Lucky Cat Dim Sum has accomplished something that many restaurants attempt and few pull off. It respects tradition without being trapped by it. Tucked away off Old St. Augustine Road in Mandarin, Lucky Cat Dim Sum serves some of the freshest dim sum in Jacksonville. Everything arrived steaming hot, a small detail that makes a big difference. Dim sum is meant to be eaten fresh from the basket, not after a leisurely stroll around the dining room. The classics were all excellent. The chicken shu mai were substantial, flavorful, and held together beautifully. The black pepper beef short ribs were fall-apart tender. The fried shrimp balls delivered the kind of crunch that announces itself before the flavor arrives. The barbecue pork bun was pillowy soft and packed with a sweet-savory filling that lingered long after the last bite. Dessert was equally successful. The mango mochi had the ideal chew and was loaded with chunks of ripe mango. The taro Lucky Cat bun, shaped like the restaurant's mascot, could have coasted on appearance alone. Instead, the filling was smooth, lightly sweet, and thoughtfully restrained. What separates Lucky Cat from every other dim sum restaurant in Jacksonville is its willingness to have fun. The menu is filled with East-meets-West creations that could easily become gimmicks in less capable hands. Everything Bagel Buns, Buffalo Chicken Buns, and other familiar flavors offer diners an approachable gateway into the world of dim sum. The standout was the Cheeseburger Shu Mai. It sounds like the sort of thing that should fail spectacularly. Instead, it works. Seasoned ground beef wrapped in a delicate shu mai wrapper and topped with melted cheese. The beef carried a bold Cajun kick, the cheese added richness, and somehow the whole thing remained balanced. It tasted far bigger than a single bite had any right to. I've eaten at every dim sum restaurant Jacksonville has to offer, and Lucky Cat stands at the top of the list. It delivers the classics with confidence while bringing enough creativity to keep even seasoned dim sum fans interested. The best dim sum in Jacksonville, and one of the most enjoyable meals you'll find anywhere in the city. read more

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I went here with my aunt because we love dimsum and have been wanting to try lucky cat for some time. The place itself is small, but has a nice cozy vibe to it. We were seated right away and service was great. We ordered a few dishes to try. Stuffed eggplant - my aunt liked it. I am not a fan of stuffed eggplant. Fried shrimp balls - we both enjoyed it. Red bean paste bun - very good. Highly recommend you get this and try it OG chili oil wontons - it was good. Had a distinct flavor that I can't make out of what it is. Pork shumai - I enjoyed them. Good and juicy. Sesame balls - soooo good. We both loved it. Overall, great experience and good food. read more

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Lucky Cat is one of Jacksonville's best hidden gems. It's a casual, always-busy dim sum spot where the food comes out fresh as it's ready, adding to the experience. Everything we tried was delicious--from the juicy soup dumplings and shumai to the chili oil wontons and fun specialty buns. The flavors were spot on, portions were generous, and every dish arrived piping hot. The servers are consistently friendly and welcoming, and while the atmosphere isn't fancy, that's part of the charm. Just great food, great service, and a place you'll find yourself craving again and again. read more

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Really great service, and absolutely delicious food. You'll definitely want to try the buffalo chicken steamed buns, and their fried rice! I can't wait to go back! read more

What a cute restaurant - buzzing with excitement, while keeping a quaint and cozy atmosphere. As soon as my niece and I got a hold of the list of items we could order, we couldn't stop checking off one delicious-looking dish after another! While we ended up ordering more than we could possibly fit in our stomachs, we were okay with that, because we could continue enjoying the food at home. Once we put in our order, dish after dish kept on coming out, filling our table and dazzling our eyes and noses. The highlights of the evening were the pork and chive dumplings, whose filling was plentiful, savory and was perfectly blanketed by a chewy silky wrapper perfectly pan fried, but not oily. The other amazing dish we both gobbled up without delay was the fried rice, that was seasoned to perfection and had big chunks of pork throughout. Fried rice like this can be so simple and yet so delicious - highlighting each of the ingredients individually and how they work together in harmony. Overall, the experience at Lucky Cat was exemplary, and I can't wait to return! read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Pork fried rice - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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This is my absolute favorite dim sum spot in Jacksonville! I know the owner makes everything from scratch, and you can totally taste the difference. They always have a unique weekend menu, and I always look forward to it. My favorite is Pork Shumai and this is one of the bests for sure. All of them are so delicious and I highly recommend trying them all! The atmosphere is very modern, and the music they play is always jazz. If you have not been here, you are definitely missing out! read more

