Back after few years, Ownership changed hands several times. Dimsum is still hit or miss. Ambiance far superior to Jasmine & has private rooms for occasions Good: beef & cilantro rice roll Ok: baked snow mountain bbq bun (warm but no hot), spare ribs, siumai & hai gou were dry Bad: beancurd roll tasted awful, read more

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I haven't been back since pre-Covid. There are so many other dim sum that Emerald would not be my first choice. It's been around since my parent's generation and we had a family luncheon that they picked this place. We arrived at 11am on a Friday and quickly placed our order. It's no longer push cart and you order from the menu. I was on my hour lunch break and it took 30 minutes to get the food. I guess it's a good thing that food is made fresh but if you're on a time crunch, don't dine here. Service was non existent. They were short staff and if you wanted something, good luck on waiving them down because they don't come to check on you. We ended up ordering more food and waited. Turns out, it was never placed. Make sure they print out a slip as proof so you know your order was placed. As far as price, it ranges from $6.68 to $11.88. Average was $9.68 like the siu mai. That's $2.50 each! Price increase and quality went down. The har gow skin was thick, the siu mai was bland. Chicken feet was decent. It has free parking. Inside was bright and they have a private room. read more

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This has been a favorite with my husband's large, extended Chinese family for years. It is so familiar that I forget to review it and today, I only remembered after all the food was gone, so no photos until next time. I have only been here for large gatherings, where my sister-in-law orders special dishes, so I can't speak to everyday items. The food is authentically Cantonese and may be different from what some may be used to ordering. The dim sum is very good. The turnip cake has strips of radish or turnip and is toasty on the outside and creamy inside. I don't eat them, but the others raved about the duck feet. I particularly enjoyed the vegetable dishes, especially the pea shoots. They grow them and cut them to order. The chow fun, rice lightly fried with egg white, thin slices of Chinese broccoli and shreds of dried scallop and the chow mien were also good. I don't eat pork buns or pork, but the others said they were very good. The sweets were exceptional and freshly made: mochi with ground peanut, small birthday buns with red bean and the best red bean filled sesame mochi balls. To go with our meal, there was Chinese tea and chrysanthemum tea. We had a private room for the two large tables of guests. There is also a large dining room. Emerald has a number of parking spaces, but they fill quickly. There is also street parking. read more

High quality dim sum.. but at a cost. Sadly one of the only standing dim sum places left in central SD region. The dim sum was good and definitely high quality, but overall the place was just okay. Everything tasted fresh and well-made, but it felt overpriced for what you get. Nothing really wowed me enough to justify the cost. Not bad if you're curious, but probably not somewhere I'd go out of my way for again. Service was as you would expect for a dim sum restaurant. Lots of plentiful seating and parking. read more

Came by for dim sum and really appreciate that they have a parking lot. The restaurant is large and clean. When we arrived for lunch, it was about 1/3 full. Staff were friendly, greeted us, and seated us quickly. Overall, food quality was average. Quantity was good. read more

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Finally found some amazing Chinese food and dim sum in San Diego! We had quite the experience at this restaurant. First of all, our server, May, was wonderful! She was so incredibly helpful and gave us great menu suggestions. First thing- you must order the Peking duck special. SO GOOD. May was so kind and made our buns for us too. My next favorite was the honey walnut shrimp. Highly recommend. We really enjoyed the pork buns too. We celebrated my husband's birthday and they even brought him out a piece of cake. Very impressed with this restaurant and can't wait to return! read more

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A classic Cantonese restaurant. Service was friendly and helpful. There was a very wide variety of dishes for dimsum (but no carts). The dining room was huge with plenty of seating. The dimsum dishes were delicious and above average. Very authentic (my family has a dim sum restaurant in Malaysia). All the other customers were Cantonese so that's when you know it's real. read more

