Craving an affordable AYCE dim sum experience? This is the place! The food is great quality considering the price of their AYCE menu. It includes soft drinks, tea, dessert, and even ice cream! My favorites were the Pork Xiao Long Bao, Pan fried dumplings, and chicken dumplings in sauce! Beware most items on the menu are family style portioning, please order what you can eat! We came in for lunch and it was busy! But the 4 people working this place did an amazing job, we will be back! read more

Some of the better dimsum in San Diego because they actually make it in house but given that, it's ONLY worth ordering the dimsum items and not their other items if you're doing the AYCE. Here's what to order: -any XLB -wontons with chili sauce -har gow -siu mai -cucumber salad If i didn't order the spicy noodles (no flavor, just heat), fried pork&cabbage dumplings (which is just store-bought deep fried potstickers), or the potato salad (which we mistook for chinese shredded potato salad, it was just american potato salad), this place would get 4 stars for value and quality, but instead only 3 stars for the terribly disappointing dishes. read more

Service was great! We came in on a super busy Friday dinner time hour! Rihanna was holding it down! We checked into our reservation and waited very little, once we sat down and ordered everything came out soo fast it was all delicious definitely worth the price of AYCE! Highly recommend! Just bring an appetite! Would recommend the wagyu potstickers read more

China Max Dumpling House - Har Gow (3pcs) - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I just recently visited China max and I was pleasantly surprised! The food is really good, and very affordable! I really liked the xiao long bao, and the noodles! They have self service sodas and ice cream! Delicious!! The only thing I didn't like much was the service. Sometimes they were a little rude/dismissive and they were not taking our plates away so we were drowning in plates on our table. read more

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Let's be honest, all-you-can-eat dumplings sounds like pure genius, right up until the third plate arrives and you realize dumplings are deceptively filling. Rookie mistake. Delicious, wonderful, absolutely-worth-it rookie mistake. STANDOUT DISHES - Chicken wontons with sesame sauce: sweet, spicy, addictive - Wagyu dumplings: husband-approved, husband-obsessed - Potstickers: crispy bottomed perfection The all-you-can-eat deal is no joke! It covers everything on the menu, plus unlimited rice, curry, canned soda, mango tea, and ice cream. It's the kind of value that makes you feel slightly guilty and very full. A special shoutout to Brandon, our server, who was genuinely excellent! Prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu (and tips for RSVP). He made the whole experience feel effortless. Is it Instagram-worthy? Not particularly, and that's totally fine. China Max is not trying to win an interior design award. It's here to feed you well, and on that front, it absolutely delivers. Come for the food, leave very, very full. read more

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Finally made it back to China Max after the fire and renovation. They now offer all you can eat which includes all yo can drink sodas and teas! This place is popular but the wait is never too long. They strive to get people in and out because it's good for business. It's clean and busy. Parkong is a task in itself but still doable. Just be patient. The food is fresh and flavorful. Service is great and the vibe is relaxing. When I visited I had less than an hour to eat since I was attending a Broadway Show. I felt a bit rushed but still managed to make the best of my dining experience. From appetizers, main entrees and dessert, I came, I ate and I conquered. I wouldn't hesitate to dine here again. It is an excellent value for sure. Give them a try and thank me later. read more

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Second time coming here for the AYCE. We made a reservation on Yelp for 12:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated when we arrived 15 mins earlier. They were pretty packed so I definitely recommend making a reservation! Service was friendly and checked on us though a bit slow. Tried some new items. The Wagyu beef potstickers and pan fried pork XLB were my top picks since they were nicely crispy and juicy! -Noodles w/ scallion oil w/ pork chop (4/5): flavorful and crispy pork chop but noodles were kinda soft and soggy -Beef dumplings w/ garlic chili sauce (4.5/5): juicy thick meat, sauce was nicely garlicky but not too spicy -Chicken karaage (3/5): crispy and juicy but not much meat and not too flavorful -Egg drop soup (4/5): warm, comforting, tasty -Egg rolls (3/5): crispy and big but decent filling -Chinese churro (4.5/5): tasty but a little too much sugar and sweetness, could be a little crispier read more