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Got same day seating after a 20ish minute wait. The place is small and crowded, but they crank out delicious dim sum. I loved the fun animal shaped buns. There are plenty of choices, so it was easy to find something for everyone. read more

We dined in on a weeknight. The restaurant was busy but we were seated promptly. We got a variety of buns, the fried French toast, chicken fried rice, wonton soup, dumplings and Bok choy. Everything was piping hot and exceptional. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every dish we ordered. The service was also exceptional. Though the restaurant is unassuming from the exterior we were thrilled with everything and would definitely return. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Guava and cheese French toast - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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We popped in spontaneously on a Friday night with no reservations. Parking was easy in the free parking lot of the strip mall. We had a 10 minute wait as the restaurant was busy with patrons. The menu was extensive and the food came out, hot and tasty within minutes. They had all the standard Dim Sum fare. We tried one of the shrimp noodle dishes and the noodles were light and airy on the tongue. Their sweet tea/ lemonade drinks were a refreshing non alcoholic treat. The restaurant was basically themed and noise was not overwhelming. It's a nice spot for a casual dinner or a date. read more

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First time trying out this hidden gem! I came in on Friday afternoon, not too busy. We were seated right away and after looking through the menu, we decided to go with the fried tofu, wonton soup, eggplant, and Taro buns for dessert, my kids loved it, so soft and sweet. The waitress was attentive and showed patience with my kids so that was nice. The food is good. I feel like it was made in house, which is great, but it did take a while to get my dishes out. I do recommend it since it's nearby and it's good to support local business. read more

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First of all let me say that I love dim sum! And Lucky Cat gets it right every single time. Tonight we ordered a little of everything as always and it all came out amazing. The salt and pepper shrimp never stood a chance, very flavorful and fried perfectly. The chicken stir fry was full of chicken and was amazing especially with the sweet soy sauce and crunchys from the salt and pepper shrimp. We also had the buffalo chicken dumplings, spicy cucumbers, shrimp and chive dumplings and the ribs.. nothing was a miss! The mango mochi is always a hit at our table and it exceeds in presentation and flavor every time! read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

For work, I've been sent to Jacksonville to train and tried this location out as a treat for Halloween. I went with my coworker from Phoenix so we could share various items. Love being able to get dim sum with conversation with friends, family, or coworkers. We were seated quickly and the restaurant had a few tables occupied, which would be expected for Halloween night as likely most were trick or treating. The location is quaint, but cozy in a down-to-earth setting. We ordered a few items, and all met the mark or even had us remarking it was the best we've ever had. The shrimp fried rice was a major standout for me, and absolutely delicious! The taro lucky cat bun is not just adorable, but scrumptious. It was a perfect way to end the meal, and highly recommend if you stop in though they have other darling designs like panda, teddy bear, or piggy that you can try that have a different flavor. Thank you Vernee D. for recommending I try as always appreciate fellow Yelper feedback, and you always have great reviews in Arizona! Definitely agree if you are in Jacksonville that you need to try this place out! Plan to return before I leave, and if work sends me back to train this will be on my must dine list. read more

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Authentic dim sum, delivered hot from the kitchen as each one is finished - so you get almost the same experience as the traditional cart model. We ordered pork shumai, pork and chive dumpling, chicken and cabbage dumpling, fried shrimp ball, and the house fried rice. All excellent and arriving at our table one by one. You can get a pot of tea (three kinds available) which we did - Lychee Black Tea. Service was quick, friendly, and attentive. A good experience! read more

