There is a lot of depth to the menu here. It was wonderful salty and fatty and just wonderful. Crispy duck - Oh yes they had crispy roast Cantonese style duck. still a real nice find and very authentic. Scallion pancake - very crispy outside but a little on the oily side. Such a nice treatment and was suggested by our waiter as the correct way to have them with noodles. In Korea this would be called Jap Chae - this was a Chinese version of it and it was really good. The wrapper was a touch thick but hey we had soup dumplings in Atlanta at 11 at night. I wish they had been a little more 'soupy' but what was there was good and nicely porky. Soup Dumplings - Yes they had soup dumplings at 11 at night. I noticed a lot of asian faces getting off of work from OTHER restaurants coming here to eat dinner late. We thought 'wow get ready for bad food' So wrong! If you are going for atmosphere forget it. Imagine my surprise that they were open here till midnight. Buford Hwy has a bunch of ethnic and Asian restaurants and we were running pretty late. A mainstay in dim sum, this place has the widest selection.This is an amazing find. Good dim sum, popular soup dumplings, no carts. A local favorite with authentic flavors.ĭim Sum Heaven, 5203 Buford Hwy. Kids will love the congee, a thick rice porridge.Ĭanton House, 4825 Buford Hwy., Chamblee. Oriental Pearl, 5399 New Peachtree Rd., Chamblee. – Lauren Townsend Great Places for Dim Sum Most Chinese restaurants serving dim sum fill up quickly and kids aren’t great at waiting, so check opening times and get there early. You will not recognize some of the dishes that come to your table, but the person driving the cart will do their best to describe them to you. Our check was roughly $40, but our table looked like a medieval banquet, so we could have easily gotten away with way less.īefore you go:Don’t be scared. She preferred the crunchy egg rolls and dumplings that come hot right off the skillet cart.Īt restaurants that use dim sum carts, prices on individual items aren’t usually displayed, so you may not know the cost of the meal as you make your selections. My youngest daughter was more difficult, but did a good job trying everything. Peyton’s second favorite were the clams, which I get doesn’t make her sound like a picky eater, but she is, and she loved them. She ate the whole bowl and she’s my picky eater. My oldest daughter surprised me with her obsession of the congee, which is rice and water cooked into a thick porridge. My favorites were the steamed shrimp dumplings, but I also loved the shu mai. The carts will keep coming, so take a few at a time.

Remember the first time you went to a Brazilian steakhouse and you filled up on the salad bar and chicken and sausage, only to have the ribeye guy come by? Same. Dim sum at Oriental Pearl is served on carts, and it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of all the carts stopping by and wanting to try everything. I will say that pacing yourself is important.

Oddly enough, Peyton, 8, and Cricket, 5, loved the hot tea and we drank the whole pot. First thing, hot tea is offered because that is part of the tradition. I was so pleasantly surprised how adventurous my kids were to all the offerings. The menu has traditional and familiar items (General Tso, Sweet and Sour) as well as some exotic items for the adventurous (Shark fin, Jelly Fish Salad) … Parents can feel good about taking the entire family, feeding them well and not breaking the bank while having a nice ethnic experience and having a bite of something new!” Scott Lamphere, corporate chef at Gordon Food Service, gave it this endorsement: ‘The price point at the Oriental Pearl is perfect for a family budget and it’s a super clean restaurant. My family wanted to try it, so I reached out to chefs and foodies to collect their favorite restaurants and Oriental Pearl was at the top of the list. It’s traditionally a weekend brunch, but some restaurants serve dim sum during the week. The variety in flavors, textures and portion size makes is easy for children to find a favorite. For those who are unfamiliar, dim sum is reminiscent of Asian tapas, offering countless small plates of dumplings, rolls, buns and soups.

Dim sum heaven