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China Pearl Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Dim Sum [Edit]
9 Tyler St(between Beach St & Kneeland St)
Boston, MA 02111
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(617) 426-4338
- Nearest Transit:
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Surface Artery @ Beach St (500, 501, 504, 505, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558)
Lincoln St @ Beach St (500, 501, 504, 505, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558)
Kneeland St @ Washington St (504, 555)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
271 reviews for China Pearl Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...all the delicious food that Hei La Moon has - but I think..."
(in 27 reviews)
"I love chicken feet, stream bun, shrimp dumbling."
(in 24 reviews)
"clams in black bean sauce."
(in 6 reviews)
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271 reviews in English
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Review from Melissa C.
Arlington, MA
1/16/2012
Myself and 8 other friends enjoyed a wonderful Dim Sum Sunday brunch here yesterday.
The wait: It was a bit crowded at the hostess stand, but we didn't have to wait long since I had reserved a table in advance. My total wait was only about 5 minutes. The place is large, so despite being busy, it wasn't super-loud and hard to have a conversation with my friends.
The service: The service was very good. The waitstaff were very pleasant and accommodating.
Food presentation: The food is pushed around on carts and presented at table-side. There are premium-dishes available at a salad-bar-like display at one end of the restaurant.
The lost-star: I did have to take a star off of my 5-star rating due to the fact that we had to wait until well after our meal began for water to be brought over, and it wasn't until we sought out someone and asked for it. Also, it wasn't refilled for us without prompting. When eating lots of salty Chinese food, lots of water is a necessity.
Cost: We seemed to have ordered a lot of food and even got a few premium dishes. But our meal total was very reasonable at only $15 / person including tip. -
Review from Adam A.
Boston, MA
12/22/2011
Stopped in for lunch (2 PM) and was the only person in the establishment. Ordered some standard General Gaus to go. C..C- general gaus...fatty chicken, not enough sauce, served w white rice and 2 pieces of broccoli. I have had plenty of General Gaus in CTown and this was definitely the worst. Considering that this place is open later than most others, I think the cuisine is for those who are already hammered.
Might give it a try when I'm blackout...I will probably find the food more appetizing. -
Review from Chelsea D.
Philadelphia, PA
11/2/2011
Ah-May-Zing!! I know I give a lot of good reviews...but I think that when a place deserves recognition, I need to recognize.
China Pearl is incredible.
My boyfriend and I went here a couple of days ago when we were visiting Boston and let me just say that I would go back for this food.
We ordered the scallion pancakes (best that either of us has ever had), half a roasted duck (delicious), I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken and he ordered the Beef Fried Rice. Out meal was so delicious. So tasty. So much flavor and not greasy at all. The server was so friendly and sweet. Our bill was surprisingly small!! We didn't finish all of our food so we took it all home and had it the following night as leftovers. Just as good the second time around! Love this place! -
Review from Kelly W.
La Cañada Flintridge, CA
2/2/2012
Not the best, but decent. We did have a large group later in the night, but the service was not the best. Our waiter was not very patient, and didn't help much. The food was ok, but I've been to better places in Chinatown. The prices were decent, especially for such a large group of college kids splitting the bill.
Didn't have the dim sum though, so that might have been better (since that's what they're mostly reviewed for) -
Review from Thuy L.
Updated - 1/17/2012 2 Check-ins Here
China Pearl has redeemed themselves on my 2nd visit. They are bigger, better service, and the dim sum comes out quickly and hot. They serve the same things as Hei La Moon across the street but they have the Chinese broccoli on their carts as well as more authentic items, which I love. They also have the pineapple custard bun on their dessert cart, which Hei La Moon doesn't even serve. This is the best hangover food, greasy and hits the spot.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/3/2011
Wow what a surprise. I am definitely a Hei La Moon fan but thought that I had to try another Boston… Read more »
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Review from Nikhil P.
Boston, MA
1/18/2012
At the end of our meal a mouse skirted past the floor of the table beside us. Told the waiter and he shooed it away. Then it came back. So I shooed it away. Then it ran across the floor a few tables away from us. Then we left. Need I say more? Eat at your own risk.
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Review from Kitty G.
Littleton, MA
1/11/2012 1 photo
Huge Portions! The hot and sour soup is delicious, it comes out boiling hot, with green onion sprinkled on top. The general Tao chicken is flavorful and crispy. The lo mein is a insane portion for 6$. The thing I like the most is we received free tea and lunch for 2 was 20$ and we had plenty of leftovers! I give this place a whooping 2 thumbs up. I took a star away because the place is so dirty I did question on whether or not I'd get food poisoned. So maybe they could work on the atmosphere.
