jade dragon in the city of dreams for dim sum

Though online reviewers regard them fairly interchangeably, cart-lovers will choose Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, while diners who prefer to order off a menu will head to China Max or Emerald Chinese Cuisine. Quality varies from meal to meal and the best chefs are frequently lured north to better opportunities in San Francisco or Los Angeles.ĭiscussion of the San Diego dim sum scene starts with a “Big 3” set of restaurants located along a two mile stretch of Convoy Street in the Kearny Mesa District on the northern outskirts of the city. With more concentrated Chinese American communities in Orange County and Los Angeles only a short drive away, San Diego’s dim sum scene is generally regarded as adequate, without reaching any new heights. » Read more: Our Ultimate Dim Sum Menu Guide with Pictures and Translations After the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act, San Diego’s Chinese American population generally dispersed to the suburbs, leaving the city without a historical Chinatown at its center. While Chinese communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles flourished, San Diego’s Chinatown rose and fell along with employment opportunities, while growing stagnant during the Chinese Exclusion period.

While online reviewers might suggest continuing straight along to the more celebrated dim sum palaces two hours north in Los Angeles, locals insist there are enough good buns and dumplings in San Diego to keep you in town.Ĭhinese immigrants first came to San Diego during the 1860s and worked as abalone fisherman, laundrymen and shopkeepers. San Diego’s best dim sum restaurants are concentrated along a two mile stretch in the Kearny Mesa District located about 10 miles north of downtown.

Jade dragon in the city of dreams for dim sum