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Din Tai Fung is amazing! From the fried rice to the
Din Tai Fung is amazing! From the fried rice to the dumplings and then the desert, it doesn't get better then that. Will always come back
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The only great chain food! Get the cucumbers, green beans,
5/5 by
A N. on 03/23/2023
The only great chain food! Get the cucumbers, green beans, and dumplings! Be sure to make reservations in advance.
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As a fervent foodie and self-proclaimed dumpling devotee, I
As a fervent foodie and self-proclaimed dumpling devotee, I couldn't resist the siren call of Din Tai Fung in San Diego. Renowned for their legendary xiao long bao (soup dumplings), this Taiwanese culinary hotspot had me drooling with anticipation.Upon entering the bustling restaurant, I was greeted by the mesmerizing sight of their open kitchen, where nimble-fingered chefs meticulously folded each delicate dumpling with surgical precision. It was a tantalizing preview of the culinary adventure that awaited me.After much deliberation and suppressed hunger pangs, I ordered a steaming basket of their signature pork xiao long bao. The first bite was nothing short of magical. With a gentle poke of my chopsticks, the delicate skin burst, releasing a flavorful broth that played a symphony on my taste buds. The savory pork filling was perfectly seasoned, and the silky-smooth texture of the dumpling wrapper was truly a testament to the chefs' craftsmanship.But why stop at soup dumplings? My culinary escapade continued with an order of shrimp and pork shao mai, which were equally delightful. The harmonious blend of succulent shrimp and tender pork encased in a pleated wrapper was a match made in foodie heaven. I also sampled their sautéed string beans with garlic, which offered a refreshing and flavorful respite from my dumpling indulgence.Service at Din Tai Fung was prompt and attentive, with our server expertly guiding us through the menu and offering helpful suggestions. It was clear that they took pride in their work and wanted to ensure a memorable dining experience.In conclusion, my visit to Din Tai Fung San Diego was a "soup-erb" encounter that left me thoroughly impressed and yearning for more. If you're seeking a culinary adventure filled with scrumptious dumplings, an inviting atmosphere, and top-notch service, this is a must-visit destination. Just be prepared for the inevitable food coma that follows!
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worth the hype!!! so many vegan options to choose from and
worth the hype!!! so many vegan options to choose from and flavors are wonderful!! Line was quick, food came fast and one after another. Wonderful service and food!
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went there with my family, and we loved it!! you must try
went there with my family, and we loved it!! you must try their xiao long bao, the are to die for! and the wontons, yummm
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Delicately cooked and very tasty food all around.
* cucumber, A, very tasty and highly recommended * soup dumpling, B + could be better. Meat inside was not the best as my opinion. Not bad. * pork bun - pretty good. A- Could be better * fried rice (chicken) , A-. Pretty good. * chocolate dumpling, A+. Die for !
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Very much worth the hype! Service was amazing the whole
Very much worth the hype! Service was amazing the whole team at the restaurant greets as you walk to your table and staff is very friendly. The food was amazing and great portions for sharing! I enjoyed the cucumber salad and garlic string beans very much! We will definitely be back for more
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After all these years, still enjoy the food at this
After all these years, still enjoy the food at this location. For all you foodies, this is the best in San Diego for this style of food...BUT it doesn't come close to how amazing it is in Beijing or Taiwan. Just wanted to clarify. Even the vinegar is aged and delicious in Asia but for some weird reason it's not offered here in California. My all time fave is their spicy shrimp wonton. Sauce is so good that I usually order a side of noodles to mix in. Soup dumplings are a must! Pork is good but pork with shrimp is better. If you like fried rice, try it with a pork chop on top. Fried rice itself is a bit bland but the pork chop makes up for it. Hot & sour soup leaves something to be desired, as do their vegetables. I'd stick to what they're known for, more soup dumplings, rather than waste money on soup or vegetables. Kurobuta pork sticky rice wrap shouldn't be missed. I could actually forgo everything else and just eat two of these. Delicious and filling.
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There is great service, everyone is welcoming and kind.
The food is great and fresh. We will definitely be coming back.
