Best Dim Sum in Boston

[orenlund]

I have a family trip to boston this weekend and need a really good dim sum place. We all grew up eating real chinese food, so the more authentic the better. Thank you,

oren

[johnnyd]

Oren,

I did a little digging and found the China Pearl in Boston's Chinatown.

Never been but epinion reviews seem favorable. Let us know how it turns out.

[galleygirl]

My favorite is Chau Chow City,

83 Essex St. 617/338-8158 ...

3 floors of glitzy Hong Kong Style noise and bustle, served from carts....make sure you don't ened up on the mezzanine level, it's kind of Siberia...

They do amazingly creative things with dumpling wrappers, always something new, green skins filled with mushrooms and chives, har gow filled with scallpos, and, ask for the lobster dumplings; my favorite...

On the third floor, there's a steam table where you can seek out tripe, snails and various shellfish....Seafood choices here are more varied than any other places in Chinatown, altho pork rules

Also, the best congee(jook) in town...The dried fish and peanut is my favorite anywhere.

Second choice is Pacific Garden, on the corner of Beach and Harrison, downstairs...There, you order off a menu, so things are always fresh, but the choices are much more limited, and since the place is very small, the wait can be a problem....Hmm, not tha it isn't at Chau Chow, but that's part of the event, right?

[newsbabe]

Haven't tried Chau Chow City -- sounds great. We go to China Pearl frequently, and it's fantastic. If you go on a Sunday, either get their before 11 or be prepared for a wait.

Edited June 9, 2004 by newsbabe (log)

[galleygirl]

If you like China Pearl, I think you'll really enjoy Chau Chow City....I tried China Pearl in the beginnings of my Dim sum perambulations years ago, and CCH has gone way beyond...China Pearl seems a little old to me, and they have happily expanded to the 'burbs in Burlington, or somewhere around there....

[orenlund]

thank y'all for the suggestions. If there are any others, keep em coming.

-oren

[Enzian]

I'll vouch for Chau Chow City as being excellent. However, I realize that individual pallettes for Asian cuisine are hinged greatly upon where you were raised. To counter that, I'll add that I grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

From what I've heard, Chau Chow City is as authentic as you can get, this side of the Pacific.

I ate there ~ 4 years ago, when I was fairly oblivious to food appreciation - but I knew it tasted great! I had never had crab rangoons before, but they were recommended by a friend, and I wasn't disappointed. Crispy outsides and creamy insides with a light crab flavor.

I need to go back there! :D

Edited June 10, 2004 by Enzian (log)

[galleygirl]

Orenlund, there are others, that I wouldn't quite recommend....

Emporer's Garden, shilled long and loud by Eddie Andeleman on the Phantom Gourmet, is large, but, I have heard, fairly dirty, and again, slanted toward more American tastes..However, it has it's fans, and is also large and flashy..

New Jing Lei (I think that's the name) has very thin dumpling skins, but little variety, and is usually dead...A new place, unnamed in English, opened recently, but it's a joint venture between China Pearl, and Imperial Seafood(IS is horrible, couldn't finish my food there...).......

[9lives]

New Lei Jing was so dead that it has closed recently.

I'll second (third, fourth)?? the Chau Chau City recommendation. For the best experience, insist on the 3rd floor..even if they say there's a long wait...they just want to fill the lower floors..I try to get there by 11 AM.

Pacific Garden is also excellent; but order off the menu..not a "traditional dim sum" cart experience.

[galleygirl]

S, Orenlund, where'd ya go? What'dja eat?

[yushoe]

Right across from China Pearl is another Dim Sum place called Peach Farm which is really good as well, and I think slightly less expensive.

Searching on Boston.com's food and dining section for places in Chinatown can give you some more ideas.

[galleygirl]

Right across from China Pearl is another Dim Sum place called Peach Farm which is really good as well, and I think slightly less expensive.

Searching on Boston.com's food and dining section for places in Chinatown can give you some more ideas.

Peach Farm is my favorite restaurant for all Kinds of Hong Kong style seafood, but they do not serve dim sum....