I have an obsession that some of you may be familiar with. It doesn't necessarily call on everyone but those of us who are familiar with it know that it starts with a mental fixation where visions of steamy pork buns and siu mai dance in your head, and then it transforms into an almost debilitating symptom where nothing else you eat seems to satisfy your appetite. This is known as a dim sum obsession.
For those of you that have never had dim sum, it's not only a meal it's an experience, it's a social gathering, and it's something definitely worth trying. If you like the concept of tapas, then you will find an appreciation for dim sum. For the Chinese, it's an early afternoon ritual of "Yum Cha" which is a saying which means to go drink tea. Yum cha obviously involves tea, but its mainly a social gathering of family and friends to dine over a myriad of small plates and dishes which all are referred to as"dim sum". Dim Sum ranges from steamed, boiled, to fried, meat to vegetables (not vegetarian however), dumplings to noodles, and from hot to cold, and salty to sweet. Yes, there are some dishes with what some might consider as exotic ingredients such as chicken feet and cow stomach, but mostly it's an approachable combination of everyday ingredients like ground pork, braised beef, and seafood. Some staple dishes of dim sum are Char Siu Bao which are steamed (producing a soft and fluffy bun) or baked buns (resulting in a chewy, sweet, and sticky version) filled with sweet Chinese BBQ pork, and Har Gow and Siu Mai dishes. Har Gow is a delicate, chewy tapioca and wheat flour dumpling filled with lightly seasoned shrimp and Siu Mai is a pork, shrimp, and shitake mushroom dumpling encased in a thin wonton wrapper. These last 2 dumpling dishes are a must have for every dim sum meal, and in my opinion the best gauge on the quality of a dim sum restaurant.
Traditionally, dim sum comes out from the kitchen and is pushed around the dining room in carts instead of being ordered from a menu, so you see and smell all of the dishes before you commit to anything. This also means that you can start eating right when you sit down if you find something that suits your fancy. Technically, you can be in and out of dim sum in a matter of 15 minutes with a full belly, or you can sit and eat your heart out for hours.
Truth be known that San Diego is not home to the best Chinese food, and definitely not the best dim sum. Our options not surprisingly, are mostly found on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa, which is the mecca to most of the traditional Asian cuisine in San Diego. Some of these San Diego dim sum restaurants offer the traditional cart service, while others require that you order from the menu. As a Chinese girl from the Bay now transplanted in San Diego, I have to say the options here are bit bleak in comparison. But alas, when my obsession and cravings kick in, these places get the job done.
Cart Service
Emerald
3709 Convoy St,San Diego, CA 92111
www.emeraldrestaurant.com
Jasmine
4609 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
www.jasmineseafood.com
Pearl
11666 Avena Pl, San Diego, CA 92128
Menu Service
China Max
4698 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
www.chinamaxsandiego.com
Imperial Mandarin
3904 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
With these handful of options in San Diego, there are careful considerations that can be made for each, depending on what you are looking for. I offer you some questions and answers that you might be interested in when making your decision on where to go for dim sum, specific to San Diego:
Q: "Do I want the basic dim sum dishes or do I need more interesting options?"
A: The choice here is between the off the menu restaurants or the restaurants that offer cart service. You will get more options from the carted restaurants such as Pearl or Emerald, and typically off-the menu restaurants such as China Max will only have the more standard options.
Q: "Do I want the instant gratification of the traditional experience or do I want my dim sum to be hot?"
A: This seems like a silly question but it is so valid. Part of the charm of dim sum is the experience of seeing the food on the carts, and picking what calls out to you. Unfortunately, I have found that most of the restaurants that use carts in San Diego can't seem to sell their dishes fast enough to keep them fresh. They will end up making numerous laps around the restaurant pushing the same carts with the same dishes until they are sold, which means there's a higher potential of the dish hitting your table luke-warm. Despite that, you get the real dim sum experience, and you also get the instant gratification of picking and eating a dish the minute you sit down. So when I want this experience, any of the carted restaurants will do.
But when I need the latter, meaning I want my dishes as hot as possible, I have found that the key is to go to off-the menu restaurants like Imperial Mandarin or China Max. But I will be perfectly honest by saying this isn't always a guarantee either.
Q: "How long am I willing to wait for a table?"
A: If I am starving and it's past 11, Emerald is out of the question. Jasmine and Pearl are also bustling locations but because of their size, you may be able to get a table sooner than you would think as long as you aren't a party larger than 4. The safest bet is the more nondescript China Max or Imperial Mandarin.
If I can stand the wait, all other options are still game.
And lastly, the most important question that everyone is wondering:
"Where is the best dim sum in San Diego?" Sadly, I don't have an answer for this. Inconsistency seems to be the one common factor at all dim sum restaurants in San Diego. One week the dim sum at one location might be great, and then the next month you go back and it's terrible. It's the luck of the draw.
I will leave you with 2 helpful pieces of advice when you venture out on your own dim sum mission. If you don't see your favorite dish come by, don't be afraid to raise your hand and ask one of the floor managers to find it for you. It will save you loads of frustration and will lessen the head spin of looking at every cart that comes by. And lastly, the #1 tip that every Chinese person knows and follows is this: Go early. It will guarantee that you will get to see all of the options that are available, and you won't run the risk of them selling out of the specialty dishes you wanted, or possibly even your favorites.
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