Emerald was in the rotation of places my mom liked visiting for dim sum.  When Hong Kong Bbq opened she liked going there as it was close and there was lots of parking.  Now I see they have remodeled.  Place looks really nice and the menu looks more upscale.  One of the waiters recognizes me from when he worked at Hong Kong Bbq.  Service was very good.  They have lots of staff making sure you don't need anything,  Dim sum is available from 10:30-3pm and you can order from the dinner menu anytime. Har gow had a mild flavored rice based wrapper and shrimp in the middle.  Delicious flavor from the shrimp. Sui mei had a thin won ton wrapper and a mixture of shrimp, pork, and mushrooms.  Very tasty. Steamed char sui boa had a pastry outside which was fluffy and soft with a mild flavor.  In the center was a mixture of suace and char sui.  Char sui was tender with a sweet 5 spice powder flavor.  Very good. Emerald is a nice establishment with really good service.  I am sad that a plate of dim sum is now $10. Last time I visited I noticed the table next to me ordered bbq pork buns with a sugar based pastry top and I wanted to try them.  The top had a sugary top like you find on concha's but not as thick.  I loved the sweet flavor.  Inside was tender bbq pork with a sweet 5 spice powder flavor.  Delicious just like the ones I get in San Francisco at Hong Kong Lounge. I also ordered the pan fried seabass.  There was a thin layer of crispy rice flour which had a tasty fried flavor and also kept the seabass from dying out.  Seabass was tender, moist, and had a delicious flavor.  Soy sauce gave the seabass an additional slightly salty flavor.  This is one of my favorite seabass preparations.  I'd order this alot if it wasn't $58. Great tasting food and plentiful parking on weekends unlike many other Convoy St restaurants. read more

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Don't let the bad reviews scare you away! We came here with very low expectations after seeing the abundance of 1 star vs. 5 star reviews. Pleasantly surprised based on our experience. Right off the bat: - We were NOT charged a mandatory 18% service fee or tip for our party (3 people). On the menu it says this applies to parties of 6 or more. - We were not charged for our little to-go container for a small portion of leftovers. - They do accept credit cards. Parking was easy during a late-lunch on a Sunday. The restaurant wasn't super busy but still happening. There were lots of staff and they were speedy and attentive. Service is on par with other Chinese restaurants (not super friendly but polite and good enough.) Food: - Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai: Good! Plump and flavorful - Har Gow: Decent but I've had better. The skin is slightly too thick and I feel like the shrimp is a little powdery and not super fresh (but no fishy or weird taste or anything) - BBQ Pork Buns with Pastry Skin: I'm so happy to see this item on the menu as not all dim sum places have this variation with the baked pastry shell! Pastry was great read more

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My family has been coming here for more than a decade. We usually come here to celebrate something. The food is always consistently delicious. Love the Peking duck served 2 ways - minced duck with lettuce wraps and larger chunks served with milk buns. We also love the pan fried seafood chow mein. Always look forward to coming here. read more

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Still our Go-to staple. Emerald is old school, Cantonese cuisine. This isn't for people who want yuppy fusion or seek 5 star service to incorporate into food ratings. You come for the food- you come because it's familiar and a taste of home. Unfortunately since Covid, they've done away with carts, but the service is still fast and efficient and more importantly the food is still spot on. read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Kung hee fat choy! - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

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Celebrating my birthday and my best friends mom's birthday on a Monday for lunch. Let's first talk about the service . Took a long time for someone to come over to take our order. Do they not serve water as only hot tea was put on the table. Ordered chow mein thinking it was the thick noodle but it was the thin noodle . Very disappointed. The dim sum and the chicken feet were good. The boiled chicken was not bad but so many bones . Very loud in there as many customers were speaking so loud . I will try this place again and do another review if it better or worse read more

Service was great. Nice ambiance. Linch time parking was good. All the patrons were speaking Chinese. Which, I view as a good sign. Food - ordered potsticker and sweet and sour shrimp. Growing up in San Diego, there were plenty of great Chinese restaurants (Jimmy Wong's on Rosecrans). but these Chinese restaurants have mostly all disappeared. I was excited at the prospect of finding a new one (Emerald Chinese restaurant) I would definitely return again. read more