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Date: 5/22/2022Went to Din Tai Fung in San Diego,
Date: 5/22/2022Went to Din Tai Fung in San Diego, California for vacation on 5/22/2022 and was hit with a two-three hour wait time (reminder for myself to make a reservation a month in advance!) However, the long waits were mended with the service that we provided especially with our waiter, Kevin. Kevin was by far the friendliest waiter that I ever had in my dining experience and I can't thank him enough for giving him such a positive experience that I am writing this Yelp Review almost a year later! See the receipt to identify the Kevin I am referring to :))! Aside from the service, the stand-out foods were the Pork Xiao Long Bao, Chicken Wonton Spicy, and the Noodle with Spicy Sauce. If I could go back in time, I would definitely order the Noodle with Spicy Sauce again as it was so delicious that it overpowered the hype that I had for the Pork Xiao Long Bao. Would definitely go again (with a reservation!!) :)! For all the food dishes we ordered for reference or see receipt: - Cucumber Salad - Pork Xiao Long Bao- Shrimp & Pork Dumpling- Chicken Wonton Spicy - Shrimp Pork Pot Stickers- Noodle with Spicy Sauce - Shrimp and Pork ShaoMai 5pc - Chocolate Bun (2 pcs) - Noodles w/ Diced Bf Shank
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So yummy!! First time coming here, and the customer service
So yummy!! First time coming here, and the customer service was great - along with the amazing food. We filled up on pork xiao long bao too
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We went to the din tai Fung at UTC.
This place is always pack. Making a reservation online the same day for lunch is close to impossible. You have to go there as soon as it opens to be on the wait list so that you don't have to wait in line a long time. The food is good, can't say it's great in my opinion for Chinese food. A bit on the bland side for me on some of the dishes. Service is always great though.
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My favorite restaurant in the world.
Nothing beats their xiao long bao and green beans. Always a great experience and quick too!
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On a rainy day, there is still a line to eat here.
We had a reservation at 11:30AM, so we got a table relatively quick.Food still the same as I visited 4 years ago except the pork XLB came out steaming warm. Hence the additional star from 4 years ago review. The service is still attentive as before. Price is still on the high end.This is a restaurant for special occasion not for everyday dining for me.
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Every single item we ordered was fantastic.
The green beans were unbelievable. It was awesome watching them prepare all the bao in the window! We ordered a lot of food, boba, and dessert. Everything was absolutely delicious.
Food is amazing, service is amazing and ambiance feels like home !!!!!! MUST TRY GO TO DIN TAI FUNG, but there is a wait for a long time
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Yup. This place is as good as they say. They recommended
Yup. This place is as good as they say. They recommended that we order the garlic string beans, sesame noodles and xiao long bao. I'm so glad we did because all were amazing!!! So incredibly tasty and nothing ever lacked flavor. For dessert, we got the chocolate buns which were to die for. They were hot and steamy and so decadent but not too sweet. The staff was also super nice and helpful especially when explaining the menu. This place is on the pricier side but was a nice treat to do once.
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LOVE LOVE LOVE Din Tai Fung! It's always such a lovey treat
LOVE LOVE LOVE Din Tai Fung! It's always such a lovey treat to be able to dine in at this restaurant (reservations can be difficult-- they're SO popular, if you have trouble making reservations and want to give them a try, there's always a take out option, but highly recommend dining in if you get the chance!)The atmosphere is great- very clean and staff are friendly and welcoming. But let's get to the food- it is soOoooOooo extremely satisfying! Everything tasted delicious and flavorful. As you can see, I got so busy taking in the moment that I forgot to take pictures of all the yummy food we had .. hehehe My 5 star go to dishes here are: Sautéed Sauted String Beans with GarlicPork Chop Fried RiceBraised Beef Noodle SoupKurobuta Pork and Chicken Xiao Long BaoShrimp and Kurobuta Pork Shao Mai and/or their spicy won tonsPot stickers- pan fried to perfection!And don't forget their Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao for dessert! Family style is the way to go when dining here-- so you can sample EVERYTHING .. yummm..
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Simply delicious! First time here and the food didn't
Simply delicious! First time here and the food didn't disappoint. Entrées are meant to shared with 2 or 3 people. We ordered a little of everything. Restaurant was a little warmer than I would prefer. We had reservations and were seated towards the back in a booth and it was very warm. Also, the booths are way too small for a party of four. We kept accidentally bumping our feet. Our waiter never came back with our water after we made our payment either. Reasonably priced restaurant and worth giving a try.
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Not a hole in the wall, but it does the job of satisfying
Not a hole in the wall, but it does the job of satisfying your cravings. Service is great, just a little over rated. Food is also decent. Dont go with high expectations.
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Everything was INCREDIBLE
This was an excellent Dim Sum Restaurant with a very large Menu and loads of options to choose from. Everything is made fresh right in front of your eyes, and you can watch several people preparing the stuff from large glass windows. This was unique and our three-year-old grandson was mesmerized watching several cooks and their feverish pace of work. The place is huge, but every table was occupied. The customer service is memorable. Every single person was exceedingly polite, especially our server, Michelle. We were impressed with her efficiency, grace and professionalism. Five of us started out with Cucumber Salad and String Beans with garlic. Then, went on to devour a variety of Dumplings, Wontons and Pot Stickers. Even shared some Pork Chop Fried Rice. Every item was absolutely delicious. Our Jasmine Tea for some, Pear Lychee Martinis for others, and Chocolate Buns at the end were perfect accompaniments to our meal. We left the place a little over full, yet longing for another visit on our next trip to San Diego.
Been to DTF many times in multiple locations but was most disappointed by the food at this branch. To be fair: Service was very good as expected, and the short wait was cool once I got a lunch reservation online unexpectedly easily. Ordered classic DTF dishes but all were disappointing- especially given the typical price premium. The “legendary” XLB were dry and soupless. Vegan steamed buns and green beans were tasteless. Sesame noodles were too dry and clumped. Thankfully, the fantastic company of my friend saved the day! But I can’t say I will be returning to this DTF branch any time soon. My advice: save some $ and time, and look for another Chinese restaurant on Convoy SD to try on TripAdvisor or Yelp! You’re welcome.
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Great food and service!
Came on a Tuesday evening and Edward was our server. He was so kind and attentive, every time he came up to us he was so friendly!! Always cleared our dishes quickly, topped up waters, was extremely attentive to us. The food is always delicious and consistent, we love the XLB, pork and shrimp spicy wonton, chicken fried noodle, green beans, and pork dumplings. The chocolate mochi XLB is a must for dessert. A wonderful evening with amazing service by Edward!!
The worst experience ever in spite of great food! We were a party of 11 but could not book a table for such a large group so we ended booking two tables X 4 and one for 3. When we checked in we asked for. as large a table as possible but were assigned the three tables we booked, which were at least close to each other. Nevertheless, as we were walking to our tables, there was a large empty one right next to ours for 8 persons but were told it was assigned to another party. Less that 5 minutes after we sat down, a group of 5 arrived at the table. Total lack of planning and common sense. To make things worse, we booked our tables for 8:15 pm but were taken to our tables until 8:45, by which time the kitchen was closing so we were rushed and had to order all of our food at once. By then, they had run out of hot & sour soup, one of my favourite dishes. Bummer!
Reservations are a must in order to get a seat in this very popular restaurant. We’ve been to other branches in Taipei and Manila, and this one is the biggest in square area. The food was good but portions were small. Service was great and the staff was professional. Plenty of mall parking available.
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Din Tai Fung is an excellent restaurant.
They have great vegan options that were quite delicious. We will definitely go back.
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Best place we tried in San Diego for food.
I made a reservation going through the Yelp app the night before coming here for 11:30AM. I read other reviews from fellow elites saying that getting a reservation was difficult, but I guess I got lucky. Upon arrival we got in a line to confirm our reservation. Then we were seated in a section with a long booth like bench for our table to be ready. We only waited about 5mins. I have to say they really got a good system going, because it was super busy and packed. When we were seated, our server immediately came and got our drink orders. We had already marked on the menu paper what we wanted so, she put in our order. We ordered their world famous pork soup dumplings for the boys, pork and shrimp pot stickers for the boys, vegan sesame noodles to share, shrimp fried rice to share, spicy vegan wontons, and chicken and mushroom buns to share. Honestly, everything was perfect. They bring out your order when each item is done cooking so, it's fresh. I really have zero complaints. Our server was fast and amazing even though she was super busy we always had our water filled, and food came out in a timely manner. Everything was above and beyond delicious. I can't wait to come back in the future.
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Ate it twice this week, once dining in and once takeout.
Both times the food was very good. The service was good for our dine-in too. Would highly recommend this restaurant and make your reservations, as it's a popular spot!
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One of my favorite Asian food restaurants.
I've heard a lot about Din Tai Fung and always wondered why the wait was so long - I understand the hype now. The food is absolutely amazing. The staff and service is quick & friendly. It's definitely worth the wait. They also have vegan options, so your plant based friends can join in too!
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Sad I waited so long to try this spot! Amazing service and
Sad I waited so long to try this spot! Amazing service and food. Tried a wide variety of menu items, my favorites were the lychee green tea with boba and the kurobuta pork xiao long bao. Also highly recommend the chocolate and mochi xiao long bao to finish off the meal. They take slightly longer but are worth the wait! Favorite items we tried included: chicken and mushroom buns, chicken fried noodles, string beans with garlic (omg garlic lovers must have), shrimp and pork dumplings, and cucumber salad.The noodles with sesame sauce weren't our favorites and some of the spicy noodle dishes were a bit too spicy for my liking. At the start of the meal your server may ask to make your soy/vinegar/ginger sauce for you. If you are not a big fan of vinegar I highly recommend making your own sauce to be able to control the acid ratio. Awesome place, will be back ASAP!
.. is Din Tai Fung the place for it? Maybe, maybe not. Finally trying it with the experience of much more than a few dim sum houses in many cities from Hong Kong, Vancouver, San Francisco and the Bay Area, and more this restaurant chain delivered some spectacle and experience with that kitchen "expertise" and not that much else. For those that think this brings real food and traditional flavors to an eating experience I'd look to where the best local restaurants are that really deliver top notch dim sum and value. You'll get a lot more out of it.
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Always love coming here.
Last time I came with my friend who is pescatarian. We ordered veggie dishes and 1 fish dumpling. I didn't love the fish dumplings but the veggie dumplings, spicy veggie dumplings and rice cakes with veggies were all very good.
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Good dumplings as expected.
But extremely hard to reserve a table in it. The price is a little bit high but the food quality worth its price. Good for takeouts.
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I could never get any reservation here so I figure to just
I could never get any reservation here so I figure to just order to go! I'll start with the positive part- the spicy sauce is excellent! Anything else in the menu is not that good tasteless and over priced. Panda Express noddles is so much better. Paying over $120 for dimsum and noddles was definitely NOT WORTH IT.
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smells immaculate, taste phenomenal, residue on the box lip
smells immaculate, taste phenomenal, residue on the box lip smacking, I could eat it every single day of my life. Thank you for all of your hard work go team Din Tai Fung!!
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Delicious! Worth the wait!
This location is in a beautiful mall. There is 2 hours free parking! Enjoyed our meal here. We love the xia long baos. So good. Everything was the standard deliciousness!
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Amazing Dim Sum, lovely waitress, great experience
Excellent service, our waitress was particularly lovely ( can’t recall her name but think it was Belinda ). I’ve been to many dim sum restaurants and they don’t compare to this one. The dumplings were amazing; especially the wet ones. The green beans were super delicious, the hot and sour soup was the best I’ve ever eaten, everything is fresh and scrumptious. The dessert took forever to come and the waitress was apologetic and took them off the bill, we didn’t ask for that, what stupendous service. The only downside was the red bean mochi, it wasn’t incredible, like the rest of the meal. The bubble tea was great and my son said the balboa were the best he’s ever had. Highly recommend !!!! Just hope we can get in, it’s a very popular place !!
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This Place has consistently excellent service and good food
5/5 by
M2DAH on 06/07/2022
My family and I love this place. Be sure to always order the green beans and cucumbers when your here. Our only wish is they had more non pork options as we do not eat pork of any kind. Everything here is very good. Our family favorites are the green beans, the cucumbers, the chocolate dumplings, the fried rice, the chicken buns, the chicken dumplings and the vegan noodles. Here’s a tip, you dont need a reservation but lets say you want to be seated by 7pm, you need to get to the mall no later than 430 to 5pm on the weekend to get your name in with the hosts.
Visited in December and must say it’s one of the most disappointing restaurants I’ve been to. They don’t do reservations and the hostess told us that the wait would be 3 hours….. Social media (and my cousin) convinced me that the wait would be worth it, and you’d think considering the line up (and ratings) it would be. So I held my tongue, put our name down and waited for a call back. Luckily the location is inside an outlet mall in La Jolla, so I browsed around. But come on… 3 hours? Anyways, we finally sit down and our server was kind and helpful in deciding on dishes. He was very attentive and started us off on a good note. We order about 6 things from the menu, and I’d say the best dish was sautéed green beans…….. For a restaurant that is famous for its dim sum, I thought it would have been mind blowing. As you walk in, you can see the chefs rolling the dumplings, which reassures you how fresh they are but sadly they lacked flavour. Every dish was mediocre. The restaurant was crazy busy and loud. All I could focus on were waiters running past you every second, it felt like a circus. Overall I find it shocking how busy the restaurant is considering the food and prices. I’m not saying the food was bad by any means, but not worth a 3 hour wait and I genuinely don’t think they deserve their ratings. Don’t see myself going back and I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends as the experience was painful if anything. I cannot say that any dish was memorable and you’d honestly be better off making the dumplings your self. I’m sure you could finish in less than 3 hours.
We really loved it here. The Crab and Kurobata Pork Xiao Long Bao was filled with pork and blue crab filled with delicious juices that pops open with the first bite. Really good. The shrimp and pork dumplings were filled with fresh shrimp and pork. The black pepper beef tenderloin was extremely tender and could cut them with a butterknife. The fried pork chop and noodle soup was pretty good. The chop was cooked with a light crisp on the outside. We ordered the green beans in garlic which were very fresh, crispy green beans in a light garlic butter sauce. And topped it off with the Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao, which was decadent. The hot melted chocolate lava just oozes out. Just be careful and let it cool a bit before taking the first bite! We went with a group of 6, and enjoyed sharing the different small plates. It was a great experience that our family really enjoyed. The service was top notch, the place was busy, the service staff was very professional, spent time explaining the menu to us first timers to this cuisine, and patient with the questions. Service came with nice smiles, and everyone thought this was the best food experience of our vacation in San Diego.
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fast and good but only of no line
who doesnt love a soup dumpling. incredibly consistent, great location not much to add other than dont ask the fat content. fried rice is a lesson to most chinese takeouts. If its really busy it gets a bit like a chore so i order to go and go have a drink somewhere first.plenty out door spots to chow down.
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We came here for the renowned xiao long bao but found
5/5 by
S J. on 04/06/2022
We came here for the renowned xiao long bao but found everything delicious. This is a great place to share a meal with friends or family.All the dumplings were perfect of course, and we the pork cutlet fried rice and the string beans were also hits. An unexpected but pleasant surprise was the desserts, I would recommend trying the chocolate buns and/or chocolate xiao long bao (or both in a group!) The service was both attentive and efficient, and it was a great experience. Looking forward to coming again.
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Quick SummaryIt's a successful chain for a reason.
Din Tai Fung has mastered the dumpling dining experience to a science. Excellent food, service, and ambiance. Try to book a reservation, or else try their walk-in during down times (you may be waiting for hours without a reservation during the weekends)Food- 5 starsEverything here is very good. I particularly like the crab and pork XLB (dumplings), pork chop fried rice, Jidori chicken soup, and beef noodle soup. The spicy dumplings are popular and good, but I prefer the above 4 more.Service- 5 starsEveryone treats you like royalty here. Bottom LineExcellent food, service, and ambiance. Always a great meal when at Din Tai Fung
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Definitely recommend coming here for great food and a great
Definitely recommend coming here for great food and a great experience!
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SO GOOD! We had Matthew as a server and he was so attentive
SO GOOD! We had Matthew as a server and he was so attentive along with entire staff! We loved every minute, everyone recommended absolutely delicious dishes can not say enough good things!
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I came here with my boyfriend and we had such a great
I came here with my boyfriend and we had such a great experience! Our server, Raymond, was extremely friendly and attentive. He had great knowledge on the menu and gave us in depth explanations of the food items as well as his personal favorites and recommendations. The food was amazing and the drinks were super fresh and yummy. Would highly recommend coming here! The wait was a bit long but it was so worth it!
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Food is obviously amazing but is it just me or are the
Food is obviously amazing but is it just me or are the servers at this location exceptionally good looking?
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Service here was impeccable- everyone was so friendly and
Service here was impeccable- everyone was so friendly and very very well organized. You can tell they service many young children from the way they seated us, placement of a high chair, paper plates, bowls, napkins and plastic utensils for kids..I've actually never seen a place that has all that so well prepared before. I was impressed. Another thing that got me was how they actually timed our food. Not everything came out all at once because they want us to enjoy everything while they were still hot. I appreciate that. This place isn't cheap for dim sum but we didn't mind because we felt they were worth the price: taste and service wise. Food wise: everything was good. We were satisfied. This place is very popular so plan to make a reservation in advance before you come.
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For an upscale restaurant and in La Jolla they will deny
1/5 by
OD R. on 04/02/2022
For an upscale restaurant and in La Jolla they will deny your service animal. I had called ahead of time and asked if they accept service animals. And they said yes, I get there and They question you and your business about your service animal. Mind you I had my proper ID to have my dog with me. The manager on site was rude and unprofessionally handled. No i don't recommend this restaurant who denies service animals. Shame on manager on site despite how busy it is, you shouldn't be having discussions in-front of your customers.
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The food is always 10/10, I tried the cucumber salad for
The food is always 10/10, I tried the cucumber salad for the first time and it was so good! My all time favorite is xiao long bao, I could literally eat them every day. Spicy noodles is also worth trying, such a good flavor but also not too spicy! Will be coming here whenever I'm in the area. *also side note don't be scared of the wait, if you put your name down when you first get to the plaza and walk around it goes by super fast.