It took a long time to flag the services down. Several carts had the same items over and over again. We waited over an hour for the broccoli. It was very good and the only vegetables! When we received the bill the chicken wings were a crazy price 5 wings for $23! Every other item was a good price but that! No prices were listed & no menu with prices were provided. I would never go back! The server did not speak English well enough to explain! I had been to this restaurant a couple of years ago and had no problems! Warning don't go!
Fran T.
Celebrated our reception here not too long ago. The food is great, staff is efficient and accommodating, not to mention they were so easy to work with when were planning the reception! Never had to worry about anything all night as they made sure everything was taken cared of.
Joanne C
We were disappointed as most of the food wasn't very hot, and some of the sauces thst typically accompany dim sum (e.g. oyster sauce with turnip cake, vinegar & ginger with Shanghai soup dumplings) weren't provided, and servers were not attentive or around to request them. We were also charged $15 for a teapot for 5 people.
Jocelyn A.
I have been on the hunt for a good Dim Sum place since moving to San Diego. We went to Emerald around 6pm on a weekday and there was tons of seating available with no wait. They served Dim Sum all day and had a bunch of items to choose from. The serve was kind of slow, you do have to try to flag down someone when they're passing by, but even then it's kind of hard because no one comes around often. We ordered Chicken Feet, Shrimp Dumplings, Shrimp Har Gow, Shrimp Rice Rolls, BBQ Pork Bun and a double of some items for 2 people and the total was around $50-$55. This is kind of on the pricey side for Dim Sum, but there also isn't many places around the area.
KC C.
Overpriced, no customer service and meh food. This is the very first Chinese joint I tried in San Diego and I'm disappointed to say the least. Chow fun literary didn't taste anything, lack of sauce and flavor. Dim sum arrived Luke warm without any sauce to go with. They weren't busy but still no service. The tea cost me $2.50 and tasted like warm water and no flavor. I don't think I'll ever return and just try different Chinese places to satisfy my cravings.
Melody L.
They charge you for everything and the service is rude. Had to wait over thirty minutes for our bill because the system was down, and had to run out to the ATM because the system was down. They charged us extra for random fees, and when we asked for the manager, they told us he was in Shanghai. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT BAD SERVICE AND TO PAY FOR RANDOM FEES.
Aaron T.
Very nice spot especially for dim sum!! There is a long wait but definitely worth it! The deep fried pork buns are a absolute must. I went with some vegan friends which is very difficult for these kind of restaurants who have broken English but they were still very accommodating and friendly!
Yen Johnson
Great foods best dim sums, fast service, friendly servers
Tori Rivers
We visited from out of town - one of the crew was craving Chinese and the topic of dim sum came up. I am beyond thrilled this is where we landed. The food was delicious and well prepared. I loved the atmosphere. Some of the best dim sum I’ve had! Every dish was fantastic.
Shuang W.
We ordered salt&pepper squid legs, and were so surprised to see how tiny they were, kinda sad to see the baby squids which are too tiny to be eaten, and I feel I was eating fried batter the whole time. Very disappointed.
Really fresh and delicious dim sum with nice and friendly service.
E. C.
Business seems to have picked up a bit at Emerald since the pandemic's onset, judging from a recent October 2021 weekend lunch. There is no outdoor seating. As before, everyone orders off a menu, with the items being delivered via carts some time afterwards. The food quality and variety remains high, and service is reasonable. Diners seeking a quiet place will enjoy Emerald; those seeking a more dynamic ambience will enjoy Jasmine's more. The parking lot situation remains tricky due to tight spaces -- there is limited parking on Convoy Street that may be a better option if available.
Lena Y.
By far the best dim sum in San Diego! There's street parking if you can't find a spot in the small parking lot. The restaurant is clean, offers an a la carte dim sum menu and regular entree menu! The servers are friendly and efficient. My parents are picky with their Chinese food so you know it's good when we came here twice in one week when they visited from out of town!
Alex Ma
Good Dim Sum in San Diego area. This is an order and brought to your table style. I was hoping the had rolling carts. I miss that part of Dim Sum so much. They tell you their Credit Card Machine is not working...lol, the sign looks like it has been there for years. SO IT IS CASH ONLY! Food is tasty. Everything was fresh and served quickly. The only thing that I did not like was the yellow mustard. Something was not quite right. I don't think they added enough mustard powder when they were making it. Hopefully it will be better when you try it.
