Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine that is prepared in bite-sized portions and served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. The traditional style of serving dim sum is via push carts that move around the restaurant offering ready-to-serve dishes, allowing diners the comfort of sampling lots of different dishes without leaving their seats. A fun group outing or family dining experience, dim sum is a unique way to connect with others while trying out some new dishes. Perhaps you've already tried our eight favorite Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles and want to explore further. From delicious dumplings and noodle dishes to sweet egg tarts and sesame balls, check out eight of the best dim sum restaurants in Los Angeles.
First, find a place to stay in Los Angeles
Visit The Most Delicious Dim Sum Restaurants In L.A.
1. Lunasia Chinese Cuisine
One great thing this restaurant chain does is feature full photo menus that have pictures of every single dish they serve, which saves you the guessing work—especially if you don’t speak or read Chinese. Their prices are very reasonable and their servings are extremely generous. Offering both modern and traditional Chinese dim sum, Lunasia’s menu includes a variety of tasty items, from steamed chicken feet and shrimp egg rolls to their deep fried sweet carrot balls for dessert.
Address: 500 W. Main Street, Alhambra
2. Bao Dim Sum House
This low-key dim sum house includes a special happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7pm where they serve unique cocktails and Chinese small plates of dim sum. If you come in for dim sum outside of happy hour, you won’t be disappointed with the selections. Check out their Xiao Long Bao (juicy pork dumpling), shrimp and chicken mochi dumpling, shrimp wonton soup, and their egg custard tart or crispy sesame balls for dessert.
Address: 8256 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles
3. Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
Another upscale traditional restaurant with huge round tables with Lazy Susans in the center for family-style dining, this Rosemead restaurant serves dim sum for lunch and Cantonese seafood dishes for dinner. Lines tend to be super long during the weekends, but it’s worth it for their signature dishes such as the egg yolk bun, durian pastry, fried quail, and Char Siu Bao (steamed BBQ pork buns).
Address: 3939 Rosemead Boulevard, Rosemead
4. Elite Restaurant
This busy eatery serves hot dim sum that is fresh out of the kitchen (and not on push carts). Customers travel far and wide to have a bite of their buttery, flaky Hong Kong egg tarts and generous shu mai dumplings topped with orange fish roe. Other unique dishes to try include the soft cream buns, spare ribs slathered in black bean sauce, crispy turnip cakes, and the taro root dumplings.
Address: 700 S. Atlantic Boulevard, Monterey Park
5. China Red
The relaxed vibes in this spacious, casual dim sum restaurant in Arcadia paired with three distinct styles of cuisine make China Red a popular go-to place. The dishes feature a combination of Cantonese, Beijing, and Shanghainese influence. Recommended dishes you must try include the House Special Lobster, which is prepared in a traditional Cantonese method with aromatics and sauces, the pan fried pork dumplings, and the soup dumplings.
Address: 855 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia
6. Empress Harbor Seafood Restaurant
This upscale, banquet hall-style spot has gained a reputation as one of the best pushcart dim sum restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. Popular for weddings as well as large family meals, Empress Harbor Seafood Restaurant offers a variety of Chinese seafood and dim sum, including almond or coconut milk bird’s nest soup, King crab, baked lotus seed, chicken feet, and black bean spare ribs.
Address: 111 N. Atlantic Boulevard, Monterey Park
7. Din Tai Fung
No need to wonder whether the food is as good as the sleek interior of this stylish, modern-looking restaurant—it is. The famous steamed dumpling and noodle restaurant has branches across the world, serving customers a classic taste of Taiwanese fare. Everything on the menu is good, but they are especially known for their steamed dumpling varieties, including the Sticky Rice and Pork Shao Mai.
Address: 177 Caruso Avenue, Glendale
8. IXLB Dimsum Eats
If you’re craving dim sum but don’t have time to spend hours in a restaurant, this hip location on trendy Sunset Boulevard offers culinary convenience with express dim sum served takeout-style. The restaurant name is short for Xiao Long Bao (a Chinese soup dumpling), and offers a large variety of reasonably priced dishes at $3.95 each. Choose from the menu that includes everything from spring rolls and scallion pancakes to steamed buns, rice dishes, and desserts.
Address: 5900 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles
This article was written by Kamala Kirk.