"We get choked up just thinking about the quality of China Gourmet's ripping-hot pork siu mai, crispy spring rolls, and bouncy sesame-coated buns. It’s the first place we recommend for dim sum in Philly, even if we can guarantee a line on weekends. The massive space in the Northeast opens at 9:30am every day and could fit several family reunions throughout the dining rooms. Bring a group on a Sunday and you’ll see kids pretending to be DJs while spinning lazy susans, overhear neighborhood gossip over lunch, and pop shrimp balls covered in golden strips of wontons that make each one look like a mound of hay. Pro tip: don't leave without ordering the stir-fried lobster with crispy pork. It's worth the wait." - candis mclean, alison kessler