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Review from Sara L.
Somerville, MA
1/1/2012
The best place I've been to in the city for dim sum. I haven't been here for anything else, but I come here every few weeks just for that. Staff is very attentive and ready to help you with anything you need. Food comes by all the time and there is a great selection. Prices are also good, you get a ton of food for not much money and you can take home whatever you don't eat. Much love for China Pearl.
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Review from Anne W.
Updated - 10/4/2011
Boston is just not a place for good Chinese food. Just the way it is unfortunately. If your expectations are lowered.. you can have an okay time. I haven't been here in a while.. went here for dimsum with some friends.
There wasn't really any wait as there are more tables than people now.. and most people gravitate towards Hei La Moon.
The food is mediocre.. it's not horrible.. not great.. but that's how Boston is. They have a table for vegetables.. clams, eggplant, etc. You should consider taking a look at that. I thought the waitstaff was better than Hei La Moon.. they clear tables faster.. they come by more often. The price was still cheap at $12 per person.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/30/2007
I have also only been here for dimsum. A fast explanation of this is Asian tapas. You'll get lots… Read more »
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Review from Raymond W.
Cambridge, MA
10/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great word of mouth reviews and an award winner, but only average dim sum in my opinion. When I was a college student, I always thought China Pearl was suppose to be the best, but after about 4-5 visits I've decided that it lags behind Hei La Moon. The restaurant is chaotic during prime dim sum hours especially with people blocking the entrance/exit stair case and old Asian ladies body checking who are twice their weight (me).
The dim sum is fairly standard, sometimes hot sometimes not. servers forget to refill water regularly, and slow to return with condiments. Maybe it's more average for an Asian restaurant than I thought. -
Review from Kim L.
Washington, DC
10/15/2011
We met some freinds here later in the afternoon for Dim Sum. This was our first experience and all in all it was very authentic I think. We went with someone who knew what to order and that was very helpful as the staff are not so helpful. I am sad to say that she did go have to go to the cart ladies to ask them to come over and provide us food.
What we ate was pretty good. The steamed pork buns are good and we all really like the mei shu ( not sure if I spelled that correctly). The fried shrimp wontons were good and generally everything we got was good. It was coming to the end of the time they serve and it was difficult to get the carts to come to our table.
The guys with us would have liked to of had more to eat but there came a point that it just wasn't gonna happen. The food was really hot when it came out for the most part. So much so that would recommend letting it sit a minute or two to cool off. They are stingy on giving you water so if you can get a pitcher at the beginning. We never saw a waiter that I know of. Food good, service lacking lots of luster. -
Review from Rachel L.
Malden, MA
11/24/2011
After a troop up the stairs, we had a short wait for a table of 3. I came here with Davel and with my friend and we came here for dim sum. The food was okay, was just like any typical dim sum place. The egg roll, vegetable dumplings, and the pan fried vegetable thing was a bit weird. It had a sour taste to it, but it might have been because of what was in it. The tripe with beef brisket was really good, and so was the calamari. All the other dim sum was ordinary. Service was quite friendly with the nice dim sum ladies persuading you to get this and that. I probably won't be coming back for a while, but overall - a good experience.
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Review from Susanna Y.
Boston, MA
8/9/2011
Absolutely horrid. I don't leave reviews, ever. But this is the first time I had such a horrible experience that it brings me to write this, so I made a Yelp account, and wanted to tell everyone, DO NOT EAT HERE, you can eat anywhere else in Chinatown and it will be 1. a better eating experience for you and 2. better service -anywhere- else, even at the Chinatown McDonalds.
I would give this NO STARS if I could but alas I can't.
I went for a friend's birthday party on a Monday evening around 7p. Lots of seats, fine. The stairwell is small. It is skinny and if you are going with lots of friends be careful it is rather tight. The inside walls are outdated and need a paint job (but wait... did I tell you they were painting the walls WHILE people were inside AND dining? They were).
The food was alright. I could get better anywhere else in Chinatown. We had a lot of orders too. Fried chicken is not hard to make. Greasy. The crab rangoon was rather slimy for my taste and the rest of my friends that were there. The beef and broccoli was too salty (the waiter asked, Chinese or American, Chinese-style being with bok choy, I didn't know that qualified as broccoli, and American actually being the version with actual broccoli and beef). The rice took forever to come, it was actually the last thing the waiter came to get.
