ISO Onions opinions on where to patronize - Hei La Moon 84 Essex St or China Pearl 9 Tyler St - specifically for Dim Sum. Was once a Hei La Moon regular in previous location. China Pearl is iconic (or was) IMO a far more relaxed place to eat vs Hei’s frenetic pace. Time has passed, about 4 years, and Malden’s Sun Kong has been my dim sum fix locale. TIA !
I haven’t hit those places for years, so I don’t have practical feedback. I did read that China Pearl just recently re-opened after a big renovation (closed down since COVID?). They are planning a bigger grand re-opening this summer. Maybe head to China Pearl to get an early take on the new space!
Hei La Moon is considered the best.
I’m with @kobuta — the reopening has been a long time coming, I’d head there first.
I haven’t been to Hei La Moon since it moved, nor read any recent reports of it, so I guess it would also count as a fresh view, as with China Pearl.
There’s also Winsor.
My wife and I and cousins were at Hei La Moon this past October. It was fantastic.b
Good to hear! Any particular favorites?
Sorry, don’t remember what we ate. But we liked everything.
Not new, or reborn, but I put in a word here for Winsor, Great Taste, and Dumpling Cafe (especially the duck buns at DC).
2 Likes
+1 on those duck buns. Doesn’t feel like dim sum to me without the carts though. Fingers crossed on this end for the fully old-school experience at the China Pearl reboot.
My fingers are crossed, too, but rumors of their rebirth over the last two years have always been greatly exaggerated. Hope this is one proves true.
As I had said here (and in posts after)
China Pearl had upped its game over the pandemic. I’m hoping they’ll still be on their A-game after reopening.
I much prefer the pick your own off the menu vs the carts. I can appreciate for those who’ve never had dim sum before, it’s nice to see what the dishes look like before ordering. But I don’t like the chaos and the patrons swarming like a flock of pigeons as if someone has tossed a handful of peanuts on the floor. This of course is when the popular dishes aren’t circulating fast enough. But why wait until they’re done, when you can just order what you want? Plus those trucks and some of the foods sitting in those warming carts - you get soggy buns and other problems with the food sitting longer than it should.
I forgot to add that the new Dynasty on Hudson St is supposed to be pretty good too. I’ve never been, but my niece went there with a Chinese class she was enrolled in and she said the food was good.
2 Likes
We ended up at Hei La Moon (also calling itself Food Opera ? rebranding). All in all an enjoyable experience and absolutely nothing resembling their former location. Ordering is completely from printed placemat - check the box - , give to server . Comes out as ready. The food opera part I’m guessing is the addition of more options printed on a menu in a lucite stand up frame on each table. Included kimchi rice, crab rangoon, other noodle/rice dishes.
For a Monday afternoon the place had a steady flow of diners. Prices were reasonable IMO. Quality was good nothing exceptional or resembling previous location. We had shrimp harrow, rice noodle with shrimp, sesame balls, steamed pork buns, steamed sticky rice in lotus leaf, manila clams in black bean sauce and steamed water chestnut (odd but tasty). Not on menu steamed stuffed asian eggplant with shrimp.
We were happy with our experience overall. Would I go back? No. On to China Pearl, Dynasty, Dumpling Cafe for those duck buns, Great Taste, Winsor and even Ming’s in Malden.
Will report along the journey.
6 Likes
Joyful Garden in the Watertown mall is also with a look. Big room, cart-style.
1 Like
Thanks for adding Joyful Garden in Watertown. I’ve not been there for a very long time. Anything in particular you would recommend ?
Also, we had shrimp hargow NOT harrow.
I don’t really know the proper names of most of it, but we had maybe 4 different kinds of shrimp-filled dumplings, including har gao, all good. A couple of different pork bun styles, mango pudding, chicken feet, baby bok choi, a few things I am forgetting. I wouldn’t say anything was straight up outstanding but it was all solid and a good variety. Comparable with what I remember China Pearl (and Grand Chau Chau when that existed) being, but I haven’t been there in years.
