hahahah. Might come back and try it again with the hubs and see how it goes now that I know what to order.

Small little shop tucked away behind the crowd of In-n-Out patrons. I don't see a lot of places make 焗豬扒飯 (baked pork chop rice) or at least that I'm familiar with but eating this is always nostalgic and brings me back to my late teens and early 20s. It's unassuming but at 5 pm on a random Monday, there's a good amount of eating. All elderly looking (& speaking) Chinese patrons which tells you that it's good! I got the combination rice which is half tomato sauce with fried pork, and half creamy sauce with fish. The tomato sauce is tangy and sweet which compliments the more rich creaminess of the white sauce. All of this is also topped over some melted cheese and rice that has peas, corn and mushrooms. The two contrasts pair nicely. Plenty of food to keep you full too. This dish btw is on the list where it's only $15 on Mondays - Fridays between 5 pm and 8 pm.My boyfriend got the hainan chicken rice plate and chicken was very moist and tender. Sauces complemented the chicken and rice well, and honestly solidly done.The dim sum I was most surprised by because it was SO good! Honestly probs one of the best Siu Mai & Ha Gow in the peninsula. Granted I only tried two of the dim sum options but it's definitely very good. Highly recommended that you get this and try.Definitely a place I'd come back for quick, simple, comfort Hong Kong cafe food!

This place is always so busy when I come here. I mainly come here for the kumquat lemon green tea. I usually get this when I'm picking up lunch or dinner at L&L. Service is always fast. I've tried a few items here, such as the pork buns or pork belly w/ charcoal buns. I just found it a little pricy, but I guess it depends on what you're ordering. Don't get me wrong, the food is delicious. I just don't normally come to this area just to eat this alone. They have a lot of other food places next door that my family loves more.

To sum up Stick & Steam. It's basically a small Chinese restaurant with pretty good food, mediocre service, and difficult parking. Since it's so close to the In-N-Out and other chains, it gets super busy in the area. I've been to Stick & Steam years ago then came back again recently, but the same issues that make me not love coming back is how bad and unattentive the service is here because otherwise I honestly like their food quality. Most recently I had the Hainan Chicken Rice ($16.75) and BBQ Pork Buns ($4.50). Honestly both were really good. The Hainan Chicken Rice had very moist and tender chicken and came with multiple traditional dipping sauces for the chicken. The soup that came with it was a little salty, but still tasted okay. The rice was also made perfectly. The BBQ Pork Buns are pretty standard and they only give two, but the BBQ Pork was filling and tasty.The inside of the restaurant is small, but not uncomfortable. I would say the service isn't necessarily rude, but the staff just have zero customer service skills and you have to try really hard to flag them down to even get your order. If you are the type to not care about service at all and only care about food quality then this is definitely worth a shot.

Food is excellent and it's Hong Kong style. I love it so much! I will recommend to my family and my friends.

My new favorite Chinese place! Authentic Hong Kong cafe cuisine!Every dish was excellent!

Food is amazing! Service was so wonderful and kind. Everything is clean, fast and delicious! I definitely recommend if you are in the San Francisco/Burlingame areas.