Came here on a Saturday with family of 10ppl at 5:30pm and no wait time. It was our first time here and unfortunately we wouldn't come here again. The dim sum and family dishes are too expensive and the quality wasn't even that great. The food was just OKAY. The staff wasn't welcoming or friendly when we needed things for the table. Like when my sister was asking for water, one of the workers looked annoyed and made a side comment in her native tongue. I've been to several other dim sum places in SD that's definitely a lot better than this place. read more

I've heard about this place by many locals, this must be a signature spot. Glad to finally have the chance to check it out. AMBIANCE: Parking: Plaza parking for maybe about 20 cars. I didn't have any issues. Seating: Huge! This place is great for large events. Feels: This is the tip of Convoy (Asian Cultural District), it may not have the usual decor of an affinity town as of now but you'll see many Asian restaurants with good food. The spot itself is big, clean, and elegant with nice designs here and there reflecting Chinese culture. Great place for a large gathering or a nice food adventure. FOOD: Pork Shiu Mai (Recommend) Delicious! Stuffed and savory with nice mixes of ginger, garlic, other seasons, and soft yet pretty cooked pork! Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Recommend) Another delightful bite with more seafood savory flavors to it. It too was soft and juicy. Chinese Broccoli (Recommend) For something filling and healthy this is great! An earthy-veggies taste with a nice crunch! Stuffed Eggplant (Recommend) Exquisite! A well-cooked eggplant that's well seasoned mixed with shrimp/fish mix that is sea-savory and umami filling. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Awesome! Friendly and relatively quick with our orders. TL; DR OVERALL: 4 Stars. Reasonable prices, delicious food, and a comforting experience. For some solid dim sum and other traditional Chinese delights, this is your go to. They even have the San Diego salt and pepper chicken here. I wish Chef Susan and her team all the best! #RepresentASIAN TIPS: * They can also be found in Jamul Casino! read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Woot! - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here for a wedding reception so my experience is probably different from a normal visit. The food was absolutely delicious. We had a ten course family style dinner and everything was made to perfection. Super long list but here are my thoughts on each. Combination Platter - Classic platter with tofu, fried pork and jellyfish. All good and great starter. (4.5/5) Sautéed Shrimp / Scallop and Fried Milk - Who would've known fried milk tasted good. Seasoned well and tasty. (4.5/5) Pan Fried Filet Mignon - This was standard with huge chunks of meat. Not the most tender but flavor was good. (3.5/5) Crab maw and Fish Maw Soup - Delicious soup, perfect with red vinegar. (4.5/5) Ginger and Scallion Lobster - This hit with nice large meaty pieces. Loved the flavor. (5/5) Emerald Famous Peking Duck - This was bomb and came with two dishes. The wrapper was so good and flavors are standard. (5/5) Crab Meat and Vegatable - A super simple veggie dish. Was good. (4/5) Flounder cooked two ways - Wow the steamed flounder was where it's at. Fried was okay. (4.5/5) Dessert - Just the basic Chinese dessert. Tapioca/sesame balls. (4/5) Pretty nice place if you want to host a wedding/special event. They split the restaurant up so costumers were still able to eat at the smaller half. Parking wasn't bad because they had a lot but it did fill up since we had an event. Overall good place for solid Chinese food! read more

