Los Angeles

Best Dim Sum in Los Angeles

SGV classics to upscale Little Tokyo

Weekend dim sum in the San Gabriel Valley is a ritual: big round tables, pots of pu-erh, and either carts rolling past or an order sheet and a golf pencil. The banquet halls of Monterey Park and Alhambra measure themselves against Hong Kong standards, which means thin-skinned har gow, siu mai with real snap, cheung fun that slides off the plate, and egg tarts from the kitchen still warm. Arrive before 11am on weekends or expect a wait with a number in hand. The places here range from white-tablecloth seafood palaces to no-frills rooms where the food does all the talking.