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Came back again for their AYCE, this time on a weekend so it was $38 per person. We came 15 minutes early of our 12:30PM reservation but were still seated right away; totally recommend making a reservation via Yelp! Tried a few new items. Service was good but a little hard to track them down as they were understandable busy Pork chop Noodles w/ Scallion oil (4/5): savory and flavorful, but the noodles were on the soggier side Egg drop soup (5/5): hearty and warm, so comforting on a cold day Chicken karaage (4/5): could've used more flavor in the breading Egg rolls (3/5): decent, the filling wasn't my favorite Chinese churro (4.5/5): a little too sweet from all the sugar, but still yummy. I would've liked it to be a little crispier read more

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I hadn't been to China Max since the Remodeled it. My friends and I were in the mood for dim sum so I suggested China Max. I'm so happy that we got a chance to try the all you can eat menu. It was fantastic. Baileyanna Our waitress was so informative and the level of customer service she gave us was fantastic. The food was delicious. Everything that came out was so fresh and the self-serve ice cream was a special treat. They were out of there chocolate steam buns so for sure, we'll be back. This place is a must try. read more

An amazing AYCE!!! I was honestly so impressed with everyone on the menu that you can order. Everything tasted great! Make sure to make a reservation here because it gets packed fast! Even with a reservation we waited about 15 minutes to sit. It can be tricky to get your servers attention when it's busy so coming with a big group will give you the best experience since each person can order 2 things at a time. Highly recommend this AYCE spot! read more

This has been on our family bucket list for a while. We stopped by once and the line for a table was so long we decided to come back with a reservation. Today we walked in, no wait on a Monday with our reservation at 12:30pm. We knew we wanted the all you can eat menu. As part of it there are areas to get up and get your own beverages, steamed rice, curry and ice cream. It was nice to get our own items but definitely changes the vibe of the restaurant. Loved being able to see the chefs making the dim sum fresh. Makes you realize just how fresh your food really is. As much as we enjoyed the food, and we will be back, our biggest negatives were that the staff didn't come and clear empty containers off of our table. The table just felt very messy and we finally had to ask someone to take dirty dishes off the table. The other negative was that a few items we really wanted to try, they were already out of at lunchtime. Not sure if this is because it was a Monday or if they're just popular dishes. When asking what dishes to try we were recommended some noodle dishes. Next time we will only order one noodle dish. Those were so big and filling that we were not able to try as many dim sum dishes as we wanted to. I also would recommend bringing a larger party so we can try more items on the menu and share them. One of my favorite items was the large churro at the end of the meal. It was the perfect ending of a hot dessert and very sweet that with some ice cream is a perfect compliment. They were out out of the chocolate buns and egg tarts. The beef with noodles was very good, but again large portion so beware. All of the Xia long boa we tried was very good, so were the potstickers and shumai. The duck tacos were a little disappointing, and not everyone liked the sweet-and-sour ribs. We look forward to going back and trying more dishes read more

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Met all our expectations for this AYCE dumpling spot. Fast moving and bare bones restaurant but the dumplings come out delicious and quick. Wouldn't recommend the noodle dishes as they are bigger and sometimes dry. Stick to the dumplings and veggies and dimsum and you won't be disappointed. Service is nice and helpful- read more

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On a mission to find good dim sum spots in San Diego, we decided to try China Max after their revamp. We went on a slower day since last time there was a 2-hour wait. We were seated in the corner by the door, which was wide open, right next to extra utensils. My seat still had crumbs on it and the wall next to us was dirty, which honestly should've been a sign. The AYCE menu felt pretty limited for the price, and you're only allowed to order two dishes per person per round. Soft drinks are included. The only standout dish was the har gow. Nothing super special, but still good. The green beans caught me off guard since they were cold when I expected them to be warm. The wagyu dim sum and xiao long bao were the biggest letdowns. Both had a really odd smell that made it hard to even take a bite. The xiao long bao had this jelly-like texture attached to the meat, which completely ruined my appetite. Not sure if it was unmelted soup base or just fat, but it was enough for us to stop eating. Egg drop soup had good flavor, but I was not expecting how thick and jello-like it was. It honestly felt like I was slurping boogers -- dramatic, I know, but it was such a weird texture. Service was okay, but not very professional. Workers were dressed in regular black clothing, so it was hard to tell who our server was until she approached us. Hair being down also didn't feel the most hygienic. For the price, service, and overall food quality, it just wasn't worth it. Left feeling pretty turned off after that experience. read more