But before I even talked about food, I've already touched upon that, the waiter took forever to take our orders. He began to take 2 people's orders at my table of friends and then proceeded to say, WAIT. And then walked away to take orders from another table! After we had already been waiting for I would say more than 15-20 minutes.
When we finally ate, got ALL our orders (they took forever to come), and we handed him money for a check, he proceeded to say: Tip is 15%. And held his hand out. Excuse me? Every restaurant I have went to I have paid tip AFTER I have received the receipt for the bill. Absurd for a waiter to be asking that after we had just handed him the money. He did not smile at all, except when we handed him the money, and frowned when asking for tip.
He handed us take out boxes when we wanted to put our leftovers in them, but they are supposed to take the dishes and put the leftovers in for us. He rudely stuck out bags for the boxes at us and thrust a second bag into my friend's face.
I always pay tip. No matter what. Because I know waiters don't want to be there and Chinatown underpays them.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time I have never wanted to give this waiter A DIME.
I recommend Winsor Dim Sum or Jade Garden, ANYWHERE but this place. What you may think it makes up foodwise, will be nothing if it takes FOREVER for you to receive your meal.
Will never eat at this place ever again, EVEN if someone PAID for me, I would decline. -
Review from Alex M.
Potomac, MD
1/30/2012
very nice dim sum place in Boston's China Town. rich atmosphere, exotic selection.
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Review from lily l.
Mansfield, MA
8/30/2011
DO NOT come here for dim sum. It was such a horrible dining experience. Came here Monday afternoon for some dim sum since Windsor House and Gourmet Dumpling House was packed and I will have to say I will never come here again.
First off the waitor was extremely rude. We had to ask 3 times for water and eventually my husband just got up and went to their service station to get our own. Dim sum was non existant, there were three carts in which I actually had to personally chase down to get any food (which was NOT good or even hot). Other patrons in the restaurant actually got up and left because they got NO FOOD.
When it was time to pay we could not get a waitor to add up or tab and had to go to the front and stood there forever before anyone showed up to allow us to pay for our bill.
Thank you....for nothing. -
Review from Ben F.
Valley City, ND
8/1/2011
This was my first dim sum experience, so keeping that in mind... it was great. The dim sum way of ordering is great - it's harder to waste food, and with two people in our group of four who love almost all Chinese food, everything was eaten. The food itself, of course, was excellent; it's a tossup whether I liked the sticky rice or the shrimp dumplings more. There wasn't a single food item that I didn't like at all.
I have yet to compare this to other dim sum locations in Boston, or elsewhere for that matter, but for now, China Pearl has a strong place as a personal favorite that I can give an unqualified recommendation of. -
Review from David C.
Newtonville, MA
11/22/2011
China pearl was good because i was there with my babe and her friend who lets just say is "too good" for pork!! unbelieveable! (i cant spell) Some of the items were good some not so good but its average dim sum with a giant flight of stairs before i can start eating! food was ok
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Review from David W.
8/1/2011
You have to climb up some tight stairs to get to this place. Keep this in mind if you're coming with your grandparents.
The dim-sum was so-so.
Maybe it's not a thing in Boston, but the people pushing the carts should carry cooking scissors like they do in Cali.
We had 10 people sitting to a table and it was such a pain sharing all the food. It was sad cause the adults would be nice and say "it's ok" just to avoid the pain of breaking dim-sum apart with chop sticks. All the kids and seniors ate, I don't they they did....=/ -
Review from douglas h.
New York, NY
7/8/2011
Dim Sum
Good whenever I want to switch it up for dim sum -
Review from arcadian B.
6/8/2011
Went in on a Sunday afternoon and my god this place needs some renovations especially the exterior
It's a pretty big place but the service was lousy as most the servers were chatting with each other
Food was decent and hot surprisingly -
Review from Allison V.
Boston, MA
6/9/2011
I must note that I have never gone after 2pm and each time was on a weekend. Regardless, the experience is always wonderful.
I have never had to wait longer than 20 minutes to be seated. Maybe I am lucky, but I have gone about 5 times and this has always been the case. The carts come around quickly and the food is delicious. I get almost anything with chicken or pork, sometimes shrimp. Everything is great! I honestly have not tried something I haven't liked.
The best part about this place is you can pick so much food and the price is not bad. I always average around $10 per person and with the amount and variety of food we get that is absolutely an amazing price. Service is a bit hectic though as carts are all over the place. If you have a particular item in mind you may have to wait a while before it arrives.