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Have been wanting to try The Emerald for ages, and finally had the opportunity yesterday. The first wonderful thing about it is the AMAZING service from really lovely people who kindly explained aspects of the dishes I wasn't familiar with. These lovely people also treated us like celebrities despite the obvious fact that we're not. In fact, this opportunity to finally try Emerald came about while I was exploring the area around Sharp Memorial Hospital while waiting for my husband to complete a diagnostic procedure. When he was done, we headed to the Emerald! So we're pretty bedraggled customers. THE FOOD IS BEAUTIFUL! The wonton soup was devoured before I could get a photo, but it looked like art, and included a huge, pink, FRESH shrimp. Turned out that every shrimp they serve is like that, including in those shrimp eggroll in the picture. The wanton and rest of the soup was in the same league. We are dumpling junkies and Emerald's are literally the best we've ever had in our long lives. We're still talking about them the next day, planning our next visit. Because we watched all the diners' orders, and already know our next order. THE PORTIONS ARE HUGE, so they are actually very reasonably priced. The restaurant decor is beautiful. I love everything about The Emerald! read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Spring Rolls on my birthday - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

06-16-24 My husband and son enjoyed the food they ordered. As for the overall experience, it was not positive. Ordered: 4/5 -stuffed eggplant $9.98 -beef chow mein $22.95 -Peking duck $55.95 -to go containers $0.35 ea Service: 2/5 After many attempts of getting their attention, they took our order and brought the food. That was pretty much it! I walked up and got my own to go boxes and plastic bags. I also walked up to the server and asked for our check. Note: -Cash only -automatically charged 18% for service, we were a party of 3 (don't pay the 18% tip if their service is subpar) -limited parking -25 minutes wait -$0.35 per to go container -tea or hot water $3.50 per person. I thought charging tea $3.50 per person was a lot already, charging $3.50 per person for hot water, crazy ridiculous! -soy sauce and chili served in plastic containers So many cons to list; this review is not a great way to spend my energy! read more

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We came on a Sunday and the host greeted us and said they only accept cash on weekends. As we proceed to leave, there was a change in tune and said "or debit". We ordered a bunch of dishes. While the food was food minus the eggplant in garlic sauce (not sure what happened to the skin), it is on the pricier side. We didn't really have a server to check with us or make sure our teapot or water were filled until we go the bill. Now, there were only 4 of us. There was a service charge of 18% (like what?), 35 cents charge per to-go boxes (might as well bring our own), and $3/pp for tea. Seeing the ridiculous charges left an unpleasant experience. I also didn't want to make a fuss since we were celebrating a bday. Would I go back? Probably not. I would give it a 1 except the food is still pretty decent. read more

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Emerald Restaurant - A Triumphant Return to Dim Sum Excellence We stopped going to Emerald a few years ago when they discontinued the dim sum carts--a tradition we truly missed. But yesterday, we decided to give it another shot, and we were pleasantly surprised. The dim sum was at its absolute best. We ordered shiu mai along with other classics like har gow, steamed BBQ pork buns, and pan-fried turnip cakes. Each bite was a testament to the kitchen's precision and care. The shiu mai was perfectly steamed and savory, the har gow delicate with translucent wrappers and juicy shrimp, the pork buns fluffy and rich, and the turnip cakes crisped just right with a soft, flavorful center. We also indulged in fried squid legs, glazed walnut shrimp, and Peking duck--all prepared and served with meticulous attention to detail and taste. Every dish was a standout. The service was warm and attentive, and the overall experience reminded us why Emerald was once our go-to spot. We were so impressed that we've decided to host our son's day-after-wedding lunch here. It's the kind of place that brings people together over unforgettable food. Emerald is back--and better than that other dimsum place down the road read more

Good ambience and service. A little pricier than expected yet understandable given the rising price of eating out especially in San Diego. The food was really tasty and came out piping hot. The egg tarts were decent and I especially liked the pan fried meat buns. They had run out of the baked charsiu buns by dinner which was a little sad. The hot jasmine tea paired great with the juicy fried buns. I also enjoyed the shrimp hargow with some spicy mustard, which was provided by request. The restaurant was quite empty yet had a homey feel. I enjoyed my experience dining here and look forward to coming back when I can afford the Peking duck. read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Menu - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