Lucky Cat is the BEST dim sum restaurant in Jacksonville!!! And probably better than most dim sum places in major cities like Dallas or Las Vegas in my opinion It's a quaint little restaurant with lots of lucky cat decorations and bamboo baskets on the walls as a unique decor. The ingredients are fresh and dishes are not overly greasy like a lot of other places. My favorite dish is the turnip cake and pork shumai. The turnip cake is simple, delicious, and not oily. Perfect with the chili oil and soy sauce! The pork shumai is bursting with umami flavors because it's incorporated with shrimp and mushrooms. Yum. The eggplant with shrimp, pork stir fry noodles, and shrimp dumplings were tasty as well. I have recommended this place to many friends and no one has been disappointed! It's a must try whether you live in Jacksonville or visiting. read more

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You know, when I visited this spot a few weeks back, I didn't think it was gonna change my life. But - I want to move to Florida because of this place! It seems very unassuming, but assume all things! This place is NOT only delicious, but HEAVENLY delicious. I highly recommend and I swear, if the universe allows me to live near here, I would be here every day. Something about the food is just absolute comfort in every bite. The service was great and there's a good amount of seating inside. If you are in Jacksonville - YOU MUST EAT HERE! read more

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The food was really good and flavorful. The service was great and the ambiance was nice. We got to pick all our food from a sheet and the food came out quick and tasted fresh. Will definitely come back again! read more

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Lucky Cat was great! The restaurant itself was very cozy and service was quick. I loved the variety of items on their menu and the cute twist the put on some of the food options. My friend and I got the OG chili pork wontons, cheeseburger shumai, and pork bao buns. I loved the chili oil on the wontons and the shumai was great! Will be back again. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

A really cute and cozy option for dim sum. Service is always fast and staff are always quick and friendly, but I think there are tastier dim sum spots in town. That being said, there a lot of options and many of them are very creative and adorable. I dislike how the paper menu that you write on and turn in does not match the laminated menus that they provide. It would be a little easier to order if they matched the menus. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Went to Lucky Cat the Saturday after Christmas with my family. The waitstaff was very friendly and accommodating. We ordered so much food! I wish I had taken pictures, but we tore through the food so fast that I couldn't. Highlights for me were the chili oil dumplings (the sauce!!), radish cake (flavored with Chinese sausage and dried shrimp), kimchi shrimp dumplings, the pineapple bun (with pieces of pineapple in it!) and the dark chocolate sesame balls (my niece said it was like hot chocolate in a dessert!). But honestly everything was delicious! My only pass would be the brûléed egg tart. Definitely not special or worth it. The spot is small, but has charm. They even have a small library near the back. My advice is to go there on the weekend because more items (like the dark chocolate sesame ball!) are only available then. I will definitely go back when I'm in Jacksonville! read more

Not your regular dim sum place, and more like a Western Asian fusion. Ambiance was very hole in the wall type of place. Service was great. That being said, the dumpling sizes are large and they all tasted good. The green dumplings and stuffed tofu were definitely our favorites! read more

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Best dim sum in Jax hand down. I would go every week honestly it never gets old and everything on the menu is delicious. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Shrimp balls, chive dumplings, pork buns, chocolate panda buns - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Really solid spot for dimsum, even though it's not your traditional rolling-cart style. You order off the menu and everything comes out hot and fresh. The house fried rice comes loaded with BBQ pork, chicken, and shrimp -- great flavor, but the BBQ pork tasted just a little off, like it was close to turning. Everything else, though, was excellent. The fried shrimp balls were more flavorful than most places and I'd absolutely recommend those. Turnip cakes leaned soft -- good if that's your thing, though I prefer them crispier. Pork ribs were well-sauced with that classic Chinese black bean paste, and the pepper sauce beef short ribs were just as good as I remembered. The tripe was a standout -- super tender and well-seasoned, probably my favorite dish here. Hargaw was chewy and packed with fresh shrimp. And heads up: the fried eggplant is scalding hot (but worth it). I burn myself every time. Also worth noting -- they don't have fountain drinks. Sodas come in cans, so no refills. Totally fine, just something to be aware of. Honestly, I'd recommend going with hot tea anyway if you're a traditionalist. It pairs better with the meal. The owner is hands-on and very kind, checking in and clearing plates efficiently without hovering. Ambience is chill and cozy, with clean bamboo-heavy decor. It's a small space but doesn't feel cramped. I just wish they had chicken feet on the menu. Still -- small but mighty. Definitely better than YH and worth a visit. read more