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Went here after seeing it on Instagram and it definitely lived up to the hype. This an AYCE dumpling house and every item we tried was delicious. We ordered almost every dim sum option, except the lo mai gai since it was out of stock, along with the pot stickers , xiao long bao, and steamed dumplings. We also tried a few appetizers like the cucumber salad, sweet-and-sour pork baby back ribs, potato salad and Peking duck tacos. Parking in the area can be a bit tricky when we arrived around 5:45pm. We were told it'd be about a 45 minute wait but ended up waiting only about 25 minutes. The staff was very friendly and attentive the entire time. For the amount and quality of food, the price felt very reasonable. Definitely a spot I would come back to again. read more

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We made reservations for a Thursday evening and, thankfully, were able to sit immediately. There was a line and it was a 90 minute wait without reservations. Restaurant was clean. A bit cramped but servers were able to go between tables without running into anything. Food taste was good although not quite the level of DTF. However, the AYCE price was good and service was phenomenal. Our server was very gracious and even sold us on some dessert even though we were stuffed. Would definitely recommend making reservations. However, it's a one and done for us. read more

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Unfortunately, this place is a hit. I'm no dumpling master, but I like good food. I'm sure there is better, in sure there is worse but this place hit the mark. I first came with my husband, we enjoyed it but couldn't try as much just as a duo. We recently came again with a group of 6 and did some damage. We tried almost everything on the menu, it was a hit with the group. Some favs were the classic pork XLB, crab XLB and beef dumplings. Everyone also really enjoyed the curry and rice, which we were sad they didn't refill the curry before we left. Please don't sleep on the curry and rice it's soooo good. But don't overdo it so you can stuff yourself with dumplings. As a non meat eater I really enjoy the crab xlb and har gow options. read more

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I'm so excited to try China Max because my friend has always wanted to go with me, and finally we had the chance to visit! Even though it was a busy day since it was a holiday, we didn't mind waiting because we were excited to try the food. We ordered garlic string beans, sweet & sour pork baby back ribs (which were so delicious, we loved them!, Peking duck buns, egg drop soup, cucumber salad, crab truffle budak scallion karaage noodles, har gow, Shanghai siomai, steamed chocolate bun, dan dan ramen, and beef dumplings with garlic chili sauce. Everything was so good! I forgot the name of one of the spicy noodle dishes, but it was extremely spicy, definitely not for us. Overall, we were very happy and delighted with everything we tried. The server was also very nice and answered all of our questions. Haha, it was definitely worth it. read more

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The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and not finding a parking space at Convoy Pointe Plaza on Friday nights. Luckily, we snagged a space after circling the parking lot for 15 minutes. It was barely 6PM and the restaurant was already packed. Inside, with its simple but clean décor, was spacious enough to accommodate 100+ guests. We checked in and got seated right away. The attentive waitress brought the menu and explained the two ordering options to us: a la carte or All You Can Eat. After some intense crunching of numbers, we decided to go for it and have AYCE. Each guest could order up to 2 items per round, and we started with the fancy ones: wagyu, truffe and crab xiao long baos and dumplings, then went down the list until we were stuffed to the gills. The food arrived quite fast and all the warm dishes were nicely steaming hot. Below are some of the items we ordered: Wagyu Beef Dumplings: The wagyu was lean but soft, and nicely seasoned. The wrap was sophisticatedly thin with slightly chewy texture. Crab Xiao Long Bao: The flavor and texture of crab were quite subtle and overpowered by the blended pork filling. Overall seasoning was great and the wraps retained their shapes and the savory broth inside. Truffle Xiao Long Bao: The wrap was perfectly steamed without any breakage. The filling was flavorful with pleasant hint of truffle's taste and aroma. Peking Duck Tacos: They were more like gourmet nibbles. Lightly seasoned and delicately made. I could easily eat a dozen of them (only 3 pieces per order). Pan Fried Dumplings: The bottom was lightly burnt and crispy. The outer layer had a nice texture, and the filling was well seasoned. Chicken Wonton with Spicy Sauce: Silky outer wrap with lightly seasoned filling. The chili sauce gave the dish an added flavor and kick. Taro Balls: Cute little fried chewy mochi balls with taro filling. Matcha Lava Custard Buns: The outer layer was fluffy and slightly sweet. The creamy filling wasn't too heavy and contained pieces of fruit jelly. The aroma and taste of matcha was quite subtle. We ordered multiple rounds and the staff never tried to kitchen throttle the orders. Great service and great food. Totally worthy of repeating visits. read more