They give you free green tea. If you ask for water, they give it to you in a tiny cup and refills can take a while.
This is also not the place to bring picky eaters or vegetarians. A vegetarian came with me once and there wasn't much for him to eat. He did not enjoy the place as much as us.
I love their vanilla bean buns. I sometimes go just to buy an order of these to take home. -
Review from C. C.
Boston, MA
11/22/2011
Decent dim sum, good location. Best sticky rice in Boston, but in my opinion, Hei La Moon is overall the winner in dim sum!
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Review from Itch S.
Boston, MA
11/17/2011
The granddaddy or should I say the grandmother of the Chinatown dim sum shops. Wide range of Cantonese tea pastries. Love the Pai Goot. Always love the old school carts being pushed about for you to pick from. I just don't get into the checklist dim sum shops even if their food is often better. Be prepared however lots of grease. Thre is no shortage in preparation here. Kind of helps lube the digestive system - a good thing every now and then.
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Review from Mike H.
Brookline, MA
Updated - 5/2/2011
3rd update.
I can't handle this indecisiveness I feel. After going to the Emperor's Garden around the corner and being SO let down it doesn't even deserve a review, I let my friends twist my arm into coming back here. Best decision ever.
I was still cautious, picking through my food before eating it, (even soliciting a few weird looks since I was a fully grown Asian man who looked like he was playing with his food,) but everything was SO good. The people were SUPER nice and I got to sit upstairs. (Although the stairs were a b&$%^)
I guess my first review stays. 4 Stars. Someone get me a Shrimp Dumpling ASAP.Listed in: Where I go to creep... On…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/6/2010
China Pearl! You let me down!!!
I started reading the other reviews and how it's slowly going… Read more »
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Review from Talisha M.
Miami, FL
7/7/2011
A-OK but chinese at 3am...jackpot!
I am sure at 3am I would have given this place 5 stars for just being open after drinking and dancing all night. But thank god I can handle my liqour & have a pretty good memory...tried soup, egg rolls, szechuan beef, chicken fried rice, and a few other random items. I'm sure the drunken me would go back b/c it hit the spot for what we wanted, but no pearl in that oyster.
You can trick me at 3am, but you can't trick my tastebuds at 3am! -
Review from Neil B.
5/10/2011
I live in NYC so I have not been to the China Pearl in a while but based on my previous (many) trips there several years ago, as good as dim sum is in NYC, The Pearl makes it best! The dishes I miss the most: The tofu and shrimp and lo bor kow cooked right on the cart and the lotus leaf nor me gai.
I see from recent reviews they may have slipped a bit, but I'll keep my memories of the place as a 5-star until I get back to Boston and experience differently!
Do prepare to wait a while unless you know someone and it does help to speak at least a little Chinese! -
Review from Susan K.
4/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to this place twice and I really wish I knew how to speak Chinese. Cause almost the entire time, the staff would push their cart to our table and start speaking Chinese on what the dish is. Unfortunately, all I could ask was to let me see the dish and ask "Chicken? Beef? Shrimp?" How unfortunate.
Waiting for a seat was no problem. The place was huge. Two floors, lots of tables. Good for big groups.
I'll admit, the dim sum was pretty oily but it was a fast way for one to get full. Not sure what the price of each dish was and what it was based on but I know it wasn't that expensive. Pretty affordable.
Again, I highly recommend bringing a Chinese friend along who speaks the language to know exactly what you're eating. There were some times where I had no idea what I was eating...all I care was that it tasted good. However, I know what a chicken feet looks like, and that's one thing I choose not to eat out of personal preferences...
If you don't have a Chinese friend, make one! Not only are they good people but can definitely help you order the right food at Chinese restaurants! -
Review from Heather G.
Boston, MA
Updated - 3/29/2011
Edit for note: If you come in the later-hours, say around 2:00, your options will reduce to the same, sad cart coming around with a woman pushing the same plate of garlic shrimp you saw sitting there an hour ago.
Because they want to get rid of their cooked-food at these end-of-dim-sum hours, and because there are far fewer patrons eating at 2:00 pm, the carts just stand and wait until you sit down, then come at you one after another in a row...over and over and over. Roughly every 45 seconds, expect to be interrupted with another cart of the same few choices you had 45 seconds ago. The servers/cart pushers become very pushy at this hour, attempting to unload the last of the food for the day. They've even gone so far to lift lids and begin to place things on your table before you've agreed to purchasing them.