DO NOT COME HERE FOR DIM SUM. The staff was cold. The food tasted like they warmed up week-old leftovers. The beef tripes have black mold on them. Charsiu was dry. Fried meatball barely has any meat in it. They don't even have proper containers for soy sauce and chilli oil, but put them in little togo boxes. Yet they have the audacity to charge 18% mandatory tip on the bill. The total was under $100 prior to the mandatory tip. They also charge tea and to go boxes. Ridiculous. The restroom smells disgusting and they don't even refill the soaps and paper towel. I guess their employees don't wash their hands with soap after using the restroom then? Food was stale and has way too much sugar and msg. We had terrible headaches for hours after eating. read more

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Delicious foods. We had a squab special, XO sauce beef, Seafood hotpot; good portion sizes; attentive service. Will come again.

This is a chinese restaurant that is tucked away on the bottom floor of a business building. The outside is very unassuming, but the inside is lovely. They have round lazy Susan tables, and the tea ware is beautiful. The service is very attentive, and the food comes out promptly. I was even recommended a dish that was better for you in the winter in comparison to what I was going to order. The food is of great quality, and I loved coming here for special events like birthdays or celebrations. The dim sum is so good - I love the taro and coconut desserts as well as the chicken feet, and turnip cakes are incredibly well made. I'm no longer living down in San Diego proper (I'm in North County now), but I'm willing to make the drive just to visit. read more

So, my Aunt and Uncle are locals who always rave about this place. They convinced us to check it out on Saturday evening around 4 pm since we were visiting from out of town. They said the service is always great, and the food is fast and delicious. They even mentioned that it's their go-to place with my grandparents, relatives, and all their friends. But here's the thing: our first impression wasn't exactly great. The inside of the restaurant was nice. But here's the thing: the people seemed a bit biased. They greeted my Aunt and Uncle and cousin warmly, but they gave my husband and me a side-eye and waved us off as if we were bothering them. We brushed it off as we figured it wasn't towards us. At first, I thought it was because they'd never seen us before, but my Aunt and Uncle said it made them feel a bit odd. And the service was oddly slow and not very good. You never want to make it a race, but let's just say they were more happy and accommodating to one group of people than to us. Like joking with them and making small talk, laughing, rushing to get them what they wanted. while with us, it was cold and rushed as in they would walk away mid sentence. First, they took forever with all our food and didn't refill our water despite many request. they did refill our tea after requesting a refill for a 2nd or 3rd time. While other tables that came 20-30 later got their food and orders fast and excitedly, we were seated up front near the door, and the lady and male waiter (both Asian) kept whispering to each other and looking at our table, but they didn't say anything to us. My uncle was a bit embarrassed because he had raved about the fast and great service and food, but this time, he had to keep asking about our orders for every single dish. The lady and male waiter, who were helping us, looked annoyed with us. So, we ordered some food, and guess what? Some of it never showed up! Like, our salt and pepper chicken wings were nowhere to be found. So, we decided to cancel the order and head out. But here's the crazy part: two minutes after canceling, the food magically appeared! We politely declined, though. When the Mexican employee checked on us, he was super kind and helpful. He even asked if we needed anything before saying, "Hope you enjoyed your meal and hope to see you again next time." Now, on a brighter note, the food was absolutely delicious! But unfortunately, the service was a bit of a letdown. It left my family and me feeling a bit uncomfortable. If we ever find ourselves in the area again, we might just have to order from Togo. The food there was seriously top-notch! Oh, and by the way, this isn't a restaurant-related issue. My family and I were trying to take a picture and ask a waiter who was outside for assistance. But the first two waiters who helped us both had this look of annoyance on their faces. I get that they might have been busy, but there was no need to act rudely or uncivilly. read more

I called for a table for 18 last week, no problem. I showed up with only 11ppl, no problem. Never been to this restaurant but wanted to take our family for some dim sum on Sunday. Love it and will definitely be coming back. Good portions, good dim sum selection and amazing service. Clean restaurant as well. The tables were filling up all around us but service to our table did not decline. I appreciate the constant attention as we had a good size group who were hungry and had to constantly order and want our tea and water refilled. read more