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Food was amazing, some really really good dimsum! We did the unlimited menu and was so happy with everything. The chicken was the best imo, chicken dumplings with chili oil are a must. Free drinks and ice cream the entire time you're here too read more

Came here due to finding social media posts about AYCE dumplings here. For me.. The noodle dish was the best dish to order and for a dumpling spot.. that means something. The pork chop part of the Pork Chop & Scallion Oil Noodle dish was crunchy in the outside and tender in the inside, not dry. I got to taste my girlfriend's Braised Beef Noodle dish and really liked the braised beef she got also. Out of all the dumplings, I liked the pork xiao long bao because it was flavorful and tasted great. The Shanghai shumai was the most disappointing of all the dumplings. There was only sticky rice inside, and yes it tasted like meat, but there was no meat inside. I thought the BBQ pork buns were too dough-y and didn't have enough meat. Each order btw comes in 3 to 6 dumplings, depending on the menu. Service was okay, I know our server did his best but they came by very slowly for each round. We were lucky we waited only 39 minutes because I know some wait times can be 2 hours. You can reserve ahead of time. Probably won't come back here again. read more

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Handmade dumplings steaming fresh all day long China Max Dumpling House is a Convoy favorite for soup dumplings dim sum and cozy comfort food. Our favorite highlight dishes were the Shumai Dim Sum and Lamb & Green Onion w/Garlic chili sauce. Follow @havilahvashti on Instagram and TikTok for more food recommendations. What we ordered: Sweet & Sour Pork Baby Back Ribs Cucumber Salad Shumai Dim Sum Truffle Xiao Long Buns Pan Fried Pork Xiao Long Bao 6pcs Braised beef noodle Lamb & Green Onion w/Garlic chili sauce Chinese Churro China Max Dumpling House 4698 Convoy St Suite C101 San Diego CA 92111 #instagram #convoydistrict #dumplings #sdrestaurants #sandiego read more

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An innovative AYCE dimsum place that blew up on TikTok, but they only offered 4 dimsum dishes (shumai, Hagao, bbq buns, luobuogao) and didn't have the popular ones at other places (ex chicken feet, tripe, pork ribs, steamed shrimp rolls). The XLB was OK, the steamed pork ones were gamey tasting and too salty while the crab one was a bit too fishy. The pan fried pork XLB were definitely better and we would recommend that. The cucumber salad and green bean apps were OK but had a good contrast to the warm dishes. My personal fav was the sichuan noodles! They tasted really similar to the noodles I had in ChongQing and I would definitely return to have that again!! I also loved the mango buns and they made for a yummy warm dessert. They also have AYCE ice cream and drink selection too read more

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I was going to give 2 stars at first, but after looking at the pictures I took, remembering the horrendous service my party received, and realizing the bill came out to about $50/person after tax and tip were included, I had to change my review to 1 star so people know not to come here. My friends and I came on a Friday around noon and it was about a 30 minutes wait. When we were seated, our waiter came to take our order, and we put our first order for appetizers, and she explained some of the all you can eat rules but she didn't mention the time limit, which at the end we were suddenly just given a bill without knowing we couldn't order more, and we weren't given the last call. After the first dish was brought out to us, which was the cucumbers, we waited about 10 minutes for our waiter to come back to ask for plate and utensils because she forgot to give to us in the beginning or with our first dishes. How do you forget the plates and utensils? Overall, the food was just alright if not kind of on the bad side for most dishes. I think it was mediocre overall. But what was really frustrating was that about four times when we tried to order something off the menu, we were told that it was not available. The funny thing was when we tried to order the peking duck tacos, we were again told it wasn't available, but towards the very end before we were abruptly cut off, the table next to us received 2 orders of the peking duck tacos, so we had to wait until our server came back to mention this, and she said, "oh, I forgot to mention it, but we have it again now." In my mind, I was thinking what on earth is this kind of service. My whole party had the same reaction. How do you say you're out of something and then it is magically available again. After I left the restaurant, I highly regretted ever coming here in the first place. I hope you can learn from my mistake and avoid this restaurant. I was fooled by the social media postings. read more

