Stick & Steam

Good food, friendly staff and affordable. Portions are on the smaller side, averaging about $30 per person. Located right next to L&L Hawaiian BBQ/in and out.

Will definitely come back next time around.

Came here around 2pm, there were only 3 tables including us so we sat anywhere.

Ordered A1. hainan chicken rice w/soup, C2. Noodle with braised beef and shrimp wonton, and a can of soda.
First the hainan chicken rice came first, with no chopsticks or soup. The rice was very yellow, not fragrant, came with 3 different sauces (ginger, chili, and some sweet soy sauce). The noodles is wonton style noodle and the veggies were just 2 pieces of lettuce.

As we were eating, we found a string of plastic inside the rice. We raised our hands to get their attention and notified them and thats when they brought in the can of soda (came at the end as if it was dessert). It was very e to find a plastic in there so we returned the food to the kitchen.

Overall, the food items are very expensive, taste below average, and service was lacking. We won't be coming back here. Drive a little bit more to Millbrae downtown and you'll find gazillion more Chinese food that are decently priced and tasty

Tucked near In and Out burger off 101 and across from Lucid. Another hidden gem. There shrimp won ton with noodle is a knock out. They are related to koi palace so there dim sum is of high quality without going to koi palace. All foods are tasty and fresh and hot. Highly recommend will come back and look forward to try other items on menu.

Attached is a video link for the food.

https://youtu.be/JNZWhaR8igk

There are better places for the type of food Sticks and Steam serves. What they have going for them is all day dim sum and a clean restaurant. They do have a limited $15 weekday menu. The food is missing that wow factor. We had the Hainan chicken rice plate $16.75, baked tomato pork chop rice $15 and a wonton noodle soup $15. Their version of Hainan chicken rice is missing that chicken stock flavor in the rice. At least they got the ginger and sweet chili sauces right. I also would have preferred the traditional cucumbers instead of pickled vegetables. The baked tomato pork chop rice and wonton noodles were no better. The flavors were off. At least the kitchen is fast and service was excellent.

We have gone here several times now and they have added new items on the menu! My husband loves their drunken chicken noodle soup and is always craving it. My current go to is their baked pork cutlet tomato rice. The pork cutlet is tender and the flavor is great. We've also tried the combo baked rice and my husband didn't really enjoy the fish fillet so we prefer just the baked pork cutlet tomato rice. The xlb has a decent amount of soup and is pretty good as well. I always get their pink dreamer drink. It's sparkling and super refreshing and not too sweet. They also added a lemon punch black tea which we enjoy as well. Last time they were out of black tea and I asked for green tea and personally, I like the green tea version better. There's a lot of items on the menu and a lot of great choices. Parking is easy and customer service is pretty good as well.

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.

I ordered the braised beef noodle soup and dim sum sampler.

The braised beef noodle soup had a rich, flavorful broth with tender pieces of bone in beef. However, the sweetness in the broth was slightly overpowering and a bit too pronounced for my taste.

The dim sum sampler was decently prepared. The flavors were on par with the average dim sum joint.

Hidden Gem for Authentic Hong Kong Cuisine!

Stick and Steam is a delightful discovery nestled in Millbrae, conveniently close to the San Francisco airport. This small yet charming cafe offers an authentic taste of Hong Kong cuisine without the crowds, making it a perfect spot for a quiet meal.

From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with the aroma of hot and fresh dishes waiting to be savored. The menu boasts a wide array of choices, including baked rice, dim sum, noodles, and appetizers, ensuring there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Not only is the food superbly delicious, but it's also reasonably priced, making Stick and Steam a fantastic value for the quality you receive. The service is prompt and efficient, allowing you to indulge in your favorite dishes without any unnecessary delays.

One of the highlights of Stick and Steam is the ample parking available, making it convenient for diners to visit without worrying about finding a spot. Whether you're craving comforting noodles or delectable dim sum, this cafe has you covered.

In conclusion, Stick and Steam is a hidden gem that truly delivers on its promise of authentic Hong Kong cuisine. With its delicious food, reasonable prices, fast service, and ample parking, it's a must-visit for anyone in search of a satisfying dining experience near the San Francisco airport. Highly recommended!

Came here on a whim as we were in the area and craving dim sum but didn't want to wait on a busy Saturday morning.

We were seated promptly as soon as we arrived. They have both indoor and outdoor seating which is nice as we had our pup with us.

We did not have high expectations for the dim sum here but I was pleasantly surprised to the quality and taste of the food. We ordered a bunch of dishes, green onion pancake (a daily special) , pan fried pork buns, ha gow, siu mai, bbq pork buns and a pork chop tomato rice. All of the dishes had good flavor, not amazing but for the price this was the perfect place to satisfy our craving.

I did notice that they might be affiliated with koi palace as they sold frozen dim sum items that stated they were from koi palace.

Overall would come back again!

I came here twice. This is my friend's favorite place so I always went here with my friend.
It's a little restaurant with limited seat but comfortable. It's not too loud and just perfect for quick meal. Their service was quick: they'll give you a menu and take your order. Food will come out really quickly too.
Their food was big portion. Unfortunately, their noodles were not that great. It's really lack of flavor and tasted flat. Their rice dishes were great though! I love their pork chop baked rice and also the pork katsu specials. Their chicken rice was also good, but somehow their boiled chicken was not exactly appealing because it has too much fat and bland. Their fried chicken though... yum! Love this place.