If you are eating here in the late-afternoon, be prepared to be a bit more aggressive with saying no, and be prepared to have your options significantly reduced to a few stale choices.
3-stars if you come before noon,
2 starts if you go later in the afternoonListed in: Brunching in Boston, Asian Restaurants - A…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/11/2009
The place was completely packed and the carts seemed to come around very infrequently, decreasing in… Read more »
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Review from Julia C.
Boston, MA
4/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This used to be one of my two favourite dim sum haunts, along with Hei La Moon. Whenever I wanted dim sum in Chinatown, I'd used have to toss a coin to decide since both were equally good. Not anymore.
Last weekend I went back and was less than impressed with the food. We sat down to eat at 12pm; the same carts just kept going by over and over again, and it was extremely slim pickings. Out of desperation, we also made the mistake of picking out a vegetable and pork dumplings, supposedly "VERY DELICIOUS!" according to the cart-pushing lady. This dumpling was the most horrendous piece of food I've ever eaten -- filled with disturbingly crunchy, some kind of gooey liquid, mysterious vegetable particles, and chock full of cilantro. NO. Yuck. The couple other pork dumplings we picked out were also stuffed full of cilantro and pretty unappetizing. Even my dining pal, who adores cilantro, refused to eat more than a bite of those.
The har gow and shumai tasted super starchy and gross, like they've been sitting in the steamer for way too long; the glutinous dough on the har gow was disintegrating. The chive and shrimp dumplings and the flat rice noodle rolls, which are pretty standard dim sum fare, were nowhere to be found.
Also, we found a strange $7 charge in the "Extras" field on our bill that wasn't drinks, tea, or special plates. I would've asked about it, except the waiters had no interest in helping us once they've added up our check. Psh.
Maybe I caught them on an off-day, but knowing that I can get reliable, consistent quality at Hei La Moon, I'd be less likely to coming back to China Pearl over there. -
Review from Miguel L.
Redwood City, CA
4/19/2011
When I first visited China Pearl, I did so in a state of disbelief. My Chinese partner had told me it had the best roast duck she had in the East Coast, which is hard to conceive coming from a city like Providence (RI) or Fairfax (VA), where the good food scene is... well, below adequate.
$40 is what you pay for a full, sliced duck with its skin and delicious steam buns. It is pricier than in the West Coast, but worthed for this savory, tender heaven of culinary enlightenment. This is the best second duck I have ever had, ranking number one in the East Coast. Bravo.
Service is neither rude or polite, just functional. They take your order, they bring the food. No bells, no whistles. Straight to the point, which is good food; without looking after every breadcrumb you spill. Thank goodness.
The decor is almost industrial. It is an excellent space for large groups, especially business or weddings. When we went there (twice now) the space was almost empty. Do not miss the geometrical layout with the podium at the end of the room, with a fiery dragon of glowing red eyes.
Who cares, really? It is the best roast duck around, period. -
Review from Jennifer J.
Boston, MA
10/29/2011
Went for dinner. It was good, but not spectacular. Adequate pan fried noodles, which are my favorite. Good Cantonese style Lobster. Disappointing Peking duck.
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Review from Janina T.
Chestnut Hill, MA
4/25/2011
2 stars solely for the dim sum (I am a huge dim sum fan). Decent selection although I did miss out on the usual tofu fa (sp?). The service was extremely bland and borderline rude. The waiter servicing our table got kind of snippy with me when I asked for an extra chair. He kept asking how many we were...honestly, does it effing matter how many people we are going to have at the table? We're going to have how ever many chairs are currently at the table +1. i thought I was the only Asian who wasn't great at math. Guess there is more just like me out there.
We weren't asked for any drink orders and had to flag one of the dim sum tray pushers for waters all around. Then when we went to pay the check, our server dude thought we were trying to gip him out on tip. No, homie, we're giving you your tip in cash. AKA, non taxed. AKA kiss my ass.
If you're looking for GREAT dim sum with better service, walk a few minutes down to Essex st. Chau Chow City is where it's at. -
Review from ZZZZ T.
Boston, MA
4/25/2011
Great Hong Kong style dim sum, replete with somewhat surly waitresses who do better showing the dishes than describing them.
One needs to love a restaurant that serves up delicious authentic treats within two minutes of seating you; and then has the decency to keep tantalizing you with cartload and cartloads of the stuff. Show up early and bring an appetite. Most dishes come in under $3 a plate, so a feast isn't going to break the bank... -
Review from Shawn M.