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Came here to try the first AYCE dumpling house in San Diego and honestly... I was impressed. You can literally watch the chefs hand-make the dumplings fresh, which already sets the tone. Everything tasted freshly prepared and came out hot. The soup dumplings (especially the truffle and crab XLB) were super juicy with flavorful broth inside. Definitely eat carefully because they're packed. The har gow had a nice thin wrapper and good shrimp texture. I also loved the pan-fried dumplings -- crispy on the bottom but still juicy inside. The beef noodle soup was comforting and tender, and the egg drop soup + fried rice were solid additions between dumpling rounds. They also have green beans and other sides if you want to balance things out. And yes... dessert is included. The egg tarts were flaky and creamy, and the matcha lava custard bun was such a fun way to end the meal. Service was efficient, food came out consistently, and the AYCE format makes it easy to try a little bit of everything. If you're in Convoy and love dumplings, this is definitely worth checking out. read more

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Came here 15 February at 1110 as they opened up at 1100. A big mistake of you do not have a reservation as the line was about 50 people deep. So we get to the front of the line just to sign up and a 2+ hour wait. Parking of plenty however, with all the restaurants, it still gets packed solid so look for street parking if you come any other time after 1100. The tables are clean and there are just too many foods to list but try them all as there is only one we did not like because maybe it was undercooked, the egg rolls. I bit into the egg roll and the middle was cold. Aside from that, everything else was and is good and a must try. For desert, you have to try the matcha lava custard bun. Drinks and desert are unlimited well. Fairly priced and pretty good food, a secret in San Diego that not everyone knows especially several years ago this establishment burned and took several years again before it reopened. Ambiance is ok as it was loud from the people and the music of dance, hip hop etc... The restroom were clean and the waiters / waitresses were kind and helpful. If you want all you can eat dumplings, come here as Jasmine's is good but you do not know what they are stamping on your ticket as they do not speak English there. read more

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Alas! We finally made it back to China Max since it reopened in 2025. Was happy to see it become the first AYCE dim sum place in San Diego. For $37, you can't complain. It includes everything on the menu except for alcohol - even your drinks and dessert! I came with my husband and 2 friends. We ordered a total of 26 items. Everything was pretty tasty! My favorites were the pork ribs, shrimp hargow, chicken wontons, and the waygu beef potstickers. I loved the taro balls and the Chinese churro was fantastic, but be warned that it's very large! I'm a huge fan of any chili oil (or salsa matcha). This one perfectly compliments most of the savory dim sums without the spice overpowering the bite. I also love that they already have vinegar on the table - an authetic must have! It was packed on a late Saturday afternoon and I was thankful we had a reservation. . We were seated in the narrow room off to the side perpendicular to Convoy street. The ambiance could use improvement. While the wait staff was extremely friendly, the service was lacking. They need one or two bussers to clear out plates and to keep things looking clean. Overall, an excellent value and I'd return. read more

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Everything here was SO GOOD. I was pleasantly surprised since it is AYCE (including drinks and desserts) and just $40 per person. I tried a good variety but my faves were the pork XLB and pork chop with noodles. I would love to come back because it was so worth it. Service was also pretty quick. The wait gets long so make a reservation if you can! read more

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Overall, it was mid. There were a few standout dishes, but a lot of the food and service missed the mark. The egg drop soup came out not hot, which was disappointing. The steamed pork buns were not good, and the egg fried rice was lukewarm and a bit hard. The mango buns were honestly not enjoyable at all. Orange chicken was gross, didn't finish it That said, the short rib noodles are a must-get definitely the highlight of the meal. The soup dumplings were also solid and worth ordering. Service could use improvement. The person bringing out the food wasn't very friendly and basically just dropped dishes on the table. Tables weren't cleared regularly, so empty plates started piling up, which took away from the experience. On a positive note, the kids enjoyed it--mainly because of the ice cream and soda options. I wouldn't go back unless the kids specifically asked. Not many good buffets in San Diego this one is almost Mid read more