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My bf was in the mood for dim sum and he enjoyed! He couldn't stop talking about it. I like the intimacy of the restaurant. No frills or thrills, but cute/quaint booth and table seating. Good music, lots of 90's R&B and just friendly and attentive service. Food was really good. My favorite was the spicy cucumber salad and salt and pepper shrimp. His was the shrimp shumai. I have a feeling we will be back! read more

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Delicious!! I have eaten Dim Sum before and thought it was pretty good, you know enjoyed but nothing crazy memorable. I had heard Lucky Cat was good so went on a sat night with a friend, there was a lot of people there and the place is small! About a 30 min wait, got to look over the menu as we waited, loved they have pics of all the dishes and you can fill out a paper menu and give to server when you sit down. We got a bunch to try and loved it all, omg I thought everything was just cooked so well! The dumplings were perfectly crispy without being greasy, the steamed buns had enough filling so you didn't just get mouthfuls of bread, fried rice was perfectly flavorful! Only thing I missed was maybe a type of dipping sauce for some of them, but they were flavorful enough it wasn't needed. Ended dinner with the cutest White Chocolate Teddy Bear Buns! Ahhhh adorable and tasted great! Loved it! read more

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I really enjoyed mostly everything we ordered. If you want fresh, made to order dim sum then this is the place for you. The Lucky Cat Buns were adorable and the taro filling tasted amazing. We loved it so much we ordered another to go. The green fried pork & chive dumplings and salt& pepper karage were one of my favorites too. My least favorite was the cheeseburger dumpling which tasted like a Hamburger helper. I wish they offered the chili oil that you see in most dim sum places but the condiments they had were good too. I mixed the soy sauce and Sriracha hot sauce together. Rock sugar would've also been nice but loved the fact that they offer loose leaf tea. read more

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If you're looking for a cozy spot to warm up on a chilly night and try some creative dim sum, Lucky Cat Dim Sum should be on your list! This was our first visit, and I left full, happy, and already planning my next visit. We started with the guava and cheese fried dumplings, which were sweet, rich, and almost too decadent to handle--but still delicious. Definitely a dessert item for me. The deep-fried pork dumplings were not my favorite; the sauce leaned a little too sweet for my taste, but if that's your taste, it's probably top tier. Next up, the chicken soup dumpling--absolutely perfect for the cold night. It was warm, comforting, just like chicken soup should be. The cheeseburger dumpling tasted like a juicy meatball with a surprise cheesy center, all wrapped up in a delicious dumpling. Easily my favorite bite of the night. We also had the chicken fried rice, which was solid and satisfying. It didn't steal the show, but sometimes you just need a reliable sidekick. To top it all off, we sipped on some lovely jasmine tea that was a much-needed warm welcome when we walked in. The restaurant itself is adorable--cozy, inviting, and filled with little details that make you want to stick around. But the real star was the staff. They were incredibly kind, patient, and super helpful with answering all of my newbie questions If you're into adventurous dumplings, warm hospitality, and a fun dining experience, Lucky Cat Dim Sum is a must-try. Just be ready to roll yourself out after one (or four) too many dumplings. read more

