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9211 Bolsa Ave Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 893-1976

My mom actually chose this restaurant to host the luncheon after my Tea Ceremony.  The restaurant was packed!  There was quite a line out the door even though there was a large amount of seating space inside.   I had been to this place a few times before and remembered it as being quite good.

We had two tables at the restaurant and about 22 people.  So, not all the food featured below was something I tasted.

This dish was a fried sushi dish.  It was nice and crispy on the outside but it bit too bland on the inside.  In fact, I’m not sure what was on the inside.  Possibly shrimp?

 I didn’t order this!

 Hmm, again, I think this was at the other table.

 Ah!  Something I recognize!  This is the standard Chinese broccoli typically seen most Chinese restaurants.  It has an oyster sauce on top.  This one was pretty average although as far as I’m concerned even the average ones a very good.

 This is my favorite!  Shrimp dim sum with some kind of rice noodle shell.  Very tasty.

 I didn’t get to try this one but it is a rice noodle wrapped around either pork or shrimp.

 I didn’t try this one either but it looks good!

 Bleh!  Looks like eggplant.

 Man, this looks good too!

 Aha, I did have some fried rice.  It was VERY good.  Not too oily like some Chinese restaurants.  t was nice and fluffy and flavorful, but not too dry or overspiced.

This dish was good too.  More salty than spicy but I enjoyed it.

 Overall, the restaurant was very good.  The service was just so-so and the ambiance was typical of a fast paced restaurant in that area.  It isn’t a place I would go to for a romantic evening but if you want good food and don’t mind waiting a little bit, this place is worth it.

Taste: 9/10
Service: 3/5
Atmosphere: 2/5
Total: 14/20

11666 Avena Place, Rancho Bernardo, CA 92128. (858) 487-3388.

Pearl is Emerald’s sister restaurant.

I went to Pearl during the Lunar New Year weekend, so they had extra festivities.

I was surprised to find a park behind the restaurant.

Pearl offers some traditional dim sum as well as other specialties.

Har Gow / Shrimp Dumplings (my favorite, but not the best here) and some kind of seafood dumplings.

Shiu Mai / Pork Dumplings, I think something with snow peas or broccoli (interesting and inventive, different from the usual variety of dim sum), more dumplings, and Rice Balls.

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shrimp Rice Rolls - I didn’t eat the fried rice, but the rice rolls were a little bland, even with the sauce!

Fried Taro Balls with Shrimp and Sesame Balls - I didn’t realize the fried balls had taro. I only ordered it because I saw the shrimp. Unfortunately, the ladies who push the carts around don’t always have the best communication skills, so sometimes they aren’t much help in figuring out what to get. (And they weren’t anywhere to be found when we were finished and trying to get the bill so we could leave.) The sesame balls are a tasty dessert.

Overall, most of the dim sum was delicious, but I don’t think it was such a great value. It was more expensive than Emerald or Jasmine, both of which I think have more reasonable prices. And at least those two restaurants are in an area closer to central San Diego and are surrounded with more shops…

Taste: 6/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service/Atmosphere: 3/5
Total: 12/20

4609 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111. (858) 268-0888

http://www.jasmineseafoodrestaurant.com

After I raved about the Chicken and Pineapple Buns at Jasmine, I went back with Dave, so he could try them and so I could have some more… But alas, sadly, I was informed that they did not offer them that day, instead they had plain Pineapple Buns. So beware, their menu may change daily.

Pineapple Bun - very sweet, definitely different from the Chicken and Pineapple Bun. It has a pineapple filling kind of like mung bean paste. Worth a try. Don’t let the picture fool you. It’s not oily. That plate and doily was from another dim sum.

Taste: 7/10

4609 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111. (858) 268-0888

http://www.jasmineseafoodrestaurant.com

Jasmine is one of my two favorite places for dim sum in San Diego. (The other is Emerald.) There is a variety of choices… new favorites and old classics… Even though the restaurant is extremely large, you may find yourself in a long line on the weekends and parking can be difficult.

Fried Shrimp Balls with Sesame Seeds - The sesame seeds were overpowering. They took away from the taste of the shrimp.

BBQ Pork Buns - I didn’t try this since I don’t eat pork anymore, but perhaps someone else will comment on them…

BBQ Pork

Chicken Buns - I didn’t care for this. It didn’t taste right. Perhaps a little bitter? Something was off…

Chicken and Pineapple Buns - These delicious new treats are now one of my favorites!!! The inside is filled with a creamy chicken mixture that I would describe as similar to chicken salad. It has a sweet flaky pineapple top that crumbles in your mouth. Yes, the combination may sound a little weird, but I love it!

Portuguese Style Egg Tarts - Each order consists of three mini tarts of yummy egg custard filling with a flaky crust. Eat some there and bring some home with you!

Enjoy their Cantonese style dim sum brunch (available everyday) from 10 am until 3 pm. They advertise over 50 intricate dishes! I believe most of the dishes pictured here are $3-5. If you have never tried dim sum, I would also recommend Shrimp Dumplings (Ha Gaw - my other favorite) and Sesame Balls (for dessert).

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 16/20

4600 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111

My dad is one of the chefs at Jasmine and he always brings us home new dim sum creations that they come up with. Sometimes the creations are bad (I’m sure those didn’t make it on the menu) and some are extraordinary. This time it was something unique and pretty tasty too!

They took the daan taat (egg custard… dan ta if you are mandarin, but daan tat for us Cantonese speakers) and put a twist on it. Instead of the normal flakey buttery crust, they changed it to a more crunchy chocolate crust. It was good, but I prefer the orginal version better.

My favorite would have to be the fried taro with a piece of scallop on top. It was a bit oily, but boy did that scallop hit the spot!

The little birdy was filled with a red bean paste and is a nice sweet little treat. I told my sister to break it in half for me (I didn’t want to be the one to kill it).