We came for the "all you can eat" special and I think we could've saved money by ordering à la carte. I was not a fan of the cold green beans or the ube balls. I didn't realize the green beans were prepared cold, and the ube balls tastes like an old dessert that was hanging out in the freezer too long and then fried. Soup dumplings and wontons were delicious!! The ribs were just okay. Service was decent. I would not come to China Max with the expectation of Din Tai Fung. I don't think this restaurant should be compared DTF, this is a completely different experience. read more

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Bust down best Chinese meal I've had in a minute. Don't come if you're not hungry this shits crazy!!! Big back approved. Servers on point, music banging and they have ice cream too 10/10 we also got a stress ball Heads up, no to go boxes if you're doing the all you can eat deal. We learned the hard way. Come thruuu read more

We had a reservation but we arrived 10 minutes early and were sat before our time slot even during a busy sunday. Service was fast and our sever was really kind and attentive!! They have self serve drink options such as water soda and juice which are all included in the price of AYCE. They also had a self serve curry and white rice station which was nice. Overall all the food options we chose were incredible, i really enjoyed the xiao long bao and the steamed chicken dumplings, we got multiple servings of both and they came out fresh and hot. We drive an hour to eat here and we love it each time! read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

First time trying China Max and I'll definitely be back. Everything was fresh and came out fast, but the pork pot stickers were absolutely fire--easily my favorite thing I ordered. Great portions, friendly staff, and just a really solid spot if you're on Convoy and craving Chinese food. Highly recommend! read more

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We had a great experience here! We went around 11am on a Saturday and got seated pretty quickly. Our server was amazing! She was fast, checked in on us, and made it a wonderful experience! We got seated near the patio side which was nice. They have self serve soda (all in a can), flavored teas, and water. The dumplings all came out hot and fresh! I love har gow. The har gow does have a thicker wrapping, but the shrimp is larger too so it balances it out.. The XLB's were good. We had the pork and truffle. We skipped the crab since many reviewers said it was fishy tasting. I enjoyed the crispy Wagyu pot sticker. Got a little crunch, with a little soup, and it had a good amount of meat for the filling. The pork chop was surprisingly light and crispy. I thought it would be soggy but it turned out not bag. The egg tart was pretty crispy on the outside, but the custard was pretty dense. All in all, I would come back. Great place to hang with friends and have a nice meal. read more

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One of the best places i been for dumplings and beef noodles ever, Riri has the best service and the food is just phenomenal!!

It's my first time here and I love it. All you can eat is definitely worth it. We got over ten different items and they were all delicious. Our waitress was also amazing and everyone is friendly and attentive here. They also clean your table very quick. read more

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Best dumplings ever. Love the atmosphere, so many choices. The waitress was so nice. Always checking on us. I recommend this place... read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chicken goodness - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Best Chinese food ever, super fast service! Love coming here with my friends! Never disappointed read more

China Max Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Ok we came on a sunday and were seated surprisingly quickly, but i would say not to expect that usually. First round of ordering you're limited to two per person. We liked the wagyu potstickers, beef noodles, and dan dan ramen. Food came very slow and it was difficult to catch a server to put in orders. I see everyone was trying their best though! read more

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Excellent service. The place runs like a well oiled machine. Super nice people. Very clean place and with good energy. Well prepared dishes. I would come back. Seaweed salad too thick and sticky for my taste. read more

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My family visited on a Sunday for dinner and it was packed!! We waited 30 minutes to be seated. The restaurant is decent size and every table was full. You get your own drinks and it's unlimited access to tea and soda if you're opting to do the ayce. We ordered sooo much. Highlights were definitely the xio long baos and spicy wontons but we tried the pork buns, noodles, fried rice, and pork chops. Food came out extremely fast and I was sooo full, you definitely get your moneys worth here!!! I'd visit again and focus mainly on the dumplings :) read more

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