China Gourmet
Chinese restaurant · Mayfair
2842 St Vincent St, Philadelphia, PA 19149
Highlights
Cantonese specialties, dim sum, private karaoke rooms, seafood
Cantonese specialties, dim sum, private karaoke rooms, seafood
"The best lobster dish in town is served in a banquet hall in the Northeast. It comes whole and buttery, stir-fried with ginger, scallion, and crispy chunks of pork. We like plenty of other food at this dim sum institution—especially juicy shu mai, crispy shrimp balls, bbq pork buns, and rice noodle rolls—but you should make a point to order the lobster off the restaurant’s menu, rather than just sticking to what you see on the roving carts. Something this aromatic, deliciously salty, and a little bit sweet is well worth the 30-minute wait for a table on Sunday morning." - alison kessler, candis mclean
"This giant, excellent Chinese restaurant in Mayfair serves a full a la carte menu of Cantonese specialties. Get the Hong Kong style lobster with minced pork in addition to countless buns, dumplings, crepe rolls, and congee from roving dim sum carts. There's tons of free parking, and the room is always loud and lively with multigenerational families. Another perk: kids tend to congregate around the wall of bubbling seafood tanks, allowing parents the briefest of moments to enjoy their food." - alison kessler
"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
"The steamed skin on the fun kor at China Gourmet in Mayfair is so translucent, it might have you questioning if you've somehow developed X-ray vision. These plump dumplings come in orders of three, and are filled with scallions, bamboo shoots, ground pork, and shitake mushrooms. There's a little spice, a little juice drippage, and a high likelihood you're going to order a second round." - candis mclean
"China Gourmet runs on excellent dim sum and noodle dishes. The restaurant focuses on Cantonese-style options like shrimp with lobster sauce and dry-roasted yi mein, but the house specialty is the lobster with minced pork. Although it’s the size of several banquet halls, it’s a casual, no-frills place that’s perfect for a large group. Stop by, take over one of their round tables covered in a pink tablecloth, and grab orders of shu mai, egg tarts, and crispy chicken feet as the carts roll by." - candis mclean
