A sad day for dim sum in LA....

Husband and I happened to be in Chinatown today and decided to duck into Ocean Seafood for some dim sum. I used to go to this place once a month, but haven't been in the last 6 months. I'm sorry to say it was HORRIBLE. The dumplings all seemed tired, the chicken in lotus leaves was AWFUL. It smelled like old shoe funk and the rice wasn't sticky at all. The taro root cakes were greasy and hardly had taro root in it, and the steamed rice noodles were over cooked and the shrimp tasted stale.

The pork and black egg congee was the best thing we got, except I think they're trying to cut corners and didn't have much lean pork at all...instead, there were some slivers of pork meat and mostly pork intestines...which I've never noticed before in their congee. It added an organ meat funkiness that didn't do the congee any service. And that was the best thing we had. Yes, a sad day indeed.

My point is, I thought Ocean Seafood always offered the best dim sum in Chinatown (yes, above Empress Pavillion) and now, well, my faith is shattered and I just don't know where to go for dim sum anymore.

Where else can I get dim sum in Chinatown that is at least AVERAGE???

Or heck, anywhere else in central LA for that matter?

Or do I have to journey on the 10 East to the "real" Chinatown?

Help!

In my experienced opinion, I'd say travel the 10 to Monterey Park- Ocean Star, Atlantic just north of Garvey.
Selection and quality is very good + little or no wait. definitely better than what you'll find in Chinatown for Dim Sum.

In my experienced opinion, I'd say travel the 10 to Monterey Park- Ocean Star, Atlantic just north of Garvey.
Selection and quality is very good + little or no wait. definitely better than what you'll find in Chinatown for Dim Sum.

Sounds like you might even be better off at Golden Dragon. They've turned things around, both for dim sum and at dinner time, though it's still a far cry from San Gabriel Valley quality.

Chinatown is the real chinatown. Monterey Park, etc are the johnny come latelies, historically anyway. Very sorry to hear this about Ocean, it has always been my fav, and was still very good when I was last there a couple of months ago. Nowhere else in chinatown really compares. Maybe try NBC (whatever it's called now) on Spring and Ord (with the mean parking guy).

Also, can't understand why so many people on this board think Empress Pavillion is so great; it sure isn't to me.

what do you dislike about empress, which i find acceptable?

At least for me ... while the quality of Empress is fine (not outstanding, but fine), it is the selection that leaves much to be desired ... seems like one endless parade of shui-mai, shrimp balls, and what-nots.

I find it acceptable. But not enough variety, flavors a little bland. And aside from the food, there's a big difference in service. The women (that's how it is, I guess) who push the carts couldn't really care less about whether you get food, they'd rather hang in a little group and gossip.

Note, I have been going to Ocean since it was Miriwa, and Empress since it opened, and have experienced both in various stages of growth and decline, and always preferred Ocean.

it all depends on what time you go as well.
dim sum after 1:30 or 2pm anywhere you eat at your own risk.

theres also empress pavilion and cbs seafood

Go too early and you get the leftovers from the day before. CBS Seafood isn't that bad.
The best shu mai in Chinatown is across the street at Family Pastry(take out), they're big and they chop the pork not ground pork and 40 cents each.