The best dim sum restaurants in L.A.

What is it? Chef Tony He’s upscale dim sum parlor, which has served diners for over two decades. 

Why we love it: After all these years, Sea Harbour in Rosemead is still a crowd favorite; the sprawling dining room has been offering made-to-order dim sum of the highest order since 2002. Dare to visit on a weekend morning and you’ll find a line that formed long before opening. With a menu of more than 100 items, you’ll do best to stick to the well-executed basics, like crystal shrimp dumplings and pork dumplings. The vibrant pork soup dumplings are hot and juicy in their tins on arrival, while the springy rice noodle rolls nail the ideal filling-to-rice-paper ratio and are some of the best in the city. Highlights beyond the basics include fried whole smelt, steamed black fungus in vinegar, and celery-and-fungus dumplings.

Time Out tip: I also like the pan-fried shredded taro cake and juicy pork buns, if you’re looking to further diversify your order. 

Address: 3939 Rosemead Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 10:30am–3pm, 5–10pm; Sat, Sun 10am–10pm

What is it? A best-in-class dim sum joint located inside a Holiday Inn in El Monte.

Why we love it: There’s no way around it: At the wrong time, the wait can be hours long at Happy Together. Luckily, the cuisine here is more than worth it—and you can also add yourself to the restaurant’s Yelp waitlist ahead of time. Originally from Chino Hills, Happy Together serves flawlessly executed standards like har gow, char siu puffs and lotus leaf-wrapped packets of chicken and sticky rice. The kitchen distinguishes itself further with an excellent selection of poultry and barbecue, including a unique coconut-crispy chicken and a classic juicy red pork, both cooked in small batches to maintain quality. Just don’t come here for the ambience. Despite white tablecloths and somewhat tacky banquet seat covers, the end result is still a fairly casual yet utterly delicious dim sum experience.

Time Out tip: Most of Happy Together's items are also available for takeout or delivery.

Address: 9920 Valley Blvd, El Monte, CA 91731

Opening hours: Daily 10am–3pm, 5–9pm

What is it? A cavernous, ornately decorated eatery in Temple City with weekday discounts and reservations over the phone.

Why we love it: With a luxurious banquet hall interior and surprisingly delicious genre standards, Grand Harbor was one of the most underrated finds on my most recent quest in 2024 to find L.A. County’s best dim sum. Not only does the restaurant offer a well-executed, dizzying mix of standard and unique dim sum dishes, but it also takes advance reservations—a boon on weekend mornings, when dim sum restaurants are usually busiest. During my visit, my party of eight particularly enjoyed the corn-and-chive pancakes, steamed durian buns and mango pudding. The cheung fun here was appropriately thin and silky, the sticky rice meaty and flavorful and the kitchen stuck the landing on entrées like scallop fried rice and mixed seafood chow mein. 

Time Out tip: During weekday brunch hours, the restaurant also offers discounts for early-bird diners.

Address: 5733 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91780

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 10:30am–2:30pm; 5–8:30pm

What is it? An efficient, no-frills dim sum joint in El Monte.

Why we love it: Featuring a counter for takeout alongside tables for dine-in service, Ocean Bo caters to all kinds with classic dishes like barbecue pork buns, chicken feet in black bean sauce and fried taro puffs, plus turnip and taro cakes. I also enjoyed the shark’s fin dumplings (though at the price point, it’s almost certainly made with imitation vermicelli) and the pineapple buns here come with a generous portion of the crumbly, bright yellow sugar crust. Not a single item faltered in terms of quality, and compared to the other dim sum restaurants I visited in 2024, Ocean Bo was also the cheapest, with most items uniformly priced at just under $5 apiece. 

Time Out tip: There’s not much else to say here, though it’s worth noting that Ocean Bo is further away from Los Angeles proper compared to other options in San Gabriel and Monterey Park.

Address: 3944 Peck Rd, Ste 1, El Monte, CA 91732 

Opening hours: Daily 8am–9pm 

What is it? A Rosemead mainstay with generously portioned dim sum and market-priced live seafood in the evenings. 

Why we love it: Of all the dim sum restaurants I’ve tried in Los Angeles, I’ve never seen such eye-poppingly large pieces of dim sum as the ones produced at Longo Seafood. The per-item menu prices might run on the higher side, but the restaurant delivers in terms of bang for your buck with heftily portioned har gow, siu mai, pork buns and other classic items. Nothing disappointed me here, and I appreciated the presence of hot almond milk soufflé on the menu—a comforting puff-pastry-topped dessert soup that contains gingko nuts. Entrées like the lobster noodles and mixed seafood chow mein were also faithfully executed, while the slightly glitzy interiors add a touch of class to a meal here. It’s also worth noting the restaurant takes reservations, unlike many dim sum joints.