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I went with my best friend on July 4th. We were quickly seated, and the wait staff was attentive. We were really hoping they'd have their expanded bun menu (available on weekends) because it was a holiday, but unfortunately they didn't. Overall, a very good dim sum restaurant for the Jacksonville area, with reasonable portion sizes. I normally love steamed BBQ pork buns, but their buns were a little too meaty and the BBQ sauce was not what I expected. The pineapple bun also had a different custard than I was used to, and an actual piece of pineapple inside. Our favorite items were the chili pork wontons, taro buns, turnip cake, and chicken dumpling. The water tasted funky. The bathrooms were clean, and overall a good experience. Would go again. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

My son has only ever had dim sum as home so I decided to take him out for a treat. This small but cozy little restaurant in a moderately busy strip mall has often come across my radar. I always figure on 2 to 3 items ordered per person and today we settled on three. We started with the wonton soup with a huge crunchy wonton chips on the side, the spam rice cooked in the banana leaves, fried tofu, shrimp shumai, bbq bao bun, sesame balls and spring rolls. The staff is very helpful in going over the menu with you to help you make your choices and making sure you understand what you're ordering. And the service is quite fast and attentive making sure you have all that you need. The flavors for everything were so perfectly on point. Texturally my son was not a fan of the fried tofu, but that comes from mostly we don't do much fried food more so than the dish not being good. He can't wait to go back and try different things on our next visit. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - Steamed rice with spam, shrimp, shumai, fried tofu, wonton soup, bbq bao, sesame ball, spring roll - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Food came out quickly and most everything was well prepared, but some did not have allot of flavor. Some of dumplings were stuck together and when you went to take them out of the steamer basket they fell apart with the coating separating from the filling. The shrimp on a number of items is like the shrimp paste, not whole shrimp. Place was busy for lunch, with constant turnover. Plenty of parking. Comfortable place. Nothing that wowed us. Shrimp fried rice had allot of shrimp and was quite tasty. Eggplant and shrimp - the eggplant was yummy and well prepared. I would say in general entrees are better than dim sum dishes . Salt and pepper shrimp tasty and plentiful. Karate chicken tasty and wings are same preparation. We just prefer more flavor and seasoning so probably won't return. read more

Not my fav place as a pescatarian, but please note my meat eating friends liked Lucky Cat a lot. For me there wasnt a ton of pescatarian options, and most of what I chose was fried and/ or very greasy. read more

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I recall going to this place for the first time in 2021. My first visit was awesome. The service here was very good that day. This place has so many food menu items to choose from. I decided to order the mildly spicy yellow curry with chicken and a side of steamed white rice. I love yellow curry. This particular yellow curry was very flavorful, and packed with veggies and healthy portion of chicken. It paired very well with the steamed white rice. My roommate decided to go with the chicken lo mein. That too was very good and flavorful. We both decided on the Thai Iced Tea to drink. That Thai Iced Tea was sweet, refreshing, and delicious. I love the ambiance within this restaurant, because it's cozy and welcoming as well. I haven't been here this year, but I'm planning to go soon. read more

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The cat decor made the restaurant super cute. The service was great and the food was really good. Keep in mind that this isn't a typical Chinese restaurant, so your go-to Chinese dishes may not be here. Look at the menu before you go. read more

Went here on Saturday evening since I am craving for a good Dimsum. We got here aroung 6:30pm and there was a wait outside, I was a little nervous since I was hungry but we did not wait for a long time (less than 15 minutes). we got inside got seated at the very back and they did an amazing job on decorating the restaurant, i love the dim sum containers on the wall, it's so cute! when you order, you order on the piece of paper, and check all the boxes of the food that you want to order. we ordered the shrimp fried rice, pineapple bun, shrimp siomai, original siomai, iced coffee, shrimp and spinach dumplings and everything was good! Service was a little slower but I will not take away a star from that because there was only 2 servers working and they did a phenomenal job handling the crowd. I will definitely be back here to try different food! read more

