Honestly, the two best dim sum places in Chinatown don’t use carts: Winsor and Great Taste.

With China Pearl still closed for renovations, you’re basically left with Hei La Moon and maybe Empire (I don’t know if they still use carts), which are subpar options.

Unless you have some odd attachment to carts, I would go to one of the places in the area (Chinatown, Quincy, Malden, etc.) that doesn’t use them.

Thanks! I might try Great Taste. I’m looking for better tasting food lol I just wanted to bring my mom to try dim sum with the carts but it’s not a big deal. One thing I’m curious about is.. what do most people order when they eat dim sum in the morning?

Do you want carts because you don’t know what anything is? I think all the places now have picture or English menus if that’s so.

I’d just recommend Winsor as probably my favorite dim sum in Boston itself.

Otherwise you’re gonna have to go to Hei La Moon (which, bleh) or drive to China Pearl in Quincy.

What do you mean? All the dim sum items are available in the morning, and people eat everything based on what they like. In fact, it’s really more of a morning/brunch meal meant to be eaten with tea.

The carts are essentially disappearing. COVID worries aside, carts haven’t been fashionable or used at most places in Hong Kong in years, so that seems to be making its way over here slowly.

Another vote for Winsor. I especially love the baked pork buns on weekends.

I think the best new experience is at Empire Garden. They have carts, the ladies are nice to non Chinese/mandarin speaking people. The whole restaurant is a spectacle in a wonderful kitschy way. I love it. It’s the place I bring people who haven’t had dim sum before. Food wise it’s not the best dim sum, but it’s still delicious.

I thought people wouldn’t order more heavier or fried foods like beef chow fun or fried pork buns because it’s too early. Just something I always thought about. If that doesn’t matter then that’s good to know

Thank you I will look into it!

No not really. Just as part of the experience and to show my mom. But I also want good quality food so I’ll have to look into every option

Empire Garden it was originally built in 1903 as the Globe Theater and had vaudeville shows, and last showed Hong Kong action movies, now serves great dim sum and American Chinese food. Was Empire Garden a Porn Palace?

People basically order whatever they feel like. You’ll see pretty much everything being ordered/eaten. Beef chow fun isn’t really a dim sum item, per se, but you could even order that at some restaurants (oftentimes, they’ll let you order off the lunch menu, too).

Thanks for clarification 😊

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Which would you choose? Windsor or Great Taste?

Could you recommend some places in Malden? I’m nearby and curious!

For me, it depends on what I feel like eating (they serve some different things) and whether one of them has a wait or not (I’ll go to the one that doesn’t). I don’t really have one preference over another. But I live in Quincy, so I usually go to one of our places unless I have a specific reason to be in Chinatown.

Ming's

I pick these 2 as the best as well. My fave from Great Taste is their version of XO turnip cakes. They deep fry them until crispy instead of just pan frying them.

not in chinatown but chow chau in dorchester is the best

Ming quality have been going down hill. Sun Kong is MUCH better

If you go to Great Taste, get the radish cakes. This is my fave dim sum item made by any dim sum place in the world!

i would look into quincy for good dim sum honestly - there’s a large east asian population outside of the city bc chinatown (and boston in general) has become too expensive to live in

Is there a reason people hate on Empire Garden? In my experience, it’s perfectly good food with good service in a really cool building

It’s not in Chinatown, but Joyful Garden in the Watertown mall has carts for their dim sum and is very tasty.

China pearl Boston but they are closed for renovations, With no eta of reopening. I need my cart ladies!

Is Yangtze River in Lexington still open and doing dim sum? Because they were fantastic.

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I'm not sure when you started going there but the quality of their dim sum has gone downhill over the years from when they first opened. Most of the time when I'm eating their char siu buns (which are now half the size they used to be as with all their buns), I feel like I'm chewing on rubber. The char siu inside is also meh.

The only thing I will say is that their service has always been pretty good despite all the turnovers. Most people I know still go because there's always a table available and they can host big groups.

I live and grew up in Chinatown but will gladly go outside of my neighborhood for dim sum, if that tells you anything. If friends who are new to dimsum want to try it in Chinatown, I will take them to Winsor.

I started going very recently. I’ve never had a bad thing there

That's cool. YMMV.

I really liked the old Hei La Moon, and found the new Hei La Moon to be even better! I do like the carts.

I’ve worked for the City for many yrs and if you ever had the pleasure of driving down any street in Ctown w/ No parking it will be filled with an exterminators van and I challenge you to count how many exterminators are down there 7 days a week.You will see rats everywhere on the streets also.There not there for just the rat infestation either !!!

Do you prefer Windsor? I’ve only ever tried them once, and it was takeout. Good food, but I feel like I didn’t really get the full experience for obvious reasons

OH NO! My ex and I used to go there all the time...but it's been, well, it's been a minute. I'm so sad.

😭

I like their non dim sum options on any night of the week: garlic pea pods especially.

YES, their pea pod stems and salt and pepper pork is amazing. Also, if you call before 2 they’ll even save dim sum for you if you can’t make it in the mornings :)

My family rotates between Great Taste and Winsor for takeout so those are my top picks. There used to be another place that had great dim sum (I think also owned by Great Taste) but they've since turned into a Hunan restaurant.

I grew up going to places with cart ladies but a lot of them have converted to ordering via paper. It might take away the traditional experience but it also means less traffic in smaller spaces and your food is cooked/steamed to order instead of sitting in a cart for some time. I'm fine with either way.

The one in the DMV mall right? I thought it looked suspicious authentic looking for where it’s at.

Yup, it’s right by the DMV. I was born and raised in New York and it reminds me of those old school places in midtown Manhattan with all of the faux jade and high ceilings. I’ve gone here both for family style and for dim sum and it has yet to disappoint.