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As a Cantonese person, this is the most legit Cantonese dim sum place you can ever find in San Diego. People who leave bad reviews because of the "bad services" have exaggerated their experience there. I have been there multiple times with my friends. I speak Cantonese to them and they are very nice. If you expect a Michelin star level experience then that's your problem. My dad who's from Hong Kong loves it and he cannot be pickier. It's the most authentic dim sum people you can find in San Diego. Period. read more

I give this place 3 stars. It appears their yelp promotion was from the previous owner from 4 years ago. They haven't updated their yelp and won't give you the promotion. I feel this is bad business ! Over all the food was good. The waiters can do a better job being attentive. We did pay $245 for 2 people with tip. They only accept cash or debit. read more

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Perfect for dim sum or dinner. This place has recently been renovated inside. It is a bit on the pricey side for dim sum but the food quality is great. Steak and asparagus dish was a hit for dinner entree. They also have their own parking lot! read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Spacious area for dim sum where it is quiet - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

A long-established Cantonese dim sum restaurant with a spacious venue and private rooms, making it quite suitable for family gatherings or event dinners. I've been here many times before, but this was my first visit since the renovation. We were seated at a large table in a private room, which offered better privacy. The table was very large, with four tablecloths laid on it. The lazy Susan in the middle was extremely heavy and difficult to turn, making it very inconvenient to serve dishes. Cantonese roasted meats are supposed to be a classic feature of Cantonese cuisine, but they weren't good--the flavor was rather lacking. The other dishes were just average; the best was the fried rice. Dessert is served after the meal. The cost was around $50 per person. Compared to my visit to 豪记 last week, where I spent just over $20 per person and was extremely satisfied, my conclusion is that this place is overpriced for mediocre food. read more

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Food is not that good and service is very slow. There where around five tables to serve in a gigantic restaurant. We had the whole duck but it comes to the table all minced and chopped so you don't really know what you are eating. The waiter is not very good at explaining either. Personally I will choose a different place when I want pekin duck. read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Duck skin with bao buns and hoisin sauce - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

Their website and yelp said 9am opening on Sunday. Got there at 9am and found the door sign saying 9:30am opening. Very disappointed at the wrong opening time. read more

My family wanted dim sum for Christmas so Emerald is our spot to go to. Yes, it is pricier. The food is amazing though and remains consistent throughout all the dim sum restaurants I've been to in SD. Just my preference, but I do like the paper menu system better than the rolling carts. I will say that it may be harder to flag down the waiters but they provide excellent service. My family likes it here and seems like it is our go to for dim sum on holidays! They do dinner until 9PM, which I have also tried some items from and it tastes amazing as well. Really big portions for entrees but it is meant to be shared family style. Recommendations: Glazed Bbq Pork Buns, Steam Shrimp Rolls, Deluxe Shrimp Shiu Mai read more

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This spot had some solid dim sum. We had came here on the Wednesday before thanksgiving and was greeted by friendly staff. Our friendly waiter was cracking a ton of funny jokes. While taking our orders and pouring our beers. Food was great and we would want to come back here as there are not many din sum places that have draft beers. read more

It's been awhile since I dined here. During my last visit, on Sunday NYE lunch, everything we ordered was good besides the chicken feet, which [the skin] tasted rough. The service, on the other hand, was terrible. Don't expect good service here. I usually never do, however, it was extremely lacking that day. We kept having to flag someone down when needing something. When I asked for 3 items, I only received 2 out of the 3. Then, I'd have to flag someone else down for that third item. The employees were setting up for some kind of event. But there were so many employees that that task should have been divided amongst the workers and some should have been serving the customers PRESENTLY DINING. read more