Boston, MA
4/21/2011
China Pearl is a hot spot for Sunday Dim Sum. Note that it's Hong Kong Dim Sum. I'd been once before and remember having an ok(if not hungover) experience. Then I came with a party of people of Chinese decent. I could tell they weren't fans right away. It's hard to judge any authentic, if not good, regional cuisine as an outsider as we've been Sodiumized and McDonaldized to the umphteenth degree.
I didn't think it was good second go around. My Chinese- American friends didn't either. It's dim sum, in the sense that they bring around food. But I got the idea that there were better opportunities out there. -
Review from Jo-Anna L.
Milton, MA
9/6/2011
I was quite pleased with China Pearl. I came here around noon-time on a Saturday. Waited about 5 minutes for a seat, the place was packed. The first plate of dumplings we grabbed were kind of luke warm, but otherwise, tasted fine. Everything after that was perfect temperature. I was a big fan of the steamed buns (but was sad they didn't come by until the end of the meal when we were full). I was very pleased with the variety, there was a lot I wanted to try, but with only two people, you can only eat so much. Judging from other comments left here, I wouldn't come late in the day. Remember that Dim Sum is brunch food, so the time to get the freshest food would be around brunch time on a weekend.
Listed in: Chinatown, Boston
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Review from Khantha S.
Lowell, MA
9/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great dim sum...but too crowded on weekends
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Review from Ellie W.
1/23/2011
Dim Sum. Yum Cha. Whatever you call it, you can really only judge it relative to what's available in the area...No, this is no New York dim sum. Or the kind you can get in Hong Kong. And it sure as heck ain't your momma's dim sum.
The food here is ok, and on par with most in Beantown. They've got all your standards--ha gau, shu mai, pork buns--yet I prefer Hei La Moon over China Pearl. And yea, it's a bit dingy--question is, what Chinatown restaurant isn't?--so I won't take points off for that. Whatever doesn't kill you only makes your stomach lining stronger, ya?
So if one afternoon, you and 10 friends find yourselves wandering the mean streets of Chinatown after a band of dim sum savvy Chinese ladies ran you over and secured their tables (DIM SUM = aggressive driver mentality needed) at all other restaurants, China Pearl isn't a bad choice. -
Review from Ann K.
Syracuse, NY
Updated - 3/19/2011
Made our annual visit to China Pearl while in town for the NE Restaurant show and we were not disappointed. I was a little worried after reading some recent reviews but it was exactly as I remember from last year.
We got lucky that the cart with the baked pork buns was at our table as we were seated so we started off with my personal favorite. We went on to sticky rice that was really good along with a couple type of dumplings and shumai.
Carts were moving quickly today so we were in and out in plenty of time for my husband to go setup for the show! Looking forward to next year's visit!Listed in: Bean Town
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2009
As always, China Pearl did not disappoint us. We arrived on Saturday morning around 11am and just… Read more »
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Review from Sara V.
2/15/2011 1 photo
We came here for dim sum while in town for our anniversary. We found it on Yelp and since we were staying down the block, decided to give it a try.
It did not disappoint!
The BBQ pork buns were sweet, savory, fluffy, and divine. The shumai were little pockets of yummy. The carts came fast and furious (thank goodness... we were starving), but regular service left a little to be desired (aka standard for most dim sum places). On top of the carts, they have a buffet of items as well. I'm not sure what was in there.... all I know is my hubs walked back saying "yeah you don't eat that."
Two things that rubbed me the wrong way:
1.) The girls PUSHED their items. I know they always do that, but I felt these women went above and beyond. I am trying to eat... not argue why I don't want your steamed dumplings.
2.) We were kicked out of our table! Granted, I'd had the check on the table.... but please don't rush me. We still had food on our plates. They came by with fresh plates, chopsticks, and napkins. I get it. Turn around is off the hizzy on a Sunday morning Dim Sum restaurant, but let me finish my meal darnit.
China Pearl gets crowded fast. Thank goodness they have a 2nd floor. I recommend arriving by 10A to have a seat. Otherwise, you'll be waiting awhile.
We'll definitely come back, but after we try a few other places in the area. The food is super tasty, don't get me wrong, but I want to try Hei La and Empire Garden! -
Review from Jeff C.
San Francisco, CA
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ate here quite a few times. It is close by to my gf's grandmothers house in Chinatown. The place is in a old theater. The style is where workers come by with carts of ready cooked dim sum. I prefer this style compared to the one where you write on a paper and order. This place can get busy during peak times but this place is huge...