Time Out tip: For dinner, locals swear by the live king crab, when available, which is steamed and served chilled over ice. 

Address: 7540 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770

Opening hours: Daily 10am–3pm, 5–10pm

What is it? A San Gabriel Valley push-cart restaurant has been around for decades.

Why we love it: NBC might not serve the best dim sum in town, but the vast picture-filled menu offered daily from 8am to 3pm and nostalgic factor just might be enough for some folks Here, you’ll find two kinds of chicken feet (pickled and in black bean sauce), as well as other dishes not commonly found at L.A. dim sum restaurants, including a pan fried, meat-stuffed bitter melon, beef tripe and dried squid. Later in the day, NBC Seafood expands its menu to include large-format dishes like Teochew-style shrimp and pork meatballs, clay pot chicken marinated in rice wine and stir-fried duck’s tongue with mint leaves.

Time Out tip: Come time for dessert, be sure to order the sponge cake layered with salted duck egg yolks.

Address: 404 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754

Opening hours: Daily 8am–9pm  

What is it? A fast-casual dim sum joint in Hollywood and Westwood.

Why we love it: The brainchild of a longtime NYC restaurateur (who couldn’t stand retirement) and his adult daughter, ixlb Dim Sum makes all of its menu items from scratch on a daily basis, with each dish cooked to order, in a sleekly designed fast-casual setting. (The Hollywood location has a giant cartoon xiaolongbao painted on the side of the building.) Although you won’t find chicken feet on the menu, ixlb Dim Sum carries the bulk of a standard yum cha menu, including wonderfully bouncy shrimp har gow, gleaming custard-filled pineapple buns and soup dumplings individually housed in aluminum foil wrappers. Beyond dim sum, the restaurant also serves a handful of other dishes, including shrimp toast and scallion pancakes.

Time Out tip: The Westwood location offers rice and noodle bowls topped with char siu, braised pork and chicken.

Address: Hollywood: 5900 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028; Westwood: 10905 Lindbrook Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Opening hours: Hollywood: Mon, Wed–Sat 11am–9pm; Sun 11am–8pm; Westwood: Mon, Wed–Sun 11am–9pm

What is it? One of the last great push-cart places in the San Gabriel Valley, with the ultimate aim of being authentic (and inexpensive).

Why we love it: There’s plenty to choose from at this Monterey Park and Arcadia spot, but you’ll want to try the sliced crispy pork belly with its fantastic, crackling texture, along with the chicken feet, if that’s your thing. The egg tarts are superb, boasting a multilayered, flaky crust. Service is top notch at Capital, where dishes land promptly on your table and frequent check-ins ensure that you’ll always be able to order more. 

Time Out tip: Capital Seafood also has a location in Irvine—though I consider the two San Gabriel Valley spots the better options for those in L.A.

Address: Monterey Park: 755 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754; Arcadia: 333 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, CA 91006

Opening hours: Monterey Park: Daily 8am–10pm; 91754; Arcadia: Mon–Fri 11am–9pm; Sat, Sun 9:30am–9pm

What is it? A tiny, cash-only counter in Monterey Park. 

Why we love it: Make no mistake: This is no dine-in, head-over-heels-in-love-with-the-space dim sum spot, but Capital BBQ is one of Monterey Park’s hidden gems. It serves the same exact collection of dumplings as Capital Seafood—plus affordable combo plates—for $5 and under a few doors down in the same Monterey Park strip mall. Roast duck hangs behind the plexiglass from the “roast” section, where you can also snag golden chicken, soy sauce squid and BBQ pork for around $12. This takeout joint is no-frills, but it’s not to be overlooked for a quick, inexpensive stop when your dim sum cravings hit.

Time Out tip: After 5pm, the two-item combo plate is 20 percent off, and all dim sum is buy two, get one free. 

Address: 727 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754

Opening hours: Daily 8am–8pm

What is it? A strip mall eatery in Monterey Park and one of the few dim sum places left in L.A. that still use old-school pushcarts.

Why we love it: Staples like egg tarts, fried turnip cakes and rice noodle rolls are solid here. Most items here range from solid to above average, but certain standouts like the pineapple salted egg yolk buns and roast pork are worth ordering every time. On colder days, spring for a bowl of congee with your choice of toppings from the congee cart passing by—it's not every day you can order with your eyes.

Time Out tip: If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to flag down a server to order directly.

Address: 500 N Atlantic Blvd, Ste 200, Monterey Park, CA 91754

Opening hours: Daily 8am–9pm