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My friend ordered from this restaurant and invited me to dinner with her family. This is her husband's favorite restaurant and he originally came from Guangzhou. That means this place probably has the most authentic Chinese food in San Diego. I enjoyed the meal very much, especially the pork belly and roasted duck. I don't know why the review of the restaurant is so low because the two times I tried here were both good experiences and foods are very delicious. read more

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Horrible, this is by far the worst dim sum restaurant in San Diego both in terms of food quality and customer service. Let's talk about their service: WTF #1.we were given a newly busted table with no plates, cups or utensils, a short Asian server dropped off a stack of plates, cups and bunch of chopsticks and left. We had to setup the table ourselves. WTF #2. They don't take credit card but cash or debit cards only. WTF #3. They'll ding you $0.35 for each to go box. WTF #4. They charge $3.50/Person for tea even though 2 of us only drank cold water only. Please see WTFF #2. WTF #5. They would automatically charge you 18% Service Charge no matter how many in your party. WTF#6. They didn't mention a word about the already added 18% service charge but also had the audacity to print additional Suggested Gratuity at the bottom of the receipt. WTF #7. When you pay cash, they will never bring your change back. And the food: WTFF #1. Everything we tasted was not hot, either cold or barely warm. WTFF #2. We asked for Pu-Yi with Chrysanthemum for the tea but was given a pot of warm water with a lackluster tea bag. The 'tea' was one notch above piss water and mind you again we paid $14 for that. WTFF #3. Their prices must be the highest of any dim sum restaurant in San Diego. I have no problem with higher prices if the product is worth the $$ but sadly even with the lower San Diego standard the food here was disgusting. And the Good: 1. There was no waiting on weekend, plenty of tables when we walked in on a Saturday around 12:30pm. 2. There are ample parking in the lot. Given all the WTF's and WTFF's above I can see why there is no one here even on the weekend. read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

Got like 10 different classic dimsum items. Some of them like the meatballs were straight up pink and undercooked inside, while everything else was extremely mediocre like it was made from storebought frozen. For example the hargow skin was stuck on the container and really thick and mushy. Unironically the worst dim sum I have ever had and it was expensive too Summary: Taste = taste of food Value = price, expertise, other non-food logistics Novelty = memorability among competitors Taste 1/5, Value 1/5, Novelty -5/5. Final score -1/5 read more

BEWARE! This restaurant accepts cash or debit cards. Serving size has decreased with a significant increase in cost. Do restaurants automatically add a 18% service charge? A friend said the business can charge a 6% service charge if there is a notice posted on the door. It's RIDICULOUS, I'll go to Golden Island. Wish China Max was still around. Their food was delicious, reasonably priced, with good customer service. Don't like to be ripped off after a meal. read more

Emerald Chinese Cuisine - Live Sheepshead, never seen this ever. - Dim Sum Near Me - San Diego, California

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I didn't even know that a place like this even existed in San Diego. I have lived here most of life and I am hardly surprised when I go anywhere in the city. So I was delighted when I came here. It's a place I would imagine would be in a China town in San Francisco or LA somewhere but not in San Diego. My friend just got married to an amazing Chinese girl and this is where they had their reception. They pretty much reserved the whole place for the event. They had an area for pictures. A dance floor with a deejay. Of course, they had all the dining room tables for all the guests. The crazy part. The food did not stop coming. Every ten minutes, not including any wedding announcements, a large plate of food came to our table. It was nuts just how much food was served. Beef, chicken, duck, fish, soup, rice and everything else under the sun. Authentic Asian dishes served fresh. Everything was so delicious. We were just one table too. There were twenty other plus tables getting the same thing. The undertaking of cooking that amount of food? Just the thought of it is awesome. The service was great too. There was numerous staff at hand and all were very nice. Overall, a great evening honoring my good friend and his bride. It was a special night at a great venue. Everybody especially my wife and I left happy and satisfied. The food was really good. Now that I know this place is here. I am going to plan a family dinner sometime in the future. Support local businesses especially the good ones. Emerald Chinese Cuisine is amazing. Eat here. read more

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