J 2
Great dim sum, everything hit the spot - my favorite was the leek dumplings. The service was friendly and very professional. Great space with ample seating too.
It took a long time to flag the services down. Several carts had the same items over and over again. We waited over an hour for the broccoli. It was very good and the only vegetables! When we received the bill the chicken wings were a crazy price 5 wings for $23! Every other item was a good price but that! No prices were listed & no menu with prices were provided. I would never go back! The server did not speak English well enough to explain! I had been to this restaurant a couple of years ago and had no problems! Warning don't go!
Celebrated our reception here not too long ago. The food is great, staff is efficient and accommodating, not to mention they were so easy to work with when were planning the reception! Never had to worry about anything all night as they made sure everything was taken cared of.
We were disappointed as most of the food wasn't very hot, and some of the sauces thst typically accompany dim sum (e.g. oyster sauce with turnip cake, vinegar & ginger with Shanghai soup dumplings) weren't provided, and servers were not attentive or around to request them. We were also charged $15 for a teapot for 5 people.
I have been on the hunt for a good Dim Sum place since moving to San Diego. We went to Emerald around 6pm on a weekday and there was tons of seating available with no wait. They served Dim Sum all day and had a bunch of items to choose from. The serve was kind of slow, you do have to try to flag down someone when they're passing by, but even then it's kind of hard because no one comes around often. We ordered Chicken Feet, Shrimp Dumplings, Shrimp Har Gow, Shrimp Rice Rolls, BBQ Pork Bun and a double of some items for 2 people and the total was around $50-$55. This is kind of on the pricey side for Dim Sum, but there also isn't many places around the area.
Overpriced, no customer service and meh food. This is the very first Chinese joint I tried in San Diego and I'm disappointed to say the least. Chow fun literary didn't taste anything, lack of sauce and flavor. Dim sum arrived Luke warm without any sauce to go with. They weren't busy but still no service. The tea cost me $2.50 and tasted like warm water and no flavor. I don't think I'll ever return and just try different Chinese places to satisfy my cravings.
They charge you for everything and the service is rude. Had to wait over thirty minutes for our bill because the system was down, and had to run out to the ATM because the system was down. They charged us extra for random fees, and when we asked for the manager, they told us he was in Shanghai. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU WANT BAD SERVICE AND TO PAY FOR RANDOM FEES.
Very nice spot especially for dim sum!! There is a long wait but definitely worth it! The deep fried pork buns are a absolute must. I went with some vegan friends which is very difficult for these kind of restaurants who have broken English but they were still very accommodating and friendly!
Great foods best dim sums, fast service, friendly servers
We visited from out of town - one of the crew was craving Chinese and the topic of dim sum came up. I am beyond thrilled this is where we landed. The food was delicious and well prepared. I loved the atmosphere. Some of the best dim sum I’ve had! Every dish was fantastic.
We ordered salt&pepper squid legs, and were so surprised to see how tiny they were, kinda sad to see the baby squids which are too tiny to be eaten, and I feel I was eating fried batter the whole time. Very disappointed.
Restaurantji Recommends
Really fresh and delicious dim sum with nice and friendly service.
Business seems to have picked up a bit at Emerald since the pandemic's onset, judging from a recent October 2021 weekend lunch. There is no outdoor seating. As before, everyone orders off a menu, with the items being delivered via carts some time afterwards. The food quality and variety remains high, and service is reasonable. Diners seeking a quiet place will enjoy Emerald; those seeking a more dynamic ambience will enjoy Jasmine's more. The parking lot situation remains tricky due to tight spaces -- there is limited parking on Convoy Street that may be a better option if available.
By far the best dim sum in San Diego! There's street parking if you can't find a spot in the small parking lot. The restaurant is clean, offers an a la carte dim sum menu and regular entree menu! The servers are friendly and efficient. My parents are picky with their Chinese food so you know it's good when we came here twice in one week when they visited from out of town!
Good Dim Sum in San Diego area. This is an order and brought to your table style. I was hoping the had rolling carts. I miss that part of Dim Sum so much. They tell you their Credit Card Machine is not working...lol, the sign looks like it has been there for years. SO IT IS CASH ONLY! Food is tasty. Everything was fresh and served quickly. The only thing that I did not like was the yellow mustard. Something was not quite right. I don't think they added enough mustard powder when they were making it. Hopefully it will be better when you try it.
Great dim sum, everything hit the spot - my favorite was the leek dumplings. The service was friendly and very professional. Great space with ample seating too.