Dim Sum in San Diego (2025)
A cornerstone of the Convoy Pan Asian Cultural District, Jasmine’s pushcarts, wedding-banquet setting, and deep Cantonese menu make it an enduring favorite. Featured by Thrillist and used for the San Diego Dim Sum Tour noted by KPBS and San Diego Reader.
Locally owned and all-day dim sum, from har gow to baked char siu buns, plus Friday night Dim Sum & Jazz that draws neighborhood regulars. Highlighted on Eater San Diego’s Chinese restaurants map and chosen for 2025 community banquets.
Old-school Cantonese on Convoy where locals come for value-priced classics like siu mai, turnip cake, and rice noodle rolls; carts roll on busy weekends. Recent community dim sum events and menus confirm it’s very much in the mix.
At dusk on a Thursday, a line snakes around the complex as customers wait—some as long as four hours—for a table at this revived Convoy District icon. Reopened as China Max 2.0 with new owners and a dumpling‑centric menu shaped by the team’s success at Encinitas’ Dumpling Bar, the restaurant runs a weekday all‑you‑can‑eat deal covering dumplings, soda, ice cream, and New York‑style cheesecake with a 90‑minute limit while the kitchen rapidly folds wontons and soup dumplings and keeps tweaking recipes to make the xiao long bao juicier and plumper, adding options like crab xiao long bao and a hand‑rolled noodle with spicy peppercorn sauce. After an accidental fire in April 2020 destroyed the original space, the rebuild culminated in a modern interior—tall windows, cushioned high‑back chairs, pink carpet—and a viewing station where dumplings are made by hand. The evolving menu spans pork xiao long bao (including a pan‑fried version), chile wontons, sweet and sour ribs, green beans, sticky rice, hand‑rolled noodles, and Beijing duck tacos served in a steamer basket, with a second‑floor buffet of Northern Chinese dishes (tomato‑and‑egg, eggplant with potatoes and green peppers, stir‑fried pickled cabbage, shredded potato stir‑fry, and sautéed green beans) coming soon without a set date.
Family-run since the 1990s, known for hand-pinched xiao long bao and a Shanghai-leaning small-plates menu. Praised by Thrillist and spotlighted by local media; the adjacent Shanghai Saloon adds a playful, period bar to the experience.
Inside Vinh Hung Supermarket, this independent counter-serve standout turns out Cantonese BBQ alongside dim sum favorites like shrimp dumplings, sesame balls, and congee. A go-to for everyday value, confirmed by recent menus and local reviews.
A 2025 Carmel Valley arrival with colorful XLB flights and dim sum staples, from grilled pork buns to potstickers. Noted by Eater San Diego; run by the family behind a popular local noodle house.
Tiny, uncompromising shop specializing in Northern-style handmade dumplings—think chive, scallop, and pork—plus simple sides and soups. Frequently praised in local roundups; a great add-on for dim sum-style grazing near Point Loma.
Owner-run Shanghainese kitchen with dim sum-leaning specialties like sticky rice shumai and red bean sponge cake alongside classic entrees. Included on Eater San Diego’s Chinese restaurants map; popular for group meals in Torrey Highlands.
Destination dumpling shop for seven-flavor XLB baskets and the weekend giant soup dumpling. Featured by Eater San Diego; families love watching the dumpling team at work behind glass.