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The first time I dined here everything was awesome. The food and the service was overall pretty good, however, I haven't had that same experience since. The food is still good but it was impossible to call in and them actually answered the phone. Trying to be time efficient I wanted to get my order in and then pay and get my food when I show up. So I drive to the location and place my order to go and it's a jaw dropping 30 minute wait for 2 things. If I wanted to wait 30 minutes I would have sat down to eat at that point. Honestly what is the point of having a phone number listed in google maps if they don't try to pick up. read more

Loved the food and quick service. I also found my new favorite dish. The chili oil pork wotons were amazing and we ended up using the sauce on many of our other steamed dumplings. We also loved the cabbage and chicken pan fried dumplings- the flavor was perfection with notes of ginger and garlic. The fried shrimp balls were a tasty crispy treat. We also enjoyed the soup dumplings just wanted more broth but the flavor was great and very filling. And those pineapple buns were delicious with cream filling plus actual pineapple chunk which many other dim sum places don't offer. Excellent way to finish the meal. read more

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Amazing food, friendly service, and very affordable prices. My family ordered take out and it was a pretty decent wait but the food was worth it. The proprietor brought me a water while I waited and escorted me to my car with my to-go bags. Legitimately some of the best chicken wings I've ever had. Make it a priority to try this place. read more

Lucky Cat fulfilled my dim sum cravings. Unlike a few other reviews, service was very quick during our visit! We also dined midweek so that may have been a factor. Favs: Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (recommend!), Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings, BBQ Pork Buns, Chicken Shu Mai, Sesame Balls. I wanted to try the Kimchi Shrimp Dumplings but apparently I missed the note on the menu that those are only available Sat & Sunday. I'll be back on the appropriate day. :) Eggplant & Shrimp was ok. I agree with another review that it might have been missing salt but I dipped in the sweet soy sauce and all was good. Like most of my dimsum visits, my eyes are bigger than my stomach so we have some leftovers to polish off that I'm looking forward to: Mango Mochi, Taro Lucky Cat Buns, Egg Custard Tarts. However, my mini Yelper tried a bite of all of these & gave her thumbs up. She wasn't a big fan of dim sum prior to this visit but I think Lucku Cat may have changed her opinion! She really loved the Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings & even commented on the ambiance too. Simple but nice decor with plants sprinkled throughout. The menu was just missing one of my all time fav dim sum items: shrimp rice noodle rolls. Maybe we'll see that in the future? Everyone was very welcome, attentive & friendly checking on our table and refilling drinks. Will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. read more

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The short of it: delicious dim sum and some fun location-specific items. Saw a friend's travel pictures where they were eating dim sum, and that set me on an adventure to find a dim sum place. Tim Wah, S&R, and Hong Kong Bistro are all awesome spots but I wasn't near them. Great thing I was near Lucky Cat, as it turns out. That intersection has a wonderful spread of flavors: Sichuan Kitchen and Peony Bistro are also worth the visit. Arrived at noon and Were seated immediately, filled out our menu and before we knew it our food was there: steam buns, fried shrimp balls, short rib and shrimp dumplings were stellar. They were so hot and fresh that I had to pace myself so I didn't burn my mouth, but also so tasty that it was hard not to want that next bite. They're everything bun was a fun fusion, and their fried pork dumplings were the perfect balance of sweet dough and savory filling. My only wish is that we hard ordered less to try the sweet items like the crème brûlée and guava cheese French toast. But that's just another reason we'll be going back. Some others have pointed out that the space it hot, and we sat right outside the kitchen, so it was warm but not really noticeable until we were getting ready to settle up. read more

Amazing food and very affordable. Food served quickly with a smile. We found the booth to be comfortable and definitely cozy compared to other Asian restaurants I've been to. read more

Lucky cat dim sum is just the best comfort food you can try if you're into dim sum. It's always good quality of food when I've gone and the egg tarts are on point. The servers are very friendly! The restaurant is busy but they try to get you seated as fast as possible. They never have the same music playing, so that's a nice touch to every visit. read more

Lucky Cat Dim Sum Restaurant - My mom and her friend. - Cantonese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida