Creative and modern, Mission 261 is another of the newer dim sum eateries that discard the carts in favor of a handy picture menu. Occupying the sprawling adobe complex … built a hundred years ago as San Gabriel's city hall, even the physical aesthetics of this Cantonese banquet hall are unusual. [link]

There are no little old ladies wheeling carts full of dumplings around this grand Hong Kong-style Alhambra seafood restaurant, but if you're willing to part with the … theater of dim sum, Triumphal Palace serves up some of the area's most lauded shu mai, har gow, egg rolls, and egg tarts. [link]

"Even when the lines are long, diners still wait patiently to be seated." So says the Din Tai Fung website, and it's the truth. People flock to this dumpling house, … despite long waits, for what they claim are the best xiao lung bao you'll find anywhere outside of Shanghai and maybe, just maybe, Taipei. [link]

Dim sum aficionados love NBC Seafood as much for their traditional offerings, like shumai, cha siu bao, and har gow, as they do for the unique, experimental dishes. The … service tends to be fast and friendly, but get there early on the weekends. They open at 8 a.m. and get crowded fast. [link]

Yup, it's dim sum on the westside, and it's not Chin Chin. VIP Harbor Seafood isn't necessarily the most authentic, but it's good enough and hell, it's three miles from … the beach. Dedicated westsiders can content themselves with valet parking, traditional cart service, and dumplings galore. [link]

Pretty much the only dim sum in Chinatown that gets (read: deserves) any respect, Ocean Seafood is the go-to for those who don't want to make the trek all the way to … Monterey Park. Renowned for serving over one hundred kinds of delicious, Hong Kong-style dim sum, the restaurant is appreciated as much for its food as it is for fast and attentive service. [link]